Moving across states is oftentimes quite difficult and exhausting. Unless you prepare accordingly, that is. To tell the truth, it is still going to be tiring but you can minimize the effects if you plan for it properly. And this is where an interstate moving checklist comes in. This document will contain every single relocation task. And this will help you immensely in identifying problems and solutions. For example, if you want to hire one of the best moving companies Los Angeles, write down a task that will deal with that. But it is difficult to know exactly what all of the tasks are, ahead of time. That is why this article is going to help you prepare your interstate relocation checklist by providing you with a list of things that you will need to do. Then you break everything down to tasks. Simple as that.
How to create an interstate moving checklist?
Here are the things that you will need to do, in order to make the best checklist ever:
- Determine your budget
- Pay a visit to your new state and city
- Research the schools for your children
- Research moving companies and hire a reliable one
- Gather moving supplies and come up with a strategic packing plan
- Don’t forget to transfer your utilities!
Determine your budget
First things first. Even before thinking about any tasks and whatnot, you need to know what your limits are. If you need to ship car from California to Florida, for example, you will have several options that vary in price. You need to know which ones to consider and which ones not to consider. And for that, you need a moving budget. Take your time in figuring out the top limits that you can go and you will have a much easier time dealing with all the costs that might happen. Though, always remember to account for “unexpected expenses” as that is a sensible thing to do.
You will have quite a few options to consider and choices to make when relocating between states. If you don’t know what your limits are, you may lose a lot more time considering the options that you, in fact, cannot afford.
Pay a visit to your new state and city
It is always a good idea to make a short trip to the place you will soon be calling home. In fact, if you can allocate an entire weekend for it, all the better. You want to go around and figure out if you need anything that is specific to your new place. Check out your new home, as well. See if anything inside or outside requires your immediate attention. Your new home is as much a part of your moving process as your belongings. If you need to do something in it, before you can settle in, then it is a moving-related task.
Another thing that visiting the new state will do is make it easier for you to declutter. Figure out which items you will and will not need at the new place. In order to declutter before moving interstate, it is really important to know the specifics of the state that you are moving into. Some of your items may become more valuable while others may be less so. It literally pays to know this information, as bringing fewer items will cost less.
The important thing for your interstate moving checklist – Research the schools for your children
One of the major tasks that need to be on your checklist is finding proper schools for your kids. In fact, you can break down this task into many smaller ones. For example, you can start with finding daycare centers or elementary schools only. Then you can have another task that says “figure out the college situation”. And so on. Make sure to include your kids in this process, as well. In fact, the more you can include kids in your interstate relocation, the better. Don’t make the mistake of choosing everything for your kids without consulting with them. If you have small children, choose only the daycare centers and an elementary school that is close-by.
You never want to send your kids to a school that is 30+ minutes away, if you can help it. Always try to choose a school that is as close as possible to your new home.
One of the interstate moving checklist tasks – Research moving companies and hire a reliable one
Hiring a moving company is quite straightforward when it comes down to that. However, hiring the right moving company is another matter entirely. Your moving checklist needs to include finding movers that will be right for you and your budget. And this process takes time and effort. You can break it down into several tasks, as well. One task can be “find all the companies that operate in the area”. Another can be “get an estimate from all the companies on the shortlist”, and so on. But the most important thing is to avoid fraudulent movers. You really do not want to go into an interstate relocation with one of those companies.
Finding a reliable and trustworthy moving company is not hard, but it is not really the easiest thing in the world either. Simply dedicate some effort to it and it will all be fine, though.
Gather moving supplies and come up with a strategic packing plan
You will have a lot of things to pack and that is a simple fact. For that, you will need some moving boxes and packing supplies. These are all the tasks that go into the checklist, btw. Also, you will want to create a packing plan that will match your situation. Write that down as a task, as well.
Don’t forget to transfer your utilities!
Finally, make a list of all the utilities that you are paying for and write down a task to transfer each and every one. This is something that is often overlooked in interstate moves but is actually quite critical. Simply write it all down and never forget about it. That is what the moving checklist is all about, after all.