According to McKinsey’s American Opportunity Survey, 35% of respondents say that they have the ability to work remotely full-time if they choose.
Workplace policies like these have led to a marked increase in the number of remote workers and digital nomads throughout the country since March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic first closed many in-person workplaces. For remote-first workers, this work landscape presents a great opportunity for moving to another state.
When you’re moving across long distances, you need time, organization, and skill to pull it off successfully. We’ve outlined a few moving tips below to help you do just that.
1. Start Early
If you can, leave yourself plenty of time to move. After choosing the location that you’ll be moving to, plan to spend around six months executing the move.
There are ways to expedite the process, especially if you have a strong community willing to help you out and some cash to spare on various moving services. However, you’ll save yourself a lot of stress if you’re able to take your time with the moving process.
2. Sort Before You Pack
A major mistake people make when moving is to box everything up, take it to the new place, and then sort through it as they’re unpacking.
While this might work fine if you’re just moving across town, moving to another state is a whole different beast. Every item you move is time and money spent, so make sure that you really want the things that you take with you.
This is where having plenty of time comes in handy. Set aside time in your weekly schedule to sort through clothes, toys, dishware, books, and other items. Really consider whether you’re likely to use the item or if there’s an emotional reason to keep something around.
Also, think about how much it will cost to drive or ship certain items to your new home. For heavy furniture and more appliances, it might be more cost-effective to sell what you can and buy new or used items at your new destination.
We’re not telling you to through away your family heirlooms or get rid of things you use every day, but consider whether you’ll actually get around to repairing the broken lamp that’s been sitting in the garage for three months.
3. Keep an Organized Moving List
You’ll make your life and the lives of everyone around you a lot easier if you make a moving plan and stick to the plan. Write out a to-do list of everything you have to accomplish, including packing up your things, hiring movers, and contacting your real estate agent to help you with selling your house.
Keep your list, plus any relevant notes and receipts, in an easily accessible file folder. It doesn’t matter whether you prefer pen-and-paper or digital records; the most important part is that your system works for you.
As you work through moving tasks, check the completed items off your list. This will make sure you don’t miss anything. Plus, you’ll get a great sense of accomplishment once the list is complete!
4. Plan a Realistic Budget
Moving is an expensive process. Not only do you need to move all your belongings, but you also need to plan for buying a home in your new location, or renting until you’re able to buy. Plus, you’ll need to pay for cleaning services at your old place, unless you plan to spend the time and energy on doing a deep clean on your own.
Next, you’ll need to plan for travel expenses on the actual dates you’ll be moving. If you’re moving to a state more than a few hundred miles away, you’ll likely need to get food on the road, and you may need to spend a night or two in a hotel.
Don’t forget to account for the cost of living in your new area, plus any costs associated with getting updated documents to help you establish residence at your new home.
5. Research Your New City
If you have time amidst the other bustle of your move, take a moment to check out the new place that you’ll be calling home. Look online for local shops, restaurants, and cultural centers. If you can, take a virtual tour of your new home and neighborhood. Filling in some of these unknowns will help ease any anxiety that might come up, especially if you don’t have a chance to visit your new home in person before moving there.
6. Choose the Right Movers
Hiring the right moving company can make or break your moving experience. Talk with the company about their experience moving across long distances, how they handle packing and shipping boxes, and what kind of communication you can expect from them.
7. Order a Shipping Service for Your Car
While you can take on the burden of driving your car yourself, why not have a professional shipping service take care of it for you? You’ll be able to stay with your belongings in the moving vehicle. Or, if you’re having all your belongings shipped to your new home, you can fly to your new location, which is likely to be much cheaper than the cost of gas if you drove yourself.
This is also a great option if you have more than one car to bring to your destination, or if you have any luxury vehicles that you want to have specially shipped to your new home.
Do some research for yourself online, or find car shipping quotes linked here.
Moving to Another State Is Hard but Achievable
Keep these seven moving tips in mind, and you’re sure to have a moving experience that’s relatively pain-free. Above all, remember to enjoy yourself as much as you can through the process; moving to another state is an exciting adventure, and you deserve to make the most of it!
Looking for additional moving advice? Check out our other Travel and Lifestyle articles for more!