3 Types of Moves (and How To Pack for Them)

Studies show that 15-20 percent of adults procrastinate regularly. This can be due to stress, poor time-management skills, mental issues or simply being overwhelmed by everything you have to do. 

To prevent procrastination, it helps to: 1, be prepared; and 2, take things one step at a time. This applies to everything from household chores to moving and storage.

Take interstate, intrastate and local moves, for example. They’re all a bit different logistically. As such, packing for them should be tweaked depending on the type of move. Let’s go over them.

1. Local

Even though you may be moving a short distance with a local move, your belongings can still be damaged if they aren’t packed properly. Follow many of the packing tip articles out there to get a good idea of general best practices for packing, and make the following adjustments:

• Utilize your vehicle to move your most valuable or important items. (You’re not moving as far, so you may be able to make multiple trips.)
• Use bubble wrap, packing tape and other supplies, just like you would with an interstate or intrastate move.
• Hire local movers, as many of them provide packing services as well.

2. Intrastate

Staying in Texas? Intrastate moves aren’t quite as complex and lengthy as interstate moves, but they’re still more involved than local moves and require careful packing like all moves. You can approach an intrastate move just like an interstate move (especially if you’re in the Lone Star State), as you’ll often be traveling a good distance. Here are some packing tips to keep in mind for intrastate moves:

• Use high-quality moving boxes. You might be able to get away with used or cheaper boxes for local moves, but we recommend using good boxes regardless of the type of your move.
• Start earlier than you think. It’s easier to do more things last-minute with local moves, but intrastate and interstate moves require more planning. Pack early!
• Keep a one-way trip in mind. You probably won’t be able to return to the old location for anything, unlike local moves.
• Hire the right moving company. With more logistics involved, it’s helpful to partner with a company that has experience and can scale moving sizes and distances easily. They can also advise you on packing best practices.

3. Interstate

The last main type of domestic move is interstate, which is usually the longest distance among these types of moves. You can treat interstate moves like intrastate moves, as mentioned above, with these notable exceptions:

• Consider purchasing insurance for your packed items, as longer distances carry more risk. You will also only want to work with an insured moving company with many able to offer additional insurance for your move.
• Make sure any items you’re packing are acceptable at your new location.
• Determine what belongings you need and don’t need, then downsize to reduce your interstate move size.

If you’re planning a residential move, you can trust the team at IMS Relocation to take care of you regardless of its type. Give us a call at 972-484-2112 for a no-obligation quote today.