7 Things to Consider When Moving to a New State

Naturally, there are many and various things to consider when moving to a new state. It is not only a matter of getting your belongings from point A to point B but also turning your life completely around. And in the end, the choices you made will determine if your move will end as a success or not. The following list will help you focus on the important decisions that should be made, so ensure to read it carefully.

#1 Your Old City vs. The Future One – Get To Know Different Aspects of Living in Another Place

No matter your reasons to move, exploring the benefits and flaws of your future place should be on your checklist for moving out of state. However, the process itself is different depending on whether you are already familiar with the final destination or not. If you’re just starting to research other locations, find out which cities have benefits that the old lacked. If the relocation place is predetermined, on the other hand, get to know what awaits you in the future. In both cases a few crucial points you must take into account before the move.

Explore the Job Market

Many Americans can’t afford not to work. That is why this task is necessary for almost everyone who decides to move. Moreover, getting a job in a different city with better opportunities for some may be an initial reason to opt for this step. Note that if you are quitting your current work position, researching employment opportunities before the move is a must.

Different tactics can help you with your search. The most common one is going through job search sites. Aside from it, you could put your networking skills to good use or even pre-change address on LinkedIn so that employers could find you instead. These work searching methods could even help you get a job in another state before relocating there. You just need to dive into the online world, see what your destination offers, and apply for a position you want. With some luck, a move without a job won’t be in your future.

Estimate the Quality of Education and Safety

If you are moving out of state with a child, their safety and education will be your primary concern. Even if you can’t pick a place that could offer you the best from both, at least get to know the neighborhoods around. It could be especially important if you’re relocating to a metropolis. Larger cities are known for having very different educational opportunities and the number of crimes in different areas. Only after this research should you choose a specific place for renting or buying a home and organizing a move.

Find Out What Are the Best Healthcare Options

One of the most common things people forget to do when relocating is checking if healthcare providers offer services at another location. Often, relocation to a different home across the country demands a change of healthcare. You should visit HealthCare to compare the best offers in different cities. And if you can continue using the same services you had in your old location, be careful – even if your provider has a network in your future destination, the policy may not be the same.

See if the Climate Will Suit You

This requirement only goes for the people looking for the best places to live. If you’re relocating for love or for work, the climate will not have much saying in it. However, if you have the freedom to decide where to live, always take your preferable weather into consideration. If too much sun and high temperatures make you nervous, pick states with a colder climate (and vise versa.) It could have a significant impact on the quality of life in your future.

#2 Cost of the Relocation vs. Your Financial Possibilities

It is not a secret that a long-distance move can be a pretty costly experience, even when you’re determined to save money on relocation costs. So, one of the first things to do before moving out of state is to calculate how much money you are ready to spend. Note that almost every decision that comes next will be conceded with the relocation budget you created.

Obviously, you’ll need more funds if you are relocating with family rather than moving out of state alone, but there are various other factors impacting relocation expenses. Choices such as whether you’ll get long-distance moving services, which packing supplies you’ll use, or even a decision about a relocation date could all depend on the money you have access to.

Remember to Research the Cost of Living Before Moving from One State to Another

As you’re well aware, living expenses in different states could vary, and not by little. You’ll likely need to prepare for a different cost of living in comparison to your current city. The research of different destinations could either persuade you to give up on expensive cities, convince you to start saving, or show you which city could better fit you financially. So, ensure to explore housing/renting prices as well as the cost of utilities, groceries, and transportation.

Remember also that different states have different tax regulations and that you’ll maybe need to adjust financially according to them. For example, states such as Florida, Nevada, or Texas have no income taxes. That is excellent news if you are relocating to some of them, but not-so-good if your future location recognizes this type of tax payment.

#3 Renting an Apartment vs. Buying a Home

This decision should depend on several different factors, like:

• The size of a city – are you relocating to a small town or metropolis? The most common housing option in large cities is an apartment, and in them more people opt for renting than owning.
• The lifestyle you prefer – people who crave urban areas often choose apartments in big cities. On the other hand, those who want peace and spaciousness pick more rural areas, where people often own their houses.
• Your financial possibilities – renting requires less money than buying. In addition to that, having roommates that can assist you with costs is much more common for renters.
• How much do you plan to stay at the location – many students rent apartments while in college and move somewhere else after. In that case, there would be no point in buying.

#4 DIY vs. Hiring Professional Cross-Country Movers

A decision about hiring a long-distance moving company is one of those driven by your budget. Those who don’t have a lot of funds will ask their family and friends for assistance more often than hire movers. If that is your choice, remember that all the hard work will be on you. You would need to rent a relocation truck or container, assemble and carry all your belongings and figure out how to get them to your destination intact. Not surprisingly, a DIY move could produce a huge amount of stress and make you forget about all the benefits of relocation ahead.

On the other hand, movers know everything about how to move to a new state and could help you get rid of all the worries concerning the relocation. Letting movers assist you is always preferable, if possible. After all, they are masters at all the ins and outs of packing fragile items, and they learned all about tricky tasks such as how to move a piano. Just be aware of relocation scams when choosing a cross-country moving company. Learn how to check if a relocation company is legit and secure yourself a stress-free move.

Should I Get Additional Services When Hiring Long-Distance Movers Near Me?

You should decide if you need some of the offered services to ease the move. For example, if you think that driving your car to the future home is a tiring and lengthy process, auto transport services could cross it off your relocation to-do list. You could also opt for storage services in case your house isn’t ready by the time of your relocation date. However, you should be prepared to pay accordingly.

#5 Important vs. Non-Essential Documents

Relocation is an excellent excuse for you to finally organize important documents and throw away everything that has no more use for you. When the relocation day comes, ensure to have by your side:

• Birth and marriage certificates,
• Tax records,
• Bank statements,
• Medical and vet documentation,
• School records,
• Professional license, and the like.

Think about all the documentation and registrations you must change when relocating between states, like driver’s license, vote, and car registration, and so on. It will save you time after the move. Also, while sorting through the piles, make a list of providers that must be notified about the move

#6 Buying Packing Materials vs. Finding Free Stuff (and Other Things to Consider When Moving to a New State and Packing)

Packing is a task that will steal most of your time before the relocation day comes (if you don’t want to get professional packing services). You should start with considering different choices the are put in front of you, like:

• Will you buy new material or use recycled one? There are a lot of places where you could get free boxes, for example. You could ask your family and friends if they have some to spare, visit a local store or even search for them online.
• What kind of material will you use? When it comes to wrapping, there are many different possibilities. You could choose packing paper, bubble wrap, or some old towels and linens.
• Which room should be packed first? It is always best to start with the space you rarely use, such as basements, garages, or attics.
• Which labeling technique will you use? You could opt for color-coding or simply writing down the name of the rooms where your items belong. As long as you label boxes, everything is good.
• When is the right time to start packing? The key is not to start too soon or too late. A couple of weeks ahead should be enough for most cases.

Packing truly is a complex task, but luckily, you could use many packing tips to make it more bearable. If you whisht to find out more about them, don’t miss watching the following video:

#7 Tossing vs. Selling vs. Donating Unwanted Items

When relocating long-distance, decluttering must be a part of your checklist. And after the purge, you will be faced with a big pile of no-longer-wanted items. You must decide what to do with each thing. Note that relocation companies usually define quotes based on the weight of your inventory. Sometimes it could be hard to part ways with your belongings, but keep in mind that the more items you move, the more your relocation will cost.

How to decide what to do with the unwanted pile? Tossing should be reserved for broken items and those that can’t be used any longer. The more complicated decision is connected to the question of what to sell and what to donate. A general rule is that more valuable items should be sold, but the choice is ultimately on you. The important thing to remember is that each item you donate will make a difference.

Your Choices Can Determine the Outcome of the Move, so Choose Wisely

As you can see, there are many things to do when you move to a new state, and each one of them requires plenty of your decision-making. Plan your cards right and follow the tips we mentioned above. The one thing that could help you survive the torture of relocation is to know that there is a reward waiting for you. If you are careful with your planning and take every detail into consideration, a successful move is guaranteed. So hold on just a while longer – it will all be worth it in the end.