Any kind of house move, regardless of how small the house is, is hard due to the myriad items you have to keep your hands on. In order to move house and do it with minimal stress, you have to be one of those select few super-organized persons in the world. For most of us, there are not many life events that are more stressful than moving house.
But all house moves are not equally difficult. The difficulty of a short-distance move is nothing compared to the stress of moving long distance. On a long-distance move, your margin for error is literally zero; you cannot come back to pick up items you forget. This is why long-distance moves need a lot of preparation.
Planning a long-distance move takes months; typically, professional movers will tell you to start planning your move six months before the day. But what happens if you have to make a long- distance move suddenly? What should you do if you don’t have weeks (speak less of months) to plan for your cross-country move?
When faced with this kind of situation, you don’t have room for experimentation. As Dawson Management advises, to reduce the chances of something going badly wrong, you must avoid cutting corners. Instead, you should get as much help as you can.
Here are the steps to take when you have to do a cross-country move at the last minute.
Take immediate action
When you contemplate the size of the task, your first feeling will be paralysis. You will probably look at all your things scattered across the home and wonder where to start packing. The longer you look at the problem, the larger it will loom in your mind. The only way to solve this issue is to get out of panic mode and act.
Make a plan
What do you need to do to accomplish this move on time? Make a list of the various problems and their possible solutions, including people who may have the answers. Do not be afraid to ask the help of a friend, especially those who have experienced this type of move. Talking to others can give you a different perspective and help you find solutions you did not know about.
Prioritize your tasks
On a normal schedule, you might need to give the utilities company two-weeks’ notice. But you don’t have the luxury of time during a last-minute move. Tasks like getting the medical records for your family, updating important addresses, or the children’s school records, and disconnecting the utilities must be done at once.
Expect to spend more money
There is no way of getting around this; you will have to pay someone else to do some of the things you would have done yourself. For instance, you may not have the time to do thorough moving-out cleaning for your current home. You will have to hire a professional cleaner to do it or work something out with your landlord.
Recognize that you need help
For any kind of move – big or small, short-distance or long-distance – you need the help of other people to make the transition as easy as possible. Typically, you can enlist the help of friends and family. But when you are doing a long-distance move at the last minute, friends and family may not be the best option. You need professionals to work with you.
Hire a national mover
Not all movers do long long-distance moves. To get your belongings safely and easily across state borders, you need a national mover. But there are many incompetent and dishonest movers out there and there is no easier time to fall prey to them than when you are in a hurry to hire a mover. Do not hire a mover unless they have a USDOT number and you have read reviews of their services.
Hire professional packers
Depending on how little time you have and the size of your home, you may need to hire packers. This is the best option if you want to minimize stress and eliminate errors or injuries. A team of professional packers will have your belongings packed and ready in no time. They will buy you peace of mind, as well as the time you need to take care of those things only you can do.
Get storage
You may not have had the time to find a new home in the city you are moving to. To avoid being pressured to find a new home immediately, you may want to hire a climate-controlled storage facility in your new city. One of the best ways to go about this is to rent a portable moving container; you can use it as a storage pod.
Finally, do not fuss about items you can’t take with you. Give them away if you can’t find a way to sell them. Lastly, be safe during your move. Cheers!