Anyone who’s ever had to move before knows that it can be a pain.  Yet the added stress of moving hundreds of miles away can be daunting. While some stress goes along with the moving process, there are ways to minimize it. By planning your long distance move ahead of time you can avoid a lot of common issues and transition into your new home comfortably. Below are some tips to help you out.

Reserve Your Moving Date in Advance

If you plan on using a long distance moving company in Seattle, you’re going to want to reserve your desired move date as early as possible. In doing so, you avoid the stresses of not having a quality moving company available on the date you’re ready to move.

Properly Insure Your Belongings

It is commonplace to want to save money on a move, but there are some things you’re not going to want to skimp on. For instance, protecting your personal belongings. While the movers’ goal is to transport your belongings without damaging them, there is always the possibility that something could go wrong. Moving insurance will cover the financial costs of damaged property giving you the peace of mind.

Downsize

If you want to save money and earn some cash before your move you should consider the idea of downsizing. Go through your belongings room by room and determine what things you want to keep and which things you can go without. You save money by minimizing the size moving truck you need, the amount of items to be loaded onto the truck, and the amount of time the movers will have to work (labor hours). Not to mention, the clothing you’ve outgrown or don’t wear, old knick-knacks, furniture, and old appliances can all be sold at a yard sale to earn some extra cash for the move.

Handle Necessary Affairs

Since you’ll be moving hundreds of miles away you’ll want to make sure that you’ve taken care of your personal affairs. Register your new address with the post office and DMV, contact your local utility companies to schedule a shut-off date, allocate all necessary transfer paperwork for your children’s schools, and grab any other important docs you may need like birth certificates, marriage certificates, or social security cards. This information will be necessary once you reach your new state.

Pack Entertainment and Snacks

If you’re planning a long distance move with children, you’re going to want to make sure that you have plenty of entertainment and snacks. They’ll be riding for several hours and will likely get antsy. To keep the stress to a minimum pack things like tablets, games, arts and crafts, and healthy snacks so that the ride to your new home is a peaceful one.

Vehicle Preparation

Chances are you’re going to be taking a car or two across several states to your new home. To ensure a stress-free trip, it is a good idea to have the vehicles serviced prior to your moving date. Getting oil changes, tire rotations, and any other maintenance or repairs on the vehicle will prevent the possibility of breaking down on the side of the road.

Get Some Rest

This tip might be easier said than done, but planning a move can take a lot out of you causing you to be more stressed.  Comparing long distance movers can add to it. By planning well in advance you can give yourself time to rest without having to think about the move 24/7. Make sure you’re getting a good eight hours of rest each day – especially on moving day when your energy will be most necessary.

Starting over in a new place can be very exciting, and also very stressful. When moving long distance, the key is to start planning as soon as possible to minimize the amount of stress you’re under. When you have time to plan, you can incorporate each of the above mentioned tips, making your move a lot more productive so you can focus on enjoying your new place.