Moving to a new home down the street or out in the suburbs is difficult, but moving long-distance to a new city, province, or even country is a whole other challenge.
If this is your first time relocating to a far-off locale, then there are few things you need to know to make the process go smoothly. It’s natural to be nervous about beginning a new life in a different city, but as long as you follow these three must-know tips, your move will go off without a hitch and you’ll be ready to live an exciting and comfortable life in your new house.
Downsize Aggressively
It’s normal to collect a lot of things over time, especially when you’ve lived in the same home for years and are raising a family. Odds and ends, furniture, old toys, and clothing are just a few of the most common items that fill the boxes on moving day and complicate matters for you. Your goal should be to make the transition as smooth as possible, so downsize aggressively and don’t be afraid to purge anything that isn’t vital to your life or doesn’t hold sentimental value.
Here’s our tip to downsize with ease:
Choose a room in your home, set a timer for 15 minutes, and start picking things up. Ask yourself “have I used in the last three months”? Or “will this be necessary in my new home”. If not, throw it into the donation pile. Go with your gut and don’t overthink. If worse comes to worse, you can buy it again in your new city.
From there, you can hold a yard sale, donate, or throw away what you don’t need.
Items such as old sports equipment, knick knacks, yard tools, outdated electronics, and outdoor items you might not need anymore (for example, if you are changing climates) are prime candidates to be expunged.
Plan Everything
When we say everything, we mean everything. Planning is the key to a successful move. Even if you feel you are going a bit overboard, it’s always better to have more things planned than fewer. Make a detailed plan of the layout of your new home, determine where you’re going to put everything, and make sure you have a personal labelling system in mind to help you know what goes where (our moving pros at King’s Transfer use a detailed labelling system, so no need to worry). If you’re driving cross country, don’t be afraid to thoroughly plan your drive (including stops) and budget how much you’d like to spend each day along the way.
Start your new life before you arrive
It might sound a bit counterintuitive, but throughout our years of experience, we’ve discovered that our clients who have been proactive in their location before arriving are often the calmest and happiest of all. You can begin your new life in a few different ways, such as:
- Connecting with neighbours or local groups via social media
- Researching fun activities, clubs, or social events
- Setting up your utilities before arriving
- Registering your kids for sports teams
Having the infrastructure in place before you even arrive will give you and the family something to look forward to and make your life a lot easier as soon as close the door behind our moving crew on the way out.
It doesn’t matter if you’re moving down the street, to a new city, or from coast to coast in Canada, relocating your entire life to a new location is stressful. With these three must-know tips and some help from one of Canada’s leading long-distance moving companies, you can make the entire process easier and get your new life started stress-free.