Moving Furniture Across Country

It is a scary thought: moving furniture across country; all those bumps along the winding roads. Something is bound to break. Not if you hire a professional. So save your money and do not buy a trailer. In the right hands, moving furniture across country is less scary than it seems.

One of the biggest misconceptions about moving is that items shift around, slide, and break while in the moving truck. But moving boxes, furniture, and other items are secured and packed very tight, so they do not move around in the truck.

Once the items and furniture are on the truck, they are safe. Furniture accidents happen when lifting and lowering items, not when they are in transit. So the distance of travel time between houses isn’t a factor in accidental damage.

Long-distance furniture shipment

When moving furniture across country, make sure all your items are wrapped. Tables, televisions, bookcases, etc. That should be an automatic practice done by higher-end moving companies, but make sure it is included when you receive your moving estimate.

If you are following the moving truck across the country, utilize your car space to bring an essentials box and everything else you might need right away (so you know immediately where it is). Do not worry about bringing anything fragile with you. Leave the plates, glasses, and everything else that is fragile in the truck, it is safe there (and it is probably heavy also).

When planning your long-distance move, it may be beneficial for the move to happen in multiple parts. For example, you may want to coordinate some of your furniture to be delivered on the arrival date that new furniture will be delivered for a particular room. So make sure that your moving company offers storage during that period. Dumbo Moving and Storage offers a free month of storage for long-distance moves. So when you are shipping your furniture across country at different times, make sure to save money when you can, with storage.

Tips for moving furniture across country

When moving items across country or state, there are steps you have to take before the packing begins. Make sure to empty out your fridge. Food may expire or go bad in an unrefrigerated truck for a week or so. So lay off the take out and finish what you have in your kitchen. Also, because foods and drinks may open and ruin the contents of the box they are in, some moving companies will not move such items. Find your local food bank and donate leftover items of food or bring it with you in your car.

Speaking of refrigeration, empty everything from the fridge and freezer (to avoid messes). And defrost your freezer beforehand to prevent the refrigerator leaking. Remember the priority you should have for a long-distance move is moving your furniture across the country, heavy items. So when planning your move, make sure that besides the food you get rid of or preferable, donate everything you do not need anymore.

Before you start collecting furniture to transport it, you should consider the following tips to get it there safely and reliably.

Four ideas for moving furniture from your home

1. Plan what you need to help you get your home furniture out. Remember that heavy items will require some extra help, such as trolleys, furniture handling devices, and other tools. Having more people at hand is not always enough. You should also take refrigerators and other heavy appliances into consideration.
2. First, start with the little things. Moving small objects such as small tables, coffee tables, or small chairs, should be moved first. This way, you free up space and clear the floor of obstacles that could interfere with the movement of larger furniture. That protects your furniture from damage when you take it out.
3. Check the door frames and decide which door you will move tall or large furniture through. Some doorways are too narrow to move large sofas, kitchen appliances, or large objects. Think ahead and measure the length and height of the door before you lift the furniture and start lifting it out. Door frames can be damaged, just like your furniture, if you find yourself in a cramped space that creates too much friction between the furniture and the doorway.
4. Use furniture slides to prevent damage to the floor. If you are selling your home on the move, you can discount the value of your home by scratching the floors or causing unintentional damage that sometimes happens during a move.

Loading a truck or van

When loading a moving truck, you will need to think about how to position the items in the truck. If you do this on your own, this may require intensive planning to ensure that you pack everything safely, so that it does not fall on other objects. If you hire a moving company that offers packing services NYC, they can do a lot for you.

1. When loading a moving truck, you should first place the tallest and largest items at the back. That will create a “furniture wall” at the back of the truck. And it will serve as a cushion for less bulky furniture that can move around while moving.
2. Have a lot of rope to tie the largest items, especially those with glass doors or a casing. You do not want to risk breaking the glass while driving. Smaller, more delicate items can be destroyed if you do not properly stock large items before you start your trip.
3. If you are moving furniture across country in an open truck, you will have to plan for bad weather. Even if the forecast predicts sunlight throughout your tour, one rain can seriously damage some of your best furniture. Have a plastic cover and fix it with a rope or other materials. Or lay heavy moisture-resistant items on top to avoid irreparable damage to the wood and upholstery by weather and rain.
4. Get insurance on your furniture before moving. You can get compensation for most of it if something tragic happens, such as theft, fire, or an accident that will damage or reduce the value of your cargo before you receive it on your destination.

Saving money when moving furniture across country

Everyone wants to save money when moving across the country. There are many costs associated with moving. You have expenses for the move itself (renting a truck, additional people who will help, and equipment for moving). As well as accommodation, daily meals, and purchases that you must make along the way. Here are some tips to help you save money.

1. If your company initiated your move, check if they can pay at least part of the cost of the move. Some companies have defined rules for paying lateral moves when they need to move you across the country. It is worth doing your homework and checking it out before hiring Park Slope movers or trying to do it yourself.
2. Plan staying at less expensive locations. If you do some online research on places to stay overnight, you can save a lot of money over the long haul. Compare hotel and lodging prices at your short-term destinations and choose the best ones.
3. Rent a truck and drive. You can save money on transportation costs if you drive the truck yourself. However, some people do not want to take responsibility for this, so instead, they prefer to hire professionals.
4. Make a yard sale before moving to take only the most essential things with you. If you remove some less valuable furniture and other items, you don’t have to worry about moving it all. That can save you money and nerves when you try to move all your belongings across the country.

More tips for moving furniture and valuables across country

When moving valuables such as jewelry and other small but important items, you can take them in a separate vehicle than your furniture and basic household items. Thus, if something happens to a moving truck, you will have the most valuable and difficult to replace items. In addition, transporting furniture in one main truck is best for cross-country moves, so you can unpack everything at once in one place.

When insuring your furniture, evaluate how much you think your furniture costs (street value today). And how much it will cost to replace it. Do not consider sentimental value as insurance agents don’t care about that. Just think about the real value of buying back items when calculating how much insurance you need.

Let the children and friends help you relocate. They can save you a lot of time, and this makes it more fun when they help. Who knows? They may even throw you a farewell party! Happy relocation!