For long distance moves, it may be helpful to abide by moving tips from state to state movers who do this sort of thing on a daily basis. These industry professionals have gained key industry wisdom on moving from what to pack and how to pack it, to how to transport it safely to how to unpack it at the final destination. For those of us who do not move on a regular basis, it is smart to listen to their suggestions and abide by their recommendations for a much smoother state to state moving experience.

Moving Tips from State to State Movers in Houston

An underutilized service from state to state movers is their experience. Some family-owned companies have been moving people all over the nation for decades, and during that time they have seen a lot and learned a few tricks of the trade that those getting ready to move state to state can benefit from. Some of the top moving tips from state to state movers include:

Declutter your home before moving
Keep important documents accessible and protected
Get an in-person moving quote
Pack smart
Have important destination contact information ready to go

Here’s a closer look at each of these tips in greater detail.

Declutter Your Home Before Moving

Regardless of what type of home a person lives in or how long they have lived there, stuff seems to accumulate. This holds particularly true for those who have lived in the same location for ten years or more. While many of the things people accumulate served a need at one time or another, some no longer do, and to take those items along when moving state to state just isn’t necessary.

Take the time to declutter before the move gets underway. The best way to do this is to have three boxes for each room:

Keep
Donate
Trash

If you are not going to be packing boxes as you go, it may suffice to have boxes for donate and trash only. This can be a great way to purge things that you otherwise might have paid to take with you, and then eventually disposed of anyway.

When time allows, a garage sale can be a great way to get a little extra money from items purged from the home. However, individuals should be aware that this needs to be done well in advance of the move itself because these types of sales can require a fair amount of work.

In addition to the feeling of accomplishment that purging miscellaneous things can create, decluttering can also help save dollars by reducing the number of boxes a person actually needs to move from state to state.

Keep Important Documents Accessible and Protected

When going through each room of the home, take care to collect important documents to store in a place that will be both accessible and provide protection. For example, important files such as marriage licenses, birth certificates, passports, bank records, credit card statements, tax returns, insurance policies and such should be separated for safer storage.

Rather than simply putting the files straight in a cardboard moving box, many moving companies recommend putting these documents in a fireproof lockbox first. This provides an extra layer of protection against the unexpected and keeps them safely locked away. It is up to the customer if they choose to place these documents in the mover’s care or be responsible for them on their own.

Get an In-Person Quote from a Houston Moving Company

A rookie mistake that some people make is to get a moving quote over the phone or online. While this method can be convenient, it is seldom as accurate as if the moving company comes to the house and goes room by room to offer a quote.

These professionals have the ability to gauge how many boxes are likely needed, as well as if any special equipment will be required to move larger or specialty items such as pianos, safes or grandfather clocks.

Moving companies that do not provide an in-person quote and then arrive on moving day to find dozens of extra boxes or pieces of furniture they did not account for in their original quote can result in a dramatic price hike. It could also potentially cause an issue with the size of the moving van that was brought based on the original quote. And if the company is too small, they may not have another truck available, which will end up delaying the move.

Packing Smart Is Everything

When packing boxes, there can be a science to it. A common misconception is that packing smart means putting as many things as possible into a moving box to lower the number of boxes that will be needed. Reputable movers disagree. Moving tips from state to state movers are to pack smart by doing the following:

Taping the bottom of the boxes securely with packing tape to keep the box from coming undone
Using paper or bubble wrap to cushion the bottom of a box when needed to protect items inside from damage
Wrapping fragile items individually in packing paper or bubble wrap to safeguard against damage
Distributing the weight of items in the box evenly as this keeps the boxes from tipping over
Properly labeling boxes regarding their contents and label if they are fragile or should not have other boxes set on top of them

Taking all of the above steps and incorporating them into packing make a world of difference when unpacking. For those that choose to have movers pack up their belongings to be moved, this is usually standard protocol.

Have Destination Contact Information Ready to Go

Once a move is complete there can be dozens of boxes to unpack and rooms to set up. While many people take their time in unpacking their belongings, some things may not be able to wait, such as locating information on the local Department of Motor Vehicles, bank branch, doctor’s office, and so on.

Be sure to bring any information regarding important destination services with you on the move. This can mean paperwork for mail forwarding, old doctor’s records, etc. Having this information handy and accessible will allow for it to be taken care of amidst unpacking instead of having to wait until you unpack the whole house to find the information needed.

Moving tips from state to state movers are invaluable assets. By abiding by these tips, people can save themselves time and money that can be spent on things other than moving. Contact a professional moving company with plenty of experience in moving people state to state for more peace of mind about the experience from start to finish.

Moving Tips From State To State Movers