Long Distance Moving Tips to Avoid Disaster
We all know how the entire moving process can be. You have a lot worry about; you have special items to pack, fragile items, when to move, and a whole lot of other complications. Long moving is an entire tasking process if you don’t have your mind together, and it becomes worse when you don’t have a plan. Even local movers have a reason why they don’t try to extend their services when they don’t have what it takes to expand.
If you already have experience of long-distance moving, you already know what you are in for. But if you do not have the experience, you should be well prepared, so that your first time doesn’t come off as disappointing. For those who are entirely new to the moving or long-distance moving experience, you can calm yourselves down as we take you through the tips. These tips will help you reduce the odds of you having a disaster when you are engaged in a long-distance moving process.
1. Get a Good Plan
This is undoubtedly the most important thing you need to sort out in any moving process. Before you can make a move, you need to have a really solid plan and direction. Most people that end up having a disaster do so because they didn’t plan and cater to things they never expected. You should have everything figured out on paper or with your partner, or friends long before the actual move happens. Without this, in place, it might be impossible actually to move without breaking a sweat.
As part of the plan, you need to make sure you look at your situation and know how to make the plans required. The plans you make are peculiar to you. How a person with a baby would plan is entirely different from how a person without a baby would. In the same manner, those with pets would plan their move in an entirely different fashion. It all depends on the situation of things and your context. Make sure you take into consideration your setting and those who live with you also.
Part of getting a good plan would be to get to know all the items in your home that you would be moving to. This is very important because you will need to get supplies to help make your move more stress-free. Knowing the sizes and the total number of items would also help you gain confidence when you are trying to bargain with the moving company. In case you need moving boxes, and other padding materials for the fragile items, you can know when you make a list of all your items and start taking buying them.
Another essential part of your plan is to make sure you plan the move on time. Long-distance moves are not the types you rush overnight. There are well thought of and considered before the final decision is made. You should be able to know weeks or even months before you move and let others be aware too. The reason is that you might have stuff you want your friends and family to help you with, knowing on time will help you get them to help you. All you need to do is to set a date, and they can come over to help you.
2. Make an Inventory Checklist
We spoke earlier about knowing all the number of items in your home. This is very important, from your personal belongings to that of your children. You can never be wrong when you have things penned down. So one by one as you pack the items into boxes, you should tick them. This gives your brain fewer things to worry about. Once you have the comprehensive list on paper, you do not need to overthink what you have packed. All you need to worry about is how to keep the items safe.
We would suggest you create two checklist boxes for the items in your home. One would be for when you pack all the items into the truck(s), another would be for when you move everything out of the truck, and into your new apartment. You don’t want your first day at your new place to be filled with regrets and worry over the things you forgot. It would only be wise to ensure that the same amount of items you packed out of your former place or home was the exact amount you brought into your new home. There is nothing more satisfying.
3. Take a Picture of Items to Remember Faster
One of the fastest ways to remember how things were placed in your former home is to take a picture. Pictures can do a lot for you. So you really should try taking pictures of certain items to know how to rearrange them in your new home. Trust me; you will find it funny that you cannot plug the cables back the same way you met them. Then you would wish you had taken a simple picture.
With cloud technology and new platforms, you can save up the pictures in the cloud, so you don’t have to worry about misplacing the pictures or having them deleted from your device. A simple picture will save you on the stress of trying to remember a pattern, or how things were fixed. You save both time and your sanity too.
4. Declutter to Save Money
Do you know that a quarter of the money you need to move can come from the items in your home that you need to purge? I’m sure you never knew. Sometimes you can get more than half of what you need to move; it all depends on the number of items you have. Most times, we tend to move stuff that is no longer relevant. If you have stuff that you no longer use or stuff that has stayed long without being used for a long while, then I think it’s time for you to declutter your home and get rid of those items.
Knowing and planning your moving date early enough would give you the chance to see what you need and what you don’t need. Also, while trying to make a list of all the items in your home that you might be needed, you will see several things you do not need anymore, these items can be put up for yard sale. Once you have selected the items you no longer need or use, you can put them and expect a good number of people to buy them. This way, you can realize about a quarter of the money you need to move, or even more. It also makes you free from having to pay for the extra load.
5. Get Insured
Insurance is something you do not want to joke with when it comes to long distance moving. Even local moving demands that you get some amount of insurance just in case anything awkward happens. There are two ways for you to go about it. One way is that you can search for a very good moving company that has a standard insurance scheme, and hire them. This way, you are sure they will pay for any damage that occurs during the process of moving. You can see once again why you need time to plan and research.
Another option is to get insurance for your property yourself. There are essentially two types; there are the basic package and the full-value coverage type of insurance. For both insurance types, there are certain amounts to be paid and certain prices. What you can do to help yourself is to ask your moving company to help with a detailed breakdown of both of them and then you can make your choice. There is nothing better than knowing that all your belongings and special items are safe and sound.
6. Hire Only the Best Company
This part cannot be overemphasized. You will need to take your time out and select only the best company for your moving needs. If it means getting delayed or extending your moving date to get the best, then it’s worth it. It’s better safe than sorry. The first thing you should do is the source for a list of long distance moving companies. Do not just jump on the first long-distance company you see. Carry out a survey to see if there are others that can do a better job and at very competitive prices. You’ll be shocked at how many you would find.
The next thing to do is to start shortlisting the list of companies you have. You will need to go to research for those companies. Check some review sites to see what people are saying about the companies you have selected. If the companies you selected all have a bad rating, then you need to select a new set of companies. If a few have a bad review, then you can stay with the ones who have a good service.
To select the best, you need to compare their overall rating as well as the years of experience they have. Remember, you are moving, and you are going to pay for it. Do not do what you will regret; don’t be shy about asking questions. Once you have shortlisted the companies you feel are okay, you can place a call to see who has the best bid for you. If you are tight on budget, you should reconsider moving to a long distance. If you need to get a good service, you might need to pay for it. It is always fairly processed.
Do not forget to ask your friends and family for some advice; they are the ones who can give you their honest opinions about the services they have tried. You need to listen and heed to their words and jump at any red flag you see or hear, especially when more than one person says the same things about a company. Remember, you need to take your time on the choice of company to use. What might seem like a way of saving on costs, might end up becoming a serious financial meltdown for you if the right steps are not taken.
7. Try to Move Without Food or Drinks
Don’t be scared; we do not mean you should not eat or drink when you are moving. We mean something entirely different. What we mean is simple, when you know the date you are meant to move, you do not need to buy groceries that would last over the while you are planning to move, up until the day you plan to move. Groceries will always perish and become awful when they are sour. So a piece of advice to you is to make sure you do not pack food into your moving truck.
Similarly, you also need to stop liquid or drinks. Drinks have a way of spilling even if they are perfectly sealed when they go on a spin in a truck. You need to make sure you have no drinks with you when you are moving. This would ensure that your other important items do not get liquid spills and get damaged.
If you have any food or liquid that you might have kept up until the point you have to move, you should try disposing of some of them or giving them out. It is better you have them thrown out than you regret that you did not do the needful.
In conclusion
These are some of the useful tips to help you avoid a lot of disasters on your moving day. If you follow these tips, you are sure to have a smooth packing process. Try as much as possible to have everything under control with these few tips.
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