Planning on moving out of state soon? When it comes to coordinating a big transition like this, having the right preparation in order is key to ensuring that your move is as successful as possible and that your items arrive at your new home safe and in one piece.
Whether you’re moving long-distance last minute or have had adequate time to prepare, you’ve probably been faced with the decision by now of deciding whether to use professional movers for a relocation like this or to move by yourself with DIY moving truck rentals, or even with portable storage containers for moving. At first glance, it might seem like some of these options are cheaper than others, or maybe you’ve heard that certain moving methods are better than others.
However, when it comes to moves of this size and scale, having the best out-of-state movers on your side is the best way to ensure that your move goes as smoothly as possible. Learn the difference having professional movers for an out-of-state move makes, and why you should always leave big moves like this to experienced movers instead of trying to take on a burden like this yourself. Get our best interstate moving tips in this blog.
How to Move Long-Distance
Whether just moving a single state over or across the entire country, coordinating an out-of-state move can be very complicated, and requires a lot of attention to detail to ensure its success. After all, just for a regular move, you’ll need to square everything away at your current home, ensure that everything is packed strategically and safely, that your travels are properly coordinated and that your items will be safely transported to your new place. When moving over long distances, this only becomes a more detail-oriented process with a lot more variables at play that need to come together to ensure its success.
When it comes to out-of-state moving, the best thing you can do for yourself and your household is to start as early as possible to properly coordinate your strategy and your entire move (and to give yourself enough time to do so!).
Out-of-state moving is a very more involved process than just moving across town since it involves not only transporting your household items over hundreds or thousands of miles safely but also preparing yourself for differing laws or requirements for the new state you might be living in. Initially, however, you need to figure out how to get your items to your new home and the best method to do so.
Why Hire Out-of-State Movers?
Upon a perfunctory online perusal, you might find information from DIY truck rentals or storage container companies that paints the picture that professional movers are a lot more expensive and require a lot more hassle to coordinate than hiring their services for your out-of-state moving needs.
However, you might be surprised to find that hiring professional movers for your relocation is not only comparable in cost to these alternative services but makes your entire process infinitely easier than these other avenues.
Though any long-distance moving service is going to cost more than moving in-state or over short distances, having next-level service and all of the work done for you (in both physically moving your items and in the transportation of them), more than pays for itself in the ease and convenience it will provide you with. Alternatively, storage containers or DIY services require you to do all of the work yourself and deal with all of the stress involved – and will cost you just as much as letting professionals take care of everything!
On top of comparable initial costs for movers versus DIY companies, factoring in the amount of effort you’ll need to put into these other services instead of letting professional movers handle your process really closes the gap in any costs that there might be discrepancies. Remember, using out-of-state movers for your relocation is comparable in cost to other services AND requires zero effort on your part! This makes choosing a professional moving company nearly a no-brainer when it comes to choosing a method for moving out of state.
How to Choose an Out-of-State Moving Company
Now that you’ve had the opportunity to ponder how worth it it is to use professional movers instead of pulling off your entire move yourself, it’s time to choose the right moving company for you. Having the right moving company on your side makes all the difference in receiving the right pricing and right service, and ensuring your items arrive to you smoothly and quickly.
When looking for a long-distance moving company, there are a few things to look for and to do when doing your research.
- Past Customer Reviews & Recommendations: When researching a full-service moving company, you should start your process by asking around friends and family about any movers they may possibly have had positive experiences with moving companies in the past. Getting first-hand, trusted opinions and recommendations from people you trust will let you be confident in the moving services you choose and the company you go with. You should also always look up a moving company’s third-party reviews on sites like Yelp, Google Reviews, Angie’s List, and more to get a general sense of how the company conducts itself and treats its customers. This is especially important with researching long-distance movers since they’ll be the ones responsible for getting your items to you over thousands of miles. When looking at reviews, don’t just leave it at looking at the ones posted on the company’s website itself, either. Websites easily organize, monitor, curate, and delete unfavorable comments to make themselves look better. The most dependable reviews can be found on the sites we mentioned before, and you should always look into their ratings on the Better Business Bureau as well.
- Get Multiple Quotes: Shopping around is also an important notion to take to heart when looking for moving companies. Never go with the first company you look at, especially in the case of interstate or out-of-state movers. Do thorough research and get multiple quotes from many different companies to ensure you’re not only getting the right service but the right prices as well.Getting quotes from multiple different companies will also keep you from getting scammed since red flags will pop out to you much more when comparing potential scammers to legitimate moving companies. Look up not just reviews, but licenses and accreditations as well before comparing pricing. Also, make sure to ask about possible hidden fees and ensure that your quote includes all possible charges.
- Plan the Right Packing Strategy: If you’re not using professional packing services, you’ll want to begin your packing process as early as possible. Having the right approach to packing can make all of the difference between having a smooth and straightforward moving day, and just throwing things around haphazardly the night before your movers arrive. Always give yourself plenty of time to give your items the proper attention to detail when packing them up. Start as early as you can, and form a plan of attack or make a calendar or schedule to keep yourself as on track as possible during the entire planning and packing stage. This will not only lower your stress but will let you be more responsible in your packing and will let you keep everything as safe as possible. Starting the packing process early will also let you effectively declutter your space to save time and money in your move. With the items you’re thinking of eliminating, always consider how annoying or bulky it’ll be to pack or move, how much you use or want them, and how easily replaceable it is. From there, organize items into ‘keep’, ‘donate/sell’, ‘give away’, and ‘trash’ categories to allow you to eliminate things quickly and stay organized in the process. Starting the packing process early allows you to pack effectively and with less stress than doing so last-minute.
- Plan an Off-Season Move: With fall just around the corner, it might be wise for you to look into the benefits of moving off-season. After all, the season you plan to take on your moving during then impacts not only the pricing you receive for your moving services but the availability of your movers and ease of scheduling. If you can, try to avoid peak moving season, or April-early September. Instead, opt for fall or early Spring to receive the best deals and optimum flexibility for your move. However, when moving off-season, always consider weather both in your current location and the weather where your new home is located so you’re properly prepared. When moving to a colder climate, take the time to pack with care to make sure everything is properly protected and prepare for the temperatures you might be headed into.
- Planning Your Own Travel: Research the route you and your family will take to your new home well in advance so you can plan out hotels, rest stops, and fun tourist attractions to see along your way. This will let you have the most straightforward and efficient route and will save you from having to hope for the best when your kids have to use a rest stop, or when looking for activities or places to eat along the way. Always communicate with your delivery driver from your moving company as well, so you know where your items are in their journey and when they’ll be arriving. Many moving trucks have GPS tracking, but if they don’t you can always contact your moving company to find out what route your driver will take so you can keep up with your things.
When moving out of state, always have the best professional movers on your side to ensure that your items will be taken care of and that you won’t have to worry about coordinating and pulling off an entire move by yourself.
When looking for the best out-of-state movers, look no further than Bekin Van Lines. We’ve spent the past several decades providing clients with the best possible moving services, and will ensure that your out-of-state move goes smoothly as well! For the best service, pricing, and overall experience, we’ll be the best professional movers for you.
