I’ve moved many times throughout my life, sometimes right down the street and other times clear to the other side of the world. I’ve moved myself, been moved by random friends, and by the military. Several times, I’ve moved with very little notice. When I moved to Japan, I really had no notice as that was totally a spur of the moment decision. While local moving has its challenges, long distance moving can really be a massive pain. Now, anyone can give you the basic tips on how to have a successful long distance moving experience, like “sell the stuff you don’t need to lighten your load” or “color-code each box so you can easily put it in the right room and unpack it,” so I’m offering you a few tips of things that I’ve learned over the years beyond the tried and true. Some of these are from my own experience, and others from friends and family members who have moved across the country and world several times.
5 Random Yet Useful Tips for Long Distance Moving
- Throw out your garbage before the movers come, otherwise they will pack it. I kid you not, I know someone who moved all the way across the world, only to discover her stinky, disgusting garbage that she thought remained way back in the States. So empty all those garbage cans before you let the movers in the house, especially if they’re friends that you are bribing with alcoholic beverages.
- Put the stuff you need to keep with you in your tub. During the mad dash to make sure you’ve packed everything, it’s quite possible to accidentally pack something super important, like your passport, driver’s license, or car keys. Put them in the tub, then mark the tub “off limits.” Use police tape if you have to!
- Don’t pack your pets! This one actually happened to my aunt. My uncle was in the Navy for 20 years, and on one move across the country, they accidentally packed my cousin’s iguana. Luckily, he made it to their destination alive, but if you have small pets, make sure they don’t accidentally get packed.
- Remove batteries from things that talk on their own. This is more for the sake of your movers, especially if they don’t speak English and have limited experience with a Furbie. Before leaving Japan, a team of Japanese movers came to pack up my apartment. One happened to flip over the Furbie on my dresser before packing him, and the creature woke up. My poor mover about had a heart attack. But really, even if you’re moving yourself, there’s little more creepy than hearing toys talk during the whole trip!
- If you an afford to hire someone, do it. I can’t stress this enough. If you have the extra funds to hire someone else to pack your stuff and move it for you, do it. I know we all want to save money, but packing has to be one of the most tedious tasks on the planet. The times that someone else moved us were the best because all I had to do was stay out of their way.
Disclaimer- I am participating in a blogger campaign by Bucks2Blog and was compensated. However, the views and opinions are my own, and are all based on real-life experience.
