DavidMoving across the country can be stressful, especially if you’re moving alone. But if you prepare in advance and follow these tips, it’s much more manageable.
Book the Move
Book the move early. Booking earlier will help your moving company to accommodate your schedule. It will also help ensure that nothing gets lost in the shuffle as far as scheduling goes.
Book with a reputable company. Check ratings online before booking; if possible, ask people who have used them recently how their movers treated them and what kind of experience they had overall. You can also check out consumer forums like Yelp, where people share both good and bad experiences about businesses. You can learn a lot about potential companies by reading these reviews.
Book with a company that offers money-back guarantees. Even if everything goes smoothly during your cross-country residential move, having some guarantee means security if anything unexpected comes up during transit or delivery time frames aren’t met due to weather delays, etc.
Pack for the Move
It’s always good to pack your personal and important items yourself. Pack a few days before your move. It’s always better to pack in small batches, as this will help you avoid stress and frustration. Make sure clothes are hung neatly in garment bags so they don’t wrinkle or get damaged during transit; label each bag with its contents, so you know what is inside without having to open up every single one.
Choosing a Car Shipping Company
Once you’ve found a good moving company, it’s time to book a car shipping service. This is where things can get tricky because there are so many different companies out there who offer different services at different prices. Some will charge less but provide lower quality service; others may be more expensive but provide better results. Don’t just pick one based on price; expect things to go smoothly.
Find out what kind of vehicles your moving company offers for shipping if they don’t have anything that matches your needs and budget. Or if they don’t offer any vehicle options—that will probably not work very well for you. Also, ensure they have experience dealing with cross-country interstate moves like yours; if not, this isn’t necessarily the right choice.
Get Settled In
Once you’ve arrived in your new home, there are a few things to take care of.
- Change your address with the post office and have mail forwarded if needed.
- Update your driver’s license and get a new photo ID for any local IDs (like library cards).
- Update insurance policies, bank accounts, credit card information, etc., with the agencies and companies that require it (e.g., utilities like electricity or water/gas services).
- You may also need to update contact information with companies like phone providers or internet service providers so they know how to reach you in an emergency or outage situation.
Moving across the country can be stressful, and preparing in advance is important. If you’re going to be making a cross-country move soon, these tips will help make things go smoothly for you.