When it comes to interstate moving, it can go two ways. Either, you and your family will have a memorable journey relocating to a new state. Or, it will turn out to be the most stressful experience of your life. The difference between these two situations is proper planning. The interstate move requires a lot of planning as they are more complicated, expensive, and time-consuming.
If you are planning an interstate move, you are not alone. Every year, 10.2 million Americans move across states. And the top three places people are moving out from are New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago. For reference, in the past five years, 294,000 people have moved out of Chicago. People move out of there for several reasons like, high rent, bad weather, high taxes, etc. Thus, there can be different reasons behind an interstate move.
Likewise, you must have your reason for moving interstate, like getting a new job, buying a new house, shifting your business, etc. To have a smooth interstate moving experience, here are our four planning tips.
- Hire Interstate Movers:
An interstate move is much more complex than a local move, and you cannot do this without expert interstate movers. So the first thing you need to do is to find the best moving company in your area that provides interstate moving services. Different moving companies offer a range of services. While some moving companies might only provide manpower and vehicles, other companies provide storage facilities too.
So, search for the best interstate movers in your area like. For example, if you live in Chicago, search for top Chicago interstate movers that can help you in your moving journey. Find a company that fulfills all your requirements, like Pickens Kane, that can help you every step of the way, from packing to stretch wrapping and from storage to moving. Such good companies provide you with professional services at cost-effective rates, and you can customize their services according to your needs.
- Set Up Utilities And Notify The Post Office:
When you reach your new place, basic utilities must be already set up there so that you can have a peaceful time after such a long interstate move. Firstly, inform all your current utility providers when you will be moving out and tell them a date to cancel your utilities from your current address. This way, you won’t get charged for utilities when you have moved out. If your current utility provider also operates in the state you are moving to, you can simply ask them to transfer services to a new address.
But in most cases, most utility providers, like water, electricity, gas, etc., operate in a specific area or state only. In that case, do research for new service providers before you move. Transferring utilities like internet, television, etc., is easier. You can ask for recommendations from your real estate agent or search on the internet for utility providers in the state you are moving to. This is also helpful in comparing the prices of different providers so that you don’t overpay.
Similarly, inform all the important places and people about your new address, like the post office, your bank, IRS, your credit card company, your friends and family, etc. When you inform the post office on time about the address change, it means you will start receiving mail at your new address right after you move in and won’t miss any important mail.
- Pack Correctly:
Packing is the soul of any move, whether local, interstate, or international. And an interstate move means you are packing up your whole life and moving to a new place. Thus, from your shoes to your big furniture, you need to pack everything. But you need to pack things correctly and wisely. Understand how different things must be packed carefully, like fragile items, important documents, costly decorative pieces, etc. Label all the boxes properly, and tape the boxes at the bottom, too. Place old newspaper, bubble wrap, or napkins between delicate things like expensive crockery, etc.
Start packing with the things you don’t use daily or off-season things, and pack them and store them in a separate room in your house or a storage facility. Even though an interstate move is a big deal, it doesn’t mean you have to pack and move each and everything you own that you don’t even use. The more things you pack, the more it will cost to move so many things. And the more things you will have to worry about. If the moving company is going to pack your things, still, you have to decide which things to take with you.
Go one by one to every room in your house and make a list of things that you never used, that never came in handy, things you have outgrown, worn out things, out-of-fashion things, etc. Then, get rid of all these things.
- Have A Proper Travelling Plan:
Of course, an interstate move means lots of travel. That’s why you should carefully choose traveling accommodations. Firstly, decide whether you will travel on your conveyance, or it will be easier for you and your family to take a plane. If you decide to travel by road in your vehicle, then are there any places to stay or rest during the travel?
Since you will need to rest as you cannot drive consistently for so many hours, or you might feel uncomfortable driving at night, etc., make sure there are places along the way where you can stay. Also, consider the expected weather situation. It’s best to avoid such long travel if the weather forecast shows extreme weather conditions on the day of your move. For your travel, pack an emergency kit with bandages, sanitizer, etc., and a small essentials bag with basic supplies, like clothes, medicines, towels, and toiletries, with you.
Conclusion:
Moving is not an easy task, and an interstate move is even harder. With a lack of proper planning, it can turn into a very stressful situation. From moving expenditures to packing things and from setting up utilities to choosing the mode of travel, you need to consider each major and minor thing to avoid any difficulties. In this article, we guide you on how you can plan an interstate move to have a smooth and memorable experience.