Even if you’re only moving across town, there are many things to consider when starting in a new place. However, when you’re moving out of state, the moving process can become much more complicated.
Luckily, with proper planning and attention to detail, you can make your interstate move as smooth as possible. In this guide, we’ll discuss our top tips for moving out of state. Continue reading to learn what to put on your checklist to have a comfortable and efficient move.
18 Tips for Moving Out of State
1. Hire an Experienced Long-Distance Moving Companies: Anytime you’re moving, using a moving company is a quick and easy way to make your experience much less stressful. However, hiring a moving company for a long-distance move can be expensive. Some long-distance movers, such as Movegreen, offer fixed-rate long distance moving services that gives you cost certainty and removes any stress of potential added fees during your move.
2. Create a Packing Plan: Packing for your move can be a stressful experience. However, the single best way to help reduce your stress when it comes to packing is by taking the time to prepare. Make sure that you come up with a clear plan and stick to it. If you find yourself low on time prior to your scheduled moving day, hire a professional packing service, such as Movegreen, to pack all of your items safely and securely. Particularly when you are packing valuables, relying on the experts can be a major stress reliever.
3. Pick Your Moving Day as Early as Possible: Another great tip is to have a moving day scheduled as early as possible. This allows you to project plan all of your pre- and post-move tasks based on that date. Setting the date as early as possible will give you an opportunity to schedule services, like packing and moving, well in advance.
4. Plan Your Move-Out Cleaning and Repairs: Whether you’re moving out of a house or an apartment, you’ll need to conduct a deep clean before you leave. Ensure that you get all your necessary cleaning supplies ahead of time, and don’t underestimate how long it can take to do a deep clean. To save yourself some time and energy, hire a cleaning company to help you if you have the budget. There are many organizations that offer deep cleaning services. Also, keep in mind that you might need to make minor repairs before moving out to get your deposit back if you’ve been renting an apartment. For example, you may need to fill in small holes made in the walls when you hung certain fixtures.
5. Visit Your New Location In-Person: First, if possible, visit your new city and state before moving. If you’re able to do that, you can check out areas in-person and determine where you might like to live. You can even visit homes or apartment complexes to find one that suits your tastes and needs. You can also start to get to know your new city and look for fun restaurants and other hot-spots that you might want to check out in more depth when you move.
6. Research Schools and Crime: It’s also essential to get a sense of your new state’s different areas. If you have children, you’ll want to research the local school districts to determine the best options for your little ones. Additionally, it’s essential to look at the crime rates in the various areas you’re considering living in so that you can find the safest possible option for you and your family.
7. Find an Apartment or Home: Once you’ve completed research and visited the area, the next step is looking for a home or apartment. While it is possible to wait until you’ve moved to find someplace new to live, that can make things much more difficult. First, without a place to move into immediately, you’ll find yourself having to pay for a hotel or stay with a family member or friend. Extended hotel stays can be costly, and no matter how comfortable you are staying with your friend, it can get old fast. Also, the stress of not having your new place situated and set up can be extremely frustrating. If you’re looking to rent a place, try looking on websites such as Rent.com to find your new home.
8. Notify Your Children’s School: If you have children, it’s essential to let their school know that you’ll be removing them. Additionally, you’ll need to register your children at their new school and move any vital information between the two schools, such as records and proof of immunization. You’ll also need to get a list of the supplies that the new school will be requiring.
9. Check Out Your Budget: It’s also important to take moving out of state as an opportunity to look at your financial situation. Your income might change with the new job, and you will likely have to look at differences in the cost of living. You can use a cost-of-living calculator to help you figure out what kind of difference you might see. Note that a higher cost of living in the new location can help you negotiate a more generous salary with your new employer.
10. Transfer Your Professional License: If your profession requires a license, you must research how to get licensed in your new state of residence. If you’re working as a doctor, nurse, lawyer, or teacher, this is something that should be at the top of your priority list.
11. Transfer Your Memberships: Additionally, look into how you can transfer any crucial memberships to your new state. Many gyms and other organizations have branches in multiple states, so there’s always a chance that you might be able to stay with an organization you enjoy, even if you’re moving out of state.
12. Schedule an Auto-Shipper: Unless you are driving your car yourself, you’ll need to schedule an auto-shipper to get your vehicle to your new location. You can find many organizations easily online that will be able to ship your car or another car for you.
13. Transfer Your Utilities: Don’t forget to transfer utilities such as electricity and internet connection from your old residence to your new one. Usually, you can do this with just a couple of quick phone calls to your providers. However, this is a step that people often forget about, which can lead to stress. As soon as you know your new address, make sure you transfer your services.
14. Keep Your Valuables with You: When moving, keeping a close eye on your valuables is essential. Especially when dealing with an interstate move, you must make sure to keep your valuables, such as jewelry and electronics, in a safe place. Keep your expensive, smaller electronics with you, put any valuable jewelry into a plastic baggie, and keep it in your purse or another bag to make sure you don’t lose anything.
15. Pack an Overnight Bag: Also, keep in mind that whenever you move, you will not be all settled in right away. When moving long-distance, you may have several nights where you are not in your bed yet or at least are not fully unpacked. Thus, a crucial moving tip is to pack an overnight bag that contains all of your essentials, such as your toothbrush, medications, chargers, and a change of clothing.
16. Forward Your Mail: Right before you move, be sure to forward all your mail to your new location. Don’t do this step too early, or you may end up missing some correspondences.
17. Get a New Driver’s License: Whenever you move, especially to a new state, you must update your driver’s license. Do a quick Google search to find out where you can get your new license in your area.
18. Register to Vote: Finally, our last tip for moving out of state is to make sure that you register to vote in your new location! This is an often-overlooked step that will ensure that you’ll be able to participate in all local and federal elections in the future.
Interstate Moves Are All About the Details
If you’re planning an interstate move, you might feel overwhelmed. Heightened feelings are entirely normal, as there are many things to consider during this period of significant change. However, using the above checklist will help you stay organized and ensure that you’re taking care of all the crucial pieces.
Ensure that you pay attention to the little details, such as transferring your utilities and forwarding your mail. Moving out of state can be daunting, but once you get settled, your new residence will quickly start feeling like home.
