Prefer not to leave your phone number?
No problem!
Schedule an Appointment at your Convenience
(Only email is required)
Schedule an AppointmentOr Call / Text
800-333-3434
By:
Last Updated: Jul 09, 2024
Our guide will show you the complete checklist you should write down and follow when moving out of state. This will help you have the easiest move possible and leave nothing behind.
We put this checklist together in a chronological order to make it as easy to follow as possible. You’ll first need to lay out what your move will look like (8-12 weeks prior), prepare the technical parts of your move (4-8 weeks prior), and properly pack and move everything out on moving day.
When moving out of State, follow this simple checklist:
This is the first stage of your moving checklist and it should take place roughly 8-12 weeks before you plan on moving. Think of this as the pre-move stage. You’re doing research, exploring homes in the area you want to move to, and mapping out a budget that fits your financial situation.
Here are three easy steps to get your move off to a good start.
1. Discover Your New Neighborhood: Plan a trip to the neighborhood you’re considering moving to. This will help you assess your commute to your job in that area and experience the community atmosphere firsthand.
If physically traveling isn’t an option for you, consider utilizing Google Maps in satellite mode to explore your prospective neighborhood and the area around it. Viewing a perspective of the community or city can provide insights into what daily life could be like if you lived there.
2. Conduct Thorough Research: Take the time to research aspects such as school quality for your children, neighborhood safety levels, and the overall living conditions experienced by current residents. Even looking at sites such as Reddit, and asking “What’s it like to live in X area?” Will provide you with real reviews from people who live there.
3. Map Out A Budget: This will look different depending on your financial situation but it’s important to create a detailed budget so you know exactly how much money you can comfortably spend on your move. During the research phase, you should also check out the tax differences and the cost of living differences and factor them into your budget.
After the initial step, about 4-8 weeks before your move, you’ll need to start gearing up for the more technical side of moving.
1. Hire a Moving Company: Start looking for estimates from different moving companies and do research on the best moving companies in your area for out-of-state moves. Get quotes from multiple providers, check reviews, and find a moving company that will give you the best quality of service based on your moving needs.
2. Plan to Move Your Furniture: Furniture can be one of the most challenging things to move because of the sheer size and weight of most of it. Couches, beds, and tables can cause a major headache in your moving process if you aren’t prepared.
Measure your items and figure out how to properly pad them so they don’t get damaged during transportation. If you need to sell anything, Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp, and CraigsList are all great options for selling furniture.
3. Pack Your Documents: Designate a single folder to hold all your documents such as your receipts, contracts, estimates, insurance information, and personal documents. In the event something goes wrong in your move, you’ll have everything in one place that’s easy to access.
4. Professional License Transfering: You’ll need to update any licensing to be able to perform services legally in a new area if your job requires it. A few examples are healthcare workers, trades, law enforcement, and firefighter certifications. If your job requires any special certification, you will likely need to update it accordingly.
It’s also smart to study how that certification differs in your new state. For example, being an EMT in California gives you certain regulations that are much different of an EMT in Wyoming. It’s important to start studying early on these changes so you can have a smooth transition into your new job!
When the move-out day comes around and you have all of your boxes packed together and ready to go, there are a few more steps to follow before you hop on the road to your new home state.
You’ll want to pack everything carefully and make sure all fragile items are padded properly and well-secured in their boxes. Although most moving companies will help you pack, pack valuable or irreplaceable items yourself just in case.
You can also designate a suitcase or travel backpack to all of your highly valuable belongings so that you have them all in one place ready to access at all times.
Double-check all the details with your movers if you hired a moving company for your out-of-state move. There will be certain situations that you can’t control such as unexpected weather, but double-checking all details and contracts will help you avoid any surprises.
Once everything is packed and ready to go, follow this simple double-check guide to make sure you haven’t left anything and you’re ready to turn your keys in!
By following these steps you can rest assured that everything is prepared for your move.
Have a safe and easy move to your new state! We hope our guide helped make this process as seamless and easy as possible for you!
Meet Tommy, a writer from San Diego, California with a passion for interior design and moving! Coming from a family of interior designers from San Diego, he’s been involved in the world of moving and helping to create beautiful homes for the places people move to. He’s also moved over ten times in various states such as California, Washington, and Arizona! Through these moves, he’s worked with a variety of moving companies, and prides himself on knowing what to look for and how to have the safest, smoothest move possible! For the past few years, he’s bringing his talent of copywriting and knowledge of moving together to help people all across the world start new chapters in their lives through moving! When he’s not busy writing, you can find him doing extensive research all to help your moving process.