Moving can be a painful experience since it means leaving your home behind, along with the memories you have made there with family, friends, and colleagues. As for the process itself, it need not wear you down even before starting a new life somewhere else.
The key to a successful move is plenty of preparation, from packing your stuff to dealing with car shipping companies to transport your car. Avoid stress from last-minute packing by learning about these tips on making moving easier.
Start Planning Once the Move Is Confirmed
Moving may seem overwhelming to some, but mostly because they fail to prepare for it as soon as possible. You can start preparations when you’re sure you’re moving and know when the moving day is.
Prepare a checklist of the things you need to do for the move and rank them according to priority. You can do this by using pen and paper, online tools, or mobile apps. Create a schedule based on how much time you have and distribute the entries on your checklist there.
Don’t forget about time-sensitive tasks such as utility installations and renovation work on the new house. You should accomplish these tasks before moving day. You may set reminders and alarms to help you remember these activities.
Request Records and Update Your Information
This step is not for you if you’re simply moving to the next block or even the next town. But when moving long distances, you must not overlook securing all the important records you’ll need, including school, medical, and dental records. You should list these tasks among your top priorities.
You may request your kids’ old school to transfer their records to the new school directly, so you don’t have to bring the documents yourself. Medical and dental records may be requested from your family doctor and dentist at least a week before moving day to give elbow room for corrections.
Updating your information is also critical when making a long-distance move. If transferring to another state, you need to update your personal information and documents like your driver’s license and car registration. Failing to do so will cause you issues later on, such as not being allowed to drive your car in your new neighborhood.
This is also the case for your medical and dental records. It’s quite easy to check out dental implants in Chesapeake or wherever you will move, however, getting your medical records sent in advance will make the process much smoother for you and your new dentist.
Book Services Early
Book your service providers immediately once you set the moving schedule in stone. If your moving day falls within the peak season, you may find it challenging to secure the services of a reliable moving company. You wouldn’t want to adjust everything in your timetable just because you booked the movers late.
Make time to visit your new home to ensure construction work is ahead of schedule and submit applications for utilities. It would be ideal to have complete utility services before the actual move. It would be a disaster if you arrived there without water, electricity, or both.
Secure Moving Insurance
Protect your belongings from accidents and theft by getting moving insurance. Although your mover can be one of the most reputable companies in the country, the unexpected can still happen, so you have to get moving insurance.
Depending on the specifics of the policy, this type of insurance can cover any form of damage to your belongings while in transit. It doesn’t matter whether the damage is from an earthquake or accidental breakage.
Don’t confuse moving insurance with the valuation coverage included in your moving contract. Valuation coverage does not compensate for everything damaged, unlike moving insurance.
Valuation coverage does not pay for damage to belongings placed in boxes that you packed yourself. It also does not cover damage from Acts of God, including earthquakes, fire, and hurricanes. Get additional protection through moving insurance if you’re transporting items of value for peace of mind.
Pack Your Things Properly
Before starting packing, ensure you have enough supplies so that you don’t have to stop in the middle of the process because you run out of something. Go supply shopping at least a day before you begin packing your goods.
Avoid randomly placing items inside boxes and organize moving boxes by room, size, or category. Only pack things that you plan on using in the other house. Disassemble oversized items, such as bookcases and bed frames, into smaller parts that take less space. This way, you can maximize the space in the moving truck.
It’s a common misconception that heavy items belong to big boxes while lighter ones to smaller boxes. The reverse is true since you have to pack bigger items into small boxes and lighter ones in bigger boxes to make it easier for movers to carry them.
Label the boxes with your name to prevent them from getting mixed up with other people’s things. This may occur, particularly with some long-distance movers that use large trucks. These containers carry parcels from different families moving to the same area.
Prepare for Car Shipping
When moving across states hundreds of miles away, it’s more convenient and practical just to use the services of an auto shipping company to transport your car than drive it yourself for several days. Just make sure that before you hand over your vehicle, you have removed all personal items, even the GPS chip.
These items could get stolen during transit, and they also add to the car’s weight, costing you more in fees. Take photos of your car before drop-off and after delivery to have a basis for comparison if you find signs of damage.
Conclusion
These tips are meant to help you make your move easier and keep you from committing the mistakes that most people do. Moving doesn’t have to be a stressful experience, but only if you prepare ahead of time.
