Moving far away may seem like a daunting and scary process. But do not worry. It can go smoothly if you just stay calm and start preparing for it as soon as possible. Bear in mind that long distance moving isn’t the same as moving around the corner. There are many preparations you need to take care of before the moving truck arrives. Also, you must find an affordable and reliable moving agency to help you out. Don’t try to do this entire process by yourself. It will include a lot of packing, loading, shipping, finding storage, and dealing with paperwork. Leave this to the professionals, and focus on more important things like finding a new place to live and saying goodbye to everybody. So, without further ado, here are some tips on how to reduce stress when moving and make your long-distance relocation into a joyous event.
Start Preparing for Long Distance Moving ASAP
First things first, you have to set a moving date. Without it, you won’t be able to do any planning. Moreover, set your budget, that is, decide how much money you are willing to spend on this long distance moving. One thing is for sure – moving is expensive, and you should do everything in your power to try to lower the costs. It is also a good idea to make a moving checklist that will include all the necessary steps of your move. Moving checklists are a great way to stay organized. You can create that checklist together with your family, that is with all the people moving with you.
Have a Family Meeting
Having a family meeting is of key importance when it comes to moving long distance and moving with children. So, order some pizza and call the entire household. As soon as everybody arrives, start discussing the details about the move. Try to involve everybody and split the chores as this is going to be a big project. For example, every member of the household should be in charge of cleaning and packing of a certain room. If you have small children, you should explain to them why this move is necessary. Also, try to motivate them somehow and make them feel excited. During this family meeting, you should also decide whether you are going to tackle this long distance moving by yourselves as a family, or you are going to hire professionals to do it for you.
Having a family meeting is a must.
Find a Place to Live First
Before you pack your bags and buy non-return tickets to your new home, you must find a new place to live. Living in hotels and paying for storage while you are there is going to be extremely expensive. Try to avoid that if you can. So, if possible, visit the country you are planning to move to and explore the city and neighborhoods. You must find a neighborhood that suits your needs the most, that is close to your job, has a good school for your children and a lot of green surfaces for your pets, if of course, you are moving with your pets. Also, try to find a house or an apartment and buy it before moving all of your stuff to the new country. In that way, you will know how much space you have to work with and plan your packing accordingly.
Before you move for good, do a site visit. That should be one of the first things on your moving checklist.
Purge Before Packing
As previously mentioned, long distance moving is expensive and it can easily eat away your budget. Do not try to pack your entire household and every little knick-knack. Otherwise, you will pay a fortune on packing and shipping. So, decide what is really important and what can stay behind. Also, this is something that should be discussed while the entire family is present. You do not want to throw away your wife’s favorite shoes or your child’s favorite toy. And after the family meeting is done, get a lot of bins and boxes and start getting rid of your stuff. Here is a possible organization:
- Keep bin – This should be the bin where you will put all the things that are necessary for your future life in your new home. Do not go crazy with this bin. You cannot relocate everything. Put only the things that are valuable and not replaceable.
- The trash bin – If something is not working, or is completely useless, just throw it away. Do not get oversentimental with material things. Almost everything can be replaced.
- Donate Bin – If you have some old clothes and shoes, your child’s toys or books or even some small appliances, consider donating them. There is no need to bring items that can be easily replaced in your new home.
- Sell Bin – And if you want to earn some money on your move, you can try to sell some of your stuff. You can sell them online, on social media accounts, on Craiglist, or simply organize a yard sale.
The more stuff you plan on relocating, the more expensive your long distance move will be. Do not over pack!
Hire a Moving Agency
And now, after having a family meeting, doing a site visit and decluttering your home, it is time to look for some professionals who know how to handle long distance moving. You can start by getting recommendations from the people you trust. However, if none of your acquaintances moved recently, go online, do some research and background checking. You can always ask a moving company to come to your home and give you an estimate. That is a great way to find out how much this long distance moving will cost you. And do not forget to ask them about what services are included in the price and whether they will provide you with insurance. Do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have. Good Luck!
Leave a Comment