To prepare for an interstate move, you need optimism, patience, a good plan, and hard work. Of course, a bit of help will do you good, but only if you stay positive and concentrated on the upcoming move. Although an interstate move sounds overwhelming, there’s no need to be intimidated by it. Actually, the whole process isn’t much more different or complicated than when moving locally. Unsurprisingly, you will need a bigger moving budget and you will have to deal with some paperwork. However, there are some useful tips to help you make moving to a new home easier. We can provide you with all you need to know on the subject.
Visit Your Future Home Before You Start Organizing The Whole Process
This is one of those things you should do months before you move. Why? You will get a chance to inspect not just your new place, but the whole neighborhood and the city as well. This is beneficial due to several reasons:
- When you visit your future living space, you can inspect it thoroughly. Firstly, do some measuring and see whether your furniture can fit the place. If there are items inappropriate for your new home, you will need to decide what to do with them. Secondly, you will see whether your new home needs some repairs. If the answer is yes, these repairs should find their place on your week by week moving checklist.
- Explore the neighborhood to see whether there are any obstacles to completing your move at ease. Are the streets wide enough for a moving truck? Are there enough parking spaces? Also, use this opportunity to meet some neighbors. Introduce yourself and have a chat with them. They might provide you with some useful things to know about this area.
- Explore the city and you might find some interesting spots you will visit often in the future. You can describe and discuss them while preparing your children for the move.
Calculate Your Moving Budget – Can You Afford Professional Movers?
When you need to prepare for an interstate move, the first question that might come to your head immediately is “How much does a moving company cost?” We can’t say this is a surprise since it is much better to leave everything to professionals provided that you can afford them. So, grab a piece of paper, a pen, and a calculator and calculate. Your findings will greatly influence the future decisions you will make. If you think you won’t have enough money at your disposal to hire a moving company, explore cheaper options. You can rent a portable moving container or even rent a moving truck and drive it yourself. Why not?
To Prepare For An Interstate Move, Make A Plan And Stick To It!
Whether you opt for a DIY move or decide to hire a reputable moving company, some planning is inevitable. However, it isn’t enough to just make a plan. You have to stick to it too. If you make frequent changes, you will cause confusion and chaos and that is something you should avoid by all means in the given circumstances. Thus, do some serious thinking and only then can you make decisions and prepare for an interstate move properly.
Before You Pack – Declutter!
We are sure there are a lot of unused or outdated things in your current home. Do you really think you should take them to your new address too? Of course, not. Thus, decluttering your home before moving day is unavoidable. Besides, your moving costs will be considerably lower if they depend on the weight of your belongings. You don’t have to throw away the things you don’t need anymore. Donate them or give them to your friends if they find them useful. It’s all up to you.
Find A Respectable Moving Company To Help You With The Relocation
You need to find the best residential movers Virginia you can get to help you with your relocation. Bear in mind that the choice you make regarding your movers will greatly influence the success of your interstate move. Here are a few useful tips on how to find a reputable moving company to help you with this challenge.
Consult the people in your surrounding and the internet
The safest way to find an appropriate mover is to ask people in your surrounding for recommendations. Thus, you won’t have to worry whether you will be able to recognize fraudulent movers. Unfortunately, it happens often that these people can’t help. Then, search the internet to find potential movers.
Request free moving quotes and compare them
Although these free moving quotes are not accurate, they provide you with the idea of moving prices. You should avoid both those companies with too high prices as well as those which offer something too good to be true. When you compare moving companies, make a list of at least three you want to arrange an in-house estimate with.
Arranging an in-house estimate is a must
This is necessary because it is the only way to know the exact moving costs of your move. Although there are other alternatives, you will probably receive a binding estimate which can protect you from unexpected and unwanted costs.
Check the reputation of your potential movers
You need to make sure you are dealing with professional, knowledgeable, experienced and responsible movers. Hence, it is of utter importance to find out other people’s experiences with the companies you are considering. Take some time to read customers’ reviews and visit websites like Better Business Bureau where you can check the ratings of these companies. Then, you can make your final choice.
Deal With The Necessary Paperwork To Prepare For An Interstate Move
If you think that an interstate move involves just relocating your items to another state, you are so wrong. To prepare for an interstate move, you need some serious paperwork to deal with. Here is what is necessary:
- Notify both your current and future utility companies well in advance.
- Forward your snail mail easily over the USPS.
- Transfer your driver’s license as soon as possible.
- Establish domicile in the new state for tax purposes.
When The Move Is Over, Relax And Enjoy!
Although you have to invest a lot of time and nerves to prepare for an interstate move, you’ll enjoy greatly when everything is over. Changes are good. They present us with new challenges we need to face. Yours will be to explore the new surrounding, find a new job and make lots of new friends. You can turn your interstate move into an enjoyable experience, can’t you?