Moving to another city, state, or country is a phenomenal milestone in your life. Starting afresh in entirely different surroundings is like turning the pages of your existence. You get the opportunity to explore new horizons, take on unique challenges, and get a fresh perspective on life.
If this monumental milestone of your life leads you away from Nashville, the capital city of Tennessee, know that you’re not alone. Statistics show that more people are moving out of Nashville, with an average population decline of 11,000 in 2021 alone. Soaring housing costs (30.7% appreciation rate), congested roads, hot and humid weather, and low wages could be the factors causing people to move out and find a better future elsewhere.
If you’re planning to move out of Nashville, you may already be overwhelmed by the idea of uprooting your entire life. If you’re grappling with anxiety and panic over the prospect of packing, coordinating, and transitioning for a long-distance move, we’re here to help! Follow this comprehensive long-distance moving guide and turn this seemingly daunting task into a memorable experience and a smooth-sailing adventure.
1. Hire a Reliable Long-Distance Moving Company
Unlike a local move, moving from Nashville to another city or state requires lots of planning and coordination to sidestep potential delays and the eleventh-hour frenzy. The very moment you commit to your long-distance move is when you start planning your entire move, which begins with hiring an experienced Nashville long distance moving company and creating a strategic timeline for your transition.
An experienced long-distance moving company will take care of every aspect of your move, ensuring that your belongings arrive safely at your destination. Moving companies provide standard insurance valuation and full-service options besides loading, unloading, and logistics. A full-service option will also handle packing, unpacking, short-term or long-term storage, furniture assembly, and vehicle shipment.
Search the internet for the best long-distance moving companies in Nashville. Go through customer reviews, shortlist your options, or ask for recommendations from friends, family, and acquaintances. Have a detailed interview with the company representatives and check their quality of fleet and storage facilities before making your final decision.
2. Plan Moving Dates Well in Advance
Once you’ve chosen your moving company, it’s time to plan your moving date ahead of time. Mapping out your preferred moving dates well in advance will grant you the freedom to select dates that align with your expected arrival dates at the new place. It also allows your long-distance moving company to proactively make proper arrangements and ensure the availability of a moving team, vehicles, and any requisite storage facilities, should the need arise.
However, when choosing the ideal date for your long-distance move, factor in the peak moving seasons. Choosing a moving date within the peak season, ideally between May and August, might translate into higher moving coats and potentially limited availability. The good news is that many moving companies offer a significant discount for advanced booking and a higher rate may not be applicable.
Additionally, bear in mind the day of the week and the month’s time. Weekends and the beginning or end of the month are often favoured for moves, as they coincide with expected lease expiration dates and provide greater flexibility in work schedules.
3. Create a Moving Checklist
Nothing works without a plan, and the same holds true for moving long distances. A comprehensive moving checklist acts as a guiding compass throughout the transition process, providing a clear path for each task entailed in your long-distance relocation.
Once you have a designated moving date set, the imperative is to construct a comprehensive moving checklist, break your entire moving process into smaller, more achievable targets, and assign a timeline to each task individually. Include the following tasks in your moving checklist:
- Making arrangements for temporary accommodation during the transition
- Creating a complete moving budget includes moving company charges, insurance costs, storage facilities rent, and transitional expenses, such as travelling, temporary accommodations, utilities and services bills, packing supplies, cleaning and repairs, leases, etc. Keep some extra funds for any unexpected expenses or emergencies.
- Creating a list of items to pack in each room and categorizing them according to their necessity and importance.
- Create a list of packing supplies you’ll need to pack all items.
- Creating a complete moving binder includes all the paperwork necessary during the move, including contract papers, lease documents, change of address requests, driving licenses, permits, pet medical records, travelling tickets, insurance papers, and passports if you’re moving overseas.
- Notifying relevant parties about your move and change of address, including your postal services, utility companies, financial institutions, friends and family, acquaintances, and important business clients and stakeholders in case you’re running a business from home.
- Assigning a timeline to each task of your entire moving process.
- Creating a moving day kit includes extra clothing, a moving binder, toiletries, self-grooming essentials, accessories, and medications for at least 1-2 weeks.
4. Declutter and Sell All You Can
If you’re moving to a distant state or country, moving too many items to the new place may not be a good idea. Sometimes, the cost of driving an item across long distances surpasses the total cost of the item itself. Carrying belongings that occupy significant space, bear substantial weight, or may not find utility in the new environment could escalate transportation and storage costs and lead to overcrowding your fresh living space.
Instead, consider decluttering your home to eliminate any excessive belongings or those that have lived up to their usefulness, ensuring that only the most meaningful and practical items accompany you on your long-distance move. You can plan to donate, gift, purge or sell those items.
5. Pack Strategically
Packing your belongings all at once can be a real nuisance, and you may feel clueless about where to start. Instead, we recommend packing your items one room at a time. Work according to your moving checklist and pack items according to their urgency of use in your new space.
Wrapping Up
For the best moving experience, we recommend leaving the entire packing and moving chaos to the moving company maestros so you can channel your energies into preparing yourself in the best way possible for this life-changing journey. Best of luck!
