Preparing to move out

Highlights

  • Moving long distance is no easy task.
  • The only way to have a successful long-distance move is to prepare thoroughly for the relocation using this moving checklist.
  • It’s not the right time to test your DIY moving skills due to high risks and potentially astronomical costs.
  • Hiring professionals is often the safer and more cost-effective option.

Moving across the country can be a daunting task, but with the right preparation, it can be a smooth and even enjoyable process.

Follow these 25 tips to ensure your move is as stress-free as possible.

1. Take Full Control of Your Preparation Time

  • Create a personal moving checklist to guide you through the preparation stage.
  • Populate your moving calendar with personalized tasks specific to your relocation.
  • Sort tasks by importance, prioritizing those that must be completed first.
  • Access free moving checklists for additional guidance.

The Greatest Moving Checklist of All Time

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2. Get In-Home Long-Distance Moving Estimates

  • Request multiple in-home moving estimates from top-rated long-distance movers.
  • Avoid movers who provide quotes over the phone or via email.
  • Show the moving experts all items to be moved for accurate binding estimates in writing.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire Movers?

3. Hire the Best Long-Distance Movers

  • Compare cost estimates, additional services, and general conditions.
  • Read moving reviews to check movers’ reputations.
  • Verify accreditation with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
  • Choose the mover that fits your budget and expectations.

How to Compare Moving Companies

4. Inventory Your Home and Sort Your Items

  • Inventory your home room by room, listing all items.
  • Use apps like MoveAdvisor for efficient inventorying.
  • Sort items into categories: Move, Sell, Donate, Recycle.

How to Make a Moving Inventory List

5. Decide What to Do with Your Furniture

  • Assess whether you need to move all furniture.
  • Consider leaving heavy or non-essential furniture behind to save on moving costs.
  • Sell or donate furniture you won’t need in your new home.

What to Do With Furniture When Moving: 7 Great Options

6. Get Rid of Unwanted Items

  • Reduce moving costs by decluttering and only taking what you need.
  • Follow the 1-year rule: if you haven’t used it in a year, consider leaving it behind.
  • Sell items with commercial value and donate or recycle the rest.

How to Declutter Your Home Before Moving: 10 Easy Steps

7. Gather Packing Supplies, Including Free Moving Boxes

  • Ensure you have all necessary packing supplies: boxes, bubble wrap, packing paper, tape.
  • Get packing materials in advance to avoid interruptions.
  • Obtain free boxes from friends, local businesses, or online sources.

Where to Get Free Moving Boxes Near You

8. Use a Good Packing Timeline

  • Follow a detailed packing timeline to stay organized.
  • Break packing into manageable mini-tasks.
  • Assign deadlines to monitor progress.

How to Pack for a Move in Only 3 Days

9. Start Packing Without Delay

  • Begin packing as soon as your move is confirmed.
  • Follow your packing timeline to reduce stress.
  • Start with the most challenging areas like the garage, basement, attic, and closets.

How to Pack for a Move in 60 Steps

10. Get Professional or Non-Professional Packing Help

  • Ask friends for help or hire professional packers if time is short.
  • Reach out early to minimize disruption to friends’ schedules.

How Much Does It Cost to Hire Packers?

11. Prepare Essentials Boxes

  • Pack boxes with essential items for the first few days in your new home.
  • Each family member should have their own survival kit.
  • Keep essentials boxes with you, not on the moving truck.

How to Prepare an Essentials Box When Moving

12. Do Not Pack Forbidden Items

  • Don’t pack hazardous items, perishables, plants, pets, or irreplaceable items.
  • Request a list of non-allowed items from your mover.
  • Consult complete lists of items movers won’t transport.

What Not to Pack When Moving: What Movers Won’t Move

13. Observe Safety When Packing

  • Use sturdy, clean, dry, and infestation-free boxes.
  • Tape the bottom and sides of each box before filling.
  • Keep boxes under 50 pounds to avoid injury.

10 Moving Safety Tips to Avoid Injuries When Moving

14. Label All Your Moving Boxes

  • Label each box on at least two sides with contents, destination room, and special instructions.
  • Use different colors for each room for easy identification.

How to Label Boxes for Moving

15. Save Money on Your Long-Distance Move

  • Find affordable movers by comparing quotes.
  • Minimize the number of items you move.
  • Pack yourself to save on professional packing fees.

How to Cut Moving Costs: 15 Ways to Save Big

16. Prepare Your Pets for the Move

  • Take pets – cat, dog, bird – for a veterinary checkup.
  • Move pets in your car, on a flight, or with specialized pet movers.

Moving With Pets

17. Change Your Home Utilities

  • Arrange for disconnection of current utilities about 3 weeks before moving.
  • Schedule activation of new utilities in your destination home.

How to Change Utilities When Moving: 10 Easy Steps

18. Change Your Postal Address

  • Change your address with the USPS about 2 weeks before moving.
  • Choose the most convenient method: online, in person, by phone, or by mail.

How to Change Your Address When Moving

19. Obtain Medical and School Records

  • Request medical records and documents from your family doctor.
  • Arrange for the transfer of school records for your children.

21 Things to Do After Moving to a New Home

20. Keep Your Valuables With You

  • Pack valuable items separately and keep them with you.
  • Purchase additional insurance for large or valuable items.

5 Things You Should NEVER Entrust to Movers

21. Guarantee Moving Day Safety

  • Let professional movers handle heavy lifting.
  • Keep children and pets away from moving activities.
  • Ensure clear and safe pathways for moving.

What to Do on Moving Day: Moving Day Checklist

22. Hire a Long-Distance Car Shipping Company

  • Request estimates from reputable auto shippers.
  • Choose a reliable car shipping company based on reviews and cost estimates.
  • Prepare your car for shipping according to guidelines.

Find the best long-distance car transport companies in the country here.

23. Be Ready for Your Long-Distance Movers

  • Be present to welcome movers and provide any necessary instructions.
  • Offer refreshments and access to a bathroom.
  • Prepare tips if you’re satisfied with the service.

What to Prepare for Movers: What to Do Before Movers Arrive

24. Say Goodbye to Your Friends

  • Inform friends of your move as soon as possible.
  • Organize a goodbye party to spend quality time with loved ones.
  • Promise to stay in touch and follow through.

How to Say Goodbye to Friends When Moving

25. Prepare Mentally for Your Long-Distance Move

  • Focus on the positive aspects of your move.
  • Be aware of and prepared for the emotional stages of moving.
  • Stay optimistic and remember that every journey begins with a single step.

Top 10 Emotions When Moving House: Search Your Feelings

Following these tips will help ensure that your long-distance move is well-organized, cost-effective, and as stress-free as possible.

Good luck with your relocation!

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12 Comments

  1. I am planning on doing a cross country move later this year. It is good to know that it would be smart to find someone with good moving rates. It does seem like a good idea to get a few different quotes before picking someone.

  2. I like what you said about keeping exit paths clear of stuff and anything that might make the floor slippery on moving day. My sister and her family will be moving soon to the other side of the country in the middle of fall. They’ll have to make sure that they get professional help with the biggest parts of their house and furniture so that they can move safely.

  3. I like the idea of using multicolored labels. I’m very disorganized and it’s easy for me to lose things. Having everything color-coded means I can just look at the box and know where it goes.

  4. I love how you mentioned getting professional packing help so that you are packed in time. My husband and I are moving from New Haven, CT, to Maryland and we need help moving as all of our friends are working or out of town. We will keep these tips in mind as we search for a professional long-distance moving service near us.

  5. Ah, thanks for the tip to start packing as soon as you know that you’ll be moving, even if you don’t know when. My wife and I want to start planning a move to somewhere warm. We’re hoping to hire some long-distance movers to lend a hand.

  6. Thank you for telling me to create a checklist that can serve as our guide throughout the moving process to ensure that we won’t forget anything. I’m thinking of moving on our own using my husband’s old truck for our furniture pieces and since we have a lot of stuff to move, I want to ensure that everything will go smoothly. It might be better if we can install some retractable tarp systems around our truck in order to protect our stuff from unforeseen weather conditions.

  7. I have to move all my stuff to Texas next month since it’s been a quick moving process. Thanks for letting me know to create a checklist for a guide throughout the moving process so I won’t forget anything. I’ll have to find a moving company that can have bigger trucks since mine can only hold so much.

  8. I like that you mentioned getting assistance when preparing for a long-distance move to help me pack my belongings. I’m planning to move out of my parents’ house so I can live with my sister but she lives a few states away. I hope there are moving companies that can help me with moving all my furniture long distance.

  9. reading your notes has been very helpful I have all to do and two months to decide lots of work I will be back on line to report , So far I have just done little packing ,. Two years ago there was a program on w5 or market place about Best Movers In Toronto I should have kept their name Maybe you know who they are .

  10. In just a couple of weeks, my family and I will be relocating and that’s why my wife and I talked last Wednesday night about hiring long distance moving services to help with the move. I decided to do some research online and there, I came across your brilliant post. I am most fond of where you mentioned to bear in mind that most pieces of furniture are heavy, and the long distance moving cost is calculated based on the total shipment weigh. You bring up a good point here

  11. Greetings! Despite feeling a little bit disheartened, I still feel excited for my neighbor who’ll be moving to Dallas this summer after receiving a great job offer there. By the way, I salute you for talking us through the process giving extra attention and care towards fragile and precious possessions of ours to keep them intact while they’re being relocated. Maybe she could use this tip to ensure a seamless transition after this.

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