My BEST Cross Country Moving Advice- The Adventuring Millennial

Updated May 2020

Let’s talk cross-country moves.

If you’ve been following this series, you will know this is my 7th Moving Monday post. Time flies!

But if this is your first time here, welcome! This is a series where I discuss moving cross country. I recently moved twice in a span of 10 months. Once from Tennessee to Washington State and then from Washington State to New York.

Moving is a struggle. There are so many details to work out. And if you are in the thick of it, I’m sending you my love! Hang in there.

As I was brainstorming Moving Monday topics, I realized I haven’t shared any general moving advice. With a couple cross-country moves under my belt, I have a few tips to share.

So, I compiled my BEST cross country moving advice into this post. And just so we are on the same page, this is NOT a moving checklist. Instead, I want to share the tips I received and learned along the way.

Do Your Research

Moving cross country is challenging. But moving cross country without ever visiting your new city is down-right STRESSFUL.

Don’t do that to yourself. If at all possible, visit your new city before you move. This will make the whole process so much easier. You want to have a feel for the area before you move.

And apartment/house hunting is a whole different game in person. You won’t have to guess if online pictures are accurate. Instead, you will know what your new place looks like, how big your space actually is, and what your neighborhood feels like.

This is my top piece of advice. And I feel really passionate about this one. Please don’t move without at least visiting your new city once. Ok moving on…

Downsize (& Then Downsize Some More)

You might not be downsizing when you move. Your new place might actually be bigger than your old place. That’s fine, you still need to downsize before the move.

Why? Ok hear me out. Packing is exhausting. Unpacking is exhausting. Packing and unpacking unnecessary stuff is pointless.

Yes, you are still going to do a lot of packing and unpacking during this process. But use the move as an opportunity to reevaluate your stuff. If you never use it or don’t actually want it anymore, get rid of it. Seriously, if you didn’t use it in your old place, why do you think you would use it in your new place? It’s just going to take up space or be stuffed in a closet.

And it’s so much easier to get rid stuff before you pack it. There is just no reason to pack up unnecessary items and lug them across the country. Instead, donate your items or hold a garage sale. This way you will know that all the items you moved with are things that you actually use.

Consider Movers

Moving cross country is expensive. When I priced movers for my Tennessee to Washington State move I had a slight freak out. And then I decided to be a DIY mover.

I mean, I could handle it, right? In Tennessee, my husband and I had the help of our family and friends. Between all of us we downsized, organized a garage sale, packed boxes, cleaned, and loaded my car. It wasn’t too bad.

However, when we arrived in Seattle to our 3rd-floor apartment with no help, I panicked again. We spent HOURS unloading our car and U-Haul. By the end of it, we were exhausted and stressed. And all we had accomplished was unloading the car. We still had to clean, unpack, and organize.

When we moved to NYC, we STILL decided to try the DIY thing. We downsized (again), packed, and cleaned our apartment on our own.

But we decided to hire movers for NYC. And this changed the game! The movers unloaded all of our boxes and carried them up 2 flights of stairs to our new apartment. This process (which only took a couple hours) would have been a day-long living nightmare for my husband and me.

Yes, it’s great to be a DIY mover. And you can save some money that way. But trust me, the time and stress you save by hiring movers it invaluable.

Ok, let me back up just a bit.

For both cross country moves, we shipped our stuff with U-Pack. Basically, you get a shipping cube that you can pack full of your items. You are responsible for loading and securing your belongings in the cube. Then, your cube is placed in a big shipping truck and driven to your destination. Once it arrives, you are responsible for unloading your cube.

This was the most cost-effective way to move our stuff. However, this process is slow. So if you consider using U-Pack, just be prepared to spend 7-14 days without your stuff.

So the choice is ultimately yours. I’m not saying you have to hire movers. You can be a badass DIY mover (I completely respect that). But after two cross-country moves, I’ve seen the light. And I will be using movers in some capacity in every future move.

Spend Time With Your Peeps

Make time for them!

Moving can consume everything. Your thoughts, your time, your focus. But if you are preparing for a cross-country move, you are likely about to leave some friends and family behind.

Even though packing seems like the most important thing, it’s really not. Yes, spend time and energy on that. But also make sure you see your people. Trust me, it’s so much harder to see them once you’ve moved halfway across the country.

And I bet they would even offer to help with your move. So if you are really stressed, invited friends and family for a packing party. Just remember that people generally don’t love packing, so provide some food and drinks, ok?

Give Yourself Time

You are going to need time. If you are moving for a job or school, plan to move in a few days (or weeks) before you start.

Trust me, this will make the process so much easier. This way, you will have time to unpack and settle into your new home. You can also explore your new city and start making it feel like home.

Maybe I’m just prone to stress, but arriving in a city and starting work the very next day is too much. You need a few days (at least) to settle in and relax after a cross-country move.

Be Prepared for Stress

Like I said, I’m prone to stress.

But even the coolest, calmest, and most collected ones of us get rattled during a cross-country move. There are just so many triggers. Planning a move, finding a new place to live, packing, cleaning, scheduling movers, etc. All of that takes it out of you.

Not to mention leaving friends, family, and familiarity behind. Learning a new city. It’s a lot.

But if you expect this stress and anxiety, it’s much easier to deal with. During my first move, I wasn’t prepared. And I was hit with a bad case of the moving blues. But I learned from this and dealt with the stress head-on during my second move.

Just try to be patient with yourself. Talk to someone. Do what you need to do to deal with moving-related stress. My guess? Everyone who has moved cross-country has dealt with some form of stress along the way. So know that you are not alone. And remember that moving is complex. And you are constantly learning and growing in the process. So don’t be too hard on yourself along the way.

Enjoy it

And you know what? Make the most of it!

Yes, moving is stressful. You need to be prepared for the ups and downs. But this is also an exciting ride. Take advantage of it.

So do what you can to make the most of this time. Visit your favorite places before you move. Treat yourself to your favorite foods. Make the most of your time in your old city.

And when you first move, explore your new city. Spend a little extra money up front. Try popular restaurants. Go to the tourist attractions. Have fun in your new city.

Another tip? If you are driving for your move, plan some road trip stops along the way. I know it can be difficult to fit these in. Especially if you are driving with a U-Haul or moving truck. But if you can, try to fit in a few stops. A cross-country drive takes a WHILE. You need things to look forward to along the way. When I moved from Tennessee to Washington State, I made sure to drive through the Badlands National Park and stop at Mt. Rushmore.