People have been on the move for thousands of years. Here in America, it used to be common for individuals or families to stay rooted in one community for decades. Now it is increasingly uncommon to do so.1
"Economic reasons have been the primary reason why people move. The wagon trains of the 1800's brought hundreds of thousands of settlers to the American West in search of jobs and prosperity. Millions more migrated from the South to the North during World War II to find work in American cities. The invention of the air conditioner had the reverse effect. That technology made it possible for Americans to move to the warmer climates of the southern and western United States."
Although many people initially get understandably excited about a move to a different part of the country, many people don't take into account the logistics of a long-distance move. The axiom in real estate is location, location, location. When it comes to moving, it's planning, planning, planning.
Your first step is to create an inventory of what you have to move. You want to take all your possessions and place them into these categories:
Get rid of anything you no longer use, especially wardrobe items, gifts, or just plain junk. You won't need it in your new place, and all of those extra items are just going to make the move take longer and make it more expensive. Give away any items of value that you haven't used for a while and others may appreciate having. Donate books you've been keeping around (but haven't read for years) to the local library. As for the items you will entrust others to move, certainly, your furniture falls into that category, but you should strongly consider what furniture to move. If you've been thinking of buying a new bed or mattress and if your living room furniture is outdated and worn out -- leave those "big space" items behind.
Now is a great time to break out that video camera you got as a gift or purchased for yourself and make a visual record to serve as an inventory of all of your possessions. You'll reap big rewards for doing so should any items get lost or stolen in transit. If you have receipts for you major purchases (and you should have), that's one of the items you won't entrust to the movers. Any personal and financial records or other personal items that you cherish will fall into the category of things you will move yourself. The same is true for expensive antiques, jewelry, and other items of high value -- those are items you'll want to keep near and dear to yourself.
Organize the items you will be taking and create a lettering, numbering, or color-coded system for what you will be packing into those boxes. Don't just start throwing all your possessions into boxes and then seal up the boxes with no idea about the contents of the boxes. For example, pack the kitchen items in boxes and place labels and stickers on those boxes. Do the same for each room of the house and place those related boxes together so that they get moved as a unit. You will want your kitchen and bathroom items first upon your arrival, so try to make sure those items are packed last into the moving van so that they be unloaded first when you arrive at your new home. This is where your labeling system starts to pay dividends. If a box has the word "kitchen" on it, the movers will know where to place the boxes upon your arrival in your new home.
Pack as much as you can before the day of the move. Let the movers do the taping and padding, but you'll save time and have your items organized for the big move if you do all the packing well in advance of the move. If there is furniture to be disassembled, do it beforehand. Break down beds, tables, computers, lamps, televisions, and anything else that can be unplugged or dismantled.
Plan for the first day of the new move. You'll need cleaning supplies, toiletries, tools, and some food, although you can count on eating out quite a bit until you settle in to your new residence. Before the move, make sure that gas, electric, and the phone have been turned on before you arrive. You don't want to make your move only to have to stay in a hotel for several nights until you arrange for utilities to be turned on. If necessary, visit the new home a few weeks before the move and arrange for utilities and alarm systems to be up and running from day one in your new home. In a few weeks, you'll feel at home.
