Four Easy Steps to Moving Across the Country

So you have it all: an exciting new job across the country, a beautiful new home and devoted family and friends to support you. First of all: well done, you! Unfortunately, now you actually have to move across the country—not such an exciting task. Between boxes, movers and mileage the whole stressful moving process can make the light at the end of the tunnel seem far away. But with a little planning and foresight your move is not an impossible hurdle to your shiny new life.

Here is a simple checklist of tasks to complete to make your move as painless as possible. These are not your typical steps, however; instead you will find helpful tips to maximize the efficiency of your transition from your old life to your new.

Know where you are going

Of course you know what state and city or town you are headed to, but take some time to get to know it. Helpful online tools like a cost of living calculator will help prepare for life in a new economic community. Knowing details about cost of living in your new home can go a long way towards developing a new monthly budget or even just deciding how much you can afford to spend on your move. Sites like City-Data can also help, as they collect and analyze data on a particular city or neighborhood to offer you great information like average weather, school systems, crime and more. You might have already checked out some of these factors before you purchased your new home, but it is always smart to search out all the information you can.

And while we hope you already worked this part out with your new employer, be sure that any certification needed for work  in your new state is in order. Some certification is not valid across state lines—make sure yours is valid before you take the plunge!

Set a date—it is not as easy as you might think

You might think you already have this one covered—you have given yourself enough time to pack, travel and relocate, with a few extra days to let yourself breathe.

But are you moving during a peak moving time unnecessarily? What we mean is, for example, are you moving over a weekend even though you do not start work on Monday? Weekends are peak moving times. So are holidays and the end of every month. And the entire month of September is crazy in the moving industry. This increased demand will affect access to materials and supplies, options and, of course, price. So if you can schedule a moving date that works around these peak times, it will be to your benefit.

Decide what you want and what you want to spend on it

The logistics of moving are pretty universal: set a date, rent equipment, hire movers and beg for boxes. But do you have the need, desire or budget for all of that? The myriad of moving tools, services and contractors means you can tailor your moving experience to fit your specific needs and energy level. Here is a quick rundown of the most popular options:

• DIY—You can save a lot of money by renting a truck and moving yourself. But this takes a significant amount of time and energy; you are packing, carrying and driving your stuff all on your own. Plus, there are hidden costs such as the cost of gas, food and lodging while you are on the road.
• Rent a moving container—Again, you are doing most of the grunt work yourself, but you do have the luxury of more time and convenience; the containers or PODS are dropped at your home, filled by you at your convenience and shipped to your new residence. Here is a helpful tip: find a company with locations close to your respective homes; you will pay less automatically.
• Full-service movers—This is by far the best, though most expensive, option. You pack up your belongings and the movers do the rest! If this is an option for you, make sure you do a lot of research and read reviews on various companies before selecting one. Every horror story we have ever heard began with unreliable movers.

Of course, newer and cheaper moving options are popping up every day, so do not be afraid of a little research!

Do not forget Fido

If you think moving is stressful for you, imagine how your pet feels! Moving is an especially chaotic time for an animal; lots of change and lots of strange noises and people. But there are some simple ways to make your pet’s move as low-stress as possible—for both of you.

First of all, get the necessary paperwork, tags and medications that your pet needs from your veterinarian. Check if additional shots or paperwork is required by your new home state. Ask your veterinarian about sedatives before considering them. Make an identification tag for your pets while you are in transit that includes your cell phone number.

Keep their routine as normal as possible in terms of feedings and exercise/walks. If you are driving, plan where you are going to stop and stop every few hours. And when you get to your new home, change your pet’s microchip address immediately; pets are more likely to run off and get lost in a new place.

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