Tips for Moving Cross Country Alone

If you'll soon be moving cross country alone, you're probably feeling a range of emotions. Most likely, a little nervousness. After all, long-distance moves require intense planning and precise coordination.

Hopefully, though, these tips will help make your big transition problem free. That way, you can focus on the excitement of the journey.

Best Time to Go: Spring and Fall

Try to move in the spring or autumn. The summer is the season when most people move. Think of all the college students who graduate in May and start looking for places of their own. Plus, many parents try to move in the summertime so their children don't have to leave school mid-year. As a result, it costs more to move during the summer.

Meanwhile, ice, snow and chilly temperatures can make winter an uninviting time for moving.

Lightening Your Load

Well in advance of your move, take at least a few days to go through all of your possessions. Don't bring any more than you absolutely must. If you have the time, sell or donate the clothes and other items you no longer want or use.

Consider your new home's style when deciding what to bring. For instance, a rustic piece of furniture that looks great in a woodsy New Hampshire house might seem out of place in Santa Monica.

Take Care of the "Boring" Stuff

Before leaving your current home, make arrangements with your new utility companies, and set up an automatic payment system to take care of those bills each month. If applicable, negotiate the terms of your lease ahead of time. Also, find out what you need to do to transfer your driver's license and, if necessary, your occupational license as well.

In short, the more move-related tasks and paperwork you take care of before your arrival, the less stressful your first days in your new home will be.

Warding Off Anxiety and Sadness

Preparing for a cross-country move feel a little nerve-racking at times.

At moments of doubt, it can help to recall the things that made you want to move so far in the first place: career and social opportunities, new scenery or better weather. It's also beneficial to call a friend or a relative for moral support, particularly someone who has been through a similar move.

Moving cross country alone is a one-of-a-kind adventure. It's likely to change your life in ways you can't even imagine right now. Yes, it's challenging, but with the right attitude -- and with the right movers at your side -- you can sail into new horizons smoothly and with great joy.