The Helpful Guide to Moving Long Distances

If you are reading this guide then you are more than likely ramping up for an upcoming move. You are probably experiencing a mixture of emotions, ranging from excitement and happiness to anxiety and fear—not to mention that you may be feeling overwhelmed with having to plan out all of the nuances of your move and actually pack up your belongings as well.

What we hope to accomplish in this moving help guide is to cover some common topics that are related to moving long distances, and locally as well, and in doing so we hope to quell some of your anxieties about what to expect from your upcoming move. We intend to show you tips and tricks in order to keep costs down for your move, and we also layout in great detail the benefits of using different moving services or completing a move on your own.

Beyond this we also give you practical advice for how to go about packing up your home and the best way to move in and out of your house. We have covered all of the bases for you and done the research so that you don’t have to. When it comes to dealing with a move you should only have to focus on what is important and not have to spend hours sifting through different websites to find out information. So we have collected all of that for you. With that we now present to you your one-stop shop for moving help.

What is covered in this Moving Help Guide?

After extensive research on the topic, as well as experiencing numerous moves ourselves we have discovered that the following topics are what most people need to know in order to have a successful move. This part of the guide offers an overview of each of the following topics and then we drill down further into each subject, giving you practical and applicable advice. We have come to believe that by educating yourself on the different aspects of a move you can eliminate a lot of the unknown variables and therefore make better decisions.

However, not only will you be able to make better decision once you have an understanding of all of the aspects of a move but you will also be able eliminate some of the anxieties that derive from feeling like you are in over your head or there is too much on your plate to handle.

The topics covered in this moving help guide are:

• Moving checklist
• Best places to get cheap moving supplies and cheap moving boxes
• Should I use a moving pod or moving truck?
• Should I hire a moving company or rent a moving truck?
• Moving tips from professional movers
• What is the fastest way to move long distance and local?
• What is the cheapest way to move long distance and local?
• How to move into your new home

It is important to remember that the moving process doesn’t need to feel like pulling teeth and it doesn’t need to be a tremendous stressor on your life or the lives of those around you. While yes it will take some work in order to have a successful move and it will take some getting used to once you move into your new home, all of these things are positive and represent the turning of the page in a chapter in your life.

Moving Check List

The first topic that we cover in our moving help guide is probably one of the most important and that is our Moving checklist. While it can feel rather rudimentary to use a checklist, we have found that by employing one during the course of your move you will be better able to stay on task and better able to judge how far along you are in the moving process.

We go into much greater detail on this matter here, but for a brief overview, the Moving checklist consist of the following things:

• How to Figure Out How Much You Have to Move
• How to Find a Moving Company
• What Supplies Will I Need
• Deciding Whether to Take it or Leave it
• What to Find Out About Your New Home Before you Leave/Move
• Tips for Packing Boxes

These six topics represent almost the entirety of your move and by going down the list and following the information that we present you will be able to break your move down into manageable sections. For instance rather then attempting to figure out how much stuff you are going to have to move, while simultaneously packing your belongings, we separate these two activities and show you the most efficient way to go about completing each task.

The moving checklist was born out of our own moves and what we learned along the way, meaning that we have made a fair amount of mistakes with moves in the past and most of these mistakes stemmed from our focusing on too many things at the same time. However, by simply following a logical moving checklist you will be better able to handle your move and also better able to handle your stress levels.

Best Places to Get Cheap Moving Supplies and Cheap Moving Boxes

Keeping costs down is one of the biggest motivators for individuals who are about to move and what we have discovered is that often times people are spending too much money on moving boxes and moving supplies. For starters, you can get cheap moving boxes, or more accurately free moving boxes, from most retail stores in your hometown. We go into much further detail here, but it is at least worth going over how this accomplished.

Almost all big box retail stores get large shipments in every week. These shipments consist of a tremendous amount of boxes that are destroyed after the shipment is checked into inventory. Due to this you are able to go to that store in the morning, or whenever they usually get shipments in and talk to customer service or a manager and ask them if you can take those boxes. Usually, the boxes are in pretty good condition and will work perfectly for your move.

Another way to get free moving supplies is by using newspapers or magazines as packing material for your boxes. This one, in particular, goes a long way in saving money, especially if you have a lot of boxes to pack. Packing material is essentially useless except for a move and so if you have to spend $50 to $100 just to throw this stuff away when you move is done, you can see how wasteful it is monetarily. However, by getting together a bunch of old newspapers and magazines and then using that to pack your boxes, you will save yourself in the long run.

In this portion of the guide, we also go over the best rated moving supplies and where you can purchase them online. We take a look at tape guns, box cutters, and a number of other moving supplies that you will need and show you how you can get all of them without having to break the bank.

Should I Use a Moving Pod or Moving Truck?

In this portion of our moving help guide, which we expand upon here, we go through the pros and cons of using a moving pod and using a moving truck. In many ways the moving pod has revolutionized the way that people go about moving as it gives them a flexibility that they never had before.

For those of you who may be unaware, a moving pod is like a movable storage unit, which you can rent and keep at your home so that you can pack up your house at your own pace. Unlike when you rent a moving truck or hire a moving company, the moving pod gives you the ability to spend a few weeks working on your move, which for individuals with larger homes can really make a difference. The amazing thing about a moving pod as well is that you don’t have to transport it yourself, so there is no need to drive a large truck or even have to worry about whether or not your items will safely get to their destination.

Similarly, once you get to your new home you can keep the moving pod for as long as you’d like, although you will have to pay more in rental fees, and you can slowly unpack your stuff at a pace that makes sense for you.

It should be noted that there are certain cases where it is impossible to use a moving pod, like if you live in an apartment complex that will not allow you to store it on-premises, or if you live in a city and have no place to put it.

Those individuals who chose to go the route of renting a moving truck usually do so because it is cheaper and it also gives them the ability to control the entirety of their move. It should be said that there is really no comparison in price between renting a moving truck and using a moving pod, especially for local moves. If you are only moving locally then your entire move can be completed for under a hundred dollars if you rent a moving truck, whereas with a moving pod you will be spending roughly around $500. For those people who want to keep their moving cost down, renting a moving truck is really the only way to go.

Should I Hire a Moving Company or Rent a Moving Truck?

There is a lot that can be said about whether or not you should hire a moving company or rent a moving truck and we go into detail on this subject here. But for a top-down overview the answer to this question really depends on your budget and how much work you are willing to do.

If you are able to afford a moving company and it will not affect your life monetarily in any way then we always suggest that you go this route. The reason being is that moving can be tremendously stressful and the actual physical act of moving is one of the least enjoyable things that a person can do. So if you are capable of paying someone to do this for you and you can just sit back and oversee their progress then this is always the way to go.

However, if you want to save yourself some money and you are willing to put in a day’s work moving your furniture and other belongings then you should rent a moving truck. This is particularly true if you live in a one-bedroom apartment, as hiring movers to do this will be overkill and will cause you to spend money unnecessarily. To put this in perspective, moving a one-bedroom apartment locally should only cost you around $50 if you do the move yourself. If you hire a moving company this same move will cost anywhere from $300 to $500.

So really at the end of the day deciding whether you should hire a moving company or rent a moving truck is really up to you, your budget, and how much time and effort you are willing to put into the move.

Moving Tips from Professional Movers

While we did a great deal of research online and went through our hard-won experiences with our own moves in order to find out a lot of the information that we present in this moving help guide, we also wanted to talk to some professional movers and get their take on what you should know before, during, and after a move.

We talked to these professional movers about what sort of questions you should be asking before hiring a company to do your move and we also asked them about tips for how to pack up the following rooms in your home.

•     Kitchen
•     Bedroom
•     Bathroom
•     Living Room
•     Dining Room
•     Basement

The complete moving tips from professional movers can be found here, and we found that talking to these movers was incredibly enlightening and helpful towards the creation of this guide. They really helped to fill in the blanks when it comes to such things as the best way to pack up a kitchen, which truth be told is our least favorite room to move, and they helped us get in the mind frame of a mover so that your move can go more smoothly.

One thing that we discovered through our conversations is that sometimes individuals who hire movers set up an almost adversarial relationship with the moving company. Understandably they look at the moving company and are skeptical that they will not overcharge and will not break their belongings. This sort of skepticism usually comes from horror stories that they have read about online or heard from their friends and as a result, they are on guard when it comes to their interactions with the professional movers. This, however, does not serve the purpose of the move and in the end, actually makes things more tense and uncomfortable.

So what we’d suggest after having this conversation with these movers is that you find a company that you are very comfortable with and be cognizant of any preconceived notions you may have. If you find yourself being unfairly judgmental or skeptical, remember to take a step back and remember that you and the moving company are on the same team—with the same goal in mind.

What is the Fastest Way to Move Long Distance and Local?

There are certain scenarios that may arise in a family or individual’s life that requires them to move at the drop of a hat. Sometimes these quick moves may be the result of structural damage to a rental property or a bug infestation—or it could be something like a job change or family emergency. Regardless of what actually occurs and is causing the move, the reality is the same; you have to get out of your old place and into your new place quickly.

This topic is too extensive to cover at length here but we do go into more detail in our guide titled What is the Fastest Way to Move Long Distance and Local. In this guide we cover such topics as breaking a lease and we also show you your options for a quick move and which option is probably the fastest. We also point out the fact that this information is applicable to any moving scenario and not just ones where you actually have to move quickly. There are certain individuals who just like things to be done efficiently and in a quick manner and they will find the information presented very helpful.

Overall we have found that the fastest way to move long distance and local is by renting a moving truck and then doing the move yourself. There are certain situations, like if you have a large home that needs to be packed up but yet you have to be across the country in 2 days that this will not work, but in a case like this the fastest way to move is by hiring a moving company and then having a friend or family member oversee the move as you go on ahead to your destination.

However, if you have a few weeks in order to complete your move or even a few days and it is local move, then renting a moving truck is really going to be the fastest way to accomplish your move. The reason is because you can usually rent a moving truck with a few hours or a days notice, and then you can begin packing up your stuff as soon as you want. If you get a few people to help you move then you should be able to accomplish the moving out process in a day, and when this is done you can start the trek to your new home.

What is the Cheapest Way to Move Long Distance and Local?

For the most part everyone wants to know what the cheapest way to move long distance and local is. This makes sense as none of us like spending money that we don’t have to spend and we also understand how expensive it can be to move. If you are renting your new place then you have to come up with first, last, and security, which is thousands of dollars, and if you are purchasing a home the initial down payment can be a lot of money as well. Due to this most of us try to keep our moving budget to a minimum and so we spent considerable time researching how this is best accomplished. The complete guide on the cheapest way to move long distance and local can be found here, but we offer some succinct advice below.

In almost every scenario the cheapest way to move is going to be to rent a moving truck and do the move yourself. When it comes to a local move renting a moving truck cannot be beat pricewise, as it shouldn’t cost you more then $100 to $200 to move even the largest of homes. If you are only moving a smaller apartment then you can expect to spend around $50, which is incredibly cheap for a move. If you choose to hire a moving company in either of these situations then you will wind up spending around from $300-$500 for a smaller move, to around $2,000-$2,500 for a larger move.

If you are moving long-distance then it is still be mostly cost-effective to do the move yourself, although the price difference between renting a moving truck and moving cross country and using a moving pod is really only a few hundred dollars. Taking into account the price of gas it will probably cost you around $2,300-$2,700 to rent a moving truck and move from one coast of the U.S. to the other, and renting a moving pod for the same type of move will cost around $3,000. The actual price of your long-distance will go up as you will need to stay in hotel or motels along the way (unless you can stay with friends and family) and so you can see that moving long-distance can get expensive rather quickly.

Some people choose to sell their belongings before a long-distance move, as they do not want to have to worry about moving all of their stuff to another state or across the country. If you are not particularly attached to any of your furnishings then this is a good way to keep moving costs down for a long-distance move.

How to Move Into Your New Home

The last topic that we cover in our moving help guide is how to move into your new home. This is a rather broad topic to cover and so we explain it further here. When it comes to how to move into your new home we focus on it from three different vantage points:

• How to move into your new home if you rented your own truck
• How to move into your new home if you have a moving company
• How to move into your new home if you used a pod

Each of these different scenarios comes with their own sets of challenges and so we take a look at each in order to discuss what you can expect. For instance, if you rented your own moving truck in order to complete your move then we suggest that you unload the truck as quickly as possible and get everything into your new home so that you can return the truck in time and not have to pay extra fees.

However, if you used a pod in order to complete your move then you have a lot more flexibility with unpacking and are able to leave boxes and furniture in the pod until they are needed. This allows you to have a more focused move and you don’t have to clutter up your new home with boxes for a few days or weeks.

Regardless of what means you use in order to move your belongings to your new home we suggest that you first unpack your bedrooms and living room, as this will help the transition into your new home. The more complete your bedroom is for the first night of sleeping in your new home will sort of set the atmosphere for how quickly you can adjust to living in a new place.  

Congratulations!

If you made it all the way through our guide, we hope that you found it helpful and we want to be the first to congratulate you on your move! Hopefully, at this point, you are either well on your way to being a master mover or have already finished the task of moving and are back here just to make sure you didn’t forget anything. We want to thank you for allowing us to be a part of this huge step in your life and we wish you many happy years in your new home.