Moving Across the Country: Tips and Tricks for a Successful Move

By VanLines.com

When moving across country, the journey itself can take up to three days. Your cargo might take even longer to reach the destination. Cross country moving is therefore not as simple as a local move.

What Do I Take With Me?
This is the most important question you will have to figure out is what to take with you. You will definitely have to cut down on the stuff you are taking with you. Keep a practical picture in mind; moving all of your furniture and appliances may not be a very good idea if you are aiming at moving cheap. If possible, auction off some of your furniture online. Then you can use the money you’ve earned to buy new items at your new home. Apart from furniture, there will be several clothing, electronic and household items you no longer use. Give these away – hold a garage sale or donate, whatever suits you.

Who Do I Move With?
Picking a good moving company that gives value for money is very important. Choosing a cheap company may be tempting, but a cheap company can damage, or worse - lose your belongings. So do some proper research before choosing the company you are going to move with. Your choice should preferably be a company that specializes in cross country moves and has good years of experience. Paying a hundred dollars more is better than losing twice the amount in damages.

What if My Items Get Damaged?
Obtaining appropriate insurance for your belongings is a wise thing to do. Moving your belongings cross country involves risk and your movers will only pay a small compensation in event of damage or loss. Insuring your belongings for the move will help you considerably in covering any damage or loss to your stuff. If you have valuable belongings like antiques or family heirlooms, you should opt for separate special insurance on them.

How Do I Organize?
Unpacking can be a real pain after a cross country move. The key to an easy unpacking is to pack in an organized way. The best method is to pack “room-by-room” and mark boxes properly stating their contents. This way when you are unpacking, you will know which boxes to open for the stuff you need. For example, setting up a basic kitchen is the first task, so if you marked the box properly while packing, you will have it running in no time. Always pack the kitchen last and unpack it first. This will give the best starting point for setting your new home.

I Have Kids. Any Tips?
Moving with children can be very stressful –for both you and them. Start briefing your children a couple of weeks before you begin packing so they are psychologically prepared. Tell them that moving is going to be a tough time and that they will have to be a bit patient. During the move assign them duties to make them feel involved and reward them periodically with an eat-out or treat. This will greatly help reduce the stress. Following these tips will significantly ease your move cross country. We will continue this post with further tips.