Are you planning to move out soon? And not just move out, but perhaps you’re planning to move out of state? It’s a long-distance move where you’ll need to live away from your family, friends, and the home that you’ve known for months or even years. Whether this is your first or nth time, moving out of state will always be an emotional and intensive process. Think of this as packing up your whole life in small boxes and moving them across the state lines.
Furthermore, an out-of-state move is also considered among the most stressful events that may happen in a person’s life. A survey even claims that the respondents considered moving as more stressful (45%) than getting a divorce (44%), switching careers (27%), or getting married (33%). That’s because when you prepare for an out-of-state move, you’ll be forced to disrupt your daily routine to deal with all the moving preparations.
And the disruption of your daily routine doesn’t only happen in a day or a month. The whole moving preparation can sometimes last several months, especially the packing stage. On a positive note, just because it was stressful for others means it’s the same for you. With proper planning and a suitable checklist, you can successfully move out of state with less stress, hassle, and mistakes.
To get started, here’s a complete checklist for moving out of state.
1. Set A Moving Budget
Since an out-of-state move is much longer and further, you can expect it to be costlier than a local move. So, before you start packing up, check your finances first to see if you can financially commit to this long-distance move. It would be complicated to cancel your move if you realized too late that you can’t afford all the moving expenses, especially when you’ve already spent a significant amount on the initial preparations.
So, plan and check how much money you will spend on this move. You can list down all the moving expenses you expect and designate a specific budget for each aspect.
2. Pick A Reputable Moving Company
A do-it-yourself (DIY) move may be possible and doable if it’s a local move or a simple move from one neighborhood to the next. But for an out-of-state move, you’ll need all the help you can get from professionals to ensure the moving process goes smoothly and quickly without delay. Thus, hiring a reputable moving company like Man and Van Enfield is recommended to help you with your move. Also, if you are living in Austin area, hire movers in Austin, TX.
Also, professional movers like thebigboymovers.com or other long-distance moving companies can help ensure that the entire moving process will be easy for you. You no longer need to think about lifting your boxes or taking them to your new address, as they’ll handle all that for you. Some moving companies would even offer additional services like packing your belongings and helping you with the unpacking process. So, while the movers handle the complex aspects of your move, you’ll have more time to focus on other essential things.
Furthermore, one thing to check is to hire a moving company offering insurance. So, in case of any loss or damage to your items, they’ll cover and reimburse you for the mishaps.
3. Check Your New Home or Address
Ideally, before you even start packing, it’s recommended to visit your new home or the new state you’ll be moving into if your budget fits. This way, you can see and feel the location of the new neighborhood. In addition, this will be your opportunity to assess how far your new place will be from the schools, malls, hospitals, train stations, and other establishments important to your lifestyle. If you’re completely unfamiliar with the new state, visit their tourism center or visitor center and ask for their maps, brochures, and recommendations.
In contrast, if you cannot visit the new state physically, you may do your research online or use different digital resources to explore the area virtually. Perhaps you can use a browser map for a satellite view tour, read online reviews about the place, or search the city’s tourism page or social media accounts. You’ll easily feel more comfortable moving into your new home if you have an idea about the place.
4. Know Your New Place’s Cost Of Living
Setting a budget doesn’t end after you move. Another budgeting preparation you must plan and prepare is for the expenses and the cost of living in your new place. You don’t want to move to an entirely new city only to realize you can’t afford its cost of living. So, while you’re in the neighborhood, you may use this time to learn more about how much their fuel, groceries, transportation, taxes, or restaurant food usually costs. If you bought a house, ask about the monthly utility costs and so on.
5. Consider The Needs Of Your Kids And Pets
If you’re moving with children and pets, you must consider their needs in the new place. For your kids, you’ll need to check for any available physicians, dentists, or specialty doctors in the area to help maintain your kids’ health.
Similarly, if you have pets, look for available veterinarians in the area and read their client reviews. Additionally, it’s recommended to bring your pet for a final health checkup with their old vet. This is to ensure your pet is physically and psychologically prepared for relocation, especially if your pet already has an ongoing health issue.
6. Organize The Necessary Paperwork
Moving out of state will involve plenty of paperwork, so it’s essential to have it organized at least two months before your move so you don’t miss anything. Preferably, you can create a moving file or a binder and fill it with all the documents necessary for your move. Here are some of the paperwork you need to deal with when moving out of state:
- Credit cards
- Driver’s licenses
- Updated gym memberships
- Pet registration
- Your children’s school records and registrations
- Updated Wi-Fi
- Updated utilities
- Mail forwarding
Some of these documents must be updated before moving day, while others will have to wait until you’ve settled into your new state.
7. Choose A Moving Date
After you have finalized all the necessary paperwork, chosen a moving company, and found a house in the new state, it’s time to schedule your moving date. When selecting a moving date, ensure it’s compatible with everyone’s schedule, not only yours. Preferably, discuss it with your family so you can choose the moving date together. Remember, your choice of moving date can significantly influence the cost or rate of the moving company.
For example, if you choose to move during weekends or holidays, you can expect the moving rate to be more expensive since these are their peak season. Meanwhile, if you schedule your move on weekdays, you can have a less expensive move.
8. Declutter And Sort Out Your Things
Moving out can be the perfect time to sort your things, declutter, and eliminate anything you don’t need in your new home. Plus, leaving your unnecessary belongings also saves on moving costs since you’ll bring fewer boxes and furniture. So, a few weeks or months before your move, go through your things and donate them to charity if there’s still in good condition.
Or, if you need some extra cash for your move, you may also sell them in thrift shops or host a yard or garage sale. If you don’t have the time, consider giving them to your friends and family.
9. Gather All The Packing Supplies
At this point, all that’s left are things and furniture items you intend to take with you when you move. As early as a month before your moving date, you can start packing your things to ensure you don’t forget anything. But for a smoother packing process, gathering all the packing supplies you need in one room is ideal to avoid wasting time going back and forth and looking for the rest of the supplies.
Some of the packing supplies you must prepare:
- Thick and high-quality boxes in different sizes
- Rolls of tape
- Rolls of bubble cushioning
- Scissors, box cutter, utility knife
- Pen and paper
- Black marker
- Colored stickers (for the label)
- Old newspapers and extra cloth for more cushioning
If you’ve availed of the packing service from the same moving company, you can skip this step, as they’ll be the ones who’ll provide all the packing supplies you need.
10. Create A Strategic Packing Plan
Before packing up, have a packing plan and a timeline for your packing. This will guide you on what rooms to pack for the week and keep you on time. For example, for the first week, your goal is to pack the least used rooms like the garage, attic, or basement. For the next week, you can move into the next rooms, leaving the busiest or most used rooms as the last ones to pack.
You must also share the same timeline with your movers or professional packers so they’ll know which rooms they should pack up first. Most importantly, don’t forget to pack a separate box for the essentials. This box will contain all the things you’ll need immediately after you’ve moved into your new home.
This may include toiletries, medicines, sleeping clothes, dinnerware, cleaning supplies, gadgets/chargers, etc. This way, you have everything you need in one reach instead of digging into a pile of boxes trying to find your toothbrush.
11. Make Travel Arrangements
Unlike a local move wherein you only need the moving truck and the car, moving out of state could mean traveling by plane or ship, depending on how far that state is. So, make the necessary travel arrangements to ensure the moving day will go smoothly.
For example, book your plane tickets and hotel reservation in advance to avoid problematic scenarios like fully booked flights which could delay your move. Remember that it often takes a few days or weeks for the moving company to deliver and move all your stuff. Thus, set some plans for your temporary accommodation before you get there.
Wrapping Up
Moving out of state can be more complicated and may present unique challenges. But with proper preparation and planning, you can ensure that your out-of-state move goes smoothly and successfully. So, keep this checklist with you and use this as your guide for your upcoming out-of-state move. Most importantly, don’t forget to hire a reputable moving company to ease the stress and help you in every step. Good luck and happy moving!