Did you know that in 2019 54.5% of moves were across state lines? 30% of people who moved into a new home moved into a 1 bedroom place. 24% of movers took up residence in a 2 bedroom home.
The majority of moves in 2019 occurred during the summer month of May at 11.4%. April and June saw the second biggest number of moves with 10% of movers choosing these months to relocate.
Moving can be a stressful process but moving to another state can bring even more hurdles. Keep reading to learn some of the tips you should know before the big move.
1. Have a Home and a Job Before Making a Decision
Maybe you’re moving to a new state because of a job or maybe you’re looking for a fresh start in a new place. Whatever the case may be, you should find a new place to live and a job before even planning your trip.
You don’t want to get somewhere new and not have a place to sleep. Once you have a place secured, finding a job through online job sites is a great place to start. If you aren’t able to get a job before you’re set to move, make sure that you’re saving enough money to help you get by for at least 3 months.
Make sure you’re aware of the current job market as it relates to your industry when deciding to move to a new state.
2. Do Some More Research
If the state where you’re moving wasn’t your first choice you might not know much about it. This is the time to do extensive research. If you’re moving for a job opportunity and are dreading having to leave home, you might find that your new city is better than you expected.
If you’ll be moving with your children, looking into the school district and how local schools rank is a must. You can find information about commuting and traffic online as well as the crime rates in the area.
Check out the differences in state taxes so that you aren’t blindsided by this after the move.
3. Make a Budget
The cost to move can get pretty high so creating a budget for the move is an essential step. The first thing to ask is whether or not the job you’re moving for is offering to help pay for the move.
Companies may offer some form of stipend to help you relocate so this might be something you need to include in your budget. Your first and month and deposit or the down payment for a mortgage on your new house should also be accounted for in your budget.
Once you have these costs accounted for you can create a budget for the costs of transporting your things across state lines. Budgeting is important because it’ll help you track where your money goes and save you too.
It’s a good idea to start saving for a move ahead of time and set aside some money you can rely on when you start preparing for your big move.
4. Take a Trip Before the Move
While you can do very thorough research about a place online, there’s nothing like seeing it in person. Before saying yes to a job offer across the country or picking up and moving, make a trip out to this new city to see how you feel.
Plan to head there for a weekend and check out the neighborhood you plan on living in. Make sure to check out some of the local favorite spots, ride around the routes you’ll be taking to work, and check out a few parks.
This should give you an idea about whether or not you’ll like living in this new city.
5. Make a Plan
If you’ve been asking yourself how to move to another state making a plan is the most important part of the process. Make a checklist of important things to do before the move to ensure you don’t let anything slip under the rug.
Set up a timeline and add tasks you can accomplish each day to it. This will help you get through every step without getting overwhelmed by it all. To this list you’ll have to add creating a budget, contacting the movers, and changing your address among other things.
6. Find Movers
Figuring out how to move all your belongings will probably be the most difficult task you’ll face in this process. Planning ahead of time will make everything go as smoothly as possible.
One option is to research different moving companies and hire one to help transport all your belongings across state lines. Some companies offer these moving services to help you get to your new home at an affordable price.
Another option is to rent a moving truck or portable container yourself. You can ask friends and family to help you pack and load everything or hire movers to help you with the loading and unloading.
7. Pack What’s Important
Pack what you can ahead of time. Packing a bit each week will make this troublesome task easier.
Packing up for a move is the perfect time to do some spring cleaning and get rid of the things you don’t really need. Not only will you have fewer things to move but it’ll also be less expensive and time-consuming to move your things.
When getting rid of what you don’t want before the move, make sure to separate things into two piles to donate or to sell. By selling some things online you can save some money you’ll need for the move.
8. Decide between Driving and Shipping Your Car
When making a long-distance move you’ll have to decide whether it’s more affordable to make the drive or have your car shipped and fly out to your new home. Shipping your car might be the best option when traveling across the country. Since shipping your car can take some time, schedule out the process to coincide with your move.
While having a car shipped might sound expensive, driving across the country and putting that type of mileage and wear and tear on your car might not be worth it. You also have to take into account the gas money and overnight stops you’ll have to make.
9. Take Care of Your Utilities
Making sure you get your utilities in order before the move will save you a big headache. Imagine getting to your new place after a long drive or flight and not having electricity or internet.
About a week before moving day you should take some time to set up your utilities in your new home.
10. Don’t Forget to Forward Your Mail
Next on our list of moving tips, don’t forget to reach out to the U.S. Postal Service to change your address and have everything sent directly to your new home.
You’ll have to change your address with multiple services like the bank, phone company, and insurance providers. Don’t delay in making these changes to avoid any issues down the road.
11. Pack the Essentials to Take With You
When you hire a moving company to transport the majority of your things to your new home in another state, there’s a small chance that your items won’t arrive the same day you do.
Whether you’re flying or driving yourself, make sure you pack a bag of essential items while you wait for everything else to arrive.
Important documents should stay with you as well. Valuable items should be transported with you too.
12. Research Your New Healthcare
If your move to another state is because of a new job, you’ll likely be receiving medical benefits. Nevertheless, make sure that you read through your new insurance policy so you’re clear on deductibles and premiums.
Request copies of your medical records and go in for your refill on medications before the move in case of any delays you might experience in seeing your new doctors.
13. Make Sure to Update Your Driver’s License
Some states give you a specific timeframe to update the address on your driver’s license. Look up this information for the state you’re moving to. You’ll also want to change the address on your vehicle’s registration as soon as you can.
Once you have your new driver’s license with the new address on it you’ll be able to update your voter registration card so that you can vote in the next election without any issues.
The Best Tips for Moving to Another State
Moving to another state is a long and time-consuming process. Make the move stress free by following some of the tips listed above.
Plan and budget ahead to avoid any surprise costs. You’ll also want to find a great moving company to help you transport your belongings safely.
Did you find this article useful? Make sure to check out some of the other home and lifestyle blogs on our site.
