Moving to a nearby town or city is already stressful, and what more if you’re moving interstate? There are many things you have to consider. Interstate moving involves crossing a state border in which the only viable mode of transport would be a truck or train. Needless to say, you need the services of a professional mover to transport everything you need in your new home.
In this article, you’ll learn the essential things to consider when you’re moving interstate:
1. Moving Company
It’s crucial to choose a team of movers that can help with your long-distance move. Dealing with a good moving company helps reduce stress and hassle. If you work with a reputable one, you can prevent delays and damages to your belongings.
So, how do you choose a moving company for your interstate move? Here are some important considerations to take note of:
Services
An excellent moving company transports everything to your new home. Also, they can help you in the packing, loading, and unloading process—including reassembling heavy furniture pieces upon arrival.
You must also choose a moving company that specially caters to your current location and destination. For example, if you’re from Washington and you want to move further inland like in Idaho, you can check this mover here that specially focuses on those locations.
Reviews
Reading reviews and customer feedback is the quickest way to determine if a certain company is trustworthy. You can find out previous customers’ experiences by reading testimonials and comments on the company’s website, review sites, community forums, and social media. Reading these reviews is a quick way to gain insights as to how your prospect movers treat their customers, handle packages, and the quality of their overall service.
Policy
Every moving company has different policies. You can check the website of the moving company to find out what their policies are. If you can’t find it, you can call the customer service hotline to speak with someone about their current rates, services, requirements, available schedules, and other matters you need some clarifications on.
You may request a copy to be sent to your email if you can’t be on the phone for too long. Knowing the company’s policies is important because it helps you know the extent of liability that the company is willing to shoulder in case some of your things would get damaged or go missing while on the move.
2. Moving Plan
Moving interstate can be overwhelming and stressful. To make sure that you don’t miss out on anything, you must come up with a good strategy. When creating a moving plan, make sure to write everything down in a notebook or on a calendar. Here are several things you can do to organize your moving plan and schedule:
- Create A Checklist: You must create a checklist of to-dos before the actual day of moving. This allows you to see and take note of the things you have to prepare and schedule.
- Set A Regular Time For Preparation: When you create your checklist, you also need to conduct an inventory of the things you must bring and which things must be disposed of, donated, or sold. This can take a lot of your time but as long as you keep a regular schedule, then you can finish on time. For example, you can set aside weekends to do inventory. Later, you can set aside a day for packing small things and disposing of large appliances through donation or selling.
- Check Your Budget: After talking to prospective movers, you can check your budget to determine if you have enough cash to cover all expenses. There are also financing options available if you need help. Some moving companies can offer a flexible payment plan for clients.
3. Packing
It’s a good idea to have a packing checklist and schedule to avoid confusion and exhaustion. Being organized in this aspect will ensure that you don’t leave stuff behind. Packing is not just about organizing and putting your stuff in boxes, this also includes determining the things you need to bring and which stuff can be disposed of. Below are a few tips if you’re packing for an interstate move:
Make An Inventory
Before you figure out what items to pack, you must make an inventory of all your belongings. As mentioned earlier, you must incorporate this into your schedule. Creating a list or spreadsheet of everything you own is a good idea. Categorize them accordingly, and take down their value, size, purpose, and importance.
Pack Early
Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to pack—at least six weeks from moving day to save time, effort, and money. If you don’t have much time, you can hire additional packing services from moving companies so your stuff can be prepared ahead.
Prioritize Non-Essentials
There are several appliances and utilities at home that are used for day-to-day living. These should be kept or packed at the last moment. If you’re packing early, you must start with non-essentials such as artwork, picture frames, accents, wall hangings, and dining wares that are not used daily. You can also start packing clothes, shoes, and accessories and just leave a few items that can be used alternately before moving out.
Protect Your Furniture
Furniture pieces should not be placed in a container truck without wrapping them in protective material. You can use old blankets or rent or purchase protective material from the moving company itself.
For lampshades, ceramics, and fragile items, use bubble wrap to protect them during the trip. Sofas and couches should be wrapped in blankets and tape to avoid the accumulation of dust and dirt.
Label Boxes
Labeling each box using a marker or color-coded stickers can help ease the packing and unpacking process. This way, you can distinguish essential items from non-essential ones. You can also group fragile items and label them accordingly so they can be handled with care.
4. Change Of Address
Before moving out, you have to think about updating your mailing or billing address in financial institutions and organizations that you’re acquainted with. Updating your address in any system can take up a few days or weeks, so it’s best to do this a few weeks ahead of moving day.
Whether you pay bills automatically online or by mail, it’s essential to update both mailing and billing addresses to avoid future problems. Update your lenders and credit card issuers with your new address to ensure your statements will follow to your new home. Credit card issuers usually send important documents to your address on file, so make sure they are updated with the new one.
Here’s how you can update your address:
- Change Your Address Online: If you have an online account, you can update your mailing and billing address on your profile or account settings.
- Write Your New Address: For credit card mailers, fill out the payment coupon with your new address at the back. Check the change of address box located at the front to inform the person processing your payment that you’ve updated information.
- Call Customer Service: A quick way to change your mailing and billing address is to contact the customer service department of the credit card company or financial institution.
If you are subscribed to an auto-ship program, make sure to update the company about your new address as well. You must also refrain from ordering online, especially if you’re a few days away from moving.
5. Cleanliness
You don’t have to make your old home look shiny and new, but it’s basic courtesy to leave it in decent and clean condition. You can perform post-tenancy cleaning yourself by just sweeping up dirt and dust, and remove persisting cobwebs.
However, you must make sure that your new home is swept thoroughly clean before you move in. Arriving on a clean property will help lessen stress. You can also save energy and focus on unpacking your stuff instead. But for that, you must hire a professional cleaning company.
6. Make Arrangements
You’ll need to make some arrangements before moving out. Aside from merely updating billers and collectors, you have to make a few arrangements regarding the following:
Medical Arrangements
If you or a family member needs to regularly see a medical doctor or specialist, start searching prospective doctors online near your new home address. You can engage in a telehealth session to test their expertise and services before you move out.
You can also ask your current doctor for referrals if he/she knows someone in that area with the same expertise. Don’t forget to bring your medical records or request for those to be mailed to the new doctor. This way, you or your loved ones won’t miss a follow-up check-up.
School Arrangements
If you have children, you must schedule your move during the summer when schools are not yet in session. This way, your child can start a new school year without interruption. However, if you scheduled the move in the middle of the school year, then you have to make arrangements with the current and prospective school to accommodate your kid. Most of all, don’t forget to ask for your child’s school records, transcripts, and other transferee requirements.
Legal Arrangements
If your family has been retaining a lawyer, you must check if he/she is licensed to practice law in the new state you’re moving to. If not, you may ask for referrals so you can retain a new lawyer in your new state.
Conclusion
Moving interstate would entail a lot of work and preparation. Choosing a reliable moving company is crucial as this can help you throughout the whole process. This includes packing, loading, transporting, and unloading all your belongings.
It’s also imperative to have a moving plan to ensure a smooth workflow. Creating an inventory and organizing your things can help ensure that you don’t leave stuff behind. Most of all, don’t forget to update your address and make final arrangements to ensure that there will be no issues once you get settled in your new home.