A Guide to Making a (Mostly) Stress-Free Long Distance Move
Over the past 10 years, all my moves have been within a radius of about 15 blocks. For personal reasons (dislike of frustration and paperwork), I may never leave this area of Manhattan. On the other hand, I may have no choice. You never know when something might come along—a great job opportunity or a sudden urge to try something new. If and when you find yourself moving not just locally but quite a distance, you’ll need to be aware of some unexpected obstacles that make this move different from the standard one.
Your budget must be accurate
Budgeting for any move is key to not going broke during the process , but your costs for a longer move will obviously be higher and will also include quite a few things you might not immediately think of.
Monthly bills
If you’re planning a larger move, there’s a good chance rent and utilities will overlap, and this should be taken into account when planning your budget.
In addition to covering bills, consider any fees you may incur for canceling utility accounts or opening new ones—be sure to check with your new city to see how much all of this costs there. For example, the city you’re moving to may have higher taxes, which could make your monthly bills higher than you expect.
You should also think about other monthly expenses that may change after you move. Your gym membership is a good example. Are you locked into a club that will be difficult to cancel? Many gyms require proof that you are moving out of the area or a certified letter to cancel your membership.
On this topic, while not strictly budget related, be sure to consult with your doctor, dentist, and other providers about getting referrals, transferring prescriptions to new pharmacies, and whether there is anything you should consider regarding your healthcare in a new city while you are looking for new providers. Take a quick look at your current bill to identify any recurring expenses specific to the city, such as public transportation passes or bills.
Renovation at a new location
Renovating an old or new home can also be expensive, especially if you move into a new place without inspecting it or if you haven’t had a chance to really appreciate it. One person I spoke to who moved across the country, for example, said that the new house they moved into was great, but it had been empty for a while before they moved in, which resulted in them spending some time and money on cleaning that they hadn’t accounted for.
Food and accommodation
The further you move, the more time you will spend without a roof over your head and possibly even without many of your belongings, as they may still be in transit after you arrive. Be sure to budget some money for takeout food and even a hotel stay if needed.
Budgeting takes time. Get quotes from different moving companies, figure out your moving situation, add money for food and bills in the new city, figure out if you need to make any repairs to your old home, and figure out how much, if anything, it will cost to renew your ID and utilities. Once you’ve figured it all out, add 10 to 15 percent to the total, says Rob Rimeris, owner of EverSafe Moving Co. Not only is it “practical,” he says, but it “gives people a sense of agency when plans change.” When you’re in a completely new city, having agency can help you maintain your sanity.
How to choose the right movers
Finding a good moving company is critical for any move, but when your belongings are being transported across the state or across the country, it’s even more important to do your research.
“Find a company that is licensed, insured, has good reviews, and has the proper checks and balances,” says Charles Chica, co-owner of CT Best Movers . You may be tempted to go with the cheapest company, but it’s important to weigh price as one of many factors.
Take the time to research the company, get your estimates in writing , and provide as much detail as possible about whether you will need help with packing, disassembling and reassembling the furniture, and what the parking situation is like at the pick-up and drop-off locations. Communicate clearly and honestly, and make sure all communications you receive are backed up in writing. The further you move, the more difficult this can be, so use an honesty-first approach to avoid any unexpected fees or issues.
What You May Not Know About Long Distance Moving
Alex Girard, whom I interviewed for this article, has lived in four states and recently completed his longest move. He said the process of choosing a moving company was more difficult than he expected, in part because long-distance moves are a little different.
“I didn’t realise (although it makes sense) that essentially it works like this: local movers at both ends partner with a national shipping company to do the actual long haul, so it was quite difficult to compare services,” he says.
Another difference is that movers will not load your belongings and drive directly to the new location, which requires additional planning on your part.
“Because moving companies work with trucking companies,” says Girard, “they don’t do a special delivery directly from the old house to the new one. Your stuff sits in storage on either side of it for a while until it gets loaded onto the next truck.”
To avoid the disastrous situation of having to live in a new home with nothing for two to three weeks, plan ahead. In most places Girard spoke to, boxes and furniture would arrive within 10 to 20 days, so he shipped his most important items to his new home early, relying on the postal system to ensure he arrived at his new home with everything he needed to work and live. This made sense, since it actually took several weeks for moving companies to deliver everything else, but it was also “a little expensive.”
No matter how far you’re moving, there are some things you’ll need to keep with you, as movers may not want (or be able) to transport all of your belongings. These include identification cards, medications, perishables, hazardous materials, pets (obviously), and even plants. Knowing ahead of time that you’ll need to find a safe way to transport all of these items and keep them with you is important to ensure a smooth move.
Read reviews online, but don’t get hung up on them.
You’ll certainly spend time reading online reviews when choosing a moving company, and that’s fine, but take them with a grain of salt. Girard says he’s spent a lot of time researching moving companies, and he’s noted that he’s read plenty of nightmare reviews online, but he’s never experienced anything as disastrous as what they described.
It’s helpful to keep this in mind when you’re doing your own research: In general, remember that online reviews only tell part of the story. People are more likely to write a review when they’re really angry, and more likely to forget to write one when they’ve had a completely unremarkable experience. The best thing to do is call as many companies as you can, talk to them directly, and make sure they’re insured, knowledgeable, and reasonable. (And if you end up having a positive experience with them, consider writing a review just to help the next person in the same situation.)
Call on the phone
This is a piece of advice I learned from my mom and am always happy to share: Call people. You can get more done in a 15-minute phone call than in four days of email correspondence.
Whenever she and I go on a trip, she calls the city’s chamber of commerce to ask a local what exactly we should not miss, which has led to us having incredible experiences that we would never have had if we had simply relied on TripAdvisor or Reddit. The same goes for us. Contact your new local government to get a straight answer to what exactly you need to do to make the move go smoothly.
For example, you’ll need a new driver’s license, and the process for getting one should be fairly straightforward, but this can vary by jurisdiction. Turning on new utilities, updating your mailing address, learning about any new taxes or regulations—all of this should be explained to you by a knowledgeable local. They’ll likely direct you to an online portal, yes, but you’ll know you’re working with the right information, and that’s half the battle.
Ask a local resident for help.
Finally, try to find a local who might be willing to answer a few questions or tell you more about the city. When I moved from North Dakota to New York City at 18, I was enrolled in a university that had campus ambassadors whose job it was to tell us about the city, but what I learned from them was nothing compared to what I eventually learned by making friends with kids who were born here. City employees can only help you so far.
If you don’t know anyone in your new place, post a request on Reddit (most cities have their own subreddits—Google to find the most active ones no matter where you’re moving). In my experience, people love to talk about their hometowns. From hidden gems in the culinary landscape to unexpected expenses (Girard notes that he was unpleasantly surprised by the higher alcohol taxes in his new city), regular people are more likely to tell you about the day-to-day experiences of living there, which will help you acclimate that much faster.