Essential things to do when moving to a new state
A new page of life at the new place of living can be happy only if you get rid of all the problems left in the previous life. Some people do not want to rack their brains and solve any issues before moving out of state and then are followed by multiple challenges caused by this decision. If you want to open a really new page of your story in another state, consider the most essential things to complete before you have left your current place of living.
Get a job in another state before moving there
One of the greatest challenges awaiting you after you move to another state alone is finding a new job. This is a great benefit if you have some savings or another working family member who can support you when you lack funds, but how long can you enjoy your life in this way? Money flows away like water, while it may take time to find a well-paid job and get the first salary there. Therefore, moving experts advise sending your resume to the potential employers in advance and wait for the response. For most companies, it may take time to look through the pile of resumes, analyze them, select the best candidates and connect with them. You may spend this time with benefit (e.g. planning your move) and turn up at the interview immediately after relocation.
Today, it is very comfortable to get a job even in a different state thanks to multiple platforms where companies post their vacancies. Moreover, if you already know accurately where you are going to move, it is preferable to look for a job in this area not to spend much time and money for commuting. You can also sign up for job alerts and respond each time when a suitable vacancy is open.
There are situations when people are transferred from one state to another within the same company. In this case, there is no need to look for a job, but you can get another benefit - ask for a relocation package. However, never try to ask for it if you have not been accepted for a job yet - probably, it will discourage your potential employer from hiring you.
Calculate potential costs for moving on a budget
It goes without saying that every relocation requires financial investment, so the main goal of every family is to meet the budget they have prepared for moving. Naturally, it is important to save some money to be able to find it when you are suddenly warned about a necessity to relocate. Otherwise, your credit history can play a bad game with you and your debts will grow greatly. However, if you have some cash in the pockets, it is necessary to decide how much you can spend on moving. This amount may include home rental or other extra expenses, but it must cover some or all the following points (depending on every personal situation):
- Truck rental;
- Packing materials;
- Different services required (loading/unloading, packing/unpacking, assembly/disassembly, cleaning, etc.);
- Storage options;
- Tickets/s, in addition to basic expenses, it is necessary to have a certain amount for unpredictable situations too.
Moving the cheapest way: 5 ways you can save money
It often happens that moving from state to state turns out to be more expensive than you have planned, so it would be reasonable to save on some things planning it. Though it may sound unbelievable, there is a minimum of 5 ways how to save funds on relocating.
- DIY - perform all the processes yourself
The most expensive part in relocation is paying for services performed by other people. That is why you can save if you put at stake your physical strength and time. You can plan the process yourself, get second-hand packing materials and pack all your possessions with the help of your family, load those heavy boxes to the truck or van and do all those reverse processes when you arrive at your new dwelling. Naturally, you will need to hire a truck and pay for some other solutions, but your savings will be considerable too.
- Get rid of the things you don't need anymore to cut the quote of the moving company
Many people are savvy and never throw away anything until a certain time comes. However, when you need to move, it is reasonable to sell, give, or throw away unwanted things instead of paying for their packing and transporting. If you understand that there is hardly any chance to use a thing again, get rid of it. As a result, the list of items to be moved will be shorter and a quote will be cheaper.
- Get a relocation package from your employer
If the main reason for relocation is a promotion or the company is moving to another state taking the employees with, it is natural that every employee can opt for a relocation package. It can be a full compensation or covering moving expenses partially, but in fact, the number of points included in this package is quite big, so why not make your moving cheaper or free at all?
- Find charity organizations to help with moving
Nowadays, there are many organizations which provide help to certain categories of population and moving is one of them. Even if they can’t provide monetary help, they will undoubtedly find alternative methods which will help to save.
- Ask your family or friends for help
It is considered natural to get help from close people but it is also a way to save on moving to a new city. You can ask them to help with getting free packing materials and the process of packing, loading, cleaning, etc.
Find a place for a living
One of the most challenging goals set for a person who is moving is getting a dwelling in another state. It can be the rental property or a flat to purchase, but in any case, it is important to treat this question with responsibility to get a place to move to. Looking for a home in a different state, there are several tips to consider.
- Research the local market not to be cheated.
- Select the neighborhood with the consideration of facilities, commute time, thinking about all the family members etc.
- Find a partner for living if you move alone or rental is too high for you.
- Consider if it is worth commuting.
- Hire a trustworthy and professional real estate agent by referral or on the basis of reviews.
- If you plan to buy property, get all your documentation in order.
- Be realistic and do not hunt for treasures - they may be a trap.
There are several more things to consider if you have difficulties with finding a new home. Always pay a visit to the home you are willing to rent to get acquainted with a landlord and spot things which are invisible on photos. Moreover, never hurry to buy anything since you will need time to learn the market, its pros and cons, as well as avoid overpaying. It might be better to live in the short-term rent than lose thousands of dollars in a hurry.
When you are transferred to another place, you can ask about corporate housing or subscribe to local publications and check all the new variants one of the first.
Get sure your family members can move with you
Moving alone is painstaking, but what a responsibility it is to relocate with other family members, especially if these are kids, elderly people to care about, and pets, of course. In addition to basic responsibilities, you get many extra ones. Children are always unhappy with moving since they leave their friends and school, so it is vital to transfer them to a decent place of studying and select a safe and easy to get neighborhood. Facilities play a very important role for all members of the family.
There are situations when one member of the couple is willing to move and the second one is opposed to that. In this case, it is important to convince a person. One of the very eloquent arguments is a new job contract found for him or her. Another problem appears when parents are divorced but one of them plans a relocation to another state. Without an official agreement of the second parent, it is forbidden to relocate with a child. That is why all these things must be considered before the move out and prepared long in advance to be able to move successfully.
Organize a moving process in advance
Relocation is a complex process which consists of multiple stages and covers a great deal of work to do, so it is of utmost importance to prepare to move out of state in advance. Not only planning but undertaking certain actions can begin several months prior to a relocation if it does not come as a surprise. Naturally, you can have a lot of time to prepare or only a minimum, but in any case, you need to go through every point of the plan and ensure that everything has been considered.
Create a packing checklist
When people move their flat or home, the first thoughts about relocation are a real tragedy since it seems that it is impossible to take everything with. However, it is not always necessary to move all the belongings you have. It is reasonable to create a checklist and gather all the possessions according to it. How to organize everything correctly? Experts advise making a packing checklist by rooms. If a person has several weeks to prepare for a move, it is necessary to make an inventory and sell or throw away everything that you are not going to take with. However, these are not all tips to consider making up a packing checklist:
- Schedule packing of seldom-used items for early;
- Divide your belongings by groups and fill in in the chart;
- Create a separate list of things to take with (documents, money, cosmetics, etc.);
- Take apart large items several days prior to packing;
- Ask your family members to create their own lists.
When you have a basic list of your belongings to be moved, it is possible to opt for a quote in the moving company and evaluate the number and size of packing materials required.
Find an interstate moving company or rent a truck
One of the most important steps moving to another state is getting a vehicle which will transport your belongings to a new dwelling. However, many people mix truck rental and hiring a moving company considering these services the same. In fact, when you hire a truck or van, all other responsibilities for moving lie on your shoulders. The main task of a driver is to deliver your possessions, not load or pack them.
When a person orders the services of a state to state moving company, especially a full-service one, the process of moving looks absolutely differently. In addition to truck rental, clients can order other moving services and minimize their involvement in the process. However, the most comfortable way to relocate is to put all the responsibility for relocation on full-service movers and follow or even forget about it at all. Full-service companies have a standard number of services included in the package as well as many additional ones. You can discuss the relocation with the company representative, express your wishes, and rely on the company coordinator who manages the process.
Finding a moving company is not difficult but it is important not to be mistaken and not to overpay. That is why experts advise getting quotes from several movers and compare them not only by cost but also services included in the list. Moreover, it is important to read reviews and check the license and presence of any certificates. It will help you to make the right choice and save on moving.
Transfer utilities
When it comes to other tips for moving out of state, utilities are a very important question to solve. Moreover, it is necessary to deal with utilities in both homes: inform utility providers about the day of move out as well as transfer them to a new address. You should know that setting up utilities may take up to a couple of weeks, so it is necessary to act in the following way to be able to use them on your arrival.
- Check which utilities your new home has (cable and internet, water and sewer, gas, electricity, satellite, security system, trash and phone, etc.) and how to connect with providers you need. Usually, every state or even city has its own utility providers, so it may be impossible to transfer the existing account.
- Notify every provider about the date of your moving in at least two weeks prior to relocation.
- Check if your new home is serviced by homeowners’ association since some of the utilities can be paid in one bill instead of several ones.
- Provide utility providers with a new address including mailing one.
- Pay overdue bills to prevent a bad credit score.
- Invite representatives of utility services to do a final meter reading before moving out to prevent any unexpected bills.
Research your new place
Moving to one of the metropolises in California or a small town in Nevada prepares you absolutely different surprises, so it is reasonable to find out what awaits for you in the new place of living. Nowadays, it is very easy to learn information about some place thanks to the multiple and latest sources existing on the Web. In fact, there are several points to consider before you set off for a new home.
- Taxes
Moving from the state where there is no income tax to the state with it can be a very great disappointment. Therefore, it is important to know what percentage of your income will be taken away and plan your budget respectively.
- Cost of living
This point plays one of the most significant roles for a person who moves since it includes the cost of rent, utilities, transportation, groceries, healthcare, and other factors. On the basis of these expenses, it is possible to make a conclusion on how much you need to earn to afford living in the new area.
- Employment opportunities
We have already raised the question of how important it is to find a job in the area you move to, so this point must be considered one of the first plan in planning a move for a long distance.
- Climate and landscape
This point impacts the quality of living very much since it determines not only clothes to take with but also a range of leisure activities, entertainment, a necessity of HVAC, etc.
Prepare all the documents
This point must be a separate one in the plan of relocation since you need not only to gather all the documents from your previous place of living but also prepare new papers required in another state. If you want to become a local citizen of the state you move to, it is necessary to make the following steps:
- Apply for an official change of address at the USPS;
- Visit the nearest DMV to update car registration and driver’s license information;
- Contact recurring billers and update your information directly;
- Update all insurance policies and shop for new ones if needed;
- Complete a state registration for voting;
- Register a gun if you have one.
- The list of must-have documents to pack for a relocation looks as follows:
- Passport;
- Driver’s license;
- Birth certificates (if there are any);
- Social security card;
- Medical records both for kids and pets;
- Copies of Your Lease/Homeowners Insurance Policy.
Integrating into a new community
It is not easy to get used to a new place and people living there but with time, integrating into a new community will seem easier. Naturally, you arrive to the place without friends and relatives as well as know little what it can offer to you to relax and have fun, but in a short period of time, everything gets clear.
Find places to meet new friends
Every city or town has a place where most of the people gather in the evening to communicate and relax. You can turn up there regularly and soon you will see that the number of new acquaintances in this area keeps growing incessantly. Moreover, you can visit clubs by interest and meet new people there too. In fact, only in a couple of weeks, you will stop feeling lonely in the new place of living since your circle of friends will grow every day.
Entertainment opportunities
It is impossible to enjoy life without pleasant emotions and the best way to get them is getting fun. Naturally, you may have tried many activities and visited multiple destinations in your previous place of living, but it is great to move since all this experience can acquire new shades. Moreover, there are very high chances to get new experience as well because all states are different. There are various activities, sights, natural landmarks as well as food to taste. As a result, it is enough to open Google Search and enter a respective word combination to understand what fun it can be to live in this new area.
Now you know how to plan a move to the smallest details and we hope that our practical advice will help you to make it smooth and effortless!
