Preparing for Moving Across the Country
A new job may often require you to move across the country to a new city. Uprooting your present life and starting a new one far way can be quite daunting and come with its own set of problems. So how do you prepare yourself for this? It is moving to the new city with all the belongings that you have to worry about and how to start life and settle into your new environment.
To start with, it cannot harm to make a trip to the new city and get yourself familiar with how life there is compared to the one you have at present. It can mean a substantial extra cost but is well worth it if you can afford it. Doing this will allow you to look at the new city, the houses on offer, and the pace of life in that city. Look at neighborhoods similar to those you are familiar with. Look at the transportation in that city, the markets, the shops, the recreational facilities, educational institutions, entertainment venues, and all other things that will become part of your life. Doing this with family is best. You can even save money by renting an Airbnb facility, which may help you get better acquainted with the locals. See if you have any friends and relatives in the new city, or even people you know professionally or on social media. They can be of great help.
Once you have done this survey, you will become better aware of what you need to carry with you when you go to the new city. After this, you need to make a detailed survey of the possessions you have and get rid of things that you will not need, have had no use for, or are near the end of your life. Packing and moving companies charge you by weight, and lightening the load can save you money. A sale of unwanted items can even bring you some money so that your cost of moving is made that much less.
Get your entire family involved in this exercise, and let them be mentally prepared for the move. If you have taken them with you during your exploratory trip, this should not be too difficult. Start preparing for a cross country relocation well in advance, as this may allow you to get the advantage of off-season rates of moving companies. Get quotes from at least three reputed companies, and well-represented in both the city you live in at present and the new one you are moving to. This way, there will be no problems with coordination. Ensure each of these companies is licensed and insured, and can also help you with insuring your goods. Insuring to the full value of goods can be expensive but will allow you to cover all risks. It can help if you make a complete list of all the items you want to move and even document their present conditions, especially those of high value. Taking photos and videos can be of great help if at any stage you are required to make insurance claims for damaged goods.
Make it a point to get all your valuables together to carry them with you when you are moving. It is also essential to personally carry crucial documents like passports, insurance policies, bank documents, and confidential information. See that you keep them all in a secure place and carry them with you when moving across the country. If you send your goods ahead, make sure that you are adequately represented at the other end to receive them.
You need to move yourself and your family also to the new city that is across the country. You can always do this by car if you need to shift your vehicles. You can also take the services of an automobile transportation company, specialist moving companies, to take them safely to your new home, while you travel by plane or train. If you plan a car trip, it will be a long one that needs to be properly planned because of the distance of moving across the country. You can make this into a short vacation by choosing the most scenic route to go. Plan your stops, carry enough food, and make it a fun time with the children.
Schedule all these activities for moving across the country so that none of them are rushed. Your exploratory visit must be at least two months before you move so that any arrangements you need to make in the new city can be put in place. Start your move with packers and movers at least six weeks before you plan to move, and make sure you have cleared the unwanted stuff before this. Start looking at settling all dues, updating information for banks and others at least two weeks before you are moving.
Proper planning and budgeting for your cross-country move can make it an easy process without any stress or strain.
