Moving Aid: 8 Tips for a Better Long Distance Move

We all learn about switching on the utilities at the brand-new location and completing the change-of-address type for the postal service, but when you make a long-distance relocation, some other things enter into play that can make receiving from here to there a bit more difficult. Here are 9 suggestions pulled from my recent experience of moving from the East Coast to the West Coast-- from loading the moving van to managing the inevitable disasters.

Maximize area in the moving van. Moving cross-country is not inexpensive (I can only picture the cost of moving overseas), so I did a lot of reading and asking around for pointers prior to we packed up our house, to make sure we made the many of the area in our truck.

Declutter before you pack. If you don't enjoy it or require it, there's no sense in bringing it with you-- that space in the truck is money!
Does this make them heavier? As long as the drawers are filled with light-weight items (definitely not books), it must be fine. The advantage is twofold: You require fewer boxes, and it will be much easier to discover things when you move in.
Pack soft products in black trash bags. Fill sturdy black trash bags with soft products (duvets, pillows, stuffed animals), then use the bags as space fillers and cushioning inside the truck. To keep products secured and clean, we doubled the bags and connected, then taped, them shut.

2. Paint before you relocate. If you prepare to give your brand-new space a fresh coat of paint, it makes a great deal of sense to do this before moving all your stuff in.

Aside from the apparent (it's easier to paint an empty home than one full of furnishings), you'll feel a terrific sense of accomplishment having "paint" ticked off your order of business before the very first box is even unpacked.

While you're at it, if there are other messy, disruptive items on your list (anything to do with the floorings absolutely qualifies), getting to as a number of them as possible before moving day will be a huge help.

Depending on where you're moving, there may be really few or lots of choices of service companies for things like phone and cable. Or you may find, as we did, that (thanks to lousy cellular phone reception) a landline is a necessity at the new location, even though using only cellular phones worked fine at the old house.

4. Put 'Purchase houseplants' at the top of your order of business. When I realized we couldn't bring our houseplants along, one of the all of a sudden sad minutes of our relocation was. This might not seem like a big deal, however when you have actually lovingly nurtured a houseful of plants for many years, the idea of starting back at zero is type of dismal. We handed out all of our plants however wound up keeping some of our favorite pots-- something that has made picking plants for the new area a lot easier (and cheaper).

As soon as you remain in your new place, you may be lured to put off buying brand-new houseplants, however I urge you to make it a priority. Why? Houseplants clean the air (specifically crucial if you've used paint or floor covering that has volatile organic compounds, or VOCs), but most essential, they will make your home seem like house.

Give yourself time to get used to a new climate, time zone and culture. After moving from New England back to the San Francisco Bay Location, I have actually been surprised at how long it's taken to feel "settled"-- even though I have actually moved back to my home town!

6. Anticipate some disasters-- from grownups and kids. Moving is hard, there's simply no method around it, however moving long-distance is specifically tough.

It suggests leaving friends, schools, tasks and possibly family and entering an excellent unknown, new place.

If the brand-new location sounds excellent (and is excellent!), even disasters and psychological minutes are a news totally natural reaction to such a big shakeup in life.

So when the moment comes (and it will) that someone (or more than one somebody) in your house requires a great cry, roll with it. Then get yourselves up and find something fun to explore or do in your brand-new town.

7. Expect to shed some more stuff after you move. No matter how much decluttering you do before moving, it appears to be a law of nature that there will be products that simply don't fit in the brand-new area.

Even if everything physically fits, there's bound to be something that just does not work like you believed it would. Attempt not to hang on to these things simply out of frustration.

Sell them, present them to a dear pal or (if you really like the items) keep them-- but only if you have the storage area.

Expect to purchase some things after you move. Each home has its quirks, and those peculiarities require new stuff. Maybe your old cooking area had a big island with plenty of space Bonuses for cooking preparation and for stools to pull up for breakfast, however the new kitchen has a huge empty spot right in the middle of the space that needs a portable island or a kitchen area table and chairs.

Moving cross-country is not cheap (I can just think of the cost of moving overseas), so I did a lot of reading and asking around for tips before we packed up our home, to make sure we made the most of the space in our truck. If you prepare to provide your new area a fresh coat of paint, it makes a lot of sense to do this prior to moving all of your stuff in.

After moving from New England back to the San Francisco Bay Location, I have actually been amazed at how long it's taken to feel "settled"-- even though I have actually moved back to my hometown! Moving is hard, there's just no method around it, but moving long-distance is especially tough.

No matter how much decluttering you do before moving, it seems to be a law of nature that there will be products that simply don't fit in the brand-new space.