03 Sep 6 Easy Ways to Make your Long-distance Moving a Breeze (even if it’s your first time!)
Moving to a new home is one of the major life events even if it’s somewhere local or a move involving state hopping. But when it is long-distance moving, the whole situation gets dialed up to eleven.
Unlike some moves, you can’t just throw everything you own in the back of a van and hit the road. You need a great deal of planning, early preparation, and careful research for long distances. That too, without hitting snags, delays, or even loss of property along the way.
You can easily avoid all that by simply hiring professionals such as Reputable Moving for your long-distance moves anywhere in the New York area (if that is where you live) but if you want to do it yourself, don’t worry, here are some tips so you are covered. Read on ahead to learn 6 easy ways to make your long-distance move such a smooth experience that it almost feels like just another fun road trip.
- Plan Well-Ahead Of Moving Day
Here’s a common recurrence that almost borders on a fact: you are going to forget something on a moving day. You won’t believe how many people report that they forgot something on a moving day and needed last-minute favors from friends, or big tips from long-distance movers to rectify the situation.
To make sure you don’t end up in a similar situation start planning at least 3 months earlier. Experts suggest that you need 5 whole days to pack up everything in an average three-bedroom apartment. Unless you plan to be packing 24 hours for 5 straight days, get started early.
Also, if you need professional help in finding moving companies in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Westchester, and more, reach out to Reputable Moving – THE long-distance movers in New York.
2. Tick The Big 3s For Your Luggage
When deciding which of your items to keep stuff and have long-distance movers intake over for your big move, we recommend checking the Big 3s. If you don’t love it, use it, or need it to survive, you should get rid of it.
The reason is, that the more stuff you carry with you, the higher will be the cost of hiring moving companies in Brooklyn, New Jersey, Bronx, etc. Not to mention, more difficult will be stuff management and higher will be the risk of it getting damaged or lost during the move. So, it’s infinitely better to hold a garage sale to majorly downsize and make a few bucks (you’re going to need every bit of bonus for the move).
You can also get lighter before the move by simply donating or giving away the things that don’t go in the garage sale. You will still be able to save more by moving on a lightweight than carrying the things that you don’t need.
3. In-Home Moving Estimates Are The Way To Go
To give you an idea of how much cost per weight you will be paying for the move, consider getting an in-home moving estimate. Companies such as Reputable Moving usually offer free quotes to help you set up a clear quote for moves in Brooklyn, New Jersey, Florida, and nearby cities.
While the moving estimates will let you figure out how much you need to downsize, they will also give you useful insights on two additional factors.
One, you will figure out whether you’re dealing directly with the moving company or a broker. Most of the time, brokers – who act as the middleman – would book your business and then contract your move out to physical moving companies in Brooklyn. Usually, it will be the mover who costs the cheapest, and we all know the cheapest doesn’t necessarily mean good. The brokers would often be trying to avoid giving you an in-home estimate before the actual move.
Two, you will be able to make an informed decision on hiring the best moving companies in Brooklyn by getting multiple in-home moving estimates. You will need to get estimates from at least three different companies for this. Then you can decide which suits you the best depending on cost, reputation, and features such as moving insurance or expected delivery time. Looking for a clear quote is vital, and you don’t want ‘fees’ and added boxes charges hitting you in the rear later.
4. Research Your Moving Companies
Of course, this goes without saying that you should hire trustworthy long-distance movers. Although affordability might be your top concern, the reputation of the company you hire should be right there at the top with it.
If it means spending a few extra bucks to get a little more assurance about your stuff, you should go ahead and take it. This will help you save a lot more than what you will be spending in case of a moving scam or even the littlest of damage to your expensive furniture.
You can start by checking the USDOT number of long-distance movers in New York and the moving companies in Brooklyn, Florida, Manhattan, New Jersey, etc. – every reputable cross-country moving company has it. You should double-check that the moving company in Brooklyn (etc.) you plan on hiring is licensed or not. You can even check the opinions of people on forums such as BBB, Yelp, and Angie’s List are also good places to learn more about long-distance movers in New York and moving companies in Brooklyn.
5. Get Moving Insurance Even If You Have Valuation Protection
With valuation protection, long-distance movers in New York are required to provide compensation for your items that get lost or damaged during transportation. But there’s a twist. They are required to compensate according to the weight of the item. This value will be somewhere around $0.60/lb.
So, if your $1,000 Smart TV – which typically weighs around 33 lbs – gets damaged during the move, you’re only going to be compensated by a mere $19.8.
Now, your first thought would be to provide extra protection and additional padding for your expensive items but getting insurance for the move is also necessary. So, sit down with your agent before the move and see if they offer their own insurance and what specifically it covers. Make sure to hash out each detail. You wouldn’t have to worry much if you’ve already chosen a trustworthy company, from one of many available moving companies in Brooklyn and long-distance movers in New York.
6. Make Sure The Boxes Are Distinguishable
You won’t believe the numerous benefits of simply labeling your boxes. Need some specific items that go in a specific room? Just put the name of the room on the box. Markings like “kitchen” or “master bedroom” will make placing boxes significantly easier for the movers.
And we all know you won’t be able to immediately unpack and arrange everything right after the move due to exhaustion and several other pressing tasks – like where to find the best dinner for the moving day night. Many boxes are bound to be left unopened for a couple of days. But if you need some items like medicinal-related you would immediately know where to look – in the box that is labeled “Medicine”.
Labeling the box serves another important function as well, but you will have to put your name (and even phone number) on it. It is not uncommon that long-distance movers in New York or moving companies in Brooklyn, Manhattan, New Jersey, Florida, etc. will put your boxes on a truck that has luggage from other families too. So, to easily avoid a mix-up, just include your name on the box.
Final Thoughts
Moving days can be quite stressful regardless of how much prior planning you do. Even if everything goes perfectly, there’s still going to be some pressure. But thankfully, by following a few practices you can easily reduce the stress. Now, we understand the stress is not going to be totally zero, after all, you’re moving to a new home well far away, but you can relax by thinking you’ve prepared for the situation, preferably 3 months in advance.
Experts suggest you need 5 whole days for the move, so it’s better to spread these 5 days over 3 months to make the packing a nice and smooth experience. By getting started this early, you’ll be able to research and book the relatively best long-distance movers in New York without having to pay last-minute premiums. More importantly, you’ll be able to hash out the details of insurance for the move and not be dependent on the grossly insufficient valuation protection.
Additionally, if you get started way early, you can even ask your friends to help you with the packing in their own time and without putting time pressure on them. Nobody wants to miss out on a fun time with friends. Especially, when there are boxes of free Pizza.
Looking to get started with your moving day escapades early and want to avoid practically all moving day-related stresses? Reach out to Reputable Moving, the Top Rated long-distance movers on HomeAdvisor.com, and over 120 5-star Google Reviews. Click here to get a free quote for the best price and services.
No Comments