To say that moving is stressful would be an understatement. You’d have to be superhuman to think otherwise. There is just so much to get done and remember. On top of that, you have to deal with the emotional aspects of moving. Trying to keep it all together can seem nearly impossible at times.
When you also factor in that you’re not moving a few blocks, a city away, or even to a neighboring state, but across the country, it can get really chaotic. Fear not. There are millions of people who have moved cross-country and learned some pretty neat tricks along the way for reducing the stress. Check these tips out below.
Timing is Everything
There are instances in which a move isn’t planned. A family emergency, financial hardships, or a new gig can all have very limited timelines for you to work with. If your move isn’t for these urgent reasons, then you need to give yourself time to plan. Packing up a house and organizing a move thousands of miles away is a lot more complex than you might imagine. So, the moment you learn of your closing date, you need to begin planning your move. The more time you give yourself, the less inclined you are to be stressed and forget things.
Make a List of Everything
Lists are everything when it comes to reducing the stress of a long-distance move. To ensure you don’t forget even the smallest details, jot down everything you need to get done. This should include things like hiring movers, finding moving supplies, purging your belongings, packing, notifying employers or schools, gathering identifying information (birth certificate, social security cards, drivers licenses, etc.), shutting off and turning on services, and more.
Fly Instead of Drive
When you’re moving thousands of miles away from your old town, driving may seem like the best bet. After all, you have to get your cars to your new place. The only problem with driving is it is time-consuming, stressful, and can cost a lot of money (gas, car maintenance, etc.). Not to mention, it can put a lot of wear and tear on your car. It may be a better idea to have your car shipped to your new place. Companies like Ship a Car Direct can help with this process. Then, you can go online and look for a good deal on airline tickets.
Color Code Your Packing
Another stressful part of moving is unloading the truck. Trying to figure out which boxes go where can take forever. This may sound a bit elementary, however, color coding your moving boxes can do wonders for the move. Choose a color for every room in the house. You can find colorful printer labels or packing tape and apply it to the boxes. This way, as you’re unloading you know right away which boxes go where in the house.
Turn On Your Utilities
You don’t want to travel thousands of miles to your new home to find out that you have no water, gas, or electric. This is especially nerve wrecking if you’ve moved on the weekend as most public service offices aren’t open. To avoid all of this, make sure that you contact the gas, electric, and water companies to make sure that services will be turned on the day you move in.
Gather All Paperwork
When you move cross-country, there will be a lot of things you’ll need to do to become part of the new community. This includes updating your driver’s license, registering your car, registering children for school, and even finding employment. To do this, you’ll need pertinent information like birth certificates, social security cards, drivers license, shot records, school records, and medical records. If you have misplaced these things, it is a good idea to retrieve them prior to moving across the country. Waiting days for something to come in the mail or having to travel back to get paperwork is a pain.
Relax with Family the Night Before
You’ve done a lot up to this point. The night before a move try to relax and spend time with your loved ones. Have a nice quiet dinner at home with the kids and just prepare your bodies and minds for the big move. It can help to ease tensions the next day and give everyone a chance to say their last goodbyes to friends, family members, and neighbors in the area.
Moving cross-country is exciting yet stressful. You’re moving thousands of miles away from everything you’ve ever known to start fresh. Managing to remember everything to dealing with your emotions can make the move even more difficult. To reduce the stress, it is recommended that you start planning well in advance, and also take heed of the advice provided above. Although your move won’t be “stress-free” it will definitely be less stress from beginning to end.
For more information and advice see this moving home checklist from whatstorage.co.uk.