5 Coast to Coast Moving Tips for the Wanderlust Home Seller
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Larissa Runkle, Contributing AuthorClose
Larissa Runkle Contributing AuthorLarissa is a writer living on the road, originally from MA. She divides her time between editorial writing and content creation for brands and is well-versed in the subjects of home staging, open houses, and selling a home.
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Taryn Tacher, Senior EditorClose
Taryn Tacher Senior EditorTaryn Tacher is the senior editorial operations manager and senior editor for HomeLight's Resource Centers. With eight years of editorial and operations experience, she previously managed editorial operations at Contently and content partnerships at Conde Nast. Taryn holds a bachelor's from the University of Florida College of Journalism, and she's written for GQ, Teen Vogue, Glamour, Allure, and Variety.
Planning a cross country move? Then you’ve probably already started to crunch numbers and dive into all of the details involved. While any move can be stressful, there’s a big difference between swapping houses in the neighborhood and planning a major coast to coast move.
Such a drastic change carries its own set of challenges, including all the logistics surrounding your valuables and personal items, plus the stress of selling a home, buying a new one, and relocating to an entirely new place.
It’s a lot to think about, without even mentioning the cost, which averages around $4,800.
After catching up with major moving experts, we’ve compiled a list of essential coast to coast moving tips. Read on to learn everything you need to know for the smoothest 3,000 mile move of your life.
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1. Take control of your moving budget
When it comes to a major coast to coast move, there are really only two factors you can manage to keep costs at bay. The first is how you move — be it with a U-Haul or professional company, and the second is how much stuff you bring along.
Since all moving companies charge in weight, miles, and hours of work, how much stuff you bring is directly related to the amount you’ll end up paying. Let’s look at a few examples to see how moving costs can vary based on these factors.
Choose how you move
Professional moving companies offer a whole slew of services, including truck rentals, self-moving (or partial service), and full service. Truck rental services like U-Haul sit on the cheaper end of the range, and full-service companies are the most expensive since they often do everything from packing to driving and unpacking. Self-moving companies offer a service that lets you do the packing and unpacking while the company takes care of the transportation.
Most people assume truck rentals are their cheapest option, but it’s good to bear in mind that those quotes don’t include fuel, taxes, or liability coverage — all of which can increase your cost quite a bit. Meanwhile, when you get a quote from a self-moving service, you can expect all of those expenses to be included.
Here’s the hypothetical cost breakdown of a coast to coast move from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Portland, Oregon for a two-bedroom home:
Truck rental: $4,500
Self-moving: $4,119
Full service: $4,600- $10,300
In this scenario there’s not much difference in cost between a truck rental and a self-moving service — especially considering that one has you driving all of your stuff across the country yourself and the other does it for you. Where we really see a big jump is between those and a full-service company, where cost varies quite a bit based on how much labor time it will take to move all your belongings.
Be mindful of what you pack
The average American home holds 300,000 items. To avoid paying an arm and a leg to move all of your things, take some time to consider the true value of your items pre-move. Jacquie Denny, expert mover and co-founder of moving advisory company Everything But The House always advises her clients to consider the value of their items from three different angles: emotional, cost, and utility.
Using these three pillars will help you avoid packing things you don’t need or use and save room on the truck for things that really matter. “People always ship items they throw out at the other end,” says Nimrod Sheinberg, Sales VP of Oz Moving Storage.
Items you shouldn’t pack:
- Clothes that don’t fit or won’t make sense in your new destination
- Broken items
- Old appliances
- Clutter and knick knacks with no utility or sentimental value
- Books you’ll never read or boxes of papers collecting dust in the attic
Items you can’t bring (since the moving company won’t let you):
- Hazardous items like paint or paint thinners, nail polish remover, ammunition, aerosol cans, household cleaners, fertilizers and pesticides, fire extinguishers, alcohol, and any form of gas in a bottle (including propane and oxygen)
2. Sell off big-ticket items to simplify your move and knock down costs even more
Before you dedicate space in your moving truck for the old family couch, consider the cost.
Prepping and physically moving large furniture pieces is a grueling task, especially if you find yourself without the proper tools or help. Professional movers are a great way to avoid breaking your back, but they also come with a hefty price tag. With rates anywhere up to $200 per hour, you’ll want to optimize their time by only packing the big ticket items really worth keeping — and then selling the rest.
Selling off furniture is a great way to add funds to your moving budget and allow for buying new pieces in your new destination. Knowing that you can typically get 70%-80% of the original sales price back is also a good incentive to ditch your old sofa or wildly heavy dining room set.
Get ready to sell your stuff with these prep tips
Gone are the days of the good old garage sale; you’ll sell furniture much faster online. There are a lot of great sites to sell your stuff, but Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist are the most popular. When selling online, follow these steps:
- Take quality pictures of your furniture from multiple angles
- Post your items on multiple sites to get the most visibility
- Price items fairly and be up front about the condition
3. Purchase these long-distance moving supplies
To have a successful move, you’re going to need the right supplies.
- Packing paper: Better than newspaper (no ink stains), you’ll want several rolls of packing paper to safely pack fragile items.
- Large sturdy packing boxes: Sturdy boxes that can take a beating are a must for any coast to coast move. We recommend purchasing ones with handles to make your move easier and to always pack boxes completely to avoid things shifting around and potentially breaking during the move.
- Cell boxes: Pick up a few free boxes from your local liquor store and don’t forget to grab the cardboard dividers. These will work well for storing china and other fragile items that need to be separated.
- Bubble wrap: When packing paper isn’t enough, and it often won’t be, you’ll want a supply of this stuff to give your items proper protection.
- Quality packing tape: Strong packing tape is a worthy investment in your move, not only for closing boxes but also to give them the extra reinforcement they need to survive the distance.
- Portable safe: Invest in a portable to safely transport jewelry and other valuables cross country.
- Spare car key: If you’re driving cross country with only one car key, do yourself a favor and get a spare. While car keys are anything but cheap, you’ll prefer having an extra over getting stranded.
4. Hire the help you need
One trap Denny sees her clients fall into time and again is trying to do everything themselves, all at once. “People start thinking about everything they have to do, start four projects, get burned out and pack things they don’t really need,” she says.
Instead of falling into various modes of packing frenzy, combine your efforts with those of a professional. Sheinberg advises his clients to start by packing things they feel comfortable packing — like books and linens. “Leave fragiles and valuables to a pro,” he adds.
Many moving companies’ service packages include wrapping all of your furniture in plastic, like dressers, nightstands, and end tables. That allows you to keep your clothing and personal items tucked away in furniture drawers and move them all together as is, reducing your box count and packing burden. Some companies will also provide and use their own furniture blankets to protect your big bulky items, meaning you can cross expensive padding off your supplies list.
While the idea of saving money by going DIY is tempting, a cross country move isn’t the time to mess around. Sheinberg says it’s the same logic behind why most people don’t change the oil in their car. By the time you buy the oil (or rent the moving truck) and put in the time to change it (or pack and drive all those miles), you’ve already spent the equivalent of 60-80% of the cost and given yourself all those hours of labor.
There are also physical limitations to what most people can safely move. Heavy furniture that needs to be navigated through tight spaces and stairwells is better left to the professionals who can do it without getting hurt.
Hire a good coast to coast mover based on these three factors:
Reviews and ratings from past customers on the web
Like any service, you have a better shot at a good experience if the company has a solid track record of happy customers.
If you know someone that recently moved cross country, ask them for a recommendation, or ask about your neighbors’ experience with local moving companies by posting a callout on your Nextdoor news feed.
Additionally, read Yelp reviews to make sure the company is in good standing, and check the company’s rating with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
Proper registration with the Department of Transportation
To protect yourself from moving scams, Sheinburg’s number one tip to customers shopping for a moving company is to get their U.S. Department of Transportation number.
“Every moving company that wants to do households has to get licensed from the U.S. DOT. Get that number and use it to research the company online,” Sheinberg says.
You can ask any moving companies providing estimates for their DOT number, or look for it on their business cards or website, where they’re legally required to post it. It’s also important that they have a carrier number from the Federal Motor Safety Administration. Check the company’s motor carrier and DOT numbers for yourself to make sure they’re legitimate.
Realistic quotes in line with other moving companies’ estimations
Sheinburg advises his clients to always ask for a price quote and a timeframe on pick up and delivery, and to avoid any company that gives vague answers. He also warns that if the timeframe and price seems too good to be true, it probably is.
“No moving company is that much cheaper than other moving companies,” he explains. “In these types of moves, your stuff has to go to a warehouse, on a tractor trailer, and get separated in a certain way. This requires some level of logistics that adds up to some cost. So if someone gives you a much lower cost, it might just be to capture you.”
One way to avoid a scammer moving company is to get a few of these quotes in advance. Once you have a rough idea of what your move costs, pick the company with the best customer service reviews. This will be good peace of mind during the move.
5. Work with top-notch real estate agents on both ends of your move
Working with an esteemed real estate agent isn’t only the best way to time your move right and sell your house faster (and for more money), they’re also a great resource on the other end of your move and can help make sure you get off to a good start in your new city.
A good agent will ask all sorts of questions before even showing you a house profile in a new city. Luxury real estate agent Steve Bacardi of Naples, Florida, who has 45 years of experience working with clients on relocations, mentions that he always asks how well they know the area, where their new job will be, if being near a good school system is important for their family, and a myriad of other questions when trying to place clients from across the country.
“If a buyer comes from far away, I have to know what they know about the area, and then I can fill in the missing pieces,” he says.
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Simplifying your cross country move from start to finish
As you embark on your coast to coast journey, remember that every move has its challenges, but with careful planning, organization, the expertise of moving professionals and experienced real estate agents, you’ll be better equipped to navigate the logistics of your move, sell your old home, and start a new chapter in your life on the other coast.
Through HomeLight, you can find top-rated agents who can help you sell your current home and find the perfect new home in your destination city, making your cross country move an exciting adventure rather than a stressful ordeal.
Coast to coast moving FAQ
Work with experienced real estate agents in both your current and destination cities. They can help you time your sale and purchase, and assist with the logistics of transitioning between homes.
Consider using a professional moving company for a coast to coast move. They offer various service levels, from full service to self-moving options. Alternatively, you could rent a moving truck and handle the move yourself.
Research moving companies online, read reviews, and check their ratings with the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Ensure they’re properly registered with the Department of Transportation and have a carrier number from the Federal Motor Safety Administration.
Assess the value of your furniture and large items based on emotional attachment, cost, and utility. If they’re not worth the effort or expense of moving, consider selling them and using the funds to buy new items at your destination.
Minimize the weight and volume of your belongings by decluttering and selling unwanted items. Compare quotes from multiple moving companies, and consider self-moving options if you’re able to handle the task.
Header Source: (Rachael Smith/ Unsplash)
- "What is the moving cost from east to west coast?," U-Pack, Autumnn Mahar (March 2023)
- "14 Shocking Statistics About The Things We Spend Money On," Making Sense of Cents, Michelle Schroeder-Gardner (May 2023)
- "How To Sell Furniture Online (2023 Guide)," Forbes, Laura Hennigan, Cassie Bottorff (April 2023)
At HomeLight, our vision is a world where every real estate transaction is simple, certain, and satisfying. Therefore, we promote strict editorial integrity in each of our posts.
