Relocating for work, moving closer to family, or needing a change in scenery are just a few of the possible reasons a long-distance residential move may be in your future. However, no matter the reason, all long-distance moves have one thing in common: they are a significant life event that can quickly make you feel overwhelmed. But just because a long-distance move has the potential to be stressful, that doesn’t mean it has to be.
As a professional moving company based in NYC, we know that secure planning will help make your move efficient and much less of a strain. To ensure your long-distance move is a success, make sure you haven’t overlooked any of these critical points in the planning process.
Comparing Lifestyles
A long-distance move means a new environment that may have a different cost of living, weather, and taxes
Even if you are just jumping over to a neighboring state, you may be surprised by the differences in pricing. Luckily, a bit of research can get you in the know and help you understand what you can comfortably afford in your new city, as well as what to plan for weather and taxes.
A few top resources to research what to expect:
Cost of Living: Type in your new city and old hometown on NUMBEO to directly compare average rent, home cost, transportation fees, and food prices between states. Want more? They also have information on crime, traffic, healthcare, pollution, and quality of life.
Weather: Browsing a state on Current Results will give you average temperatures throughout the year, snowfall amounts, as well as how long you can expect snow on the ground.
Taxes: State and local tax rates on median US households can vary from 5.7% - 14.9%. See where your state stands at Wallet Hub.
Creating A Moving Checklist
Your number one defense against forgetting important moving tasks is writing them down.
A moving checklist will not only help you organize your thoughts and help make a moving schedule, but it will also ensure that you don’t forget essential responsibilities along the way. Even if you boast having a great memory, you would be surprised how much you can forget once your move commences, so write down all tasks on a moving checklist—even those that seem less important.
You will want to include tasks that you need to do pre-move, during the move, on moving day, and post-move.
Commonly forgotten long-distance moving tasks you might want to include:
- Pick up dry cleaning
- Give back borrowed items to friends and family
- Get spare keys back
- Cancel subscriptions and home deliveries
Packing Your Belongings
One of the first things that spring to mind when the topic of moving comes up is packing, and for good reason—there is a lot of it!
You never truly know how much stuff you have until you have to pack it all into a bunch of boxes. Packing can genuinely make or break your moving journey—anyone who has opened a box only to find glass shards will agree—so you want to make sure you do it right.
A few key tips on packing for your long-distance journey:
Decluttering: Cutting down on your home’s inventory can save you money on your move. Toss, donate, or sell any items that you don’t want, don’t need, or that won’t fit into your new home. Cheap furniture may also be worth purging since it often isn’t worth the cost or effort to move.
Packing Boxes: You should pack your boxes full, tight, and to the top with plenty of cushioning if it has fragile contents. Also, keep in mind that your boxes have a long way to go. While liquor store boxes may cut it for going across town, they aren’t ideal for the long haul. Instead opt for quality moving boxes.
Boxing Your Mattress: Leaving your mattress as is makes it susceptible to bending, damage, dirt, and staining, so a box is 100% recommended.
Moving with Pets
Fido and Fluffy will add a few extra tasks to your moving to-do list—but let’s be honest, they’re worth it!
Whether you have a dog, a cat, or some combination of the two, you need to book a vet appointment before you leave.
During this visit you will need to:
- Bring up the move to see if calming aid or medication is recommended to help your pet make a successful transition. This is an important inquiry if your furry friend has a history of getting stressed out easily
- Fill any medications that they are currently on. They should have enough to hold them over until they get to see their new veterinarian.
- Obtain a copy of your pet’s health records. Your new vet will need to see these during your intake appointment.
- Update all your pet’s vaccinations. Be sure to check where you are moving as they may have different laws on what vaccines pets need.
- Get a health certificate. This may not only be required to enter your new state, but some states also require this even if you are just passing through.
Be sure to book this last vet appointment, at the very least, a couple of weeks out from moving day. Pets naturally get stressed going to the vet, so having an appointment directly before embarking on a long car ride or plane trip can overwhelm them. Plus, you always want to leave a time cushion to make sure they don’t have any adverse reactions to vaccinations.
Planning will go a long way in making your long distance-move more organized, efficient, and less stressful, but don’t be deterred if you still hit some snags along the way. Remember, a move also comes with a fresh start and a wealth of opportunity. Plus, once you settle into your new home and the moving process is in the rearview mirror, it will all be worth it!
Author bio
Nancy Zafrani is the general manager of Oz Moving & Storage in NYC. A day-one employee of Oz, she has 25 years of experience in the moving industry. As a New Yorker, Nancy also has lots of experience dealing with small apartments and organizing.
