Five Packing Tips For A Stress-Free Long-Distance Move

The moving process can be overwhelming, considering that 59% of Americans who moved last year felt anxious or stressed. Starting a new life in an unknown place is bound to be scary, especially if you’re moving long distances. However, 29% of Americans plan to move to cheaper areas for a better lifestyle. Take cities like Wichita, for example. It is in the top 26% of the most expensive cities in the world, which might be why its population is declining by -0.36% annually.

If you have similar relocation plans this year, packing all of your belongings can be the biggest hurdle. Luckily, here are some tips that can make the process smoother. 

Hire professionals 

Moving is a stressful ordeal with never-ending responsibilities. You have so much to do, from finding suitable packing materials to figuring out how to fit your entire household items into them. The sheer workload can be intimidating, and the manual labor you’ll need to accomplish every task can make moving a hassle. You have to relocate your belongings across the state, carrying heavy boxes to and from your moving truck. How can you manage everything yourself?

You can streamline your moving process by hiring professionals to expertly pack your belongings using the highest quality materials. They can save you from the burden of having to break your back carrying heavy furniture and spending sleepless hours packing everything yourself. 

Hiring movers can also help you ensure the safe transport of your valuables, especially if you live in areas with a high risk of accidents. For example, drivers in Wichita are the 25th worst in America. There are approximately 600 to 800 monthly accidents, which is too risky for the safety of your belongings. 

However, hiring reliable Wichita long distance movers can reduce the chances of your items getting lost or damaged during your move. You can leave the transportation, packing, and loading or unloading to these experts while you wait for them in your new home. By hiring movers, you can comfortably travel long distances without the burdensome responsibility of relocating your belongings.

But before you hire a moving company, you should check what kind of protection policies they have and whether or not they are trustworthy. You can consider a BBB-accredited moving company like Coleman Allied, which has a high customer rating. 

Consider special crating 

Antiques or valuable art are extremely fragile and require extra precautions when moving, as they can lose their value if damaged. So, you should ask the moving company to provide custom crates with the exact specifications of your valued belongings. It gives much more protection than putting them in a box with bubble wrap and hoping for the best. 

As the journey is long and bumpy, you need durable and strong materials. 

Declutter 

The best packing strategy is to decrease the amount of items you need to pack. Why waste valuable time, effort, and resources transporting things you won’t need in your new home? Most people tend to regret hauling unnecessary items across the country, only to struggle to find space for them once they reach their destination. In fact, a survey by HomeBay of 1,000 Americans who moved last year revealed that 19% wish they got rid of some belongings instead of moving them.

You have so many items that you can quickly sell, donate, or discard. Take clothing, for example. If you’re moving away from the Kansas heat to colder states, you can afford to let go of some of your summer clothes because you won’t get to wear them as much. You can also give away old books or get rid of old furniture you were considering replacing anyway. You can survive without items that are easily replaceable and not an immediate necessity. 

Gathering all of these items and hosting a grand yard sale before you leave can help fund your long-distance move and help cover expensive fuel costs. Consider getting rid of at least ten items from each room by evaluating their value and helpfulness. 

However, you can also rent a self-storage unit if you’re struggling to part with sentimental belongings. These facilities can lessen your workload, declutter your space, and keep these items safe. 

Organize and allocate 

Haphazardly placing random items in every box can make it significantly more challenging to unpack once you move to your new home. You must create a plan to streamline your packing process by labeling and organizing your boxes efficiently. It would be best to avoid mixing items from different rooms and categories into the same box without proper organization. Utensils from the kitchen should be in one box. Similarly, items from the bedroom should be in another. 

However, setting and organizing the contents within the box is also vital. It would help if you kept heavy and bigger items at the bottom of the box and smaller things on top to prevent them from being crushed by the weight. 

You can make packing and unpacking easier by labeling every box and writing a description of the items in it, which can help you sort through your belongings quickly. 

Pack essentials separately 

You should create a separate box for items you’ll immediately need during your long-distance move. The longer the distance, the more preparation you need. You won’t have access to the packages in your moving truck for a while, so it would be best to keep the following essentials separately and within reach during your relocation:

• Grooming supplies like toothpaste, toothbrushes, soaps, and deodorants
• Important documents like passports, ID cards, and moving papers
• A first aid kit that contains allergy medication or painkillers
• Power banks and chargers for your phone and tablets
• Bottled water and snacks 
• Tampons
• Spare clothes 

Conclusion

It is okay to feel anxious about your move. However, it can be a smooth and comfortable process with the proper planning and preparations. Packing is often the most complex and tiring part of moving, but you can get it done quickly and smoothly with the tips in this article.