For many, stress seems like an intrinsic part of relocating. After all, you are literally uprooting your whole life and moving to a new part of the world, how can that not be stressful?
And, while to an extent, that’s always true, the exact amount of stress we’re talking about can vary greatly. That’s especially true if you take some time to plan your move thoroughly and ahead of time, so you can find the most smooth, cost-effective, and convenient way to relocate without the stress.
To help you out with that, here are some tips we’ve compiled along the way.
1. Choose the right time
Many people don’t realize that moving is a seasonal business. Just like weddings and tourism, most people prefer to move during the warmer months and on the weekends. This makes the period from May to September the busy season for moving companies, especially on the weekends. As such, scheduling haulers or a moving company in this period is both more difficult and significantly more expensive.
Instead, an easy way to save yourself a lot of money and stress is to simply look to move in the “off season,” i.e., in the fall or winter. Especially if you can do so during the work week, you will almost certainly have little to no trouble booking whichever company you want, as well as save a good deal of money.
2. Start planning sooner rather than later
Any of the other tips below, as well as the one above, will be much easier to accomplish if you’ve started planning your move ahead of time. Leaving everything for the last possible moment not only ends up being quite stressful almost every time, but it also means that you’ll have a hard time finding the most efficient and cost-effective ways to do things, you’ll need to cut certain corners, you’ll miss out on some opportunities, and you often may need to even make secondary trips that could have otherwise been avoided.
3. Find the right people for the job
Relocating, even over long distances and with a lot of household appliances and luggage, can technically be done without any professional help. Doing so is usually extremely time-consuming and stressful, however, and hiring the right moving company will usually save you a great deal of effort and time.
“The right” are the operating words here, however, as there are also many haulers and movers out there who aren’t worth their price tag. Spending some extra time looking for the right company is always worth it, and it’s usually advisable to look a bit more even after you’ve found movers you like, just to make sure.
Using personal recommendations is always advisable to just looking at online reviews too, but it’s also best to just do an in-depth research into the company yourself. Look at the history and track record, for example. Also, make sure they have proper licensing and insurance, which isn’t always the case. Stuff like having Department of Transportation (DOT) numbers and licenses from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), for example, must always be present.
Consider additional options, such as hiring local haulers for the heavy lifting, as those can be more affordable than the haulers of a big moving company. Renting your own truck or van can also be more cost-effective, but for long-distance relocation, it’s usually better to go with the moving company’s transport.
While looking for the right movers for you, it’s also smart to look for good discounts you can take advantage of. This is especially great if you’re moving during the off-season, as many movers are offering tempting discounts in those periods, which can end up saving you a lot of money for a long-distance trip.
And, of course, looking for the right price, with or without a discount, is also important. Especially for long-distance relocation, finding a price per mile that’s even just a few cents lower than another company’s rate can save you a lot of money. For example, if one company offers the average $0.70–$1.10 per mile while most others are in the $0.75-$1.20 range, and if you have to move for thousands of miles, you can see how even a small difference in the rate can matter a great deal.
4. Declutter ahead of time
Many people make the mistake of moving everything they own with them and then throwing away or selling much of the stuff that turns out to be unnecessary at their new place.
The much smoother and more cost-effective way to go about it is to plan ahead of time which things you won’t need at your new place and get rid of them before you go. This will save you a lot on the moving expenses, but it also just makes the move lighter and easier to manage.
5. Plan everything in one move
One of the most frustrating parts of a major long-distance move is having to do multiple trips back and forth. This is especially infuriating if some of those trips are unplanned and urgent.
So, the better you manage to plan things, so that they all happen in one go, the better. You can even do things, such as getting your car shipped, so that you don’t need to drive it separately yourself or ask friends and family members for further assistance, so you can do everything more easily in one go.
Conclusion
When planning a long-distance move, it’s all too easy for important documents, keepsakes, or seasonal items to become scattered or misplaced in the chaos—this is where storage units like the storage units Athens can make all the difference.
Instead of cramming everything into the moving truck, consider placing select belongings in a secure, climate-controlled unit in Athens to streamline your packing, protect valuables, and avoid transit damage.
Not only does this free up space in your vehicle—potentially reducing moving costs—it also gives you convenient access to essentials before fully settling into your new home.
With storage units Athens as part of your strategy, you’ll experience a smoother, more organized relocation with less stress from departure to arrival.
