Tips for How to Move Across the Country

Moving across the country is different than moving across town. Moving to another state means packing your belongings so they can survive hundreds of miles of bumpy roads and sometimes multiple hot days and freezing nights in a moving truck. If you’re planning a big move, read the tips below to make moving out of state easier.

Checklist for Moving Out of State

A timeline can help your move seem more manageable. Start with breaking everything down into the weeks leading up to moving day.

1. Eight weeks before:

• Pick a smart day to move out – preferably a weekday as weekends and holidays are more expensive. Use sites like AreaVibes.com to explore your new city before you get there. Now is also the time to decide if you want to hire cross-country movers or do it yourself. If you’d rather have a company handle the move while you fly out, get quotes from movers and book your flight.
• However, if you decide to do everything on your own, use this time to gather up packing supplies and make sure your car is in good condition. Opt for new packing supplies (old boxes are fine for moving across town, but you’ll want something sturdier for a bigger move).
• Draw up a budget for your trip, so you know what you want to spend on lodging, gas and food. This will help to keep your move affordable.
• Finally, make sure you give notice to your landlord if you’re renting.

2. Six weeks before:

• Begin to inventory all your belongings by taking photos of everything. If there are things you don’t want to bring with you like worn-down, bulky furniture, donate them or hold a garage sale.
• Once you’ve gotten rid of the items you don’t want to take, start packing the items you don’t need on a daily basis. For easier organization, color-code boxes by room so you can unpack faster.
• Then contact your utility companies to schedule a shut-off date at your old place and a turn-on date at your new place.
• Finally, set aside some time to visit with friends and family to say goodbye.

3. Four weeks before:

• Cancel any local memberships and update your voter registration.
• You’ll also need to contact your car insurance company and update them with your new address. Once you move, you’ll have 30 days to register your vehicle and get new license plates.
• If you have perishable items left in your freezer, prepare meals using these items so you don’t have to worry about rotting food on your trip.
• You’ll also want to start the cleaning process so you can get your deposit back. Book any hotel or AirBnB rooms you’ll need on the drive, and place any emergency paperwork you may need in a folder that will go in the car with you. This includes birth certificates, passports, medical records and pet records.

4. Two weeks before:

• If you haven’t yet, transfer your renter’s or homeowner’s insurance to your new address. Notify any government offices of your change of address, and have your mail forwarded to your new place.
• If you decided to hire a cross-country moving company, call them to confirm the moving day and time.
• Keep a folder with any moving expenses in case you need to dispute anything later.

5. One week before:

• Create a list of everything you still need to do and divide it up into each day, so you don’t feel overwhelmed. This includes tasks such as thawing out the freezer, cleaning the fridge and oven, removing bulbs from lamps, confirming utility use at your new home and transferring pharmacy prescriptions to your new neighborhood.
• The day before your move, set aside some extra cash for tipping the movers, and pack a box of essentials for the first night in your new home.
• If you can, pack a cooler of food to eat on the road so you can keep expenses down.

6. Moving day:

• Place rugs or plastic on the floor so it says protected while you move things out of the house or apartment.
• Make sure that there’s a clear path to get everything out in a timely manner.
• Put the first aid kit in the car and do a final check of the home to make sure nothing has been left behind. At the same time, make any notes of damage and take photos for your landlord.

Store Your Belongings in Texas and Louisiana with Find Self Storage

Sometimes when you move, your new home isn’t ready for you or doesn’t have as much storage space as you planned. When that happens, rely on a storage facility near you like Find Self Storage. We can help you calculate your storage needs and provide a storage size guide so you can find the unit that best fits your life. If you’re worried about storing some of your belongings away from your home, you can have peace of mind with our climate-controlled storage units and experienced storage management.

Find a self-storage location near you!