10 Ways To Prepare For A Long Distance Move To OR From Tucson, Arizona

1. Make a plan

When you are looking to make a long distance move, many people are so excited about the bigger picture of arriving to their new home, that they don’t bother to nail down all of the small details that are necessary.  Creating a plan may seem like an obvious step, but you would be shocked by how many people tend to want to “wing it.” Having a plan in place creates a fail-safe when you are in the madness of packing your life and just don’t know what to do next.  Important things to note are the moving departure date and expected arrival date.

2. Downsize

People tend to put off the more tedious tasks in life, such as going through all of the years of junk they have accumulated, anything from clothing, tools, or crafting supplies.  When you are about to move, it is a great time to create a pile for things you will be donating, and things you will be throwing away. Do you really want to move even one extra box if it is not necessary?

3. Create and Inventory

While you’re going through all of your possessions, you should be creating an inventory list that you can go through when you are unpacking in your new home.  This is a way of knowing exactly what you’re bringing with you, and it will also be something that you can share with the company you choose for your long distance move to or from Tucson.  Creating an inventory is also an excellent way to ensure what exactly you are bringing so that there is no confusion if you happened to have donated some items when you were in the process of downsizing.

4. Moving Insurance

One of the things that people often overlook is purchasing moving insurance.  Moving insurance is especially important on a long distance move, and while the chance that  you will need to use it are not high, it is a protection in place for the unthinkable. It is worth calling your insurance company to see if they offer moving insurance, but even if they do not, you can usually purchase it through your moving company.

5. Research moving companies

Whether you are making a long distance move TO Tucson or a long distance move FROM Tucson, hiring a reputable company within Tucson is a must!  Tucson is a very unique place, with weather that can be deemed extreme to people who are not familiar with the area. A lot of people want to opt for the cheapest moving service available, but that is not always wise.  Your first call to a company can tell you a lot about how they run their business. Were they kind, courteous, respectful and helpful on that first interaction? If they weren’t able to take your call, did they call you back within a reasonable amount of time and answer all of your questions?  Did they have questions for you about how much and what kind of furniture you are planning to have moved? It is worth spending a little extra money to ensure that your move is as stress-free as possible and to have trust in a local company that knows how to move into and out of Tucson as seamlessly as possible.

6. Measure!

Could there be anything worse than making a long distance move only to arrive at your new home and realize that your furniture will not fit?  It is so important to measure your furniture and to know the dimensions of your new home! Some other helpful information to pass along to your moving company is if there are any tricky staircases, perhaps spiral, that they will have to contend with.  Also, for larger pieces of furniture, it is worth noting if the larger pieces can be disassembled into smaller pieces for an easier move.

7. Label your moving boxes by room

When you arrive at your new home, you will want to have your boxes labeled by room so that the movers can bring your boxes into the appropriate rooms, thereby alleviating you the task of having to move a bunch of boxes around or simply not knowing where items may be found.  Using colored packing tape can often be helpful when moving as a quick way to sort boxes.

8. Move during the offseason

While it may not always be possible, if you have the ability to move during the offseason, which tends to be during the winter months, not only will there likely be more availability, but often times, moving companies will have some sort of discount promotion available.  Moving during the offseason is also a great way to avoid moving during extreme weather conditions.

9. Be aware of any moving restrictions

It is important to know the area that you are moving to.  A way to make a long distance move a little smoother is to know if your new home has adequate space for a moving truck to pull up close, or say if there is no elevator and the movers will have to carry your furniture up several staircases.  Knowing these seemingly small details will let your moving company prepare. If you are making a long distance move to Tucson, the benefit of hiring a local company is that they will be familiar with the area and be able to help guide you through your planning process and advise you when necessary.

10. “Open First” Box

There will be times when moving that you may arrive ahead of the moving truck.  It is important that you make an “Open First” box with all of your essentials. I recommend having a suitcase with enough clothes to get you through a week, but then in your “Open First” box you should have things like toiletries, some silverware, cups and plates, as well as blankets or bedding, perhaps even a blow up mattress.  While you may not necessarily need these items if you plan on arriving the same day as the truck, it is always nice to know that you will not have to open five boxes just to find a cup.