Moving Across The Country? Common Mistakes To Avoid
As you prepare to move the contents of your home across the country, realize that it can be a stressful time if you have never done it before. A cross-country move is quite different from a local move, even though it's essentially the same process over a longer distance. This is due to how it works to use a moving company and how everything is billed. Here are some mistakes that you don't want to make when moving a long distance.
Using Cheap Moving Material
When you have a local move, all you may need to do is get your belongings a few miles to your new house. You can get away with using a cheap moving material, like flimsy boxes, because they do not need to withstand a very long trip. They just need to get everything to your home without falling apart.
A cross-country move is different because your packing materials must hold up for several days in the back of a moving truck. If the weight of a stack of boxes cause a box on the bottom to collapse, you could end up with damaged belongings when you reach your destination.
Taking Everything To Your New Home
Another problem when moving a long distance is thinking that you can take all your stuff with you to your new place. With a local move, all it cost you to move an item was the time to move it on and off a moving truck, which could take an extra minute to do. However, long-distance moves are billed quite differently where time is not as much of a concern.
Expect your long distance moves to bill you based on the weight of the items. Once the truck is packed, it will be taken to a weight station to determine exactly how much stuff you are taking with you. You can expect to pay approximately 50 cents per pound on a move that goes to a different state.
You need to really think twice about what items you want to take with you. For instance, if you have an old couch that you were planning on replacing once you move in, taking that 100 lb. couch with you could cost you $50 to move it. You would be better off selling the couch and using that money to buy a new one locally.
For more info about making a cross-country move, reach out to your preferred long-distance moving services.