Moving long distance? Here’s how to ensure a smooth a move

Long Distance Moving

Illustration of two movers carrying boxes with heart symbols.

Are you planning a long distance move? Whether you’re heading from Calgary to Edmonton, Toronto to Winnipeg, or right across Canada from Vancouver to Halifax, you’re most likely worrying about one thing: how are you going to get yourself, your family, and your stuff moved with as few problems as possible?

While we may not be able to solve the kids’ boredom during a long car ride or flight, Two Small Men can help to make sure all your belongings are moved to your new home safely and efficiently. We’ve gathered our favourite tips and tricks to help you ensure your long distance move is as easy and stress-free as possible.

DISASSEMBLE WHATEVER YOU CAN

Disassembling furniture doesn’t make our list of “most fun pastimes for the summer”, and it may seem like a time sink, but the unfortunate truth is that disassembling and wrapping up your furniture is a reliable way to reduce the risk of damages like scratches and dents in transit. When you take the time to deconstruct your furniture, you’re living one of our favourite idioms: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

TSM Tip: When you break down your furniture, place all your nuts and bolts related to that piece of furniture in a plastic baggie and securely tape it to one of the pieces of the item.

STOCK UP ON PACKING SUPPLIES

Trust us – it’s best to get yourself good and stocked up on packing supplies early in your moving process. You never know when inspiration to begin sorting and packing will strike—and when you get into a good packing rhythm, there’s nothing worse than discovering you’ve run out of boxes, or packing tape, or paper in which to wrap your items.

TSM Tip: If you’re struggling to muster up the energy to pack up your house (we’ve all been there!), pick a room and put on your favourite movie, a podcast, a playlist of your favourite medium-to-high energy music, or schedule a video call to catch up with a friend while you work!

GIVE YOURSELF PLENTY OF TIME

Packing and making other moving preparations can be exhausting; give yourself and your family plenty of time to pack at a pace that works for you. Although many of us thrive on last minute deadlines, in this case we urge you to set packing goals week-by-week leading up to your move so that you’re not left hurriedly throwing your belongings into whatever bags and boxes are around the evening before your move. This will most likely lead to damages and headaches on the other side as you try to methodically unpack into your new home.

TSM Tip: Download our free moving checklist to keep yourself on track!

PACK BOXES BY WEIGHT, NOT BY ITEM

While your inner Type A organizer may be compelled to pack similar items together, there are some exceptions you should make to this rule. We recommend packing a mix of large or heavy items with small, light items to preserve the structure of your box—and for the safety of anyone who will be moving said box. For example, you really should reconsider packing your entire library of books into a few boxes. Try a layer—maybe two—of books, then add in cushions, stuffed animals, linens, etc.

TSM Tip: If you have no lighter items to mix in with your remaining heavy items, be sure to use smaller boxes—it’s safer for you and your items to have multiple smaller boxes that are on the heavy side than just a couple of large boxes that you struggle to get off the ground!

PADDING IS YOUR FRIEND – PACK YOUR BOXES SNUGLY

This is where you have an opportunity to make packing fun. Tap into your inner Tetris pro, and use extra padding or wrapping as needed to pack every box as tightly as possible. You want your items to be jostled about as little as possible—restricted movement within the box can make up for the sometimes-bumpy Canadian highways we all know and love, and snug quarters will stop your belongings from playing Box Buddy Bumper Cars on their journey to your new home.

TSM Tip: Instead of buying packing peanuts or foam to fill those crevices, consider using easy-care clothing items like socks and cotton tees to minimize waste and to save yourself time and money—after all, the fewer boxes you have to be moved, the more you’ll save.

These tips will not only keep moving stress at bay, they’ll also help your belongings survive the jostles, shakes, and bumps along the way of a long distance move—bumps that are inevitable whether you use a rental truck, full-service moving company, or even just your own vehicle.


Ready for your next step? Reach out to Two Small Men today for a quick, free moving quote!

Long Distance Moving

Published on: 4/10/2022

Updated on: 7/19/2024