Any move requires some preparation, whether you’re moving next door or the next city over. But an interstate move should be carefully planned out and executed. Otherwise, you’ll be wasting time and money. You’ll also be taking on a lot of stress, something you don’t need when moving.
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How to Adequately Prepare Before an Interstate Move
No one wants to put all that work into moving, but if you’re willing to research and manage the details, a smooth move is in your future.
Here’s how you can adequately prepare before a move.
1. Research Your New City and State
Before moving out of state, you should research everything about the place you’re moving to. If possible, take a long walk or bike ride around the neighborhood. For example, if you’re in NYC and looking for nearby options, consider some of the best affordable places to live in NJ close to NYC, and explore them firsthand to see if they suit your needs.
However, if you only have access to online resources, check Google Street View and browse for restaurants and schools.
2. Compare National Moving Companies
Moving your things will be your biggest expense and the most difficult aspect of an interstate move. While you could rent a truck and move everything yourself, it’s better to choose one of the many national moving companies using a comparison website. It’ll make your life easier.
3. Consider Cost of Living and Crime Rate
You should know how much your new life costs once you settle into your new state. Be sure to calculate transportation, housing, food, and tax-related costs, so you aren’t blindsided. If you’re moving to a high-crime area (i.e., to save on cost of living), order a home security system.
4. Find a New Home, Condo, or Apartment
It’s a good idea to find a new place to live before you part with your old one. It can take 6 months or longer to finish a home or condo sale, but only a month to find an apartment. If you need to sell your current home or condo, add an extra 6 months to your initial move-in date. If you’re looking to build a new home, it’s worth considering a prefab home or builder community. Many builder companies will commit to a 60-90 day new home construction period, making it a more reliable option than coordinating contractors on your own time. Doing it on your own is certainly possible, but the timeframe normally jumps from 60-90 days to 6-12 months.
5. Build a Decent Moving Budget/Savings
A long-distance move can cost as much as $10,000. You won’t want to put your total moving expense on credit cards, so budget for expected and unexpected move costs. These include gas, packing supplies, car shipments, hotel rooms, utilities, and first and last month’s rent.
6. Declutter Your Space Before Packing
If you have the time, declutter your home or apartment by moving from room to room. Decide what you want to keep, give away, sell, donate, or trash. Put the items you want to sell online right away. When you have fewer things to move, you lower your interstate moving costs. You can book Man and Van London mover service to get your thing to the next destination at a cheaper rate.
7. Figure Out Utilities and Car Insurance
Disconnect your utilities and reconnect them to your new location on the move-in date. Find the best power, sewer, water, internet, and garbage pickup provider in your neighborhood. Next, switch over your license and registration. You have 1- to 30 days to change to a new state.
8. Get a New Doctor and Health Insurance
It’s possible your current healthcare won’t work in a different state, so read through your policy to make sure. If you need to change insurers, connect with a health insurance agent who can help you. Find a doctor and transfer medical records and prescriptions to the new office.
9. Update Your Address and Register to Vote
Make sure to update your address with the government using a change-of-address form from the USPS. This ensures your old mail (and possibly voter’s registration) will be forwarded to the new address. However, you’ll have to change your address on other accounts manually.
10. Assess Your State’s Natural Disaster Risk
Whether you’re moving to flood-prone lowlands, tornado alley in mid-America, or hurricane infested Florida, you should take special precautions to stay safe. You may need to purchase certain insurance or make a disaster preparation kit that protects you and your property.