Whether you’re relocating because of your job, or you want to move closer to family and friends, a long distance move is in your future. If you’ve moved locally before, long distances moving is just a bigger version of the same thing.
Sure, there are lots of similarities that are common to every move. You’ll need to change your address, shut off utilities and find schools whether you’re going across town or across Canada.
Things You Need to Do for a Long Distance Move
There are a few things you should be prepared for in a long distance move that many people don’t consider. Moving to completely different places carries with it lots of stresses of different levels. The more you do to prepare for the move, the more successful it will be and the less stressed you’ll be.
Tips for Long Distance Moving
1. Have the House Painted Before You Move In
Yes, this is something you do for local moves too. But many people moving to new cities leave the painting until after they move. They don’t have the time and money to visit their faraway new home and fix it up before they move. But they regret it afterwards.
Ask the real estate agent you used to find your new home to recommend a local house painter and get them to paint the house before you get there. It’s probably less costly than you think and you’ll love moving into a freshly painted home.
2. Get Advice on Local Service Providers
There might be cell phone providers, cable companies and/or internet service providers in your new location that you’ve never heard of before. Even rates may be different. Again, ask your real estate agent, work colleagues, family or friends to make recommendations for which companies are best. Yes, you may get varying opinions, but a winner will emerge.
3. Buy Houseplants
If you have a green thumb and enjoy lots of indoor greenery, get ready for a shock from long distance moving. Unless you’re driving to the new address yourself, and can take all the plants in your car, and bring them inside for any overnight stays along the way, there’s a good chance they will not survive the move.
But it’s nice to move in with some greenery in place. If you can’t arrange to move your plants safely, give them away or take cuttings that you can replant in your new home.
4. Be Ready for Ups & Downs
And we don’t mean just those on the road. But even the most successful long distance moves carry unique stresses for everyone in the family. There will be some emergencies, even if it’s just to stop on the side of the highway for a pitstop. Adults and children alike will get tired and/or frustrated. Simply leaving all your comfortable, familiar surroundings for strange, new locations carries with it uncertainties and fears that can test anyone’s patience.
5. Declutter After the Move
This is another one that’s common to all types of moves. But in a long distance move, it’s more difficult to visit your new home as often before you move. That means you’ll arrive with lots of things that may not fit, may not be needed or simply doesn’t work with your new home.
6. Be Ready to Go Shopping
This one’s easy to take. But, for similar reasons as why you’ll need to declutter more after your move, you’ll need things that you could never have anticipated; even things that you may have just given away. So keep a little bit of your moving budget for a shopping spree!
If you’d like to learn more about everything you need to be ready for in a long distance move, give us a call here at Bradford Moving & Storage.
