Before hiring professionals, you should decide where to live, try finding a job and a new house, learn how to avoid potential relocation scams, decide what services you need, and calculate potential expenses once you ask for the relocation quote.
What to Do Before You Choose to Hire a Moving Company
If you’re planning to hire a moving company, you should know that doing this can make the whole relocation process much easier. You will definitely experience many benefits, but you should prepare for this process smartly. It’s not recommended that you hire the first company that you stumble upon – you need to make wise decisions if you want everything to go smoothly.
Reasons to Hire a Moving Company for Help Are Numerous
One of the first things you’ll find in all the good relocation guides is that hiring a long-distance moving company is an essential part of every successful move. No matter if this is your first time relocating or if you’re already an experienced veteran in this process, professional assistance can always make the whole move much easier and more efficient.
Trained and professional cross-country movers can show you amazing relocation hacks and help you avoid common relocation mistakes. Knowing that you have professionals by your side to help you with all the tasks from your to-do list will definitely save you from relocation stress. The only important thing is to prepare for long-distance movers properly by learning a few things you should do before hiring them and signing any legal documents.
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Decide if Relocation Is the Right Decision and Consider Getting a Job in Another State Before You Move
First of all, you should have a good reason to move and decide where you are going to live. House-hunting might be challenging, but this mostly depends on the place you choose for your new home. If you want to move to a popular and big city, the cost of living could be high, and finding an available apartment is harder than you think.
If you know that life in another city will require additional expenses, finding a job before you move is highly recommended. Once you find a job and a suitable place for your new home, you can proceed to the next step and hire one of the professional cross-country moving companies.
Determine the Timing of Your Move – Consider That Every Season Has Its Advantages and Disadvantages
Wonder what is the cheapest time of the year to move? It’s not a secret that relocating during the winter is much more affordable than relocating in summer because this season is less busy. That is why it’s recommended that you move during the winter if you’re on the budget. On the other hand, relocating in the rain, snow, and other bad weather conditions brings out other challenges. For starters, you should properly waterproof your relocation boxes.
In case you’re relocating with children, even though summer is more expensive, it is a more recommended period because of the children’s school break. If you choose to move with kids during the summer, you can avoid some negative effects relocation can have on them – such as post-relocation depression. It will be much easier for them to adapt slowly to changes if they don’t move during the school year.
Find a Reputable Cross Country Moving Company – Check All the Reliable Reviews
If you want to prepare for the move properly, you have to learn how to find a reputable relocation business. Unfortunately, nowadays, there are many scammers on the market, so you might as well want to try avoiding them. This shouldn’t be very complicated – there are a few things to check, and if everything goes well, there is nothing to worry about.
Learn How to Avoid Potential Relocation Scams
Finding the cheapest way to move out of state shouldn’t be the most important thing on your mind when searching for professionals because you might become a victim of relocation scams. You have to keep your eyes wide open, only this way you’ll be able to move safely. Some of the things you should check before hiring professionals include:
- Company’s official website (does it exist and look professional),
- Reviews on other websites,
- Professional contract,
- Quotes and prices,
- Amount required for deposit,
- MC licenses,
- Professional equipment (truck, dollies, straps) and knowledge.
For example, movers that are not professional usually won’t offer you a contract but will ask for a large deposit. They might also add some extra costs to your final bill without even mentioning this possibility. If they don’t have a license, you definitely shouldn’t hire them, no matter how nice they seem and how low the price they offer.
If you’re not certain about the online reviews on their website, you should look for other people’s experiences with this team on some other websites. Professionals should also show up to your home to estimate the value of household goods before the move if needed.
Make a List of Inventory You Want to Move
Now that you know how to find a trustworthy team of cross-country movers, you should make a household inventory list and decide what you’re relocating. This shouldn’t be challenging if you’re relocating to a small one-bedroom apartment, but if you’re planning to relocate to a large house, you might have trouble making the necessary decisions.
Keep in mind that once you unpack after a move, all of the belongings you move should fit into your new home or storage. If you’re relocating from a house to an apartment and lack storage space, you should figure out some creative storage ideas or rent a storage unit.
Decluttering Before Relocating Is the Best Way to Reduce Expenses
One of the best relocation tips is to get rid of the extra items before relocating – this can save you a lot of time and money. You can throw some stuff away or even donate unwanted items. If you find that some things are still in great condition and you have enough time ahead, you can plan a garage sale and even earn some extra cash. Check out this video and learn how to declutter like a pro.
Decide What Service You Need – Packing, Truck Loading, and Car Shipping Are Usually Some of the Available Options
All companies have different options when it comes to relocation, but in general, there are always some similar things you can count on:
- Relocation service,
- Packing service,
- Storage relocation,
- Auto shipping.
Long distance moving services you choose to get will naturally depend on your personal needs and relocation budget. For example, there is no need to drive your car all the way across the country on your own when professionals can ship your vehicle instead. If you have to relocate some fragile items and don’t know how to pack them, getting professional packing assistance can be more than needed, so make your decisions wisely.
Get a Free Quote and Calculate Potential Expenses – This Is One of the Most Important Questions to Ask Movers
One of the best things that modern cross-country companies offer is a free quote. By getting a quote, you’ll know the estimated cost of their service, so you’ll be able to plan your budget accordingly. There shouldn’t be any unpleasant surprises at the end because reliable movers won’t scam you by adding some unexpected expenses to your bill.
This is only possible in case you require some additional service, such as relocation insurance, but you should be informed that adding it comes at an additional cost. You can also ask for a quote once you require this and see how the new price works for you.
Learn How Movers Form the Price
It’s not enough that you only ask for the desired service. There are many factors that might affect the final price you’re paying. For starters, the volume of your move. Relocating one and four-bedroom apartments naturally won’t come at the same price. You should also consider the distance. The bigger distance – the higher the cost. As we already mentioned, the season that you pick for your relocation can also play a significant role in quote formation. If you choose to move during a less busy season, you can get a better offer.
The season is not the only important thing when it comes to timing. The day of the week also counts, so you should think this through once you decide that the move is happening. If you’re available to move in the middle of the week or month, this might help you get a lower price.
Learn How Some Details Might Affect the Price of the Chosen Cross-Country Moving Service
When it comes to car shipping, there are also some things to consider that might affect the price. For example, transportation in an enclosed trailer will be more expensive than in an open one. If movers pick up your car at your home, this will also increase the price. Other expenses might come up if you require special services for protecting delicate items such as custom crating.
This is why you must give the movers all the precise information about the dates and required services. The more info they have, the more accurate the estimate you can get, and you will feel more comfortable knowing there won’t be unexpected expenses in the end.
Compare Quotes From Different Companies - Moves Don't Always Cost the Same
Another great thing you can do is to compare quotes from different companies and check how different they are. Usually, if you don’t make any big changes when it comes to required services, there shouldn’t be big differences in prices. If a specific offer seems too good to be true (price is much lower than quotes from other companies), it probably is, and you might get involved in a scam. This is why it is important that you keep your eyes wide open and don’t fall for this trap.
If You're on a Budget, Avoid Additional Costs by Packing Every Container and Loading the Truck on Your Own
How to save money on cross-country moving services? For starters, it is best that you try protecting your inventory yourself without asking a professional mover for assistance, at least the items that can’t break if you don’t pack them properly. Loading the relocation truck on your own can be more challenging, so you should leave this to professionals or at least ask some friends to give you a helping hand.
For example, you can choose to pack clothes on your own. You can also pack books in boxes and some less fragile objects from your home and get packing services for protecting glasses and other delicate things such as electronic devices.
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Hiring a Professional Company Will Be the End of Your Worries
As you already know, moving cross country will be much easier with professional assistance, so there is no need to hesitate about contacting them. That might seem like a pricey option initially, but once you put everything on paper and calculate the potential costs you could have if you move on your own, you’ll quickly notice how this is a more economical option. You should only check if the company is legitimate, and then you can comfortably leave everything in their hands. There are plenty of things to focus on when relocating to another state, so you might as well handle that while movers stay in charge of your belongings.
