WHAT IS
LONG DISTANCE MOVING?
In contrast to local or intrastate moves,
long distance moving falls under federal regulation for transporting items from
state to state. Companies that perform long distance, or interstate, moves must
also have insurance policies that help to protect the items transported and the
customer.
LONG DISTANCE MOVING COMPANY
Moving can be one of the most stressful
experiences in your life, especially if the move in question is going to take
you across long distances. Whether you’re relocating for work or just looking
for a change of scenery, there shouldn’t be anything standing in the way of
picking up and moving cross-country, but for most people, there is.
No, it isn’t just leaving your comfort zone to set your life down among new
people and surroundings, but the move itself. Luckily, there’s a way to make
moves of any distance as easy and stress-free as possible. That’s where we come
in.
What is considered a long distance move?
Every company will define long distance
moving differently, but it’s typically considered to be moving more than 100
miles and across state lines. Long-distance moves are also referred to as
interstate moves.
What
companies offer these services?
The three main options for long-distance
moving are:
- Full service. Includes packing, loading, unloading and transportation.
- Truck Rental. Includes use of the equipment for a certain number of days/miles.
- Self-Move. Includes transportation, and allows for significant cost savings.
8 cheap ways to move across country
Most people move for a new job, to attend
school or to be closer to family. Whatever your reason is for making the move,
you’ll want to save money wherever you can. Here are eight of the best ways to
save money when you move:
- Purge your belongings
If you lighten your load, you’ll pay less in moving costs. Have a yard sale, sell what you don’t need on Craigslist or similar sites, donate what you can to charities and stop acquiring new things before you leave. Taking a few steps to declutter your home will make your move easier and cheaper. - Make your move seasonal
Summer is the most expensive time to move because that’s when families are getting settled before the new school year starts. Leases tend to expire towards the end of the month, so you’ll have more people booking moving companies the last week of the month than the first or second. Try to move at a different time of the year, in the middle of the month and on a weekday when there’s less competition for movers. - Shop around for the best prices
Don’t book the first mover you talk to. Get estimates from long distance movers that specialize in cross-country moves. Compare what you’ll pay. Remember to measure costs and services. A lower price from a company that calls themselves a discount mover might mean you pay for extras that you wouldn’t pay for with a higher priced company. - Look for moving discounts
While you’re shopping around, don’t neglect to ask for available discounts. AAA moving discounts are available for members and some moving companies provide reduced rates at certain times of the year (generally during their slower seasons, like winter). - Consider doing the move yourself
Shop around to find the cheapest truck rental for moving. Truck rentals are reasonably priced through companies like U-Haul and Budget Truck Rental, and most of these companies offer one-way rental trucks. If you really want to keep your budget tight, pack up your car with only your most critical belongings, or hitch a trailer to your car. It’s a good way to save money and start over. Handling the move yourself with just the bare essentials is one of the cheapest ways to move long distance. - Use a portable moving container
One of the cheapest ways to move out of state is to use a portable storage container. Mobile storage units can help you cut down on costs and stress by keeping all of your things in one place until it’s time to relocate. Companies like PODS provide a great way to store your belongings before and after the actual move. A cross-country trip could cost as little as $1,500. - Ship your things
You can also travel with your stuff while someone else does the driving. If you don’t have furniture to move and you’ve managed to reduce your load significantly, you can ship what you need to your new home using FedEx, UPS or the U.S. Postal Service. You can get on a bus or a train or even book a flight across the country to your final destination. You may have to pay for extra baggage fees, but those might cost a lot less than what you pay a moving company. - Be frugal, and save money wherever you can
Instead of buying boxes from a retailer, visit grocery stores and department stores to collect the boxes that they would normally recycle. See what you can find on Craigslist, and remember that the packing tape you buy at a discount shop is probably just as good as the packing tape you buy at a high-end retailer. Accept help wherever you can, whether it’s your family offering to help you pack or a friend donating frequent flyer miles for your trip.
Professional moving services
Considering the huge competition in the moving industry and the constant struggle for more customers, especially during the off-season, the range and quality of the services a moving company offers to their clients is what sets apart the great movers from the mediocre or even bad ones.
Do moving companies pack for you? They will, if you want them to. Obviously, quick and safe packing is the number one extra service that movers have in their arsenal of magic tricks to please their customers. If you don’t have much time until your move-out date (emergency or last-minute moving) or if you own a number of special items that require professional packing (antique furniture, a piano, or a hot tub), then your choice is clear. Professional packers will arrive at your home with all the necessary packing supplies too! (Should I hire professional packers?)
Do moving companies disassemble furniture? If they have to do it, they will do it. In fact, there are a number of reasons why some of your furniture may need to be taken apart for moving: 1) some large pieces will not go through narrow doorways, hallways or staircases unless they are disassembled, 2) other furniture pieces will have highly breakable glass elements or delicate ornaments that can only be saved if packed separately. Professional movers will come with the right tools and proper moving equipment too! (Will movers disassemble furniture?)
Do moving companies store your stuff? Most of the reputable and trustworthy moving companies offer the additional service of placing all or part of your household items in storage until you are ready to receive them. Keep in mind that that extra service can literally save you a lot of troubles when you’re in the middle of a house renovation project, when you’re still looking for a new home but have to move out of the old one, and when you have to do a temporary move and have no other place to leave your stuff.
Why hire a
long distance mover?
Before you start preparing for your house
move, it’s important that you take the time to think about how exactly you are
going to handle the house moving project. To make an informed decision, you’ll
need to take a closer look at several key points, the major one being the DISTANCE between Point A (the
current home you’re moving out of) and Point B (the destination home you’re
about to move into soon).
Theoretically, when the move distance
between the two homes is greater than 100 miles, then you’re facing a long
distance move. Therefore, when moving 500 miles, 1,000 miles or 2,000 miles
across the entire country, then the upcoming move becomes not only increasingly
complicated and challenging, but also rather risky and dangerous for everyone
involved.
Long distance moving falls well outside the
comfort zone of Do-It-Yourself moves due to a couple of main reasons: expenses and risks.
- Self-move expenses. The cost of renting a moving vehicle of the right size and purchasing the required insurance is the first step. Then add the cost of fuel, road tolls, parking fees, meals and lodgings along the trip as well. Factor in the cost of all the packing supplies and the price of renting or purchasing the necessary moving equipment (a moving dolly). Finally, set up a contingency fund because you never know what may happen on the road to your new home.
- Risks and dangers. Driving a big rental moving truck across multiple state lines is a risky business, especially if you’ve never done it before. Each driven mile increases the risk of something bad happening on the road. Sustaining personal injuries or inflicting property damage are two other highly undesirable scenarios that will further complicate the risk assessment task when moving without using the services of a long distance mover.