Planning a move across Canada? Whether you’re going from Edmonton to Toronto, from Montreal to Vancouver, or from Ottawa to Calgary, you are planning a major undertaking. It may be so you or a spouse can take advantage of new job opportunities, to be close to family, or because you’ve always dreamed of living there, but whatever the case, you are in for an exciting yet stressful time.
In fact, moving is rated as one of the most stressful times in a person’s life. That’s largely due to the immense complexity that comes with moving, particularly with a long-distance move. Thankfully, you don’t have to allow it to ruin your experience. There are ways to help simplify and de-stress the situation. Below, we’ll cover 10 tips to make that cross-Canada move simpler and easier.
As soon as you know that you will be moving, you need to start roughing out a plan. You might think that you can put off planning, particularly if the move is not going to happen for months. That’s the wrong tactic. Cross-country moving involves a lot of moving parts, and you need to have a plan in place as soon as possible to account for all of those items.
Start by roughing out your timeline – when will you need to be out of your current home? Will you need to sell it? What’s the real estate market like right now? Will the new home be ready when moving time comes? However, while you should start planning right away, keep it fluid and flexible. Being able to roll with the punches is just as vital to success here as being able to plan effectively.
As soon as you know that you’ll be moving, it is time to start downsizing your stuff. Be ruthless. Go all Marie Kondo on your belongings. If it doesn’t bring you joy, there is absolutely no reason that you should spend the time, money, and effort to bring it across the country with you. And, no, that doesn’t mean you can leave the kids behind. You’re stuck with them. Their toys and too-small clothing, on the other hand, can be gotten rid of. How do you ditch your unwanted and unneeded items? There are tons of ways but donating to a charitable organisation or having a yard sale are two time-tested options.
You might be tempted to go the DIY route with your cross-country move. Don’t do it. Sure, you save money on the face of it, but you sacrifice time, sweat, and hassle. Hiring a moving company is the best option, but not all movers are cut from the same cloth. Some will offer barebones services for a high rate, while others might go the extra mile and charge less. How do you tell which ones are worth your money? Work with a company like MoveIt.ca to find and compare moving estimates. Ideally, you’ll want quotes from three to four moving companies, along with a detailed list of what services they offer for the price.
Are you selling your home? If so, you’ll need to do some work to it before you put it on the market. A coat of paint in the more heavily used rooms can do wonders. Other affordable ways to spruce up the place and ensure that it sells as quickly as possible include replacing worn carpeting, repainting the exterior, and investing in minor home improvement projects, like updating old bathrooms. The point is that with a little prep, your home can get off the market as quickly as possible.
We’ve already discussed downsizing your stuff, and now we need to address knowing what you’ll actually be moving to the new home. It’s easy for disorganization to set in when you have furnishings and personal belongings strewn across the country. Having an inventory list will help ensure that you stay organized and that all of your belongings make it to the new place.
While you should always take time to wrap fragile items and protect your belongings, long distance moves present some unique challenges. Your items will be in transit for much longer than with a regular move. That means increased chances for breakage and damage. Make sure that you take appropriate precautions – fragile items may need more than just a layer of bubble wrap. Consider using clothing, towels, and even bedding to help protect things.
As with planning, packing is best started early on. No, we don’t mean that you should pack your entire home immediately and then live out of boxes for the next three months. However, you can certainly start packing up your nonessential items. Your winter clothing can go if you’re moving in the summer. Your extra dishes and pots and pans. Anything that won’t necessarily be used between now and the move and that you can get by without can be packed and stacked out of the way.
As you work through your belongings, take note of the condition. It might help to write down the condition of the items on your inventory list. This will help ensure that you are able to tell if anything was damaged in the move.
You’ll need to pack most of your paperwork, but some of it should be carried with you. Passports, insurance documentation, birth certificates, and other irreplaceable or difficult to replace documents should be kept with you.
When moving day gets close, go ahead and submit a change of address form. You will need to go through and update your address and other contact information later, but a change of address form will ensure that your mail is forwarded to the new house, at least temporarily.
There you have them – 10 tips to help eliminate some of the most challenging aspects of moving across Canada.
