shutterstock_113165296Moving from one state to another is a lot different than moving 15 minutes down the street. Multiple trips aren’t very cost-effective, which means that you are going to have to move everything at once. This requires a lot of planning if you want to keep your moving costs down. The following are a number of moving tips that you should follow if you plan on moving to another state:

  • Call a moving company ahead of time – The last thing you want to do is wait until the last minute – you’re going to find that either there are no trucks available for the day you want to move or that rates have skyrocketed. You should schedule a moving truck at least a month in advance.
  • Take care of utilities – Have the utilities at your old home shut off the day you leave so that you’re not paying for them once you’re gone. Make sure that all of the utilities are working in your new home so that you have hot water and electricity the day you move in.
  • Get your car inspected – Odds are you’re going to be on the road for more than a few hours if you are moving to another state. Make sure you get a full tune up in order to reduce the risk of your car breaking down mid-move. Having your car inspected will make the trip much safer as well.
  • Budget your move – Begin budgeting your move as soon as possible. This includes getting an estimate from a moving company, determining how much moving supplies will cost, estimating the cost of gas, hotel stays and food during the move, and much more. By creating a budget ahead of time, you’ll have some time to save up money so that you don’t feel like you are in a financial hole by the time you are moved in to your new home.
  • Plan your route – If you are going to be on the road for more than a day, make sure you plan out where you are going to stay over night. Don’t just drive until you are too tired to keep going. Not only is this unsafe, but you may have difficulty finding an affordable hotel.
  • Pack everything ahead of time – Don’t wait until the night before the moving company is scheduled to arrive to begin packing your things. Not only are you going to be extremely stressed out, but you’re going to end up packing your things poorly, which will make it difficult to find your things once you move in and could even lead to some of your possessions getting damaged during the move. Pack ahead of time so that you can pack carefully and make sure that you label all of your boxes by their contents and by what room they belong in.

If you are planning on moving out of state, then be sure to keep this checklist in mind to prevent the moving process from being expensive and difficult.