Moving is a difficult thing to do, even if you’re moving one street away from your current home, when you’re moving out of state, things get even more complicated! Trying to deal with an out-of-state move all on your own, is something that no one recommends, there are far too many variables for you to do that! And if you do, you might end up getting so frustrated that the move might become an even bigger task than you first expected. So, instead of waiting to get to that point, start off the right way instead!
In this post, we’ve put together a moving out of state checklist that’s going to help you make the move in the most efficient, and stress-free way possible!
#1: Hire a moving company
The first thing you need to do is make sure you’re going to have all the help you’re going to need with the cross-country move. Which means hiring a moving company. Search “House Movers NYC”, or house movers in your general area and make sure that they offer moving services to the specific state you’re moving to. If the website is a little vague about the state they cover, just drop them an email and ask them if they provide the service to your state too. Only choose them if you have the confirmation so you can avoid having to scramble at the last minute trying to find the right movers.
#2: Do multiple donations rounds
In the weeks leading up to the move, it’s important that you plan ahead, and get rid of anything that you might not need in the new house. Now, you might do one massive round of donations and think that you’re all good! But that’s usually not how it works, even if you’ve been keeping up with the donations that entire year! That’s why it’s better to do multiple rounds of donations, even leading up to the week of the move so you know that the stuff you’re taking across the country with you, is really the stuff you need to have! No extras, no wasted space in the moving truck or your new home!
#3: Make a clear inventory
The next thing you need to do is make a clear inventory of everything you own. This way, you’ll have a clear idea, on paper, where everything is. Then, if you’re hiring multiple moving trucks, you can take that inventory, and mark which truck had what in it to keep everything super organized. This way, you’ll know exactly where all of your things are, so when the truck gets to your new place, you’ll be 100% sure that there’s nothing that went missing! And if it does, you’ll know which truck it went missing from so you can report it immediately!
#4: Addresses and Utilities
In all the things you need to urgently get done during the move, it’s very easy to forget to change your official addresses and cancel your utilities and subscriptions, which ends up leading to you having to incur costs for a place you’re not even living at! Make sure that you cancel all the utilities and subscriptions necessary on time, and apply for the new ones at the new place as soon as you can. The best-case scenario would be that you set up your new utilities before you even move in, that way, they’re up and ready to go on move-in day!
#5: Handle the Plants and pets
Finally, one of the things that people get stuck on, moving their plants and pets. Moving plants across the country can be stressful, so only keep a few, and gift the others to your friends and family. Make sure you’ve planned your pet’s move in advance too, whether you’re driving them yourself, or using a service, so they’re comfortable through the move as well!
