How to Prepare For a Long Distance Move

Back in 2017, one of my best friends, Megan, moved to Seattle for a new job. It wasn’t long after that she told me I should move out here too. While I immediately wanted to join her, the few concerns I had about a long distance move stopped me from doing it.

Last year, I finally said “f*** it, I’m moving.” I didn’t have a long internal debate, just 1 moment I knew it was the right choice for me. At the end of January, I finally hopped on a plane and made it here. And while I don’t regret my choice for even a second, there are things I should have done differently.

Picking Your Movers

As soon as you have a date, even a tentative one, start researching movers in your area. You can do this without a date if you really want to be ahead. Picking my movers was one of the worst parts of moving. I had no clue what I was doing, or how to even judge if a company was ‘good enough.’ No matter how many reviews I read, nothing came together.

I found that a lot of the moving companies that say they can help with long distance moves don’t actually do it. Or what I would consider long distance. To someone who has lived in 1 town their entire life and never plans to leave, living an hour away may seem like long distance. Companies use the term loosely.

Accept that as soon as you ask for quotes, you’re going to be getting calls and emails from companies every five minutes for weeks. Even today I occasionally get emails about my ‘upcoming move.’ If you’re able to, avoid giving out your phone number. At least emails I can delete with a simple click. Maybe it’s me, but emails seem less annoying than calls.

Get EVERYTHING In Writing

If you’re a ‘phone person,’ and have no problem making phone calls to deal with things like this, well, I don’t get you. A phone call or two may be needed but I regret relying on phone calls. Just as I said in one of my very first posts ever, I always “want that shit in writing.” In that post, I talk about how it saved me over $200 on a brand new iPad. This time, it could have saved me so much stress, money, and tears.

More on the moving company will be up later this week, so if you want the name of who not use, hang tight!

Packing

Everyone will say start packing early. But I didn’t have my apartment until a couple of weeks before my flight out. So when I began packing and organizing boxes in November, there was only so much I could do. I was looking at studios and 1-bedroom units, which meant there was a significant difference in the amount of space I’d have, and what would comfortably fit. If you’re in a position to start packing early, don’t wait. You don’t want your last night in your home to be a stressful one.

Start with the easy things. I knew if I did get a studio apartment I wouldn’t be in it long-term, so I felt ok packing things that aren’t the most practical right now, like my ice cream maker. As one of the movers said to me, ‘you’re playing the long game.’ But odds are you have things in your kitchen and living room that you won’t miss if you don’t have access to them for a few weeks.

Be realistic about what you’re packing. If you are going to have help, don’t let anyone pack up stuff without you seeing it. If you’re moving by yourself like I did, do it on your terms. After all, you’re the one that has to live in the new place, and the one that’s spending money on everything. When I was unpacking my dishes and other kitchen things, I found wine glasses and scotch glasses- 8 of each. But I don’t drink. So I have a box of glasses I will never use sitting in my storage unit (which luckily I have for free).

My System for Labels and Boxes

Create your own system and stick with it. For me, I created a spreadsheet that lived on my Google Drive. My Mom was helping me pack, so she and I both had access to it. Each box, bin, piece of furniture, etc. had a number on it as well as a label that said a general room or area for it. Then, on my spreadsheet, I had columns with specific details about what was in it, if the movers loaded it onto the truck, and if they unloaded it into my apartment.

⬇️ If you’re getting ready for a big move, you can download my box spreadsheet right here, for free! ⬇️

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If you do try this system, or something like it, be diligent when it comes to adding details and marking every box. At least one of my boxes wasn’t marked and another box was added to the spread sheet twice (Probably caused from late night packing and exhaustion). It may have been a couple of boxes, I don’t know. Which makes it worse. I don’t know how many boxes were lost, and I don’t know the exact details of what was inside. Yes, I cried about. It was a lot of brand-new makeup, ok? There were other things too, but the $72 I’m still waiting on for the boxes and other damages won’t even cover 3 of the missing products. But again, this is why I wish I went with a different moving company.

There’s yet another reason why you should start packing early.

My other best friend, Chrystal, moved a couple of months before I did and used a completely different system. Read more about her system and her tips on how to move with a toddler in her guest post from Friday. Because it was just me moving, my system worked for me. But it would have been horrible for her.

Temporary Living Situation

Make sure you have an ‘in-between’ living situation figured out. There’s likely going to be a gap between leaving your old home and settling in at your new one. My apartment wasn’t going to be ready for a week after I arrived in Seattle. I ended up spending that week at an Airbnb.

I’m so glad I did that. In theory, I would have liked staying with my friend. But I was exhausted. The first full day I was there I had a migraine from the plane and was so exhausted from not sleeping the week prior. I had some groceries delivered, and I actually did not leave the Airbnb once. I was that tired. It as so relaxing, and I actually got a lot of work done that week. Be prepared for that level of exhaustion. Give yourself at least a day where you don’t have plans and can sit around and relax. I am so glad I did.

If you’re able to stay with friends or family and save a little bit of money, that’s great. But the rise in CoVid cases meant that it wasn’t the best option for me. Or for Megan. Look at hotels and Airbnbs. When I looked I even considered staying at a hostel. There are cheap-ish ways to find a temporary home. If you find a good deal, snag it immediately. Especially if it has amazing ratings or note saying it’s usually booked.

Coming up at the end of the week – my thoughts on the moving company I used, and some anecdotes from my moving adventures!