Guide to Moving to Another State: Checklist and Tips

Has the time come for you to move to another state?

If yes, then you are expected to have a rather busy schedule in the following months or maybe even weeks of preparation. So, do you think you’re up to the house moving challenge as things stand right now?

Regardless of whether you believe the upcoming change is a good idea or not, the mere fact that you’ve made up your mind to leave the borders of your current state means that you must be really interested in learning the required steps to moving to a new state.

As you might already know, planning, organizing, and executing a successful out of state move is anything but easy. In fact, it’s proven that the preparation stage is the key to the preservation of your budget, prized possessions, and of course – your mental health as well.

The following tips for moving to another state will surely make both your preparation and execution stages much more manageable from start to finish.

Reasons to move to another state

Why move to another state in the first place? Well, your reasons to move to a new state can range from being

• strictly personal – moving closer to your family, moving in together with your loved one, running away from bad memories or lingering bad luck, enjoying your Golden years,

• largely economical – moving to another state for a better job, moving to a cheaper city, downsizing for reducing maintenance costs,

• strictly professional – moving up the corporate ladder or pursuing a new career altogether,

• purely circumstantial – moving to an area with a more favorable climate (moving to a warmer state), moving to a better neighborhood or school district, or

• maybe even a complicated mix of the above influential factors.

No matter the true reason or reasons for wanting to move to another state, it’s the preparation stage ahead of you that will determine whether you end the moving journey with a smile on your face or a splitting headache. In fact, it’s the things you do before moving to a new state that will make all the difference in your long-distance relocation.

Make sure you follow the moving to a new state checklist below to get yourself ready for one of life’s most stressful and nerve-wracking events.

Things to do before moving to another state

It’s fairly important to keep in mind that the moment you begin your moving preparations is the exact moment you should have a clear idea of how to organize your time effectively so that not a single day is lost. As it turns out, sometimes hours alone can prove to be vital while preparing to move to another state, so get down to work right away.

Create a moving checklist

As you must be aware by now, time is a constant by which we set our daily schedules and plan our days ahead. Nevertheless, once you begin work on the required moving tasks, you will soon understand that time is also relative to the observer – in other words, you may feel as if time had quickened its pace towards the deadline and the only way you can break free from that stress-inducing feeling is to make each hour count.

Do just that by creating a moving and packing timeline which will detail every single job you are expected and encouraged to complete before your state to state movers arrive at your door.

When moving to a different state, it takes only 3 easy steps to prepare your moving checklist (aka moving planner):

• First, write down all the tasks that you know you will have to deal with soon without worrying about their specific order. Check out our week-by-week moving timeline checklist for some good ideas and tips.

• Then, leave only the tasks that are relevant in your relocation case and that will help you save valuable time. This is known as personalization and the moving calendar you’re creating won’t really be yours until you do it.

• Finally, prioritize the move-related jobs according to their importance and make sure the top-priority ones are completed first. This way, you should be covered whatever happens during the moving preparation.

Moving to a new state CHECKLIST

Set a moving budget

When moving to a new state, it’s always a great idea to keep your moving expenses in check throughout the process of moving to a new location. And this is why you need a moving budget that actually works because it will help you monitor your move-related expenses. Basically, if a task requires more money for its completion, you should know right away and take the necessary steps to fix that.

And since moving to another state is not the right time or the proper place to rent a moving truck and try to move on your own (a long-distance move always proves to be more cost-effective when handled by interstate movers), your moving budget should definitely take into account the accurate moving estimate you have received from your mover, including the corresponding additional services and the extra charges and fees.

In other words, the moving company expenses are what your budget should be all about.

What to budget for when moving to another state

Get rid of unwanted items

Here’s the deal – moving to another state is all about cutting down your costs as far as they can go. The move distance and the shipment weight are the two main factors that you can’t just ignore – on the contrary, you need to understand how they both influence the moving price so that you can save money in the end.

The move distance remains unchanged at all times so you need to focus on lowering the total weight of your shipment, and that you can easily do by reducing the number of items you plan to take with you. Inventory your entire home, take notice of each and every possession in the place where you live, including the ones you have forgotten about, and start making some tough decisions.

20 Ways to reduce moving costs

The underlying principle here is to get rid of anything you haven’t used in a while (12 months is a good reference point) and do not plan to use it in the foreseeable future. Remember, less weight means a lower cost of moving to a new state.

But that’s not all! Of all the things to do before moving to a new state, selling some of your items to reinforce your stretched-out budget is another viable option to consider. After all, organizing a moving sale before your interstate move can prove to be quite profitable for you.

How to get rid of stuff when moving

Decide what to do with your furniture

In most cases, moving across state lines is not the best of times to haul your large and heavy furniture items with you. The reason for this is pretty simple: the interstate moving cost is calculated from the move distance and the total weight of your items. Basically, this means that the more heavy things you decide to move with you, the higher the moving cost will be in the end – and that’s something you should try to avoid.

Be smart when wondering whether to take some furniture pieces with you to the new state. Remember that unless a specific furniture item has a high sentimental value for you and under no circumstances can’t you see yourself parting with it, then you should definitely consider leaving the furniture behind as a good strategy to minimize the moving costs.

Also, bear in mind that in the majority of cases, moving furniture to a different state will cost you more money than to buy brand new furniture after the move is over. So, why should you go through all the trouble of hauling huge furniture items hundreds or thousands of miles across the country?

Should you move your furniture or buy new after the move?

Tend to your pets

When moving to a new state with pets, there are several important things to consider first before you decide what to do.

• 

  Moving with pets to another state can be tricky.

  A pet is part of your family so the option of leaving your animal friend behind is not really an option you should be considering at all.

• Interstate movers are not allowed to transport pets across the country for safety reasons, which means that you’ll have to find another way to get your pet – a dog, a cat, a bird, or another pet animal – to the new address in a different state altogether.
• All in all, you’ve got 3 options to get your pet to the new home: 1) transport them in your own car, 2) get them on a plane, traveling either in the cabin with you or as cargo, or 3) use the services of specialized pet movers.
• Decide on the best way to move your pet to a new state by taking into account all factors and circumstances of your long-distance move.

Tips for moving with pets across the country

Pack whatever you can by yourself

You may already be familiar with numerous tips for moving to a new state. And as long as those pieces of advice are good, some will eventually save you time while others will save you money. Either way, be ready to accept proven tips by experienced experts to make things way easier on yourself, on your family members, and on your budget as well.

Speaking of good advice on moving to a new state, it’s time to seriously consider packing whatever household items you can by yourself and resort to professional packers only for the goods that require special packing and handling techniques – for example, a piano, a pool table, or a valuable piece of antique furniture.

Here are the 10 basic rules of self-packing:

• Rule #1: AVOID these common packing mistakes at all costs;

• Rule #2: INITIATE the packing process as soon as possible as underestimation of the time required to sort out, prepare and box your stuff will only lead to bigger problems;

• Rule #3: START packing from the hardest rooms to pack up, usually the storage areas such as basements, attics, garages, and so on. What to pack first when moving;

• Rule #4: MAKE SURE you have the necessary packing supplies before you begin preparing your items for transportation to prevent unpleasant and time-wasting interruptions;

• Rule #5: PACK UP the rooms you use least frequently first and then move on to the areas you occupy on a daily basis to avoid cluttering up your packing stations;

• Rule #6: ASK reliable friends to give you a hand as packing is, without a doubt, the most time-consuming task in your moving checklist. How to get your friends to help you pack? Find out here;

• Rule #7: DO NOT TURN your back on safety! Safety when moving to a new state is paramount so the last thing you want is to risk your health or the well-being of your possessions and property. When things get really tough, don’t hesitate to get in touch with professional packers and movers.
• Rule #8: PACK an essentials box for each family member. Also known as an Open-First Box, an essentials box should be full of super essential items that will help you survive the first day and night in the new place, and even until you get reunited with your regular household items.
• Rule #9: DO NOT PACK any items that are forbidden for transport by professional moving companies. Such non-allowable items include hazardous goods (combustible, corrosive, explosive), perishable foods, and plants. Learn more about what not to pack when moving house.
• Rule #10: DO your best to lower the packing expenses. Of course, choosing to pack most or even all of your belongings by yourself is a great start but you can always go a step further and use free packing materials (including free moving boxes) to reduce the packing costs.

Packing Checklist: Packing timeline for moving

Take care of the must-do tasks

You’ll soon realize that moving from one state to another is more than just having your cherished belongings packed and transported to that new state by one of the best interstate movers in the country. It’s also about tackling the must-do tasks when it comes to planning and organizing a successful interstate move.

• 

  Moving to another state means that your postal address is changing too.

  Change the utilities. You’ll need to disconnect your current house utilities before the move-out date and to arrange their reconnection at the new-state home. [How to Change Utilities When Moving]

• Change your address. You’re moving to another state and your new house or apartment will have a new address as a result. Take care of this important task to avoid losing important pieces of mail during the big move. [How to Do a Change of Address When Moving]
• Obtain medical records. You’ll be soon living in a new town or city in a new state and that automatically means that you’ll have a family physician that’s different from the one you have right now. So, in order to register with another doctor in the new state, you’ll need to pay a visit to your general practitioner and obtain copies of your current medical records, including your immunization records.

20 Tips for moving long distance

Things to do after moving to a new state

Follow this guide to moving to another state and your interstate move should be a success. However, you shouldn’t let your guard down once you reach your new residence because there are a number of important post-move tasks you have to take care of as well.

Here are the top 5 things to do after moving to a new state:

Get a new job

Unless you’ve already secured a new job position in the new state – after all, it may have been a work-related relocation in the first place, then your top priority is to start looking for a new job as soon as possible.

Job hunting is not fun but it’s something you just have to do in order to make it in the new state. So, update your resume, obtain recommendation letters from your previous employers, and get ready to pass those job interviews with flying colors.

Visit the official webpage of the U.S. Department of Labor for assistance.

Register your car

Moving to a new state means that you’re going to have to register your car in the destination state. You can’t do that online so you’ll need to find some free time in your post-move agenda and visit the nearest DMV office in person.

Don’t put off that task for too long because different states have different deadlines for vehicle registration – some states will give you as many as 30 days to complete it while others will require you to register your car within 10 days.

Get in touch with your local DMV office to get more information about which important documents you have to bring with you. As a rule, you’ll need to have a car insurance policy purchased from that state you just moved to.

Find a good school for your children

If you just moved house with a school-age child, then you’ll need to find a good school in the new-state city and enroll your kid there. Of course, you may have already found the right educational institution – especially if you’ve moved during the school year. If not, then start the school hunt without delay.

Whenever applicable, make sure you visit the candidate schools together with your child before you make up your mind. In fact, a school tour is the best way to get a realistic feel for the academic atmosphere and assess whether it’s the right school for your son or daughter.

The school locator tool of the National Center for Education Statistics is a good way to start.

Register with a new doctor

Moving from one state to another means that you’ll need to find a new doctor for yourself and possibly for your family members as well. But before you start the search for a qualified, highly-skilled and experienced doctor in the destination town or city, you just have to know what type of a physician you’ll need – a primary care physician or a specialized doctor.

In most cases, it’ll be enough to find a general practitioner who’s been recommended to you by your previous doctor, friends, coworkers, or neighbors. If none of them can suggest a reputable family physician, then use the doctor finder tool of the American Medical Association (AMA).

Start unpacking

As soon as you step inside your new home, you’ll have to start thinking about unpacking your boxes. Unpacking is a huge project that takes many days to complete so you shouldn’t underestimate that post-move task in any way. And yet, the good news is that it’s a job with no impending deadline so you can unpack at your own comfortable pace without worrying about not getting it done on time as was the case of packing for your interstate move.

Of course, you should first unpack your essentials boxes, then unpack the boxes for the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom as those are the three rooms that should be ready first of all.

How to unpack after moving house

State to state movers: the key to success

Is moving to a new state hard? Yes, in most cases it is.

Not surprisingly, one of the toughest aspects of moving long distance to another state is the number of important decisions you will have to tackle in the very beginning of your preparation period. The pressure is really on as you can’t let any bad decisions hamper the success of your interstate mission, can you?

The most critical thing to decide will seem to be whether or not you should hire a state to state moving company to handle the tasks you can’t really do on your own – protecting valuable items through special packing techniques, moving heavy household items such as electric appliances or pieces of furniture, loading all your stuff into the moving vehicle in such a way as to save moving day time and storage space.

Your main concern will be, of course, the price of the professional moving service. In fact, it’s fair to say that it’s the cost of moving to another state that will predetermine your actions.

Here are a number of things to consider while you’re juggling the idea of whether hiring state to state movers is the preferred way to go here. To help you reach an informed decision, you must be perfectly aware that:

• Moving locally or even into another home situated within the same town or city is very different than relocating hundreds or thousands of miles with no sufficient moving experience behind your back. The more the move distance is between the two homes, the greater the risk becomes for any courageous attempts at moving to a new state by yourself. Don’t forget that top state to state movers are adequately insured too.

• The price of your interstate move can only be calculated with any degree of accuracy after a personal visit by a moving company representative. Too many factors are affecting the moving costs at the same time so you need an experienced expert to take a closer look at both your stuff for moving and your home to be able to give you an estimate you can trust.

• The on-site estimation is the ideal time to discuss with the moving expert all the issues that may be troubling you and to inform them of any extra terms and conditions prior to moving day. Be as straightforward as you possibly can, for any important information you withhold on purpose will likely backfire on you later when the pros arrive for the serious business.

• Are you running out of time? Professional movers tend to work fast without compromising moving day safety so they are your only option when the preparation window is too short for you anyway.
• It’s normal to be nervous about moving to a new state – after all, this must be a big step for you. Add the accompanying stress, anxiety, fear, and sadness, and you will have an explosive cocktail of overwhelming feelings that won’t let you concentrate on the tasks at hand. So, leaving the worries of your long-distance move to relocation experts is an excellent way to have some peace of mind and even turn your attention to saying goodbye to your good and loyal friends.

And now that you know why you should consider contacting a reputable out of state moving company, the next logical question is how to find the best interstate movers? The answer to that great question is not overly simple but you’re also fortunate enough to be just 31.5 steps away from locating the perfect moving partner for your upcoming cross-country move.