Moving to a new home is seldom easy, but this becomes all the more difficult when the move is long-distance. Uprooting from a settled life and adjusting to a completely new environment is a challenge without the practical difficulties of organizing the activity.
Despite the challenges, many families choose to move homes, even across states. In June 2023, 25% of homebuyers in Fort Lauderdale were looking to move out of the city. The reasons could be many – from the cost of living being 22% higher than the national average, the high crime rate, to the year-round warm weather.
Inevitably, moving across the country is the more stressful and challenging of the two. From the time you decide to move to the day you unpack in your new home, you might not get a minute to breathe.
Fortunately, it doesn’t always have to be this way; you can make the process smoother with the right tips and tricks. Amidst all the chaos of packing, it is easy to lose sight of what needs to be done. The following tips will help you organize your long-distance move like a pro:
1. Don’t overestimate your DIY skills
Yes, it is very appealing to save some money by taking things into your own hands; after all, the move itself is costly enough. Although affordability is surely an important thing to consider, remember that hiring professionals will be a worthwhile investment.
By leaving it to the movers, you can save much stress, time, and effort that would otherwise eat you away. It also isn’t hard to find the right moving company. Simply look up Fort Lauderdale long distance moving company near me, and you will get plenty of options to browse through.
However, you must research well before you finalize; you don’t want to end up with an unreliable company that backs out at the last minute, wreaking havoc on your plans.
2. Don’t procrastinate
There is no such thing as too much time for a long-distance move. Get a hold of every minute you get before the big day and utilize it to the most. Rushing things can lead to costly mistakes like forgetting to pack something, breaking valuable, fragile items, and skipping important paperwork.
The most time-taking step of the process is packing so start it as soon as you can. It is a reasonable concern that there are many things you cannot pack before the last day. However, there is also plenty that you can do. Things like out-of-season clothes, certain pieces of furniture, and some unused cutlery can all be packed weeks before.
3. Declutter
As appealing as it might sound to pack every belonging you own, don’t. It is helpful and necessary to declutter before you move homes; this is especially true if your move is long-distance.
You will regret the cost and effort you would put into packing and transporting the belongings, only to realize later that you didn’t need them. In fact, if you are traveling overseas, a single item can add a lot to your shipping costs and decluttering is a must.
It is also highly likely that you won’t have sufficient storage space in your new home to keep items with sentimental value and no real practical use. Another benefit of decluttering is that less mess will cause less stress; you can avoid much stress that packing, moving, unpacking, and storing unnecessary items can bring.
4. Be organized
Organization is key in a long-distance move because there are too many things to do. From day one, keep an inventory of everything you have, everything you have packed, and everything you have shipped off. Forgetting something important back home after a long-distance move is a terrible feeling.
Similarly, when packing, ensure you know which things have been stowed away in which box so you don’t have trouble in your new home. Label each box you pack with a list of items and keep the related boxes together.
It is also easy to lose important documents amidst the clutter of all your belongings and packing boxes so keep a separate central file for all the papers you have.
Lastly, ensure you have a to-do list following the timeline and aligned with all the important deadlines.
5. Separate the essentials and keep them within easy reach
With so much to pack and move, losing essential items can create a huge problem. You can imagine the consequences if you lose your keys, chargers, toiletries, or important medication last minute.
Therefore, keep the essentials separate and in an easily accessible bag; your essentials bag! This would ‘essentially’ have everything you might need from when you transport your belongings to when you unpack in the new home.
This bag should contain a first-aid kit, all keys, chargers for your mobiles, spare batteries, several changes of clothes, toiletries, sheets and pillows, a flashlight, plates and utensils, routine medicines, snacks, a tool kit, and important documents.
6. Plan the move during the off-season
Last but not least, schedule the move during the off-season. Summers are the busiest time of the year for moving long-distance, and reasonably so. However, regardless of the benefits of moving in such a season, it is sometimes a better idea to move during the offseason.
During the off-season, the reduced traffic will mean faster delivery, more discounts, flexible prices, less costly storage facilities, greater scheduling flexibility, and lower real estate costs. With all these benefits, an off-season move can save you money.
Final words
A long-distance move, if not planned right, can be an excruciating task. The excitement and stress go side-by-side – no doubt – but you can make your move a lot less stressful by following the right steps. Seek professional help, don’t procrastinate, declutter, keep an essentials bag, and select the right time of the year for the move. Together, these small measures can go a long way in making your move stress-free.
