Having to move is almost always a stressful endeavor. Even if you don’t have much luggage and furniture to move and even if you’re moving alone, the simple act of leaving your home and life behind and moving to an entirely new place can be stressful. And this can be greatly exacerbated if you have to move cross country with your whole family and a whole lot of household items and appliances.
So, how can you make such a more as stress-free as possible? Here are 10 expert tips for a stress-free cross country move every homeowner should know.
1. Try moving in the off-season if possible
Many people don’t realize that moving is a very seasonal business. The months between May and September are much busier because most people look to move in that period. Similarly, weekends are busier than weekdays. So, if you can move during the off season (and/or on weekdays), you will not only get lower quotes, but you will also have a much easier time finding a good moving company.
2. Ask around for different offers
One of the key expert tips for a smooth cross country move you shouldn’t ignore is to ask around for more offers, even if you’ve already found a moving company you fancy. Looking for at least a couple of other offers may not only result in an even better deal, but it will also give you a better understanding of what you can expect from the whole process.
3. Make sure the movers you’re working with are fully licensed
This can sound like a no-brainer, but a lot of movers out there aren’t actually licensed and insured. Or, to be more precise, they aren’t always fully licensed and insured but happily offer what few licenses they have as proof of their reputability. To make sure everything goes smoothly, make sure whoever you work with at least has Department of Transportation (DOT) numbers and licenses from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
4. Pick the right service for your particular case
Different movers and haulers offer different services and additional perks. It’s important to pick movers that offer everything you need, be it packing/unpacking, bad weather transport, and so on. However, it’s also important to pick a company that doesn’t come with a lot of unnecessary services that will unnecessarily inflate the price and complicate the whole process.
5. Start planning early
As the moving business is seasonal and prices fluctuate based not only on the month/season but on how busing the movers are at the time of booking, it’s strongly advisable to start planning your move early. The sooner you book the movers, the less they are going to cost. Plus, it’s much more stress-free if you know how things are going to go from early on.
6. Do some “discount hunting”
Many moving companies offer promo codes and discounts from time to time, especially in the off-season months. For them, this is a great way to attract new customers and fill their time in the slower months, and for you, this is a great way to shave often up to 20% off the total price for the service.
7. Ask for personal recommendations from friends and acquaintances
When looking for the right moving company, it’s usually better to go with reviews and recommendations from friends, family, colleges, and acquaintances than online reviews. The latter can give useful insight too, but are generally not all that trustworthy unless you trust the source of the review because they are a reputable professional or something along these lines.
8. Plan all your personal trips around the move ahead of time
Moving cross country rarely happens in one go, and we usually have a lot of additional trips back and forth to figure out things, such as your new workplace, school registration for your kids, or just sort out your new living space. Very often, such trips are more stressful than the move itself, as there are lots of last-minute changes and extra trips. Planning all that out carefully and ahead of time is a must if you want to minimize all the stress you’re about to go through.
9. Arrange everything you can in your new place before you move
Moving to a new place in a different state or country usually involves a lot of paperwork. To minimize the whole drama, it is usually advisable to get most of that sorted ahead of time. From obvious stuff, such as address registration and voter registrations, new driver license and car plates, all the way to canceling your gym membership, getting a new library card. Most of these things can be done before you move, and doing so can make the whole experience much more stress-free.
10. If you have kids, make sure they are ready for the whole adventure
For families with kids, one of the biggest stress factors in cross country moving is often the kids themselves. This can depend on the kids, of course, but young children in particular can take moving to a new place quite badly and tend to make that everyone else’s problem too.
Therefore, if you want to minimize the stress for both your kids and yourself, one of the most important things to do is figure out how to make the whole adventure as simple and stress-free for your kids. This can include getting them with you on your first trips to your new place so they know where they are going, giving them stuff to do and help with in the whole process, so they keep busy and feel involved, or just getting them to stay with a relative for a while until you sort everything out. Every child is different, so, the right approach is different every time too.
As you can see, moving cross country can either be an incredibly stressful experience or it can be quite carefree and easy to pull off if you do the necessary preparation and planning, and if you find the right service for your needs. There often isn’t a “one size fits all” solution, as everyone’s circumstances are different. That’s why it’s important to go over the above tips carefully and find the perfect way for you and your family.
That said, arguably the most important tip of the ten above is to find the best possible movers/haulers for your needs – ones that have all the services you need and offer the highest-quality work. And such companies can usually offer a wide variety of services to suit many people’s needs.
