How To Move Out Of State Easier

There is much to do when moving out of state. You’ll be able to plan for many of these tasks and activities, but there the unexpected will always rear its head. Sometimes these unexpected situations are minor and cause little to no alteration to your plans. But other times they have the potential to derail, delay, and significantly affect your move. 

To deal with these last-minute or along-the-way hiccups, set aside an emergency fund. You might need it to pay for things like a hotel stay during bad weather, or buying a few essentials that may have been misplaced or delayed in the move. It’s a good insurance policy and one less thing to worry about

Often the town or city to which you are moving will be quite different from what you’re accustomed to. Give yourself the best idea of what you can expect in your new area, by doing some research. Here are a few useful things to investigate:

When are the commute times?

Not every city has the same commute schedule, and rush hour times can vary. You’ll want to know things like how long it will take to get to your work, drop off kids at school, the best time to run errands, and how accessible is public transportation.

How are the schools?

If you are a parent, you’ll want to look into the schools in the area where you’ll be moving. Check online reviews to see the quality of teachers and facilities, what types of activities they offer, and so forth.

Where are the safer and less safe areas? 

When moving to a new city, it may not be obvious where you should stay away from and where you’ll be safer. Some online research can help identify these areas.

While much of what used to be sent via “snail mail” is sent electronically these days, there are still important pieces of mail that you’ll want to be sure you will receive, like bills, subscriptions, and so forth. Fill out change of address forms with the US Postal Service and forward the mail from your old address to your new one.

Be sure to have the utilities set up for when you arrive in your new home, and cancel the utilities in your old home on the day you plan to leave. 

For your accounts such as doctors, cell phone companies, internet providers, subscriptions, banks, and so forth, be sure to change your address with them.

Critical documents like birth certificates, passports, social security cards, medical documents, and others should be kept together and secured. Keep these with you in your car, not packed in the moving truck, and even better, in a bag or pack that you have with you at all times.

While all of the above tips will help your out-of-state move go more smoothly, one of the best things you can do to avoid hassles is to identify and hire professional movers. 

You’ll first want to confirm that the company can handle moves from state to state, and it’s important to know the following as well:

How many years of experience do they have?

Can you get a ballpark estimate of costs?

Do they have positive reviews that appear trustworthy?

Do they offer value protection and limited liability protection?