Cross country moves can be very exciting! New job opportunities, new experiences and memories to be made, and a new city to explore.

But what about all of the details and work it takes to move cross country? And not even to mention the cost!

As glamorous or adventurous as it may seem, moving does not come cheap, especially the farther you move away. How do you manage a cross-country move without breaking the bank? Read along to find out!

Planning Your Cross Country Move

As soon as you know that you will be making a cross-country move, start doing research on professional movers as soon as you can. The earlier you plan and prepare for the move, the easier it will be and hopefully will keep costs down.

Time is always a crucial variable and can either make the move more expensive or help alleviate costs depending on how much time you have to prep for the move. Get all of your research done and make sure you have a list of things that you need to accomplish.

Call around and get different bids for professional movers and the different services that they have available. This could help in the long run keep costs down on the front end!

Prepping for Moving Out of State

The more prepping you do for your move ahead of time the less work/money it will be in the end.

Start by going through all of your belongings and tossing what you know you don’t need to haul from state to state. The less stuff you have to pack and transport the better! Not to mention if there is stuff you don’t need or use, why drag it across the country to just let it sit in your garage at your new house?

Putting items that you may not need right away into temporary or long-term storage can help alleviate some of the initial amount of unpacking and organizing you need to do once you arrive at your new home.

You can also consider having a garage sale to try to earn some extra cash to put towards your move. It’s never a bad idea to make some money and get rid of stuff at the same time!

Map of the Pacific Northwest to use when planning for the cheapest way to move cross country.

DIY Long Distance Moving

How much of your move can you work and accomplish on your own? Hiring professional movers, especially for a cross-country move is a must.

But what other stuff can you cut back on to try to help lower the costs overall? All of the packing/unpacking can be sourced out but by eliminating that and doing it yourself it could save a lot of money. There are always ways that you can try to save money when it comes to moving.

If you are really crunched for money, rent a moving truck/van to trek your own stuff to your new house. This could save a lot of money for you, but also brings on the hassle of having to load and unload and transport everything on your own. If you can avoid this option though, try looking to save money in other ways!

A DIY move is always an option, but can sometimes be too much work and effort, or your items might require extra care. There are many great professional and reliable moving companies that can do a great job for you.

Especially if you’re planning to move specialty items, like pianos, you’ll want to hire licensed professionals to keep your valuables safe!

West Coast Long Distance Services

Taking the time to plan and research for your long distance move can make all the difference, and it never hurts to eliminate some of the junk that you may have accumulated over the years!

If you find that you’d like a little extra help with larger moves or specialty items, hiring licensed movers can limit the stress during your cross-country move.

For any questions about our services or the territory in which West Coast Moving and Storage works, give us a call today! We’ll make sure your long distance move goes smoothly.