Local Moves vs. Long Distance Moves: What’s The Difference?

Moving to a new house is one of the major events in anyone’s life. However, many people make the mistake of thinking that long distance moves are similar to local moves, with distance being the only factor that differentiates them. With this mindset, they go wrong with everything from planning, preparation, packing to even choosing the moving company. In short, they end up experiencing a whole lot of problems simply because they have very little idea about how a long distance move is different from a local one. If you are moving soon, knowing the differences between these two types of moves is surely going to help you make the right decisions.

Preparations for the Move

One of the first things to know is that preparing for a long distance move takes a lot of time and can easily surpass the preparations you need to do for a local move. Besides that, the preparations also need to be a lot more thorough when moving long distance since you’ll have many other things to plan for.

Apart from your time, you’ll also have to put in a lot of effort in the preparations. Although they won’t be impossible to manage, they are sure to exhaust you. So, be ready for the hard work. If you are moving to a different state or country, you can’t afford to have anything go wrong during the move. Hence, you have to begin your search for the best moving company well in advance. Usually, a few months before the moving day is a good time to book your move with a moving company. However, that’s not the case with local moves. When moving a short distance, you can book a moving company a few weeks or even a few days prior to your moving date. Sometimes, when you do not have too much to move, asking friends or family for help also works well when moving locally. However, you shouldn’t expect the perfection that professional local movers in New Jersey can guarantee.

Planning For Other Important Things

Not too much of planning is needed when you’re moving locally. All you got to do is update your address and a few other things. However, when you are moving to any other state or country, you are almost starting a new life from scratch, and thus you need to plan several things, such as finding a new school for your kids, checking how far exactly your office is from your house and deciding how you’ll be commuting, etc. You will also need to understand the rules & regulations of the new state/country so that the adjustments are easier post moving. Apart from that, you may be required to make many visits to the new state (may not be able in case of a cross-country move) prior to the move in order to minimize inconvenience after your move.

Cost

Now we come to the real difference. If you have ever moved to a different state or country, you must be aware of how expensive it can get. Whether you’re doing a DIY long distance move or hiring professional movers, the moving cost will be way higher than what you would need for making a short distance move. There are some common factors that decide the cost of your move no matter how far or close you are moving from your current residence. These are –

  • Size of your house
  • Weight of your belongings
  • Time of the year you are moving (The prices are higher during peak seasons, holidays, etc.)
  • Fuel charges
  • Getting additional moving services, such as storage, etc

So, there’s no such thing as same relocations even when the distance being covered is the same.

The Waiting Game

Moving a short distance is a relatively simple process. If you are moving within the same city, you can easily expect to have all your belongings loaded, transported, & unloaded in your new house the same day. However, if you are moving to another state or country, you will have to wait for a couple of days for your goods to arrive at your new place of residence. That’s one more reason why it is so important to hire licensed long distance movers in New Jersey that you can count on with your valuables.

Packing

Many people think that there is a negligible difference between how you pack for a local and long distance move. However, that’s not true. While your belongings during a short distance move remains in the back of a moving truck only for a few hours before they are taken out & brought to your new house, it isn’t the same with long distance moves. When it comes to the latter, your belongings remain in the back of a truck for many days. Hence, it is important to pack them in such a way that they remain damage-free throughout this time. During inter-state or cross country moves, your house plants or house appliances need to be packed differently as they need to be taken care of more. For instance, your plants wouldn’t be able to survive the dark environment inside the congested truck and would probably die before reaching your new house due to lack of sunlight.

However, it doesn’t mean that packing for a local move is a breeze. Many people underestimate the amount of care their valuables need, choose to pack on their own, and end up getting their belongings damaged. It is important to understand that whether you are moving locally or long distance, your belongings need to be packed efficiently using the right packing materials.

Long Distance Moving Calls for More Vigilance

Although you need to be always careful when hiring a moving company whether you are moving locally or long distance, it becomes more important in the latter case. Since the cost of a long distance move is higher, so is the potential of a moving fraud. While searching for a long distance moving company, you may come across many offering services at quite low prices. Well, sometimes they do so just to get their hands on your valuables. Even if they may not be frauds, it is always a good idea to check if they are licensed to avoid any risk of hidden costs, moving delays, or other last minute surprises.

Levic Van Lines; One of the Best Local and Long Distance Moving Companies You Can Find In NJ

Levic Van Lines is a trusted local and long distance moving company with over 25 years of moving experience under their belt. So far, we have successfully completed thousands of moves including both local and long distance relocations. Whether you are moving locally or to different state/country, we have your packing and moving needs covered. Having been in the moving business for more than over two decades, we know what it takes to ensure a seamless move. From the moment you choose us as your moving partner to the day your belongings are moved to your new house, you wouldn’t have to worry about missing a beat with us.

If you need to temporarily store your goods during a long distance move, we have state-of-the-art storage facilities designed to guard your valuables against everything from fire, theft, bedbugs, to water damage, and more. We offer all kinds of storage options ranging from temporary and mini storage, business storage, document storage, wine collection storage, to art collection and fine artifacts storage, and more. Along with that, you also get free parking and east access to you unit whenever you want.

For more information about our packing and moving services, or to book a Free Moving Consultation, feel free to reach out to us by calling @ 855-785-3133 (TOLL FREE)!

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