The WoW Style

Moving is an exciting and stressful experience for homeowners. It’s hard to leave a familiar neighborhood behind and relocate to a new home. However, inflation and unaffordable apartments can make relocation a necessity sometimes. For instance, in Tampa, Florida, where 50% of residents rent houses, one-fourth of them were planning to leave by the end of 2021 for this very reason. Planning a long-distance move out of Tampa can be difficult as there’s a lot of stuff to do and also several details to remember.

Lucky for you, this article shares ten vital tips to leave the place stress-free with your family:

Start planning ASAP

Statistics indicate that many people find moving more stressful than parting with a loved one. You can avoid this stress by planning your long-distance move months before you have to leave. Don’t try to organize everything in the last few days. Give yourself and your family ample time to prepare mentally and logistically for the journey. You can start planning it by looking into the following matters:

• Set the exact date of moving so you can notify your landlord and employer
• Survey the area where you’re moving with your folks and check out the new home
• Create a realistic budget for the journey ahead of you and then adhere to it afterward

Look for reliable local movers

A long-distance move becomes easily manageable when you’re working with local movers. Dozens of movers are scattered across Tampa, the third-most populous city in the Sunshine State. So, you should contact different movers to find the best Tampa long distance moving company after comparing rates or checking reviews. Go to the moving company’s website to learn what sort of services they offer.

As moving scams are becoming widespread in Tampa, you must dig up enough info about the company to make sure you’re working with professionals. Now, you only have to get a quote online and request a free moving estimate.

Move during off-season

Relocating long-distance can be expensive, particularly in the summer. July and August are the busiest months for movers as a lot of Americans switch residences in this season. But moving becomes easily affordable during the off-season, which begins in September and lasts until April. Relocating in the off-season can make moving more manageable, and you can travel to your new home stress-free.

Take care of your belongings 

Make sure your belongings are safe during this move. The longer the transit, the more vulnerable your belongings become. That’s why you need to purchase moving insurance: this policy covers all sorts of losses and damages sustained by your belongings during transit. Your movers will either offer some kind of insurance or ask you to get your stuff via a third party. That’s how you can protect your personal belongings. 

Besides getting moving insurance, inventory your belongings properly and take pictures of all the stuff you’re sending off via that moving company. Taking photographs of your household items will let you make a strong claim against the movers in case something gets damaged on the way.

Pack and unpack carefully

Packing your entire livelihood isn’t possible in a day or two. Experts believe it’d take five full days for a person to pack a three-bedroom house. That’s why you need to pack systematically so you can easily unpack it all later. Remember these simple tips when packing your household belongings:

• Gather some essential packing supplies
• Enlist the help of friends and family when packing
• Pack one room at a time to keep the process organized
• Label every box with its content and the room it belongs to
• Mark the boxes containing easily breakable items as “fragile”
• Place heavier items at the bottom of the boxes and lighters ones on top

Ask movers about the transit time

Long-distance moves often suffer from unexpected delays due to ever-changing weather conditions. Many different factors affect the transit time as well, such as your destination and the moving season you’ve chosen. It may take 2 to 3 weeks to move cross country; movers take all this time to pack, load, and transport the goods. It’s estimated that moving trucks cover 400 to 500 miles daily. 

Keep a bag of essentials with you

Pack your essentials separately, and don’t send them to your new house via movers. These essentials include your toiletries, mobile chargers, a change of clothing, important documents, and other stuff. It’s because you don’t want movers to lose these things no matter what! So, always keep a bag holding all these essentials on your person when moving.

Declutter before moving

Here’s something you can do to reduce the cost of moving and make this process stress-free: declutter. It’s estimated that 1 out of 20 Americans have a hoarding problem. So, get rid of the stuff you don’t need in your new home. Find a self-storage facility where you can store all the needless stuff. Now, you only have to transport fewer things for your long-distance move.

Besides renting a storage unit, you can also donate your belongings to a charity.

Prepare your new house

Make sure you’ve prepared your new house before settling in it with your family. These preparations are necessary to make the place livable. So, you need to get the apartment ready by:

• Child-proof your newly-bought house
• Calling professionals to deep-clean the place
• Renew the paint and do some minor renovations
• Get the necessary utilities, such as gas, water, and electricity
• Change all the locks since you don’t know who else has keys to this place

Get accustomed to your new life

Now, you just have to get accustomed to your new surroundings. Explore the neighborhood and find where all the major establishments are located, such as cafes, schools, hospitals, and supermarkets. Meet the neighbors and introduce yourself. It’ll take your family some time to feel settled and get used to the new climate. Take a week or two to catch your breath, and expect some meltdowns caused by homesickness. 

Conclusion

Many homeowners find moving a stressful endeavor, and planning a long-distance move is even scarier. But you can make moving a stress-free adventure for your family by following the tips mentioned above!