Moving Across the Country: A Checklist
Moving residences can be a highly involved and stressful process. This rings even truer when the new home or apartment is located on the other side of whichever country you are in. In order to make this long distance move a little less troublesome, it’s important to be as organized as possible. This checklist will certainly get you on the right track and hopefully lessen the amount of mental and psychical strain such a move cross country tends to evoke.
First and foremost it is of the utmost importance to begin planning for the move at least eight weeks in advance. Now, this might seem a bit much for some people, but the more time you allow yourself to plan ahead the smoother the transition will go. Some things you will want to accomplish right from the start are to first figure out how you want to move your belongings. Most people opt to hire a professional moving company. This allows you to relieve yourself of the stress of hauling your belongings across the country. It’s important to get rates from a few different companies in order to find the best price. Don’t simply choose the least expensive option as you want to choose a company with a proven track record so your stuff is ensured to be there at the exact date and time you set.
Once you decide how and who you want to move your stuff it’s a good idea to figure out what you want to take cross country. Instead of just throwing everything you own in boxes, be sure to go through clothes and other items to accurately figure out what you want to take with you and what can be sold or donated. This will help ease the burden of unpacking because you won’t have unnecessary items with you. This task can be accomplished fairly easy because most places that accept donations will come and pick them up for you. This task should be done well in advance because you simply never know when these pickups will be available.
After you have thinned out your belongings and found a reputable moving company to haul your stuff it’s important to locate important documents and valuables you need for the long distance move. You will want to find items such as passports, car registrations, birth certificates and other items that are not easily replaced and travel with them. Though moving companies will likely insure and guarantee that your stuff will make it to the destination you simply never know what can happen.
Another important step when moving across the country is to make sure your previous home or apartments utilities will be shut off on the day you move and that your new home or apartment will have water, electric, gas, television and Internet services connected when you arrive. This is a very important step because the last thing you want is to have to pay for unused services after you have vacated your previous residence. You will also want to make sure that everything in your new residence is connected and ready to use when you arrive. This often overlooked step in the moving process can be accomplished rather easily as most companies will allow you to connect and disconnect online. It’s important to make sure you allow yourself time to send back cable boxes or other equipment to the provider so you won’t get charged for them. This may require sending them through the mail so make sure you give yourself enough time to accomplish this goal.
Preparing your transportation is also a vital step in the moving process. If you plan on driving to your new residence, it’s imperative that you make sure your vehicle is in good working condition. You should have the oil, engine, and tires checked before you embark on your trip to ensure you won’t be left stranded. Flying is perhaps the easier option, but flight delays and missing baggage could become an unlucky issue, though these are rare. Another thing to consider when deciding the method of travel you wish to use is whether or not you will be traveling with children or pets. It goes without saying that children and pets may not be the best travel partners when traveling vast distances. This is especially true when traveling by car. Be sure to plan the for the safest and most convenient travel method for your child or pet. This is a purely an individual choice but is something to think and plan for regardless.
Some other tips when moving across the country is to make sure your boxes of stuff are labeled and it’s a good idea to write your name, address, and phone number on the boxes in case they get lost. Also, make sure you fill out a change of address form with the post office. You certainly don’t want your important letters and parcels still going to your old address.
Make sure that wherever you bank will also be available in your new location. Some banks are simply not available in all areas, especially when moving across the country. Do a bit of research in order to figure out if your current bank is available in your new location or if you will need to find a new bank and be forced to transfer money from your accounts.
Following the tips on this checklist for moving across the country will undoubtedly make your move a lot less stressful. Remember that, in order to move with as little stress as possible, it’s very important to plan ahead. As mentioned above, give yourself at least eight weeks to plan and get your affairs in order because we are all human and mistakes will happen. No move across any country typically goes without at least some minor inconvenience, but you can certainly minimize the risk by giving yourself enough time to think and plan for everything you need. Keeping your own checklist and crossing things off when they are accomplished will allow you to get a good idea of where you are at in the moving process and allow for a successful move.
