Moving out of state can be expensive and stressful, especially if you have a large family to bring with you. Without a good working plan, organizing and packing all of your household’s belongings can quickly become chaotic, adding more aggravation to an already hectic moving process. If you need help with planning a move, here are a few tips to plan ahead, get creative, and make moving across state lines cheaper and easier.
Start Early
The most important part of a moving process is to plan as far in advance as you can. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll be able to make an inventory of all of your belongings, ensuring that nothing will get lost or left behind. You’ll have more time to gather your belongings, pack and to think through the best options for moving supplies, such as boxes, labels, and wrap. You’ll also have more options for interstate movers and can pick out the best dates for your moving day. Although it can be tempting to leave packing until the last minute, packing ahead of time will help you to be prepared on the day of your move.
Get Rid of Stuff
When packing your belongings, you’ll probably find things that you haven’t used in years or forgot that you had, including old clothes, canned goods, sports equipment, or furniture. Instead of wasting time and money packing these unused items, it’s best to get rid of them. Whether you donate to charity or sell items on eBay or Craigslist, you’ll have fewer boxes to pack and unpack, saving space and energy.
Use Recycled Packing Materials
While moving out of state can be expensive, you can save a lot of money by using recycled packing supplies. Check with your local grocery store or recycling center for cardboard boxes or plastic crates that can be utilized for your move. Ask local cafe owners for any newspapers that tend to be thrown away after the end of a week to use as wrapping. Talk to your family and friends and ask them to save any shipping boxes they get in the mail. When it comes to your home, keep any old paperwork that needs to be shredded before the move to use as packing material and make use of any containers that you already own, such as suitcases and plastic storage bins. You can also pack clothing in garbage bags and use old linens to wrap your breakables.
Shop Around for Interstate Movers
If you plan to hire a long distance moving company, make sure to ask a lot of questions before signing the paperwork. Per greatguysmoving.com, most nationwide moving companies will offer free in-home moving consultations. During this consultation, the mover will send someone to your home to give you a breakdown of how much they’ll charge and what kind of services they offer. Some companies will charge for wardrobe boxes that you could buy online at a much lower price. Others might offer to pack your things at a discount, but only if you purchase their overpriced boxes. In any case, don’t merely settle for the first company that you talk to. Be sure to compare and contrast many different companies to get the best price for you and your family.
