According to a recent report by Statistics Canada, more and more people are leaving Toronto and moving to the suburb or even to a smaller town. The COVID-19 pandemic has no doubt been a big driver for this move, thanks to the work-from-home norm and the desire to move out of high-density cities. At Boxed Inn, we have seen this firsthand as we have been doing more out-of-town moves from Toronto to places like Collingwood, Niagara Falls, Ottawa as well as smaller rural towns in Ontario.

For the most part, a local move from Toronto to another part of the city is very similar to moving to another town in Ontario — you will still need to get the essential packing items to ensure a successful move, pack up your belongings properly, and decide whether you will do the move yourself or hire movers on moving day. However, when moving out of town, there are some additional things to consider to ensure your move to your new town happens with as little stress as possible.

Some things to consider when hiring movers for out-of-town or long-distance moves:

• Depending on the destination of your new home, some moves cannot be done in one day. Ontario has a “daily rest rule” that puts a cap on the number of hours a mover can work in a day. For long-distance moves, expect additional moving fees to cover the overnight expenses like hotels and meals.
• For bigger local moves, if all your household items won’t fit in a standard truck, it’s easy enough to do a second trip. However, for out-of-town and long-distance moves, it becomes much more important to know the total volume of items that will be moved and whether it will all fit in one truck or whether there is a need to book a two-day move or two-truck move.
• In general, there are more things that can go wrong with long-distance moves. For example, some homeowners may decide to fly to their new city while the movers drive the truck, so it’s best to have back up plans in the event of flight delays or highway accidents that may throw a wrench into moving day(s). It is also advisable to be prepared for some additional fees that could be incurred when things don’t go as planned.

At Boxed Inn, we do our best to accommodate various situations that come with long-distance moves. The more information we know ahead of time, the better we can work with you on planning your out-of-town move. Contact us and we’d be happy to give you an estimate.