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Moving Out of State Checklist: A Valuable Resource

All moves come with a set of steps to complete with an out of state move typically having more than a local move. Fortunately, our moving out of state checklist will allow you to smoothly tick off the boxes for a relocation that’s less stressful and more seamless — allowing you to focus on your new home and upcoming adventure.

#1 Find a House and a Job

In some cases, people are moving to a certain location because they’ve already secured a new job there. In other instances, someone may work remotely and will be able to do so in the new home as easily as in the current location. Other times, the job hunt is on! Looking for a job in the new locale may involve traveling to the new location for interviews or all could be handled remotely. Once you have a job, then you’ll have a good sense of your budget for your new dwelling.

Again, you may want to travel to your new state to shop for a new home or you may get a trusted real estate agent who sends you information about potential choices and links to view the homes online. The second route is more convenient and can allow you to continue going to work at your current job, taking care of your children, and otherwise living your routine. Google Maps is a great resource that will allow you to “see” your new neighborhood, and cities and other jurisdictions have websites that can give you a sense of the environment. You can also find information about your taxes and other local financial issues on government websites.

When you travel to your new state to see where your new home is, you can walk the neighborhoods, drive to your children’s new schools, and get a sense of your new life. Visiting grocery stores, as just one example of getting to know your new city, and will give you an idea about your new cost of living versus your current one. You can also measure doorways, ceilings, and so forth in your new home, making it easier to ultimately make a decision about what belongings to take with you.

#2 Estimate Your Expenses

You could, of course, do this item on our moving out of state checklist before you’ve completed the first one. But your estimate will be much more accurate after you know your actual housing expenses and know what you’ll earn in your new location.

This item can be divided into two parts: your monthly expenses and your moving expenses. With your monthly expenses, create a budget that includes your housing expenses, typical utility costs, and expenses for your vehicles, food, clothing, entertainment, and so on. Also consider what it will cost you to get to your new home, such as airline fees, and costs associated with repairs and renovations in your new place. If you’ll need to stay in a hotel while remodeling, include those charges.

Then, determine how much you want to spend on your actual moving expenses. (You can conveniently get a quote for your move anywhere around the country from Suddath.) When thinking about expenses, consider whether you’ll want the moving company to pack all of your belongings, if you’ll be doing the packing yourself—or using a combination of DIY and full-service packing methods. Also decide if you’ll need storage for any of your belongings: perhaps as you stage your home for sale, as you decide which belongings you’ll take with you, or as you renovate your new place.

At this point, you may select your mover. If so, this will secure your date of choice. If you’re not ready to make a decision yet, we’ll talk more about that in step five.

#3 Share the News: Family, Friends, and More

This step on your moving out of state checklist may have already occurred, or you may have decided to wait until more specifics were firmed up before letting people know about your relocation. If you’re going to resign from your current job to take on a new one, determine when it’s best to let them know and work with them to name the final day on the job. (Sometimes, people move because their current employer is relocating them, so that step has already been addressed.)

Determine who needs to receive notice about your move: a landlord, for example, if you’re renting, schools being attended by family members, the post office for change of address forwarding service, doctors, dentists, and vets, and so forth.

If you’ve got children who may be upset about leaving their school and friends, consider how you’ll break the news to them. We have a full guide for making moving with kids easier, but some quick tips are to:

  • Share fun things they can do in their new home.
  • Don’t discount their emotions about leaving.
  • Consider scheduling a party for friends and classmates to give your children a chance to say goodbye when move time is approaching.

#4 Reduce the Weight of Your Belongings

As part of your moving out of state checklist, you can consider ways that you can reduce your expenses. You can’t change the number of miles involved or some of the other factors, but you can reduce your belongings’ weight.

So, before you get your estimate from the moving company you’ll use, it can make sense to go through your belongings and reduce their volume and weight. When decluttering, you can consider the 20/20 rule. This rule recommends that, if there’s something you could replace in your new location for less than $20 in less than twenty minutes, it may make sense to get rid of it before moving.

Some items, you’ll discover, simply don’t have value anymore You may want to hold a yard sale to get rid of household belongings that you no longer want or need but others might. If, as an example, you’re moving from a colder climate to one where snow won’t be much of an issue, you might sell your heaviest coats and sweaters, your snowblower, and so on. Money you take in from the sale can contribute to your moving expenses. As another option, you could give belongings that you don’t need anymore to friends or family members who want them or donate them to charities.

If you’ll be doing some or all of your own packing, it can make sense to pack items you won’t need in the interim as you declutter: clothes and holiday decorations for other seasons, for example, dishes, pots, and pans that you won’t need until you get into your new home, books that you want to keep but won’t be reading soon, and so on. Label the boxes on all sides, listing the contents and where they should be unpacked.

#5 Select Your Moving Company

In step two in our moving out of state checklist, you likely got one or more quotes to create your moving budget. It’s time to choose your movers, selecting from fully licensed options (we’re happy to show you our licenses and awards).

Factors to consider include the following:

  • Moving experience: You definitely don’t want to trust your belongings to just anyone. Suddath has more than a century of moving experience, so there isn’t much we haven’t moved; we’ve managed moves for small apartments, large estates, and everything in between across the country.
  • Flexible choices: No two moves are ever exactly alike, so it’s important to choose a moving company that allows you to personalize yours. At Suddath, we customize moves, including with packing and unpacking services, with storage options, and so forth.
  • Trustworthy movers: You’ll want to ensure that the moving crew who will be going into your home is honest, reliable, and respectful. At Suddath, all of our movers are fully vetted, thoroughly background checked, and well trained before they work with our customers.

#6 Plan for Your Pets

Decide how you’ll transport your pets to your new home; perhaps you’ll drive them there yourself or you’ll fly. Whatever you decide, make sure that you have appropriate crates for your mode of choice that fit all requirements of the carrier. Get your pets comfortable in their crates before moving day by having them spend a bit of time in them along with their favorite toys and most comfortable blanket. Feed your pets treats when they’re in the crate.

Just like with your family’s belongings, declutter those of your pets as part of your moving out of state checklist. Toss out old blankets that your pets no longer use or toys of theirs that are no longer safe.

Make an appointment with your vet in time for your pets to be seen before moving day. Ensure they’re up to date with vaccinations, get medications they’ll need, and, if not already done, microchip them. You don’t want your pets to wander off in their new, unfamiliar neighborhood without having a way to safely get them home. If you think your pet is experiencing anxiety as they notice your moving activities, ask about possible medications or calming tablets to address their stress.

Otherwise, just try to keep your pets on their familiar routines. As moving day approaches, pack a bag of their items that you want to keep with you: food, water, dishes, collars, tags, and favorite toys. On moving day, have someone in charge of watching over your pets, walking them and otherwise keeping them on track. Here’s a moving with pets checklist in more detail.

#7 Get Settled in Your New Home

This can be the final section of your moving out of state checklist!

From cleaning to getting belongings in their new places, there will be plenty to do in your new home. When moving out of state, you’ll need to get a new driver’s license or state ID; register to vote; and transfer your vehicles’ title and registration. You can also send a change of address announcement to friends and family.

It will be time to get your children and pets settled into the new place, visit the interesting sites in your new neighborhood, meet your neighbors, and more. If you’re going to have a housewarming party, you can plan and hold that event, sharing your excitement about your new home.

Besides this moving out of state checklist and the one about moving with pets, Suddath offers more, including these:

Choose Suddath as Your Long-Distance Moving Company

To have the smoothest long distance move possible, it’s important to have the right state to state movers at your side with a relocation company that allows you to personalize your move your way. Suddath checks all of those boxes—and more.

We’re the experienced choice with more than a hundred years of moving experience in which we’ve relocated people along the entire spectrum: from small apartments to huge homes and everything in the middle. At Suddath, you decide what services you want and need, and we provide exactly that.

With our packing and unpacking services, you can choose our full professional services where we take all the burden of this time-consuming task off of your hands. We use the best packing materials and the appropriate equipment. Or, you can pick partial services where you tell us what rooms (say your kitchen and bedrooms) or belongings you want us to pack. As yet another choice in our flexible menu of services, you can select loading-only when you’ll pack DIY.

Our storage services are safe, secure, and convenient with 24/7 video monitoring and internal crating. You decide what belongings to store and on what timetable.

Plus, you can truly trust our movers. Each member of our crews is completely vetted and background checked before being comprehensively trained and mentored for more than 250 hours.

To get started with Suddath, simply reach out for a quote today!

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