A stress-free move cross country

A Stress-Free Move Cross Country

It's Flashback Friday!  Each week, U-Pack revisits a blog topic that has been helpful to readers in the past.  What could be more helpful than a post on reducing the stress of a move?  This post about making a stress-free move cross country was written by Brooke, a transportation expert at ABF. Happy Friday! 
  
Is a stress-free cross country move really possible?
Reality is, unless you're just one of those lucky people, able to go through big life-changes without a care in the world, it's difficult to make a cross-country move completely stress-free.  In fact, in an article about Children and Family Moves, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry said that "moving to a new community may be one of the most stress-producing experiences a family faces."   It's tough, but the good news is there are pro-active things you can do to reduce some of the anxiety-invoking issues that come up in the process of organizing a cross-country move:

Start with a moving checklist.  I don't know about you, but I'm a checklist fanatic.  If you're not a list-maker, moving is a great time to start. It's almost mind-boggling how many things you have to handle before, during, and after a move.  U-Pack's printable moving checklist is super easy to use, so I highly recommend it.  Just print it off, put it in your "moving folder" and mark tasks of as you complete them. Easy, right?

Clean house.  And I don't just mean wash the dishes and mop the floor (though sometimes that makes me feel more on-top of things).  If you can avoid lugging a bunch of unwanted or unneeded things across the country, do.  You'll pay less and reduce your work load on moving day.  Instead, have a garage sale, donate to charity or trash it.  Decreasing the number of moving boxes you need to pack is a good thing!  I'm sure you've heard the saying, "one man's trash is another man's treasure."  Try putting that to action, I bet you'll find that it's true! 
Get organized.  Easier said than done when you're moving, right?  If you've separated the things you're keeping from the things you're leaving behind, the goal of getting organized gets much more attainable.  Gather your moving boxes and supplies and begin organizing your belongings by room or by category.  Just label the boxes so you'll know exactly where to find what you need when you need it.  Once boxes are packed, taped, and labeled, store them in one or two low-traffic rooms until moving day.  This helps you visualize how much space you'll need in the moving trailer or ReloCube, and makes the loading process much easier.  
 
Research moving companies early.  If you're reading this post, I have a feeling you're already on top of this.  And good for you!  You'll find that one of the most important things you can do to effectively reduce stress is to reserve your move early.  And by early, I mean at least 30 days in advance.  Now, if you're within 30 days of your move and haven't reserved yet, don't panic.  U-Pack is known for being flexible and can almost always handle last-minute moves.  But, as you know, "last-minute" and "stress-free" aren't words that are normally used in the same sentence.  If you need help choosing a mover, don't forget to use social media as a tool; real user experiences are great resources for determining what you can expect from a particular mover.  (U-Pack is active both in the Twitterverse and on Facebook— make sure to follow us!)

Let a U-Pack Moving Expert Help.  Even if you're not quite ready to make a reservation, the representatives at U-Pack can answer many of your questions, such as:

• How much does it cost to move?
• Should I use a moving trailer or a ReloCube?
• How much space do you think I will need in the moving truck?
• Will a large trailer fit in my driveway?
• What is the least expensive day to move?   

Sometimes it's just good to speak with a real, live person who can answer the easy questions and research the more difficult ones.  We'll be happy to help.  Just call us at 800-413-4799!