Transferring Help: 8 Tips for a Happier Cross Country Move

All of us know about turning on the utilities at the new location and completing the change-of-address form for the postal service, however when you make a long-distance move, some other things enter play that can make getting from here to there a bit trickier. Here are nine ideas pulled from my recent experience of moving from the East Coast to the West Coast-- from loading the moving van to dealing with the inevitable crises.

Take full advantage of space in the moving van. Moving cross-country is not low-cost (I can only envision the cost of moving overseas), so I did a lot of reading and asking around for tips prior to we loaded up our house, to make sure we made the most of the area in our truck.

Declutter before you pack. If you do not like it or need it, there's no sense in bringing it with you-- that area in the truck is money!
Leave cabinet drawers filled. For the very first time ever, instead of clearing the dresser drawers, I merely left the clothes and linens folded inside and covered up the furniture. Does this make them much heavier? Yes. As long as the drawers are filled with lightweight products (definitely not books), it must be fine. And if not, you (or your helpers) can carry the drawers out independently. The benefit is twofold: You need fewer boxes, and it will be easier to discover stuff when you relocate.
Pack soft products in black trash bags. Fill sturdy black garbage bags with soft products (duvets, pillows, stuffed animals), then utilize the bags as space fillers and cushioning inside the truck. To keep products protected and tidy, we doubled the bags and tied, then taped, them shut.

2. Paint prior to you move in. If you prepare to offer your new space a fresh coat of paint, it makes a lot of sense to do this prior to moving all of your things in.

Aside from the obvious (it's much easier to paint an empty house than one filled with furniture), you'll feel a terrific sense of accomplishment having "paint" ticked off your order of business prior to the first box is even unpacked.

While you're at it, if there are other untidy, disruptive products on your list (anything to do with the floors certainly certifies), getting to as a lot of them as possible before moving day will be a huge help.

Depending on where you're moving, there might be very few or lots of choices of service companies for things like phone and cable television. Or you may find, as we did, that (thanks to lousy mobile phone reception) a landline is a need at the new place, even though using only cellular phones worked fine at the old home.

4. Put 'Buy houseplants' at the top of your order of business. When I realized we couldn't bring our houseplants along, one of the suddenly sad moments of our move was. This might not seem like a huge deal, however when you've lovingly nurtured a houseful of plants for several years, the thought of drawing back at absolutely no is sort of depressing. We gave away all of our plants but wound up keeping a few of our favorite pots-- something that has made picking plants for the new area a lot easier (and more affordable).

When you're in your new location, you may be lured to postpone purchasing new houseplants, but I urge you to make it a concern. Why? Houseplants clean up the air (particularly crucial if you have actually utilized paint or flooring that has unstable natural substances, or VOCs), however most crucial, they will make your home seem like home.

5. Give yourself time to get used to a new climate, time zone and culture. After here moving from New England back to the San Francisco Bay Area, I've been astonished at the length of time it's required to feel "settled"-- despite the fact that I have actually returned to my home town! Structure in additional time to manage that change duration can be a relief, specifically for households with kids. A week or 2 to capture your breath (and locate the very best regional ice cream parlor-- top priorities, you understand) will put everybody in much better spirits.

6. Anticipate some meltdowns-- from children and grownups. Moving is hard, there's simply no chance around it, however moving long-distance is particularly difficult.

It implies leaving behind friends, schools, jobs and maybe household and getting in a terrific unknown, brand-new location.

Even if the brand-new location sounds fantastic (and is fantastic!) crises and emotional moments are a totally natural response to such a huge shakeup in life.

So when the moment comes (and it will) that someone (or more than one somebody) in your house requires a great cry, roll with it. Then get yourselves up and find something fun to check out or do in your brand-new town.

7. Anticipate to shed some more things after you move. No matter just how much decluttering you do before moving, it appears to be a law of nature that there will be products that just don't fit in the brand-new area.

Even if whatever fit, there's bound to be something that just does not work like you thought it would. Try not to hold on to these things purely out of disappointment.

Offer them, gift them to a dear buddy or (if you truly enjoy the products) keep them-- but only if you have the storage area.

Anticipate to purchase some stuff after you move. Each house has its peculiarities, and those quirks require new stuff. Maybe your old kitchen area had a substantial island with plenty of area for cooking prep and for stools to pull up for breakfast, however the brand-new kitchen area has a big empty area right in the middle of the room that needs a portable island or a kitchen area table and chairs.

Moving cross-country is not cheap (I can just picture the cost of moving overseas), so I did a lot of reading and asking around for pointers before we packed up our home, to make sure we made the most of the area in our truck. If you plan to give your new area a fresh coat of paint, it makes a lot of sense to do this prior to moving all of your stuff in.

After moving from New England back to the San Francisco Bay Location, I've been amazed at how long it's taken to feel "settled"-- even though I have actually moved back to my hometown! Moving is hard, there's simply no way around it, but moving long-distance is particularly hard.

No matter how much decluttering you do prior to moving, it seems to be a law of nature that there will be products that just do not fit in the new area.