So, you’re about to embark on quite the adventure: a long distance move. Whether you’re moving for a new job, to be closer to family, or settling down in retirement where you always wanted to live, moving far away can be exciting but daunting! You’ll have a long list of tasks to complete to prepare for your move, but nothing may be as important as the actual task of moving your belongings from one place to another. Packing up your house and moving your stuff to another location, especially one that is far away, is quite the process. You may be tempted to tackle this yourself, but you should leave it to long distance movers and here’s why.

Let’s face it, you’re not twenty years old anymore! Moving heavy pieces of furniture and carrying large boxes up and down stairs will lead to sore muscles, at best, or worse, an injury. As we age, our bodies are more prone to injuries and take longer to recover. Leave the sore muscles to the movers!

A professional moving company comes with expertise and equipment to get the job done right. If you want your valuable and fragile items to arrive at your new location safely, you need to pack them and transport them in a certain manner. Heavy furniture and large items need to be moved and stowed properly so that these items don’t move around and get damaged or damage other stuff during transport. You know how easily stuff shifts around in your trunk when driving? You don’t want that happening to a truck filled with all your possessions.

Another reason to hire a moving company is to reduce your stress and give you more time to focus on all the other tasks you need to complete. If you tackle moving yourself, you’ll be spending a lot of time boxing up your stuff and moving everything into the truck, along with the long-distance drive, and unloading and unpacking everything once you get to your location.

Lastly, you may automatically assume that hiring a long distance mover will be more expensive than tackling the move yourself. But the cost of renting a moving truck, gas, tolls, and possibly hiring labor or equipment to help with the heavy lifting can quickly add up. Moving companies are also insured, in the event there is any damage to your belongings during the process. If you decide to hire a long-distance mover, there are still some things you can do to help keep your cost down:

• Check With Your Employer: If you’re relocating because of work, you’ll definitely want to find out if your employer has a relocation policy. Many companies will cover the cost of the move or at least part of it. It’s wise to inquire about this right away, as there may be a preferred moving company you need to use. Be sure to stay organized and save all receipts if you need to submit your expenses for reimbursement.
• Sell Your Belongings: You’ve probably accumulated a lot of stuff through the years, more than you may realize. Unless you’ve moved or done a clean out recently, there may be items hiding in your attic, garage and basement that you’ve completely forgotten about. Go through all of your belongings and pull the items that you no longer want or need. Consider using a waste removal service to help get rid of it all. For the items that are in good condition, consider selling them. Not only will you make some extra money to help pay for the move, but you’ll have less stuff to move, which means packing and unpacking will be quicker and easier. Your moving costs will ultimately be cheaper, too, because you’ll be moving less stuff! Thanks to the internet, and if you’re internet savvy of course, selling personal items has never been easier. There’s Facebook Marketplace and local yard sale pages, Craigslist, and eBay to name a few of the more popular options. You’ll need some time and patience for this and be sure to review safety and privacy policies. If you don't like the internet, hold a good old-fashioned yard sale to purge your stuff.
• Be Flexible With Your Moving Date: Yes, moving on certain days of the week, certain weeks of the month, and during certain times of the year will cost you more. There are peak moving times, just like there are peak travel times when flying. To keep your cost down, avoid the weekends, first and last week of each month, and any long holiday weekends. The summer is generally more expensive, as well. It may not be possible to avoid all of these times but keep them in mind when scheduling your moving date.

Bottom line, it’s probably best to use a professional moving company to help with your long distance move. You can use Movers Near Me to find a service right for you.