Moving Across The Country? Make These Plans Before You Leave

Moving is never easy, but moving all of the way across the country presents many more challenges than just moving across town. It will take at least a few days for your things to arrive, your friends and family will be thousands of miles away, and the sheer time it takes to plan everything can be intimidating. One of the most stressful parts of the move will be the first few days after you arrive in the new place. You'll be trying to unpack, settle in, and get everything hooked up in your new apartment. By making a few plans beforehand, you can simplify these first few days.

Arrange for the movers to help you unpack.

Having a moving company just drop everything off for you to unpack isn't a bad idea when you have friends and family members around to help you. But when you've already trekked across the country and are more-or-less alone, having to unpack is a huge chore. Hire moving companies that offer unpacking services, and pay for this extra service. Your new place will feel like home much faster.

Have the utilities switched over to your name.

Sometimes you don't have an exact arrival date when you're driving across the country to move. So, you may hesitate to turn on the utilities before you arrive. But it's better to pay for an extra few days of electricity than to go without when you arrive because you found out the energy company has a three-day waiting list on new customers.

Make plans for a friend to come with you.

Reach out to friends and family members, and see if someone would be willing to come with you and stay with you during the first few days in the new place. You'll have an easier time settling in when you have someone there to bounce decisions off of. Plus, if you're driving across the country, you can do it a lot faster with two drivers. Pay for this friend's travel expenses if you can. Or offer to do the same favor for them if they ever move.

Bring valuables with you.

If you send valuable items like jewelry and your computer with the moving company, you're going to worry that it's safe the whole time you're moving. So, bring these items with you rather than sending them with the movers. This will save you time when it comes to looking things over post-move. By taking these things with you personally, you can ensure the things you value most will definitely be safe so you don't have to be so thorough when evaluating your items for damage.

For more tips and assistance with your move, contact professional long-distance moving services in your area.