Planning on moving out of state? You’ll want to create a checklist to stay organized. As a Grand Rapids movers, we have experience helping people just like you move across the country to their new homes. In addition to hiring a professional moving company like Big Lake Movers, you’ll also want to make sure that you inventory your home and start packing sooner rather than later.
Keep reading to learn what things you’ll need on your checklist to survive a cross country move.
1. Hire an Interstate Mover
Your first step should be to call an residential moving company, especially if you plan on moving on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. If you plan on moving during the weekend, the professional movers at Big Lake Movers recommend hiring moving company at least a month in advance. The sooner you start planning your move, the better.
Movers are in high demand during the weekend because people want to avoid taking time off from work to move. For this reason, you’ll want to book your state-to-state movers as soon as possible.
2. Schedule an In-Home Survey
Schedule a time for your moving company to do an in-home survey. During the survey, a representative from the company will take an inventory of what you want moved. long distance moving company is an involved process, which is why it’s important you walk through your property with the representative so they can come up with an accurate estimate for your moving expenses. During this time, you’ll also be able to ask questions so the transition will be as smooth as possible.
3. Purge Items You Don’t Need
After you inventory your home, you may find stuff you won’t need after you move. For example, you won’t need your snow blower in Florida. If you have a lot of stuff you need to get rid of before your move, you may want to consider having a yard sale. The extra pocket cash may come in handy while you’re on the road moving to your new home.
4. Start Packing
Figure out how you’ll organize boxes. Many of our customers have used colored stickers to show what packing boxes are meant for the kitchen, living room, bathroom, or bedrooms. For example, yellow stickers may mark boxes containing kitchen items. Find a system that works for you and stick with it so you aren’t left wondering where you put all the bath towels after you move.
Organizing your boxes is also helpful for the residential movers so they know what boxes to load first into the moving truck. For example, you may want your children’s boxes to be loaded last so that they’ll be the first boxes to be carried into your new home. If you want your boxes packed in the truck in a specific order, be sure to let your residential movers know ahead of time.
5. Prepare Children and Pets
Your first priority when planning a long-distance move is to make sure your children and pets are safe. It can be upsetting for children and pets to move to a new home, especially one in a new state. This is why it’s important to strategize how to make the transition easier for them. For example, you may want to fill a backpack with some of your children’s favorite toys so they’re entertained during the long trip. You’ll also want to make sure pets are safely contained while the local movers are loading up the truck.
The long distance movers at Big Lake Movers work hard to make sure your belongings arrive at their destination intact. If you are interested in hiring our interstate movers, or have questions about our moving services, feel free to call either of our locations in Grand Rapids or Kalamazoo.