Things to Do Before Moving Across the Country

Some of the things to do before relocation involve the creation of a good plan or checklist, sorting through belongings, packing skills, and dealing with a lot of bureaucracy, such as notifying insurance companies and banks about the change of address, and more.

Organization Is a Key to a Success, Start by Making a Good Plan

No matter what you decide to do you know that good planning and organization is half the job done and the same is true when relocating to a new state. Whether this is your first rodeo or you have done this before, setting up a plan with all the things to do before you move will be a lifesaver.

The best way to organize the move is to make a relocation binder. Here you will put everything you need to do regarding relocation. Also, all the paperwork should go here, so make sure you get a bigger binder.

Checklist is the Moving Person’s Best Friend

The next thing you need to do is to make a relocation checklist or, if you prefer, a plan for the move. With a checklist, you will easily keep track of the things you have done and the things you need to do. Make boxes where you can insert dates or timeframes when these tasks should be completed. Here is what this checklist will look like.

Good Budgeting Is the Next Step to Take

Before you start organizing the move, you will need to know how much money you will need. The budget will determine many things from the kind of long-distance moving services you can hire to travel arrangements and accommodations. So before you start doing anything, take a  calculator and do some math first. To make things easier, divide the budget into a couple of categories. Make one category only for moving and car shipping, one for accommodations, and one for food and other expenses.

When it comes to the costs of relocation, this will be the easiest part of budgeting since you will have a fixed quote that will not change. Most companies like Flat Price Auto Transport and Moving will offer a free quote through a website, so you can know approximately how much the relocation will cost. Depending on the type of services, this can change. For example, if you take packing services with moving, the price will naturally be higher.

Find Out All About the City You Are Heading To

Aside from attractions and finding a good neighborhood to live in when relocating to a new city, the crucial thing to know is the cost of living. It would be best if you could go and spend some time there just to get to know how things work. If this is not an option, there are other ways you can find out all you need to know.

This will be part of your budget, plus rent or the down payment for your new home. It would be good to do some house hunting before just to get to know how much you will need for rent or house purchases.

Find the Right Cross-Country Movers

Now that you have a budget for an out-of-state move, you will be able to start searching for the best long-distance moving company. And don’t be fooled, hiring movers is not an easy task – there are a lot of scammers and you can easily end up in a problem and paying a lot more than you need.

But if you follow our advice you will avoid making any mistakes. First, you need to check if the company is legit. Maybe you don’t know, but all cross-country moving companies must have a USDOT number to offer insurance and have all the necessary licenses. So these things are something you need to check before you contact movers.

Book Movers for All the Services You Need

A good strategy would be to ask for a quote from at least three different companies and see what kind of services they offer and how much that would cost. Don’t be shy and call them to ask all the questions you may have. And, once you have a quote for a move, ask about particular services you are interested in.

For instance, ask if they offer car shipping so you don’t need to hire a car shipping company on the side – you can have long-distance movers to do all the logistics and tasks you need. Flat Price Auto Transport and Moving is also an auto transport company, and they offer full auto transport service as well as full moving services, including storage, to their customers.

Talk to Your Employer

Long-distance moving is stressful, especially if you are relocating without a job. You will need to find a job before moving or as soon as you arrive, and that can cause a lot of stress and anxiety. But if you follow our plan and set aside money for three months worth of food and rent, you should be fine.

On the other hand, if you are relocating for a job, then you need to ask the employer some crucial questions that will determine the organization before the move. Here are some questions you need to ask:

• Will the company offer employee relocation?
• Will they cover any expenses?
• Are there any remote work options?
• What is the start date of work?
• Ask about health insurance plans.
• Will they provide relocation assistance for family members?

Think About Packing and Downsizing in Advance

After you are done with budgeting and making arrangements with movers, it is time to organize packing. Packing is a huge part of this process, and if you do everything right and on time it shouldn’t take too much energy.

Start by downsizing for a move. That way, not only will you save on some costs (there will be fewer things to load on a truck) but you will have fewer things to pack as well. Not to mention by decluttering you will improve the future home and start this new chapter freshly.

Go through all belongings and decide what to keep and what to throw away. Get rid of all the things you haven’t used in a while or things that are damaged or simply ugly and you don’t want to look at anymore.

Donate Unwanted Items and Organize a Garage Sale

While you are decluttering, you will sort as well. All the things you have set aside to get rid of now should be looked at once again for another sorting. Go through belongings and decide which items should be donated, sold, thrown away, or given to friends and family members. Those items chosen for donation should be put in boxes and labeled. Go to the local charity and give them those boxes. For the valuable things, you can organize garage sales and earn some money as well.

Label Each Box for Easier Unpacking and Make an Inventory List

Once you have cleared the house of all the unwanted items, it’s time to pack. Start by packing things you don’t currently use. Then go on to packing things you use, but set up priorities, go room by room, and pack everything with care. Don’t forget, while you are packing, to make an inventory list of all the items movers will take. Also, buy or make labels for each box. You can use the inventory list and labels to create a color-coding system so you can easily find things when unpacking.

Change the Address and Inform All the Important Parties About the Relocation

One of the most common things people forget to do is to change their address at the USPS and to inform all government entities about their relocation. Nowadays, most of these things can be easily done online, except for the DMV. You will probably have to go to the DMV at the new place and get new plates and registration. Here is a list of parties you need to inform about the move:

• Post Office (for mail forwarding),
• Department of Motor Vehicles,
• Voter registration office,
• Banks and credit unions,
• Credit card companies,
• Mortgage or rental companies,
• Home or renters insurance,
• Auto insurance,
• Any other relevant policies,
• Primary care physician,
• Dentists,
• Cancel all the subscriptions you may have, including gym memberships.

Make a Smooth Relocation for Kids

As you can imagine, relocation will probably be the most stressful for your kids. So, if you are planning to relocate with kids, you can do some things to make this transition easier for them as well. For starters, if possible, move after school is over so they can have time to say goodbye to friends. Also, communicate with them early and answer any questions they may have.

If possible arrange a tour of the new city and school and get them excited about the move. If feasible, plan visits with their old friends in the future and help them stay connected to old friends through calls and video chats.

Start Prep Today With Best Movers

As you can see, there are many things you need to do before the move. This is why people usually opt to hire movers to handle all the logistics and heavy lifting, even packing. By hiring help, you will ensure this whole process will be without any unnecessary stress. Contact us, Flat Price Auto Transport and Moving, today and ask for a quote and start the journey with the best possible decision you can make.