How much does it cost to move across the country?

Posted by admin on November 17, 2011 under Long Distance, Moving Tips | Be the First to Comment

This is a guest post provided by AmericanMovers.Org, a portal of long distance movers.

There are various costs to consider when you decide to move. If you hire a mover, you will need to pay for the pick up, transport and unloading of your household goods. You may want to also have the movers pack your things, which will increase the cost but will result in a faster, easier move, depending on your timetable and specific needs. The cost of transporting your household using professional moving company is determined by the number of items, rooms and the total weight of the shipment.

For a two-bedroom home, an average cost would be 4,000 pounds, but keep in mind that this is just an estimate. A four bedroom home might weigh 13,000 pounds or more. For the sake of comparison, if you move a four-bedroom home from Albany, NY to Denver, CO and it weighs13,000. pounds, it would cost approximately $11, 500, based on a professional moving company calculator. It is always helpful to get as many moving company estimates as possible as well.

Another consideration is insurance costs, which vary according to the value of the items. If you have many antiques and other valuables, be sure to take clear photos of each item and write a description of it as well, in case it is damaged or broken and you need to prove that it was in good condition before the move. Get the best insurance coverage that you can afford. You must be covered or make sure that your North American movers are.

Some people drive rental trucks themselves, which is generally less costly than using a moving company, but renting a truck requires time, a driver or two, packing the truck yourselves or paying someone to load it, then there is the time factor. Do you have the time to take off work to drive across the country? What about the price of gas in the states that you will be travelling through?

When you arrive at your destination will the unpacking be done by you, or will you have help? In some cases, the expense of replacing your furniture in your new location is less than the price of taking it—only you can decide if that solution is right for you. If you have a lot of boxes and other items that will need to be stored, that is another expanse to calculate before you move.

Packing For A Long Distance Move

Posted by admin on October 17, 2011 under Long Distance, Moving Tips | Be the First to Comment

As if the anxiety of moving long distance does not overwhelm you enough, you have to also set aside time and patience to start packing for your move. Packing for a long distance move usually involves doing so with great precision; you want to ensure that the items are packed and properly padded so that the long distance movers  you hire get everything there in one piece. In light of this, packing for long distance should always commence some eight weeks before moving day.

One of the first things that you would need to do is to clear the clutter from your living space. You may have a few items laying around that you may not have used in years; this is time to get those items out so you can sell it through a garage sale or give them away to family and friends or your favorite charity.

The next step would be to get packing supplies. If you are in need of boxes, your local grocery store should have those in abundance. Ensure that these boxes are sturdy and can withstand the move across country. Other supplies to get include moving blankets, storage bins, note pads, plastic wrap, markers, tape and labels.

Packing experts would tell you that when packing, you should start room by room. This is to make sure that all your household items are not in a muddle which would make it harder to sort out when you get to the new house. As you pack each room, you should label the box and container by the room’s name for easy access.

Begin throwing out items as you go along as well. In the kitchen in particular, you may need to go through your refrigerator and cupboards and get rid of all the expired items. Next, wash, dry and pack the appliances from the kitchen; if there is a breakable item like a blender then you should either wrap it in moving blankets or wrap it within several sheets of newsprint paper. The same goes for your plates, glasses etc. and your other breakable wares.

Computers should go back in their original boxes if you still have them. If you don’t then you can fit it snugly in another box along with pieces of foam at the corners to hold it steady. You should also pack your printers and appliances the same way that you pack the computer. This would prevent your household items from moving around this way and that in the truck, which can ultimately lead to damage.

Pack each item neatly in the box and tight enough so that the items would not move around when the boxes are sealed. In some cases you may be moving with a family heirloom such as a chinaware set or other fragile items. You simply wrap them all in a towel so that it would not shatter during the ride.

For packing larger items, both shrink wrap and moving blankets should be your friends; they can protect your furniture from the weather.

As you pack don’t forget to label  the box or storage container by the name of each room. When you have completed packing from each room, you should then relocate the boxes and storage container to a room in your house that does not have much people traffic. This would make it accessible and less stressful for the movers when they get there.

This articles was provided by FindGoodMovers.com for our readers, a moving portal for local and long distance moving companies.