This Is What You Need to Know When Moving to a New State

Moving is stressful. In fact, most Americans consider it more undue stress than a divorce. But don’t let that take away from your pure excitement of packing up and starting anew elsewhere.

Before moving to a new state, there are some things you should know. Move on to the guide below if you’re already feeling the pre-move-pressure.

Do You Have a Job Lined Up?

First things first: you’ve got to have a job in the works. You can’t move into a new house if you can’t afford to buy that new house.

Moving to a new state can be hard enough. Doing it while broke is nigh impossible.

But, if you’re not moving for a career change or you don’t have anything set up down the line, don’t fret. There’s still a way to manage a move without the insurance of a paycheck.

You should have at least $7,000-$10,000 in savings if you’d like to move without the comfort of a job. And this is after moving expenses (which we’ll cover later). Plan to eat through this amount in six months’ time, which happens to be the average frictional unemployment layover.

Moving to a New State Is Expensive!

There are a couple of ways to move you, your family, and your belongings across the country. Each with varying cost.

Traditionally, and the most economically, you should drive to your new state. To rent a U-Haul or this long distance moving company, it’ll cost about $2,500 to move. If you plan to make it all in one drive, without rest, it’ll run you close to $2,000.

But we don’t recommend driving and not sleeping. We do, however, recommend looking in advance for cheap hotels. Short-notice stays in a room can be tragically expensive.

There are freight options. These allow you to forego the long drive and to fly, but at a cost. Moving your stuff by train can be thousands of dollars more.

Don’t Forget the Kitchen Sink

We’re kidding, of course. You don’t or shouldn’t take the kitchen sink with you when moving.

But we do advise you to double-check, triple-check, and even quadruple-check your belongings.

Go room to room, scanning each crevice for your belongings. Make sure your closets are emptied and spotless. Clean out the attic, the basement, and every other place you store your stowaways.

You might not realize it now, but leaving behind something near-and-dear can be the most expensive cost of a move.

By all means, leave anything you don’t wish to keep. But make sure you have everything you do.

Welcome Home

Moving states is stressful. But knowing how to do it can make the move less terrible.

Make sure you have an income before moving. If you don’t, have hefty savings. Moving to a new state is expensive; don’t get a ticket on your way there.

Are you moving across the country? If so, check out our other guides on getting acclimated.