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Moving to a new state can be incredibly exciting. It’s a brand new adventure for you and your family. Before you have your house list on MLS, you need to make sure you plan out this new change. You want to set yourself up for success to make the move as smooth as possible. Read on for 5 important things you will need to do before and after moving across state lines.
Research the City and State You’re Moving to
Prior to taking any of the steps to sell your home – such as having pictures taken, hiring a real estate agent, or getting your home list on MLS – you need to know where you are moving to. If you’re being relocated for work, you already have that place in mind. If not, you have to know where you’re going.
When you have the location, you need to do your research. Not only do you need to research the city in which you’ll be living in, but you’ll want to research the state as well. Living in a new state could be very different from your current home. For example, if you’re moving to the state of Tennessee, there is no state income tax, which could be valuable information as part of your moving process.
A couple of moving considerations you’ll want to research include the cost of living, average home price, public schools (if you have children), state taxes, crime rate, and local infrastructure.
Plan your Moving Budget
Moving in and of itself can be expensive. When you move out of state, the expenses can add up quickly. To avoid getting in over your head, plan out a moving budget. The cost of moving will vary based on how far away you’re moving. A move across the country will inevitably cost more than moving the next state over, so take distance into consideration.
First things first, you have to know how your stuff is getting to your new home. Will you rent a truck and load and move the items yourself? Will you hire a company to transport your stuff? Then, you have to figure out if you want your items dropped off at your new home or if you’ll need a storage facility. Take into account gas expenses and mileage charges with this expense as well.
Another related consideration is packing. You want to ensure your items arrive at your new home in one piece which takes a lot of quality packing material. This can add up quickly. If you have vehicles, think about if you’ll be driving those to your new home, or will it make more sense to ship them? The process of moving will require expenses as well, especially if you’re moving across multiple states. You may need to purchase airline tickets, hotel rooms, and meals during your move.
Once you arrive, you’ll need to set up your utilities. Often this will come with a deposit to open an account or associated fees. This is ideally something you will research in advance when looking into your new city.
There are many unexpected things that can happen in a move, such as you arriving well before your stuff if you use a moving company. Ensure you set aside plenty of money to account for unexpected expenses so you’re not left in the lurch.
Update your License and Vehicle Registrations
Most states have a deadline for when you need to get your license and vehicle registration updated after a move. This could be between 10–30 days. Again, this is something you’ll research in advance and will want to take care of as soon as possible. If you can, set up an appointment with the DMV so you can speed up the process. Make sure you have all the necessary information to keep the process smooth. This includes proof of residence, car insurance, and social security information.
Update your Address
One of the most tedious parts of your moving checklist is to change your address everywhere. Luckily, you can easily set up mail forwarding with the United States Postal Services (USPS). You will submit a permanent change of address form and your mail will automatically forward to your new address. Typically, this mail forward is set up for one year, so you will have to manually change all accounts as well.
You likely have plenty of accounts associated with your address. To save you a headache, get these changes as soon as possible so you don’t miss out on any mail after the mail forward period ends or experience a delay in your forwarded mail. Some common address changes you’ll need to make are with financial institutions, cell phones, and online subscriptions.
Conclusion
Moving can be a very exciting time. Help yourself manage the stress associated with moving by preparing as best you can. You want to have every step of the way covered so you experience less worry and more fun.
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