Let’s get one thing straight: moving across the country often proves to be the toughest type of residential moving, challenged only by complicated cases of international relocation.
To move to a new residence that is located hundreds or thousands of miles away is definitely not something you can joke about – the mere thought that so many things could go wrong during that intensely transitional period is enough to send you into a state of panic.
This is exactly why we’ve created this seriously important moving across country checklist so that you can take your long-distance move seriously.
What would you be willing to give to have a fairly simple, straightforward, and affordable cross-country move? 5 minutes of your time would be enough.
Read the next 20 tips for moving cross country in order to better understand the challenges you’ll soon be facing with your decision to moveto another part of the country.
Stage One: Serious tips for moving across the country
Getting ready to move across the country requires impeccable organization on your part – know what things to do before you move across the country in order to take full advantage of the weeks, days, and hours you have until your moving date and keep the stress level to its minimum while keeping the efficiency as high as possible.
#1. Follow a moving checklist
Regardless of the move distance between the two homes (neighboring state or coast to coast), the one thing that will remain unchanged is the myriad of tasks that are waiting for you and you alone.
The number of those jobs can be so overwhelming that you may quickly find yourself confused about where to begin. Moreover, the exact order of completing the pre-move chores is very important for gaining complete control of the remaining time.
Don’t waste time you can’t afford to lose – set up a day-by-day/week-by-week moving checklist for yourself and populate with it personalized and prioritized move-related jobs.
Moving Timeline: Week By Week Moving Checklist
#2. Hire cross-country movers
Deciding to move across the country is a guarantee that you won’t lose valuable time resolving the ever-present dilemma: hire movers or do it yourself?
Because of the jaw-dropping distances of moving coast to coast, for example, New York, NY – Los Angeles, CA (2,800 miles), Miami, FL – Seattle, WA (3,300 miles), the only way you can have a normal household move without problems of any sort is to hire one of the top-rated cross-country movers out there.
There’s a good reason why self-moving is only suited for local moves – factor in all forgotten costs of moving by yourself and things will suddenly become clearer than ever.
7 Reasons to Hire a Professional Moving Company
#3. Compare movers
It won’t be long before you realize that moving cross country by yourself is a bad idea due to the great distance and the increased costs and risks that the extra mileage will introduce. Faced with a fairly complicated long-distance move, your best option is to contact an experienced cross-country moving company and hire their quality services.
Okay, hire a professional moving company – check. But which one?
The thing is that you won’t really know which long-distance mover is right for you until you do a comparative analysis of several cross-country movers in your area. Basically, it comes down to making an informed decision after exploring your available options as far as price and additional services go.
How to Compare Moving Companies
#4. Request cost calculation
It’s hardly a surprising statement that the cost to move across the country is almost always higher than the cost of moving locally. The real question is just how much higher, right?
Having your moving price calculated long before Moving day is something you just must do as it will introduce more clarity into your family budget and will hopefully ease your mind too.
Ask a few reputable cross-country moving companies for price estimation. Do not settle for online or phone cost estimates because they can never be as accurate as you need them to be.
Instead, request in-home surveys from moving company experts for much more realistic moving price quotes.
#5. Inventory your home
Do you know exactly what items you’ll be taking with you to your new place?
The most cost-effective way to move across country is to simply leave all household items behind and literally take just a handful of valuable personal belongings. Tempting, right?
Not really because such a long-distance moving scenario sounds more than science fiction than reality.
Complete a home inventory so that you do know what items you’re really moving to the new house or apartment. As you’re going from room to room with a trusted notepad or an electronic gadget in your hands, remember to decide the fate of each possession of yours – Keep, Sell, Gift, Donate, or Recycle?
#6. Moving furniture across country
Most furniture pieces are big and heavy, and therefore you should focus on resolving the dilemma of whether it’s better to pay to have your furniture moved to another home or not.
In some cases, purchasing new pieces of furniture upon arrival proves to be more cost-effective than paying professionals to pack, load, transport, and unpack the pieces that you own right now.
It’s a tough call, no doubt, but unless you have priceless antique furniture that you can’t even think about leaving behind, doing the math often favors moving as few furniture pieces as you possibly can.
What to Do With furniture When Moving
#7. Moving across country with children
No matter the major reasons to move across the country, expect much more worries and difficulties when you’re embarking on that moving journey with kids.
The added responsibilities will only make the tough relocation even harder for you as a parent so it’s important to think ahead and get ready for the challenges as they come one after the other.
Consult our Moving with Children Guide to keep the stress levels from escalating. There, you will find detailed information about what to expect from and how to prepare your baby, toddler, pre-schooler, school-age kid, or teenager to have a smooth transition not only between the two homes but between the two worlds as well.
How Does Moving House Affect Children?
#8. Moving cross country with pets
Moving with pets across the country will keep your hands rather full as well.
Non-surprisingly, pets have their own needs, so you are advised to find time to tend to those special needs in order to keep your animal friend safe and calm before, during, and after a house move of such a magnitude.
Whether you’re moving with a loyal dog, a graceful cat, a lovely bird, beautiful fish, or an exotic pet, you can be sure that it won’t be long before they sense that something big is about to happen.
Remember that even the best cross country movers are not allowed to transport pets, so you’re in charge of finding the best way to transport your pet to another state. Make sure that they are healthy before the trip (a pre-move visit to the vet is a must) and that their routine remains as unchanged as possible under the circ*mstances.
#9. Make up your mind: driving or flying?
Your long-distance mover will be charged with the task of protecting and transporting your possessions from Point A to Point B, but what about you and the people you are moving with? How do you plan to reach the new address?
Moving across the country in your car is the most common way to reach the destination of a long-distance move. And if that’s your plan too, then remember to have your transportation vehicle serviced prior to Moving day so that the moving trip goes as smoothly as silk. Also, plan your car journey well in advance to avoid potentially bad last-minute decisions.
On the other hand, if you intend to fly to your new home, then you should definitely think about how to move your car across the country. Contact a few top-rated car shippers and get price quotes so that you can select the best offer in terms of pricing and conditions.
Ship a Car or Drive It When Moving Across Country
#10. Change your address
A cross-country move will surely introduce many changes in a person’s life.
And the fact that you’re moving across the country means that your postal address is going to change as well. It’s quite logical, isn’t it?
It’s best to change your address with the United States Postal Service (USPS) approximately 2 weeks prior to your move-out date. This way, you will continue to receive your mail without any issues.
Interestingly enough, you can also change your address right after the move but the risk of getting important pieces of mail lost will be somewhat higher.
Luckily for you, there are 4 ways to change your address: 1) in person at the nearest USPS office, 2) online, 3) over the phone, and 4) by mail.
How to Change Your Address When Moving
#11. Change home utilities
In some relocation cases, you’ll also need to change your home utilities… unless you’d want to experience what it’s like to unpack in the dark once you make it to the new place.
Don’t forget to get in touch with your current utility companies and schedule the disconnection of the utilities in the place you’re leaving soon. Timing is important here, so remember to do this task approximately 2 weeks before moving out.
Then, contact the utility providers in the new state and arrange for the reconnection of the utility services – electricity, water and sewage, gas, Internet, cable TV, telephone, waste removal, etc. – in the new home.
How to Transfer Utilities When Moving: 10 Easy Steps
