Moving Across the Country: A Checklist

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.

The Ultimate Moving Checklist

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Moving can be a hugely stressful event. In addition to going to a new location, there is so much to think about! So many things to do, so many people to contact, so many items to be packed.

One thing that can massively simplify the process is making a list. Lists bring everything together in a simple, easy to follow process.

To save you time, we created the ultimate moving checklist for you. Each of the items below is a question you need to answer. Once you’ve answered the question, you can move on to the next one. We’ve arranged it by descending order, starting with the things you need to do 2 months prior to your move and ending 1 week after your move.

60 Days Prior To Move

  1. Have you gotten quotes from at least three moving companies?
  2. Will they come to your home and estimate so that your quote is accurate?
  3. Have you talked to family and friends to ensure that these companies are reliable?
  4. Have you read reviews of the companies online?
  5. Have you determined how much packing supplies you need? Do you have a specified spot to store all your packing materials so that you don’t need to hunt for them?
  6. Have you researched your new community to prepare you for the move?
  7. Do you know which schools are the best?
  8. Do you know what restaurants there are?
  9. Do you know what grocery stores are close to your new home?
  10. Do you have people to drive your cars to your new home?
  11. Have you had all your expensive items appraised so that they can be properly insured prior to your move?
  12. Is your move related to your job? If so, have you researched your company’s moving policy? Are any subsidies available for moving costs?
  13. Have you gotten rid of all unnecessary items either by a yard sale, recycling, or simple purge?
  14. Do you have a record of all the items in your household (your phone makes it easy to record a video or snap photos)?
  15. Have you transferred all your insurance policies to your new address (this includes your medical, property, auto and fire insurance)?
  16. Do you have a designated folder where all expenses related to the move can be recorded and stored (moving expenses are tax-deductible, which means you’ll want to keep all the records in a single location)?
  17. Have you notified old schools regarding your move?
  18. Have you transferred records to the new schools?
  19. Have you registered at new schools?
  20. Have you alerted all your doctors and dentists regarding here move?
  21. Do you have medical referrals for your new community?
  22. Have you obtained all necessary medical records that you’ll need in your new location?
  23. Have you transferred all necessary membership associations to your new community?
  24. Have you arranged for family members and pets to be transported to your new location?
  25. If flying, have you purchased tickets?
  26. Have you reserved hotel rooms (if necessary)?
  27.  Do you have referrals for veterinarians in your new community?

30 Days Before You Move

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Cheap Moving Boxes in Chicago

Are you in Chicago and looking to relocate your home or office? If yes, then the first set and most important moving supplies you must get is moving boxes. Often people in Chicago struggle to find moving boxes for a reasonable price because they are not aware of where they can get moving boxes locally. Below, you will find the list of places offering cheap moving boxes in Chicago.

Cheap Moving Boxes in Chicago

1. Craigslist: It is one of the most popular source when people are looking for cheap moving boxes. If you are lucky, you can even get some boxes for free through this platform. There are two ways of finding moving boxes through Craigslist. You can look for ads posted by people looking to give away boxes for free or sell them for cheap.  The best time to look for good deals on boxes is around the weekends or Mondays.  The other way of getting hold of cheap moving boxes through Craigslist is by posting ads in the site’s wanted section.

Use Craigslist’s search box to find cheap moving boxes. Once you get connected to the sellers, you will have the option of negotiating with them. If you want, you can swap items you already own, but don’t want any longer for getting boxes at an even lower price.

The problem with craigslist is that it is time consuming to find boxes, and the boxes you do find are already going to be used and damaged from the previous move. (more…)

Moving Supplies for Packing

When you’re getting ready to move in Chicago, you’ll probably have a hundred different things on your mind. Save yourself some stress by preparing before you begin packing. Below, we’re sharing a quick list of the moving supplies we offer in Chicago that will help make packing and moving a breeze.

Moving Supplies

Our list of Moving Supplies:

Moving Boxes

Moving Boxes

This one might be a given, but moving boxes can’t be left off of the list. Be sure that the moving boxes you choose are strong enough to hold up during packing, loading, and unloading. Sometimes, flimsy cardboard boxes just won’t cut it. Instead, choose plastic moving boxes with secure lids. Plastic moving boxes are much more sturdy and will also help to protect your belongings from the elements. Moving boxes with handles will also make it easier to lift and transport the boxes on moving day.

Zip Ties

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