Moving house is easily the ultimate test of any person’s organizational skills. No other household activity tasks your capacity to organize a thousand odd objects like moving house. This is why moving house always rates high on people’s lists of most stressful events. Everyone loves the idea of making new memories in a new place, but they dread the work they must put in to make those dreams come true.
But can you really avoid moving house?
Every once in a while, something comes into your life that forces you to leave your old place for a new one. It could be a desire to pursue unfolding business or career opportunities. Other times we move houses for love. People also move houses to be closer to loved ones who are sick or elderly. A vast majority of house moves happen because families just want a bigger home.
But regardless of why you want to move house, the difficulty of moving house is the same for everyone. You have to sort, arrange, and pack your stuff in a way that will make them easy to move and unpack in the new house. You must complete this before moving day while attending to the everyday affairs of your normal life. Finding a way to do this efficiently is what makes moving house so hard.
But if your move is across state lines – that is, long distance –that difficulty is multiplied several times. There are a lot more things you have to consider in that kind of house move, factors that are not so important during a local move.
When planning a long-distance move, knowing the difference between a long-distance move and a local move is vital. What are those differences?
Differences between a local move and a long-distance move
1. The distance
Local moves are relocations that happen inside the boundaries of a state. If you are moving within a city, town, metropolitan area, or suburb, the move is local. The distances involved in such moves are typically within the range of 50-70 miles. Though some moving companies will classify a move as local if the destination is within a 50-100 mile radius of your current home.
Any house move that exceeds this limit is classified as long distance; it involves traveling to locations over 100 miles away. Long-distance moves often mean you will be crossing state lines. In order to move your belongings safely across state lines, you must know how to secure your belongings for a long haul. You also have to move your things all at once, so you will often need a bigger truck.
2. The level of complexity
Long-distance moves are more complex because there are more risks involved in the move. A local move is fairly straightforward. When moving locally, you don’t have to concern yourself about violating the laws of the state you are moving to. But this is an important part of a long-distance move.
A long-distance move is also more stressful because of the amount of time you spend on the road. Unlike during a local move, your belongings may not arrive the same day; they will often arrive days after.
Both local and long-distance moves involve a list of forbidden items and there are more stringent restrictions for what you can transport across state lines. You also have to be more intentional in the way you pack your things during a long-distance move because the risk of damage is greater.
3. Differences in pricing
Long-distance moves are naturally more expensive than local moves. But you may not realize just how much more expensive it is to move long distances until you have to do it. Local moving costs are calculated in a different way than how long-distance moving costs are calculated.
Local moving companies charge you based of the number of hours the move will take, the number of movers involved, if you have items that need special equipment to move, and any other special requirements.
Long-distance moves, on the other hand, take all of the above factors into consideration but also have additional considerations. During a long-distance move, here are some of the things the moving company will look at or require:
- The size of the truck and how much fuel it will take to complete the move.
- You will often have to pay for additional insurance and liability coverage.
- You may need to pay for storage in transit (SIT) if it is required.
- Long-distance moves are calculated in the number of days, unlike local moves which are calculated in the number of hours.
- Because movers charge by weight, the quantity of stuff you are moving is a huge factor during a long-distance move more than on a local move.
- Lastly, the competence, experience, and reputation of your moving company is a bigger factor since there is a bigger risk of your belongings getting lost or damaged.