Moving out of state is exciting, especially if it is inspired by a desired change in our life – a new state with new mild climate, better infrastructure, new people with different lifestyle, better recreational facilities and even (why not?) more opportunities to have fun. Perhaps more adventurous of us would gladly chase their dream life from state to state but we must not forget that moving out of state is hard and requires a lot of work to be done. There is a rule of thumb in moving that the larger the distance – the higher the efforts and costs would be. The complexity from logistics point of view requires meticulous planning and preparation. If you have never moved out of state hopefully the below 5 essentials moving tips will help you make as smooth as possible.
1. Preparing to move
If you have already made a decision to move, let your landlord know about it too. Set a date with him for leaving your current apartment or house. As part of the moving preparation you can start looking for your new home – look for the most trusted local real estate agencies, research and compare the rental and selling prices of homes. Decide whether you want to go for a long-term rental or purchasing a property and what type suits you most – a house in the suburbs or an apartment in the heart of the city.
A good way to organize yourself a flawless move is to create a moving checklist with all moving activities you need to undertake. Make it as a well-organized time schedule starting from the day you’ve decided to move till the moment in the future where you have everything unpacked and arranged in your new home.
Organize yourself with the help of comprehensive, time-scheduled moving checklist
If you are traveling to your new state by plane, book your ticket well in advance – not only it will guarantee you a comfortable seat but also you can get a really low flight rate. If you also have a car, organize its transportation to your new state. You can also take your pets on the plane with you but make sure you have all the necessary documents for their boarding with you. Do not forget to buy or lend pet carrier, in particular if you travel with cats as they are generally not good travelers.
You might have also decided to move out of state by your car. In this case, especially if the driving distance is too long, make reservations for breaks with decent conditions for a good night’s sleep. Fatigue on road takes its toll so don’t rely on sleeping on side of the road or parking lots – even the tight budget can allow for a campground or a cheap motel.
2. Necessary changes when moving out of state
Make a research about the legal requirement in your new state since in some you must change your driving license and car insurance (different states have different minimum amount of insurance requirement).
Do not forget to notify your post office about the change in your address. Do the same with the banks you have loan or credit card issued from. Also think of anyone else that should be informed about your change – your doctor, financial broker and so on.
Contact utility companies and cancel/transfer their services by the time of your departure, like water, electricity, gas, cable TV, Internet, phone, etc. At the same time, make sure you you’ll have them in your new home when you arrive there.
3. Moving out of state expenses and costs
Probably the most frequently asked question about moving out is: “How much will my move cost”? There are thousands of articles on the subject but the fact is that you can never know how much exactly you’ll pay until you pay the last single bill associated with the move. The good thing is that you can get a really close estimate about the moving cost by filling out free moving quotes or estimators, like the one on our site. The moving companies also offer free moving estimates based on the weight of the items you have to move so holding a garage sale prior to moving is a good cost-optimizing idea. It also pays off to read some moving companies’ reviews and compare few estimates before choosing the mover.
4. The Packing
Packing itself is a process that can be done entirely by you, by the moving company or, like in most cases, a mixture of the two. Packing yourself can really save you money on moving but for some expensive and easy to break items is better to rely on the packaging professionals. Packing all items yourself involves purchasing packing materials, disassembly big items like furniture or appliances, arrange everything in boxes, label them properly and sort them out for loading. This might become too complicated, time consuming and with a lot of hard work involved so the option for a full move with a moving company might well be the best and most secure choice.
If you think furniture disassembly is not too complicated then packing yourself might be a good cost-optimizing thing to do.
A small hint is to pack all valuables and documents like passports, certificates, tax records, private documents, jewelry and small electronic devices and take them with you. You don’t want to lose anything so small and precious and never be able to restore it. These will not take much of your private luggage and be much safer than traveling with all your other belongings.
5. Upon arrival
Finally, your out of state move is at the finish line and all that is left to do is to offload your belongings and start living your new life. Meanwhile, check whether all your items have arrived intact and in their full number. If you notice any damage or missing box or item, be sure to notify the mover/carrier and fill out the paperwork before movers’ departure. Keep this document as it will play major role in case you want to file a moving claim. It could be wise to take pictures of some highly precious items prior to their loading and then compare their condition at the point of unloading.
As a final word, I would not try to recommend which way is better to move out of state – adventurous types might like to take the challenge of doing it on their own for the thrill in it. For those who prefer smooth and stress free relocation I’ll recommend to go for a full move with a reputable, professional moving company, especially if it is your first long distance relocation. Once you got experienced enough and learn the essentials of moving then you might try organizing and conducting your perfect out of state move on your own.
