Are you considering a move to another state? Perhaps you’re thinking about moving internationally? Before you take the plunge, you should know a few things that’ll help you adequately prepare for a long-distance move.
From budgeting for your relocation and planning out your move to hiring a moving company and protecting your belongings, you’ll have a lot on your plate.
Here are eight important things you should know about long-distance moving to help ensure your relocation goes as smoothly as possible.
1. How to Create a Timeline for Your Move
First and foremost, you need to create a plan for your long-distance relocation at least eight weeks before your move date if you want things to go smoothly. That plan should include a detailed timeline you can easily follow, so you know what you need to do and when.
With a timeline and checklist prepared, you can spread out your move-related tasks over several weeks, so you don’t get overwhelmed or burned out.
Check out our 8-Week Moving Timeline and Checklist for ideas you can use to create your plan.
2. How to Budget for Your Move
Long-distance relocations can quickly get expensive if you don’t make a budget and stick to it. This budget should allocate funds for all of the expenses you know you’ll need to cover, such as moving materials, hiring a moving company, lodging, and fuel costs. But that’s not all.
Throughout the course of your move, there’s a good chance you’ll incur some costs you didn’t anticipate. To help ensure costs don’t get out of hand, it’s a good idea to leave a little wiggle room in your budget for incidental expenses.
If you’re unsure what to include in your budget, check out Creating Your Moving Budget: Tips for Achieving a Cost-Effective Relocation.
3. Long-Distance Movers Can Simplify Your Relocation
Preparing for and executing a long-distance relocation is tough. There are tons of moving parts (no pun intended) and lots of things to keep track of in addition to the many responsibilities you likely already have.
And although you can choose to tackle the job on your own, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should. DIY moves are tough, especially when you’re moving a long way, and when you do everything yourself, you risk overwhelm, burnout, injuries, and damage to your belongings.
That’s where investing in professional long-distance moving services can be a huge help. The pros can streamline and simplify your relocation with a variety of helpful services, like full packing service, custom move planning, custom crating, and more.
When you trust the pros, you’ll get peace of mind knowing you’re things are properly packed and well protected. Perhaps more importantly, you won’t have to sacrifice hours upon hours of your valuable time getting ready for your move.
4. How to Hire a Reliable Moving Company You Can Trust
If you’re planning to hire long-distance movers, you absolutely must do your research before you decide on a company. There are plenty of scammers out there who’ve taken thousands of dollars from honest folks, and you certainly don’t want to end up in a similar situation.
Not only will you be making a considerable investment when you hire a moving company, but you’ll also be trusting strangers with your most precious belongings. That’s why you need to know how to find a reputable, trustworthy mover.
If you’re unsure how to do that, check out Moving Cross-Country? 9 Things to Look for in a Long-Distance Moving Company for valuable tips.
5. You Should Get Moving Insurance
Even when packed with the utmost care, items can suffer damage in transport. No matter what kind of safety measures you or your movers implement, that’s the risk you take when you move. And that’s exactly why moving insurance exists.
When you hire movers, you’ll get a standard level of coverage (called released value protection) automatically. But that level of protection is woefully inadequate for most people since it only reimburses $0.60 per pound for any damaged or lost items. You’ll have the option to upgrade to a more comprehensive level of coverage, and that’s something you should definitely opt for.
For a more in-depth breakdown of how moving coverage works and why you need it, check out Do I Need Moving Insurance?
6. You Should Inventory Your Belongings
Chances are you own more stuff than you realize. And that’s why taking a pre-move inventory of all your belongings can be super helpful. That inventory can help you determine what you actually use, how often you use it, and whether you have any duplicate items you don’t really need.
An inventory will also help you keep track of your things during your move and will allow you to verify that everything made it to your new home intact and unblemished. If you have a smartphone, it’s a good idea to take a photo inventory, just so you can double-check the condition of each item when you arrive at your new abode.
7. You Should Downsize Your Stuff Before You Go
When you move long distance, it’s a good idea to get rid of some of your stuff before you leave. Not only will downsizing make the packing, loading, and unpacking processes easier, but it can also help lessen any mental overload you might experience.
Plus, having less stuff can also reduce the price of your move, whether you’re DIYing it or hiring professional movers.
Generally, long-distance moving companies charge a set amount per pound of weight that they must transport. So if you get rid of stuff before you move, you’ll end up transporting less weight to your new home and will likely pay less to get the job done.
8. You Should Ask About Non-Allowable Items
If you’re hiring a long-distance moving company, you should know there are several things your movers cannot transport in their truck, either by law or company policy. And if you’re hiring full packing services, your movers won’t be able to pack those things either. That means you’ll need to pack them and arrange alternate transportation if you want to take them to your new home.
What kind of things are we talking about? They’re called non-allowables and cannot be transported because they present safety hazards or have a high potential for damage or spoilage in transit.
Some of these items include:
- Nail polish, nail polish remover, and aerosols (flammable)
- Firearms or ammunition (flammable)
- Household batteries (fire hazard)
- Liquid bleach, ammonia, and other cleaning solvents
- Propane tanks
- Week killer, gasoline, charcoal, and lighter fluid
- Live plants
- Perishable foods
When you’re getting moving estimates, be sure to ask each company about what they can and cannot transport, so you know how to prepare. For a full list of non-allowable items at Ace, click here.
And for advice on how to get these things to your new abode, check out how to transport the things your movers won’t handle.
Request a Quote for Long-Distance Moving Services in Rochester
If you could use a hand with your upcoming interstate or international relocation, let our team at Ace Moving & Warehousing in Rochester take the stress out of your move! As an Atlas Van Lines agent, we’ve helped thousands of people move throughout the United States and the world since 1970, and we’d love to help you, too.
From full moving and packing service to climate-controlled storage, custom move plans, and customs services, whatever you need to make your long-distance move as smooth as possible, we’re here to help.
To learn more about our international or interstate moving services, call us at 507-288-3341. You can also request a fast quote online, and we’ll get in touch with additional information!