Moving out of state involves a lot of preparation. Finding a new job and house in a new state and packing for the move can cause a lot of stress. Moving to a different state can also cost a lot of money. We’re here to help you prepare for your move and give you ways to cut down on moving costs.
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What to Prepare
As you are thinking about moving, it is important to plan ahead. Preparing the important details ahead of time will help you avoid stress later. While you can’t prepare for everything, there are plenty of big items you can figure out before moving day.
New Job
Finding a new job is one of the first things you should look into when you are moving to a new state. (If you’re working remotely then go ahead and skip this step). Moving out of state can be expensive and you will want to start a new job right away to make up for your moving costs.
It is also important to make sure the area you are moving to has available jobs you would be interested in. Not every town will have job opportunities that fit your experience. You don’t want to accidentally move to a place where you will end up unemployed or working a job you don’t like.
Finding a job ahead of time will also allow you to have a better understanding of your budget. Once you know the salary or wage for your new job, you will be able to budget better for your move. If you are currently looking for a job, check out these paid relocation job opportunities.
New House
When moving out of state, it is also important to find a new house or apartment before you move. Since you are moving out of state, you probably won’t know much about the new town. It would be beneficial if you visited the town you are moving to to go house hunting. This will allow you to get an idea of where the nice neighborhoods are, along with which location will be best for you and your family.
Searching for a house ahead of time will also allow you time to play the real estate market. You can check out multiple houses and apartments and see if their prices lower at all after they are on the market for a while. You may be able to get better deals and make your move out of state cheaper.
What to Pack
Another task you can prepare ahead of time is your packing list. Take your time sorting through your house and finding items you no longer want. If they’re still in good condition, you can donate them to your local thrift store. This will give you more space when packing your moving truck for items you actually want.
Packing ahead of time can also help you determine which size of moving truck you will need, which will prevent you from paying for space you don’t need.
Moving Out of State on the Cheap
Moving out of state can end up costing a lot of money. However, there are plenty of ways to cut down on costs. Here are some of the easiest ways to help make your move out of state cheaper.
Create a Budget
The key to cheaply moving out of state is creating a moving budget. This budget should consider expenses such as moving fees, packaging supplies, moving insurance, and other miscellaneous costs.
Creating a budget for your move will show you how much money you will need to move. It will also make you aware of the more expensive areas of moving and allow you to do some research on how to cut down on costs.
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Renting a Moving Vehicle
When looking for ways to move out of state on the cheap, finding an affordable moving truck rental can help. An easy way to do this is to find a moving truck company that is nationwide, so you can pick the truck up in one location and drop it off in another. This one-way trip will save you money on mileage fees. Some moving truck rental companies that offer one-way trips are Penske, U-Haul, and Budget Truck Rental.
You should consider what size of moving truck you need ahead of time. To do this, create a plan for how much square footage you will need. Renting the right size moving truck can save you money and you won’t waste empty space.
Local Labor-Only Moving Companies
Hiring local labor-only moving companies can also help make your move out of state cheaper. Labor-only moving companies are only involved in moving your items while at your house and are not responsible for driving your moving vehicle. This makes them less expensive since they are only being charged for doing manual labor. In fact, those who opt for labor-only movers tend to save 30-50% of what they would pay for a full-service moving company.
If you are going to hire a labor-only moving company you should always start by looking at local companies. Local companies often don’t charge a fee to travel to your house and they are generally cheaper since they are smaller businesses. Even if they aren’t much cheaper, you will be providing business to a small business within your new community.
Friends and Family
One way to drastically cut your moving costs is to not hire any movers. This doesn’t mean you have to do all the moving yourself though! Don’t be afraid to ask your friends and family for help packing up for your move. To make things more fun turn your packing day into an event where everyone helps you pack while snacking and talking to one another.
The only downside to relying on your friends and family to help you move is they may not be able to help you unpack. Since you are moving out of state, you may be moving away from your current friends and family. If this is the case, you may have to consider hiring movers just for unpacking or doing it all by yourself.
Out of State Moving Companies
When you are moving out of state there are plenty of moving companies that offer interstate moving services. Here are some of the top out-of-state moving companies and what they offer.
Nationwide Moving
Nationwide Moving is a company that offers interstate moving services throughout the United States. They offer a variety of different services such as storage facilities, the use of high-quality equipment, and top-notch driving and labor. In addition, they will send you updates on where your items are during the moving process.
The company offers free quotes so you can see the estimated cost of their services before you decide to book them. This will allow you to compare prices with other moving companies and decide which best fits your budget.
American Van Lines
American Van Lines is another option for interstate moving services. Their services include things like delivery seven days a week, specialty delivery for delicate items, an inventory count of all your items, and individual wrapping for each item.
American Van Lines also offers last-minute moving services for no additional charge. This makes them a very good backup plan in case your other moving company falls through. They also pride themselves on the reliability of their trucks. Their trucks are modern and have air-ride suspension to make sure your items have a smooth ride.
Safeway Moving
Safeway Moving is a moving company that offers both delivery and packing services. They offer long-distance moving services with either the same day or next day delivery. Additionally, they offer a variety of different moving options to fit the budgets of everyone.
They use a combination of typical packaging material and packing pads to ensure your items are not damaged. They also ask you if you have any items that need to be handled with extreme care and take extra precautions with these items.
The company is well known for its great customer service both when booking with them and when it comes to their labor team. They want to ensure everyone has the best experience possible and that your move is quick and stress-free.
UniMovers
UniMovers is another interstate moving company available to you if you are moving to Iowa, North Carolina, or South Carolina. The company is a labor-only moving service meaning that they do all the heavy lifting for you.
Booking with UniMovers saves people an average of 30-50% in comparison to booking with a full-service moving company. By booking with them you are also supporting their workers who are college students and recent college graduates. In addition, a portion of revenue goes to a scholarship fund to further help the education of college students.
Conclusion
If you are looking to move out of state, there are a lot of things you need to consider. While this may seem like a very stressful time, it doesn’t have to be. Planning ahead of time and finding people to help you can help create a stress-free move.
In addition to being stressful, out-of-state moving can also be expensive. It is easy to cut down on costs if you take the time to plan ahead and do some research. Finding out which services you need and what companies offer them can help you stick to your moving budget.
Jessica is a students at the University of Northern Iowa. She is majoring in English Education with a creative writing minor. In her free time she loves to read books of every genre, write short stories, and spend time with friends. In the future she hopes to share her love for reading and writing with her future students.
