6 Major Differences Between Local and Long Distance Moving

There are many differences between long-distance moving and short-distance moving, including time, moving costs, and different preparations. You’ll have to hire a professional moving company to assist you with your long-distance move while moving locally can be done with getting professional movers to help you or performing a DIY move. If you’re wondering how different these two types of relocation are, carry on reading to find 6 major differences between local and long-distance moving.

Preparations

Preparing for a long-distance move mentally, as well as physically, is more complex than preparing for living in another neighborhood. There are many things you’ll have to do to prepare for a long-distance move. You’ll need more time and you’ll have to be more thorough because you can’t just visit the place and figure things out yourself. For instance, finding a new place will be more complicated because you won’t be able to see it and you’ll have to find a real estate agent and see your potential new home online. Other preparations are also more complex, such as saying goodbye to friends, family, colleagues, and mentally preparing yourself for a completely fresh start.

Time

The next notable difference between long-distance and short-distance moves is time. Moving to another country requires much more time, not only when it comes to driving from your current address to the new one. Interstate moving requires more preparation and it requires reaching out to your moving company a few months in advance. Travel tickets, overnight stays, and other bookings will also need to be taken care of well ahead.

Price

Probably the most important difference between local & long-distance moving for most people is the moving cost. Moving long-distance costs more than moving locally, and that’s for several reasons. When it comes to moving company’s costs, take into consideration that they’ll have to use a truck for several days, buy fuel to drive the truck for several thousands of miles, they’ll have to pay wages for several days, etc. All those expenses are way higher than paying a few people to complete your local move in a couple of hours. Other things you’ll have to include in your budget are travel tickets, hotels or another place to stay, and other expenses that are inevitable when you’re traveling far from your current home. The bottom line is that long-distance moves cost more than short-distance ones, regardless of doing it yourself or hiring professional movers to take care of it.

Packing

You may think that packing is all the same, but that’s far away from the truth when we talk about long-distance vs. short-distance moves. When you’re moving locally, your moving boxes only spend a couple of hours inside the moving truck, but when the truck is transporting your belongings to another state, those boxes will spend days, maybe even weeks inside. The longer transportation takes, the higher the risk of damage gets, and it’s easier for packing materials to wear and tear. That means you’ll have to take extra precautions when packing your things and use more packing materials. You may be just fine with packing randomly when moving to another neighborhood, but you’ll have to put some thought into packing before moving long-distance. You’ll also want to add insurance when moving to a different country, as a moving company’s insurance may not be enough for that type of move.

Moving Long Distance vs. Local – Can You DIY?

One of the most common questions regarding relocation is the possibility of DIY. This is a huge difference between local & long-distance moving. When we’re talking about moving locally, more often than not you can perform a DIY move. You’ll use any packing materials you have, pack without many strategies, load your belonging into a car and drive to your new home. Perhaps you’ll ask a few friends to help you or drive from A to B, you may have to go back and forth a few times, but that’s about it − it’s not too much trouble completing a local move by yourself.

On the other hand, moving to another state is pretty difficult. You’ll have to rent a truck and pay for fuel, you’ll have to be ready to drive for thousands of miles to reach your destination, you’ll have to pack your household in that truck (you won’t be able to take round trips), there may be issues along the way you need to handle yourself, and that’s only the beginning of it. DIY long-distance moving is a complex job and most people choose to hire a professional moving company because once you calculate all the moving expenses and all the risks, it pays off more to let professionals take care of it.

Choose Trustworthy Movers

You may not have to search for too long if you’re looking for movers to assist you locally, as the process is less complex and you may be just fine with only hiring them to transport your belongings. But when it comes to long-distance moves, you’ll have to research and make sure you find a reliable and experienced company. Start by researching your local movers and checking their website and customer reviews. Search for relevant comments – for example, look for how satisfied customers were with specifically long-distance moves.

Ask your friends and family to recommend a trustworthy moving company if any of them has moved recently. Reach out to several movers, at least three of them, and ask for moving quotes. Compare their prices and services included, and pay attention to how well their customer service is, how they respond to your question, etc. Don’t try to skip this step because an experienced and professional moving company can make all the difference when you’re moving to a new state. Dorothy and Martha may be a perfect solution and the best ally for your upcoming relocation. Get in touch with us to chat about your move and get a moving quote free of charge.