The Ultimate Checklist for Moving To Another State

Congratulations on your recent graduation, if applicable, and your choice to relocate to a new state! Making an out-of-state move can be an excellent way to jumpstart the rest of your independent adult life. Whether you’re moving to a new state for a new job or to continue your education, it’s never too early to start preparing for your interstate move.

However, the steps needed to initiate your big move aren’t always clear, which can make getting started feel overwhelming and intimidating. But don’t worry! This post will provide you with a fundamental checklist of actions you can take to help plan your move to a new home and avoid unnecessary stress. Navigating how to move to a new place, especially a long-distance move, can be a daunting task, but we’re here to share the best ways to help ensure you have a successful move across state lines!

Create a Move-In Date and Moving Timeline

The first step to moving to a different state is to start planning your move as soon as possible! The best approach is to outline a timeline and budget for your move. This should include both a move-out date from your old home and a move-in date to your new location. Since you’re likely relocating for a job or school, you should build your timeline around your first day. Instead of focusing on the present, begin with your start date and work backward from there.

For instance, if you know your job or school begins on September 16, use that as your target date. Then, determine the necessary steps to ensure you’re moved in and settled before that deadline.

Read More: Adulting 101 Moving Checklist for 18-Year-Olds

Research Your New State and City

Before the big move, you will want to take the time to do a deep dive into your new state and city. It’s always best to go in person and explore the area. However, if this is not an option for you, do not worry. You can use online resources to get an idea of your new community. You can use Google Maps to explore the new city, checking out the important locations like grocery stores, malls, entertainment, and public transportation options.

While doing this research you will also want to take note of the more unique cost of living factors in the specific area. You don’t necessarily have to worry about things like property taxes and insurance premiums in relation to the likelihood of natural disasters in the area. However, if your new neighborhood has a higher cost of living you will need to factor this change into your new budget, which we will get into next.

Create a Moving Budget

When it comes to creating a moving budget, start by making a list of all the expenses that you know you will incur. These can include things like hiring professional movers, renting a truck, buying boxes and packing supplies, utility and internet installation fees, and state registration fees.

Even if you are planning to do a DIY move, there are still a ton of costs that you need to consider in your moving budget like any temporary housing that that you might need during the move.

You will also want to consider other cost-of-living changes like healthcare and other medical providers. A dental visit in Georgia is going to cost substantially less compared to the same dental visit in DC, assuming you can find someone who is considered “in-network” for you.

Read More: How To Move With No Money or Job Lined Up

Find a Reputable and Reliable Rental Truck or Professional Moving Company

Once you have a general idea of your moving costs and have outlined a budget, it’s important to now get quotes from moving companies or rental truck companies to compare prices. Now, for the DIY movers, which is likely the majority of us young adults or new adults, we will likely be using personal vehicles, renting a moving truck, or some combination of the two. U-Haul is probably the most commonly known company for renting moving trucks, but other options exist, like Penske and Budget. 

You will want to check the customer reviews and other online reviews for each service in your specific area. The easiest way to do this is to simply search by zip code and see what comes up.

Now, even if you are a DIY mover, I still suggest getting a quote from a professional moving company. Professional movers understand that they have competition from the more DIY mover cost-friendly competitors, so they are pricing their service as such. Therefore, see what the professional moving companies have to offer and how it compares to the DIY options.

You might be surprised to find that a full-service moving company costs just a little more than a DIY move. If that turns out to be the case, it can be a good idea to hire professional movers to give yourself a better chance at having a stress-free move.

Declutter and Organize Your Belongings and Household Items

One of the most daunting parts of moving to a new state is actually decluttering and organizing the current household items in your old home in preparation for the move. You will want to take plenty of time to sort through your current home and make a plan to get rid of whatever you don’t need. You can hold a yard sale to try and further build up your cash reserve to help the moving budget. Other than that your options are to trash or donate those unwanted items. 

I suggest tackling the decluttering over time. You can do one room a week if time permits. This way, as you declutter you can develop an inventory list of the items you intend to take with you. This is an especially good way to keep track of fragile items or important documents like medical records and birth certificates. You can also use that inventory list to plan your packing process.

Create a Packing Plan To Manage the Packing Process

Just as you want to start the decluttering process early, you want to start your packing process early as well. The packing process is arguably the most fun, in my opinion, and really takes you back to those days when you were in grade school having to cut and measure things. So much fun! With that said though, you will want to stock up on essential packing supplies like packing tape, bubble wrap, and of course, moving boxes.

The best way I’ve found to knock out the packing process is to make use of a solid box labeling strategy and rent a storage unit to hold some of the larger items that you no longer need but intend to move to your new location. With this combination, you make more space for packing and you do so in a regimented and transparent manner that will make the unpacking process in your new home much easier.

I recently wrote an extensive explanation about how to best label your moving boxes in order to streamline the moving process. If interested, be sure to check it out in the Read More section below.

Read More: How to Best Label Your Moving Boxes

When it comes to creating a packing plan, you also want to pack a “first-night” bag with essentials for your first night at your new location. Remember you are moving to a different state, so pack the things that you can’t easily get at your local Walmart or Target. You will also want to go ahead and bring your important documents like birth certificates, social security cards, medical records, and whatever else may need immediate access to. 

Update Contact Information & Inform Important Contacts About Your Move

While focusing on the logistics and planning of the move is important, you also cannot forget to update all of your important contacts and accounts. Start by getting in touch with the post office and completing a change of address. After that, you’ll want to contact your bank, credit card companies, insurance providers, utility companies, and relevant healthcare providers. 

As you do this, be sure to clearly request that all new documents be sent to your new address. Although, it might be best to sign up for e-delivery. This way you no longer have to worry about credit card statements or your bank account statement being sent to the wrong place. They will be available in your respective banking portal.

Other related tasks on your to-do list that you will want to pursue are creating a plan to register for your new driver’s license in your new state. This is typically required when moving to a different jurisdiction but definitely a different state. It’s a good idea to research the specific requirements and processes for your new state so you can get this task completed in a timely manner.

You should also update your voter registration so you can participate in elections in your new area. This is an important civic duty, and it’s relatively straightforward to update your registration, usually through your state or local election board’s website. Taking the time to complete these tasks will help you later fully transition into your new home and community.

Transfer Utilities and Services

As was just alluded to, you should be sure to cancel/transfer any utility or other services. A simple example is your internet provider. It is likely that since you are moving to a different state you will need to cancel your internet service.

Likewise, you will need to contact the necessary utility companies to set up services like electricity, water, internet, and possibly even trash pick up. You will want to do this in advance of your actual move-in date to your place, but definitely within the first week of moving in.

A useful service that I’ve found is great to utilize during or after a move is a mail forwarding service. Setting up mail forwarding through the postal service is a great way to ensure your packages and mail are properly rerouted to your new address. This will help you stay on top of any mail subscriptions or important documents that may have slipped your mind during the move.

By proactively forwarding your mail, you can avoid missing important deliveries or notifications, and make the transition to your new home much smoother. Additionally, mail forwarding can help you keep track of what needs to be updated with your new address, as you’ll be able to see what is still being sent to your old location.

Update Your Legal Documents

If you have not already done so, you will need to inform your car insurance provider of your change of address. This is also a great time to confirm the insurance coverage that you have and see if anything about your policy is going to change due to you moving to a different state. You will also want to research the guidelines for obtaining a new driver’s license in your new state.

Lastly, be sure to notify your credit card companies of the move and any other entities where having the most updated zip code matters. You don’t want to get your credit cards deactivated because you forgot to alert the bank to a change of address.

Plan Your Moving Day Logistics

You want to make sure that you have triple confirmed everything in your moving timeline, especially when it comes to the moving truck and movers. Overcommunication on this is great communication. Don’t assume that something is known and will be done.

With that said, it is also important to ensure that all family members are aware of the important dates and the to-do list for a smooth transition to your new house or apartment. Family might want to come on your move day and try to chat or spend time, which can derail your plan. So, aim to have a final get-together with friends and family right before your moving date so that you can focus on the move itself when the time comes. A good time to host such an event would be a week or so before the move.

If you do opt to hire professional movers, it is crucial to maintain clear and consistent communication with them. The peace of mind that comes with entrusting others to handle the physical aspects of your move will only be realized when you keep the movers well-informed about the important details of your relocation and prioritize the most important tasks. Regularly updating the movers on your needs, timeline, and any changes to the original plan will help ensure a smooth and seamless moving experience.

Read More: 26 Must-Know Tips Before Moving To A New State Alone

Unpack and Settle Into Your New Home

You’ve finished day one of your interstate move, and it is now time to settle into your new location by unpacking the key items for your important rooms, like the kitchen and bedroom. Understand that the unpacking process can take some time, so don’t feel pressured to complete everything in one day or even a week. Making an out-of-state move is nothing to take lightly, especially when it is over long distances.

Take your time and pace yourself through the unpacking process.

Enjoy the journey of building your new home into the perfect space for you. Remember, this transition may feel overwhelming at times, but with careful planning and a gradual approach, you’ll be settled in and feeling at home in no time.

Putting It All Together

For new and young adults, this moving-out-of-state checklist is the best approach to make your relocation stress-free. By staying organized, planning ahead, and tackling tasks one by one, you’ll avoid last-minute issues and seamlessly transition into your new home. From updating your address and setting up utilities to packing and hiring movers, meticulous planning and organization are essential for a successful long-distance move.

If you’re looking for more helpful tips and guides on the moving process, check out the Moving Out section for additional content on our blog to make your big move as smooth as possible!