moving cross country tips || Roadway Moving

After years of talking about moving to New York, we finally did it!! Ajeet and I made the cross country move from LA to NY last week and I still can’t even believe it. This past week has been a lot of unpacking and trying to get settled in but I wanted to share my moving tips with you guys ASAP because I know summer is high-season for moving! We hired Roadway Moving to help us with our cross country move to the city and I cannot recommend them enough. I saw a bunch of my friends share Roadway Moving and after doing my research and digging a bit into the company, I knew I wanted them to help us out on such an important move.

You guys out of all people know how much this move meant to me and I really needed a moving company that I trusted to not only ensure my belongings and packed and arrive safely but to help make this experience a happy, memorable one! Roadway Moving came on time in LA and helped me pack all furniture and bigger pieces. I actually had quite a bit of stuff I needed to take with me (even after decluttering!) and the team didn’t rush me AT ALL. They helped out, were kind and were so fun to be around! They gave me a delivery window for New York and arrived at the start of the delivery window which was amazing. Trust me, there’s nothing worse than getting your stuff late when you’ve already moved in and are expecting your belongings!

If you’ll be moving soon and need a good company, I highly recommend Roadway Moving. You can use code “Nita10” if you’re a new customer and they’ll take care of you!

I’ve had a ton of requests to share some moving tips and I figured this post would be perfect for it. Ajeet and I have moved from Dallas to Los Angeles and then from Los Angeles to New York so we know a thing or two about moving, haha!

Top 10 Moving Tips

1. Declutter
   1. Even if you’re not downsizing like in my scenario, this is a great opportunity to completely purge out old junk that’s been piling up in your house. Marie Kondo ALL THE THINGS that don’t bring you joy and that you haven’t put to good use in the last 6 months. Once you start putting stuff in boxes, you’ll realize that there are things you could really live without and you don’t want to bring that kind of baggage into your new home.
2. Boxes + Wardrobe Boxes
   1. If you’re moving on a budget (like we were), try going to your local grocery or liquor store and asking them if they have any inventory boxes! We got A TON of our boxes from Trader Joe’s which saved us quite a bit of money!
   2. Also, be sure to use what you have! If you have a ton of empty suitcases going to your next home, fill that up! We even filled up our giant trash can with a ton of our belongings! J
   3. When you’re packing clothes, make sure you have wardrobe boxes so you can keep some of your clothes on hangers. The cool thing about these boxes is you can stuff the bottom with all sorts of things (we filled them up with shoes!).
3. Prioritize
   1. Create a list of all the things you NEED during your first week of moving (i.e. towels, bedsheets, utensils, a few pots and pans, toilet paper, soap, etc) and pack those in a box first (aka your essentials box). I timed my move to where it got there the same day but most of the time, moving companies will give you a delivery window (about 1-2 weeks) so it might be best to keep your essentials in a suitcase with you.
   2. Another option is to order some of those things on Amazon and have them delivered the day of your arrival too!
4. Wrap
   1. If you’re letting the movers pack for you, amazing! If you’re packing a few things yourself, make sure to take the time to wrap your fragile items with paper, bubble wrap and/or clothes. The last thing you need is for your favorite picture frame or favorite glasses to arrive broken. Parchment paper/contact paper does very well in protecting glassware!
5. Organize
   1. I can’t stress this one enough. Don’t just throw things in random boxes when you’re in the midst of moving. Label your boxes with your name + what’s in the box.
   2. If you’re taking furniture apart, be sure to keep all the screws, nut and bolts in small plastic bag and tape it to the furniture.
6. Schedule
   1. If you’re able to schedule your move during off-season, DO SO! It’ll save you a lot of money (like, a lot). Summer is high-season so that’s when you’d want to avoid if possible. I moved to NYC in May and that’s just when my LA lease ended so there wasn’t much I could do about it!
7. Car
   1. If you’re moving or shipping your car, try and book that as early as possible to get a better deal. Talk to the company and see if you can put things in the trunk of your car or backseat too—that’s what we did when we shipped Ajeet’s car back to Dallas! It’s basically free storage if you do it that way. J
8. Research
   1. Do some research on your new place especially if it’s an apartment! You’ll want to make sure there’s enough room for the moving company to park their truck because if not, there may be an additional fee for the moving company to transfer your boxes from the big truck to a smaller shuttle. Ask your moving company about any and all possible fees!
9. Double-Check
   1. Once everything is in boxes, be sure you have the final tally of all the boxes that are headed to your new apartment. It’ll help you keep track of everything that arrives come move-in.
10. Hire a reputable moving company.
    1. I’m so happy I hired Roadway Moving. As I mentioned, they honestly made my move as stress-free as possible by arriving on time, not making me feel rushed, and delivery on time with no missing boxes. They have amazing reviews online and I can’t recommend them enough! If you’re moving soon and haven’t used Roadway Moving before, use code “Nita10” to get 10% off your next local move—new customers only!

I hope y’all found these tips helpful! If you need more, definitely send me a DM or comment on this post and I’ll be happy to help. Happy moving and chat soon, xo!