Moving cross-country isn’t a problem if you’re simply moving to the next town or state over. However, what if you’re covering vast distances? Think of people who are moving across the width of Texas, or worse moving from Texas all the way to the Pacific Coast. Traversing larger states and larger distances involves factoring in issues you would never consider during a shorter move. We’re going to give you some smart tips for moving cross country.
Sell or Transport?
Your first big decision is to decide whether to pay to transport all your stuff or to simply sell it and move with only the essentials. We recommend taking only the sentimental items with you. Sell the rest and make a new start. This will save you far more in the long run.
Hitch a Trailer to a Car
The problem with U-Haul on long cross-country moves is the mileage costs really start to add up. One way to get around this is to hitch a trailer to a car instead. You will only have to pay for the trailer because, obviously, it doesn’t come with any mileage costs. It does mean you can move less, but you will save hundreds of dollars.
Collect Packaging Materials Early
Most cross-country moves aren’t done in a matter of days. They are the result of many months of advance planning. Use special events to come up with packaging materials. Save cardboard boxes and bubble wrap from Birthdays and Christmas. Don’t underestimate how much packaging materials can cost. There are some thrifty ways to save money on packing supplies.
Stopping Along the Way
Cross-country moves can take days to complete, especially if you are moving the width or length of the country. One thing you will have to work out is where you are going to stop. This means booking accommodation and finding a safe place to store the items in the meantime. If you really have no problem with living frugally, you may even choose to sleep in your car at a rest area instead of paying for hotels. It’s not glamorous and the lack of showering is never pleasant, but you’ll save hundreds of dollars.
The Golden Rule
The golden rule is to move when everyone else isn’t. The roads will be clear, the cost of movers cheaper, and the cost of anything else you need will go down. The worst possible time to complete a cross-country move is at the weekend and during the summer. If you’re willing to brave potentially bad weather, try to move in the winter.
Cross country moving with Mayflower can give you more tips and tricks for your big move!
8 comments
Great tips! We sold a lot of our stuff when we moved from Idaho to California in April. The rest of the stuff we put in a storage unit since we would be coming back to Idaho for Dustin’s graduation ceremony.
Great tips ! Definitely bookmarking these for the big move to TN some day! And I saw on Instagram that you guys hired a moving company and I already said to AJ “We’re doing that.”
I just like the caring information you provide to your articles.I found this much helpful information, Thanks for such post and keep it up.
Well, this is my first visit to your blog! Your moving cross country blog provided us valuable information to work on. You have done an excellent job! Thanks for posting something worth reading. Great work.
Hi! I am moving cross country with a big family and tons of things. I have cleaned up most of the stuff that we don’t need but even like this there are two trucks of stuff, including all the furniture. I have already hired a moving van (http://removalvancatford.co.uk/) and the rest we will move ourselves. Thanks for the great tips!
I have moved cross country a few times and within the state or city a few times as well. Each move I make I always go through my stuff and purge anything that I haven’t used in awhile, as there is no reason to take it with me if it is no use to me anymore. I generally either sell or donate those items. I do use a moving company every time I move. I pack myself, but it is great to have help with the lifting and maneuvering of furniture and appliances. Thanks for sharing!
I moved across the country on a Wednesday. I left the previous house around 8 in the evening. I made this decision not to be in heavy traffic and to make it a bit more smooth transfer. We actually sold most of our furniture prior to moving in and we transferred some of it in advance.
Great article, Selling stuff which don’t have sentimental value can save you a lot – that is true. I know that when last time we moved from Huston to Denver we paid truck 6000$, for that much money we could easily buy almost all stuff. My hubby taught we bought all furniture three years and paid 20,000$ ago and still have value. What really happened, we moved and realized that some of that furniture don’t fit to new space. So we had to buy new one. If we sold our old furniture for 5,000$, and saved 6000$ on moving we could be on half way to new one. Now, two years after some of furniture is ready for change. and that is due to moving, that will cost us 2000$