Cross-country moving can be exciting, but planning how to pack and move a hefty amount of stuff is undeniably stressful. Finding places to store your furniture, getting the household members ready to travel, and ensuring you don’t leave anything behind can be severely headache-inducing.
Some people worry that the cities they live in may not provide them with adequate facilities to store furniture and hire professional movers. However, even small cities like Milford, Delaware, offer convenient options like storage units to ease the moving process. And if you’ve planned to move out of town for a job or university, you don’t have to make it harder for yourself. Finding things that can make the move easy for you is vital.
So, here are some easy steps you can follow to move cross-country efficiently without encountering any hassle.
1. Find A Storage Unit
Lugging so much heavy equipment and furniture cross-country is not possible. You could hire professional movers to handle that aspect for you. However, not everyone can afford to hire them, and even they might be unable to carry all of it in one go. That is why you should first find storage units where you can keep your things until you figure out how to move them to the ultimate destination.
There are plenty of storage units Milford offers, and you can find an option that suits your needs. Storage units come in different sizes with varying features like climate control in case your belongings require special care. They are reasonably priced, and you can select the area depending on how much equipment needs to be stored.
2. Create A Checklist
Once you have the furniture out of the way, it can be easier to determine how to handle the smaller things that may be essential for daily usage. Creating a checklist can help you keep track of everything that needs to be done and reassure you that you won’t forget anything behind.
You can include kitchen equipment, clothes, accessories, and electronics in the list of things you may need immediately after moving. It can also help to create a weekly planner to determine what aspects of the moving process you need to finish within a specific time.
3. Take Out Unnecessary Things
Everyone is guilty of storing old things they might not use anymore. They may keep putting it off due to sheer laziness, but including them in the moving process can drastically increase unnecessary costs. You can’t fit so much equipment in your car, and it’s advisable not to clutter your new home since it is an opportunity for a fresh start.
That is why cross-country moving is the perfect time to list all things you will have no further use of. It can help to make two separate lists to clarify what you would prefer to donate and what you’d like to sell off instead.
4. Create A Budget
Before you can execute the moving process, you must create a budget to keep track of all the inevitable finances you will likely encounter. Cross-country moving is costly, and you need to plan for it accordingly. It would be best to decide whether you want to travel by car, in which case you must prepare for fuel costs or purchase plane tickets.
Furthermore, you need to know if you are financially capable of hiring a professional moving company to carry your furniture across the country, ship it to your destination, or if you’ll settle for storage units instead. You should also have some savings in place if you have yet to find a job in the new city or if housing and utility bills are more expensive there.
5. Pack And Label Boxes
Packing can be tedious, especially if you are moving to another state. If you dump random things in boxes together, it will undoubtedly take ages to unpack and settle into your new home quickly. It is better to take an organized approach to make the process more efficient.
The first box you should set aside should contain essentials like medicines and some kitchen supplies you can unpack immediately. It would help if you also labeled a separate box for essential documents containing medical records, passports, and car registration papers.
Also, separate fragile equipment like glass dishes and china vases, as they are vulnerable and can break easily. Use bubble wrap and durable boxes to wrap them to remain intact throughout the journey carefully.
6. Get Kids Ready For The Journey
One of the most challenging aspects of any journey is to ready the kids and keep them entertained so they don’t feel irate. If they consistently get in your way, you won’t be able to get anything done. That is why you should come up with outdoor activities to keep them occupied and away from the house.
You can send them to your relatives’ homes or hire a babysitter to keep them busy and take care of them while you oversee the moving process. Even on the journey, you must prepare various games and activities as the journey could take hours or even days if you travel by car.
7. Don’t Forget The Little Things
Getting caught up in the entire process is very easy. You may forget minor details that you could regret later on. The first thing you should focus on is transfers. If the kids are old enough to go to school, transfer them to a different school in the new city.
Over time, you may also have acquired memberships for various activities like the gym. You should cancel them beforehand or find a way to transfer them to another gym in the new area. You should also forward your mail to avoid confusion and collect any critical records that might have slipped your mind.
To Conclude
Cross-country moving is a long and strenuous process with a plethora of challenges. It is imperative to stay organized and keep track of everything you need to transfer to the new location while making arrangements for the bulky furniture you cannot carry. Readying your kids and pets for the journey while setting things aside in different boxes may also be a massive hassle. However, you can look forward to an exciting, fresh start once you get to your new home.
