There are few moves more stressful than moving all the way across the country. It leaves you with the opportunity to take your favourite things with you, but this comes at a cost.

Here are some tips to keep in mind if you’re looking into moving from one coast to the other.

Take inventory.

Write down everything you own – especially the large, high value items. Figure out if it would be more cost effective to buy new ones once you arrive, than it would cost to ship them across the country. Find here a great moving checklist to help you get started.

Sell and donate everything you don’t want to take with you.

The less you bring with you, the cheaper it will be to move. Be vigilant with reducing and getting rid of as much as you possibly can. Sell anything you no longer want that still has substantial value, and donate the rest to your favourite local charity.

Document your items.

Take photos of everything you do decide to keep pre-move, giving you time stamped proof of the condition of your items before they hit the road. Decide on an insurance package to cover any damage.

Get quotes from movers and moving trucks.

Do your research to find the most reliable moving company that deals with cross-country moves, or dig deep to find the best deal on a moving truck or trailer you can rent out and drive yourself. You can also look into ‘self-move’ services, which allow you to pack yourself up and load a unit full of your possessions, but then they drive it across country for you.

Will you ship anything?

Calculate pricing options for shipping items through Canada Post or USPS. Items like books can weigh down a truck fast, and it might actually save you money to have them shipped through one of these services instead of including them in the moving truck.

Ensure your car is ready for the trip.

If you are driving, make sure your vehicle is in tip-top shape. Even if you’re using a moving company for your heavy items, any time you embark on a cross country journey, you should take your car to the shop first to ensure it can endure thousands of miles without breaking down on you. There’s nothing worse than having to take it in mid-trip, filled with your stuff.

Be realistic about road trip expenses.

How long will the trip take you? If it’s from one end of Canada to the other, you’ll need to factor in funds for a place to sleep for a few nights, along with gas and food for the duration of the trip. If you’re planning on using the trip as an opportunity to do some sight-seeing across the country, you’ll need to budget in more money to account for the extra days of food, entertainment and lodging.

Figure out the most cost effective option.

Does it make more sense to drive your vehicle and have your possessions shipped, drive your vehicle and tow a trailer with your things, drive a moving truck and tow your car behind it, fly and have possessions shipped, or hire a moving company to take care of everything and fly? Once you’ve researched all the various pricing options and weighed the time and effort it would require of you, you’ll be able to come to the right decision for your big move across the country.

Ultimately, you can always check the Canadian Association of movers for long distance moving companies,