Moving to another state or nation is an exciting but involved process. It takes more time, more effort, and often times more money than moving within a city. You want to know that you have options for moving companies that will be reliable, trustworthy, and will get your belongings to your home in the new state in a timely manner without breaking or losing anything and without costing you a fortune. How do you know you’ve found one of these companies? Here’s an essential checklist and a few tips on moving out of state and finding the best professional movers to help you save time and a portion of the cost of moving as you plan and carry out your move to a new state.
Tips For Moving Across The Nation
When you decide on moving across the nation to another state, you know that is very different from moving to a different location in your city or to a nearby city. To ensure that you are doing everything correctly, you should consider some guidance. These tips will ensure that your stress levels are low when you move to your new state, which is important. When working with professional movers, you should be aware of all the expenses that could arise, and be sure to check on several points to make sure your mover and truck can be trusted with the cross country transportation of our things to the intended destination smoothly before you begin the relocation process. These tips can guide you on the cost, integrity, and liability of a mover and how to find the best mover possible to help you move to your new home. The cost of moving should also match the estimate you agree to before you begin the move.
Have An Inventory
Most moving companies will ask you for an inventory of your goods when you move so they can determine the size of the truck needed. However, it is important that you also create an inventory for your own use. When you pack a box you should make a list of all the items that are inside the box and then give the box a number. The number should be written on the box and your list. This kind of diligence is the best way to prepare and check that all of your belongings are accounted for throughout the move. For furniture and items that are too large to put in boxes, you may still want to label things with a number. Some pieces of furniture may be small enough to fit in a box, or in your car, and you may determine that it is not necessary to box them up to move.
Begin Preparing the Interstate Move in Advance
One sure way to stay on top of your moving inventory and keeping track of your belongings during the move is to make sure you start preparing it in advance. If you give yourself weeks or months to pack beforehand, you can take the time to keep track of each item and keep everything organized. You don’t want to be rushing to pack at the last minute before you move, or you’ll be unable to manage the same quality of organization. It is a good idea to declutter before you move, putting aside any furniture or household things you do not want to take with you interstate. If you can donate or sell a large number of these items instead, the transportation of your things will be easier. Sometimes it can save you money to sell things and purchase other things in your new home rather than packing up every last item.
Protect Your Important Documents & Property
Be careful with items like jewelry, birth certificates, social security cards, prescription medicines, receipts, car titles, tax documents, or any other important documents, records, or valuables, and keep them close to you during the move so you can be sure not to lose them (maybe even keep them in your car with you, if you’re taking a car). When moving out of state especially, you want to protect your personal information and prevent theft rather than have to fight to try and recover or compensate for anything lost or stolen during the process of relocation, even with a reputable moving company. Prepare in advance to protect yourself and organize your possessions well!
Are All of your Belongings Accounted For?
When the movers arrive and start loading your items, you should tick off the boxes and items as they are loaded. You can then check them again when they are offloaded from the moving truck on another side of the country. This will help you ensure that all of your items have been delivered. Having this detailed list of items you’ve packed will make it much more possible to avoid losing or misplacing your items in the first place, and possible to track them down if it happens.
Pack Tightly and Early
When your goods are going to be transported long-distance, it is important that you pack tightly. Your boxes will be handled a lot during transit, and you have to ensure that your fragile items are secure. You can use bubble wrap, newspaper, grocery bags, and etc to ensure that your goods are tightly packed. Many people find that packing boxes are like doing a jigsaw puzzle or playing Tetris. You should arrange all of the items into the box to ensure that there is a minimal amount of space between them. It’s wise to plan your packing early to ensure you’ll be ready ahead of time for the move date (this gives you some time margin in case of emergency).
Heavy Items Should be on the Bottom
In addition to packing tightly, you’ll want to keep heavier items on the bottom of your crates or boxes. This way, lighter items on top won’t be crushed and your boxes won’t tip over because of instability. You should also not pack a box more heavily than you will be able to carry, or you might risk injury. Some movers are available to help you with packing as well as moving. Before you start packing, make sure you have enough time to get it all done, and decide on whether or not you are going to need help from a professional mover to get your packing done well and on time.
Packing Room by Room
Many movers recommend packing your belongings together room by room, as it may be easier to keep track of everything this way. We recommend this strategy, and if you get a little bit of extra space in your last box for each room, it is okay. We would prioritize organization and protecting your belongings to make sure you get everything intact by the time you arrive, as this will save you money most of all as you move to your new home in another state.
Carefully Move Large Items
For items that are too large to put into boxes, you may want to wrap them in plastic or paper to ensure that they don’t become damaged or scratched in any places as you transfer them to another state. It is much easier to take as many precautions early before loading up your belongings to move to your new home to make sure your property doesn’t suffer the cost of damage in the relocation process as you can.
Invest In Good Boxes
Choosing the right boxes is important because this will ensure your goods are held in place and secure. Some people recommend using plastic crates for long-distance moves, while others recommend using boxes from your local liquor store for moving. Liquor store boxes are recommended because they are made to move and transport fragile objects over long distances.
Gathering Crates Well Before you Move
Depending on how many you can fit in your car, plan to gather up enough over time that you know you’ll be prepared to start packing prior to the move date with plenty of time to make a checklist of all your items. In case of emergency, it’s good to have a few extra. If people want to donate crates to help you out, check them to make sure they are strong and intact when you get home to your new state.
The Quality of Moving Crates Matters
If you plan to use plastic crates then you need to ensure that they are good quality. Poor quality crates could break during transport and you do not want this to happen as it will tax you. You should not skimp on the boxes prior to when you start packing just to save a small amount of money on the cost of moving, even if decent crates are going to cost more. It is better that you are able to organize everything well and get it to your destination in one piece than have broken crates and lost items adding to the stress of moving out of state.
Take Out Insurance
One of the best tips for moving (within a state or from state to state) is to make sure you know your moving business is insured. Most moving companies will offer some form of insurance, and you need to take it, especially if you’re moving to another state. If something is broken or lost, the insurance will cover this. This will also cover any theft of goods while they are being transported by the moving company you are hiring. Of course, you should note that it can take weeks or months before you receive the money from the professional moving company.
Insurance for Moving to a New State
It is important to research whether your moving company is insured, and whether they are licensed for an interstate move before you hire them. It’s essential that you find another one if not! Moving to a new state can involve regulations and requirements about insurance and licensing that you weren’t expecting to get caught up in. You don’t want to get into a difficult legal situation with your movers, especially if they are responsible for damage to your property and you need to file a claim.
Research Movers for Moving out of State
With adequate research, you can determine the insurance policy and company your mover has, the license they have, how new they are in the moving industry, and even know the reputation they have with clients to determine if they are trustworthy as a business, etc. Plenty of rogue movers exist out there who draw customers in with their insanely low prices, but they don’t have the ability to guarantee coverage for your valuable possessions. Keep track of your moving receipts and take note of any information you can find in case you need to file any claims against the mover you’re hiring.
A Reliable Cross Country Moving Company
When you decide on your moving company you should not only look at the price estimate of moving out of state. It is important that you research and know about the reputation of the moving company and look at reviews that past customers have left. The moving experience that other people have with the moving company will give you an idea of the experience you will have. Most people who move will rely on the feedback and reviews of others to assess how much they can trust moving companies they find before they hire them, so it’s worth it to check them out!
Importance of Local Client Feedback
If a moving company is located in a certain area, people in the area will likely have provided feedback about the quality of their moving services. For moving companies that help with moving out of state, make sure you check out examples of clients who have worked with them to move to a new home in a different state and have shared their experience. Maybe someone in the new stat will have something to say about their move, and how the moving experience went, as well as whether it was worth the cost of the move.
Getting Reasonable Cost Estimates
You shouldn’t have too much trouble hiring a moving company to help with your relocation to a new state at an affordable price. Different professional moving companies will be comparable in the rates they charge, so your moving expenses don’t need to be staggering for you to get a good, trustworthy company to move with you. Get a moving out of state estimate if you can, and be wary of an estimate that is significantly lower than comparable companies. This can be a sign that something significant is not right about the moving company. You should probably plan to find another moving business that is more reputable to help you move.
Looking for a Mover in Arizona?
If you are moving in the Phoenix area, Dose Moving Companies Phoenix is a top-rated residential and commercial moving company. We are here to offer our moving services, and our customers in the local area trust our experienced movers and love working with us! If you would like a free estimate on your move, contact us today! We are here to help, and we can’t wait to help you transition smoothly into your new neighborhood and home.
The process of getting a new home and settling into a new state is exciting, and we want you to have the peace and reassurance as you plan because you know you’ve found a mover you can trust to move your things, not tax you with a hectic experience or legal complications, and to help save you the cost of your move as much as possible. Clients trust us to move their property carefully and in a timely manner, and check that no item gets lost during the move! As you plan your move, look to a company home owners throughout the state of Arizona trust. Let us move with you!
References & Sources:
Cassidy’s Moving & Storage Ltd. Where, When, And How Do I Start Packing? https://wemovetheworld.com/blog/packing-tips-getting-started/
Consumer Reports. How to Choose a Reliable Moving Company. https://www.consumerreports.org/moving/how-to-choose-a-reliable-moving-company/
Life Storage Blog. Read This Before Moving to Phoenix. https://www.lifestorage.com/blog/moving/moving-to-phoenix/
Moving. 11 Cheap Ways to Move Cross Country https://www.moving.com/tips/cheap-ways-to-move-cross-country/
Ramsey. How Much Does It Cost to Move? https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/how-much-does-it-cost-to-move
Square Foot Blog. 10 Must-Have Packing and Moving Supplies and How to Use Them. https://www.sparefoot.com/self-storage/blog/17325-10-must-have-packing-supplies/
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