Moving is a big process, especially when you’re moving from city to city. A major move takes more preparation than if you’re just heading to the next street over. Your belongings are traveling further, you may be relocating somewhere unfamiliar to you, and your moving checklist is longer.
We help people move thousands of times every year, and we’re happy to share our hard-earned wisdom to help your city to city move go as smoothly as possible. Here you’ll find tips for relocating to another city like how to create a moving budget, what to bring with you and even how to put down roots in your new community.
Six Tips for Relocating to Another City
So you’ve decided to move from one city to another. Your fresh start is right around the corner! Have you planned your budget? Are you working with professional movers? What about decluttering?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Let’s walk through some tips for relocating to another city that will make the process less stressful.
1. Create a Moving Budget
Moving is an investment. In addition to the price of professional movers, you’ll need to consider the cost of packing materials, insurance for your belongings, travel expenses for your family and other expenses that may come up along the way. Creating a moving budget can help you stay on track and avoid any expensive surprises down the line.
Decide whether you’re handling the move yourself or if you’re hiring movers. Then list out:
- Packing materials
- Moving equipment
- Estimated gas prices
- Rental fees
- Insurance
- Travel expenses
- Specialty item fees
This will give you a good idea of what you’ll spend.
2. Purge and Declutter Your Belongings
Now that you know how much you expect to spend on your move, you can focus on what you’ll bring with you. Moving to a new city is the perfect time to take stock of what you own. Each piece of furniture, item of clothing and book takes up precious space in a moving truck. In order to keep costs down and make the packing process easier, do your best to get rid of belongings that won’t serve you at your new place.
Start decluttering several weeks before you move. This gives you plenty of time to decide what things to pack when moving to another city. It also will give you time to donate or gift any items that are still useful but that you no longer want.
3. Start Packing Early
You’ve purged your belongings and decided what you’re bringing with you on your city to city move. Now it’s time to pack everything up. Give yourself a few weeks to do this so you have time to package everything carefully.
Organization is your friend when it comes to packing for a big move. You’ll want to use the correct packing materials for your items to ensure that your belongings are safe on your journey – dishes should go in dishpacks, books in book cartons and so on.
Labeling boxes will also save you a lot of time. Make sure to include the room and items on the label of each box so they can be delivered to the right spaces in your new home. This will cut down on your unpacking time.
One of the things to pack when moving to another city is a box with essentials. You’ll bring this box with you or mark it so that it’s easily found among your other moving boxes. Inside should be everything you need for the first couple days in your new home like clothing, towels, bedding, toiletries and other must haves. This will help you feel more comfortable after a long move, and keep you from digging through box after box to find your toothbrush.
4. Hire Professional Moving Help
While you can move yourself, hiring professional moving services is often the better choice. Expert movers can reduce the stress that comes with moving from city to city. They’ll work with you to help you prepare, use proven packing and loading techniques to keep your belongings safe on the move and unload the truck for you.
Talk with a Bekins Van Lines agent in your area to discuss city to city moving. We have movers across 95% of the United States who can help.
5. Protect Your Belongings
You’ve packed, you’ve booked moving services and you’re ready for your big move. But don’t forget to protect your belongings. Moving from city to city means that your personal items will spend more time on a moving truck than a local move. Taking the extra step to protect your belongings will save you headaches and stress if a mistake happens.
Talk with your moving company about what movers protection they offer. If you’re moving any specialty items like artwork, antiques or jewelry, you might benefit from having additional coverage.
6. Get Involved in Your New Community
Moving from city to city can mean starting fresh in a new community. Settling in goes beyond unpacking in your new home. It also means building connections and new friendships. Take a look at community events in your new city, join a community sports team or book club and scout some local haunts where you can spend time. Soon enough your new city will feel like home.
Bekins Van Lines Makes Moving From One City to Another Stress-Free!
We hope our tips for relocating to another city give you the confidence you need to handle your big move. If you want to hire professional moving services, we can help. Get in touch with Bekins Van Lines today to get started with your hassle-free move!
