It’s no secret that moving house can be a very different experience depending on the type of move altogether. After all, it does matter whether you’re organizing a Do-It-Yourself move or you’re hiring professional movers to do it all for you.
To make things even more complicated and unpredictable, the distance from Point A (current home) to Point B (destination home) will play an extremely important role in how you approach the relocation affair in the first place.
Moving out of state requires a whole new level of preparation than moving locally – either moving just across town or going less than 100 miles within the same state. It’s important to keep in mind that moving to another state is all about meticulous planning, impeccable timing, and perfect execution.
The task ahead of you may sound a bit daunting but the moving out-of-state checklist below will give you great ideas about how to find the best interstate movers, how to organize your state-to-state move (step by step), how to pack when moving out of state, and most importantly – how to save money on your long-distance move.
Just follow these practical out-of-state moving tips to write a happy ending to your own cross-country moving adventure.
How much does it cost to move out of state?
What an excellent question!
Before we try to answer it though, let’s take a look at the 3 major factors that determine the cost of moving out of state.
1. The distance between the two locations
While it’s true that the overall distance between the two homes will influence greatly the cost of moving out of state, it’s even truer that you won’t be able to control or manipulate that factor to your advantage as it remains one of the few constant values of residential moving.
2. The number and weight of items for transportation
It isn’t too hard to deduce that the more household items you plan to move to the new home, the more their total weight will be, and as a result, the more money you will have to pay for their transportation.
This price-formation concept brings forth an amazing cost-saving idea when moving across the country – the idea of reducing the number of your possessions to their minimum in order to save BIG money /see below for details/.
3. The additional services to get the job done
Moving the contents of an entire house or apartment over hundreds or thousands of miles away often requires extra moving services as well.
Packing, furniture disassembly, hoisting, temporary storage, unpacking, furniture reassembly – the list goes on and each accessorial service will only add to the final relocation bill.
Having that in mind, it’s useful to be aware of smart ways to actually save money from the extra moving services that will be available to you.
Now, to learn the cost of moving out of state, you’ll need to first know how much out-of-state moving companies cost. Why?
Understand how the long-distance moving price is calculated to get good ideas about how to reduce the final moving price.
When moving to a different state, the first thing to remember is that cross-country moves are definitely not suited for do-it-yourself experiments due to the increased risk of damage to the household items in transit and the soaring self-moving costs.
The delusion that moving on your own is always more cost-effective than paying for professional moving services becomes a myth the moment state lines are about to be crossed.
Ultimately, the best thing you can do while getting ready to move out of state is to trust a top-rated interstate moving company that won’t let you down regardless of the relocation challenges that your particular cross-country move will offer. Reputable long-distance movers are out there and you “only” need to find them and hire their quality services.
Below you will find more information on how to find out-of-state movers you can really trust, but now, let’s talk a bit more about interstate movers costs and their services.
It’s important to understand that the out-of-state moving cost is calculated on a case-by-case basis, meaning that the final price for each long-distance move is estimated individually.
Therefore, example cross-country moving costs may give you a general idea of what to expect price-wise, but bear in mind that the final price can and most often will be different from the example prices given below.
So, what are the average moving costs of out-of-state moving companies?
If no additional moving services are required, then
Home Size
Move Distance
Moving Price Range
1-bedroom
1,000 miles
$2,363 – $4,930
2-bedroom
1,000 miles
$2,567 – $5,801
3-bedroom
1,000 miles
$3,570 – $6,163
4-bedroom
1,000 miles
$4,208 – $6,885
1-bedroom apartment: $2,363 – $4,930. Expect to pay for out-of-state movers around $2,363 – $4,930 to help you move out of a 1-bedroom apartment and into a new house or apartment that is conveniently situated 1,000 miles away in another state;
2-bedroom home: $2,567 – $5,801. You’ll have to dig deeper into your pockets if you’re moving to another state from a 2-bedroom house or apartment – roughly $2,567 – $5,801 for a move distance of 1,000 miles;
3-bedroom home: $3,570 – $6,163. The costs of moving out of state from a 3-bedroom home can go from around $3,570 to roughly $6,163 for a distance of 1,000 miles without any extra services included.
4-bedroom home: $4,208 – $6,885. Expect to pay for interstate movers from around $4,208 to approximately $6,885 to help you move out of a 4-bedroom home to a new place located roughly 1,000 miles away.
Use these example long-distance costs as a reference point only as you’re likely to pay less or more depending on the specifics of your cross-country move. In reality, you don’t have to guesstimate how much your out-of-state move will cost you – simply leave the accurate price estimation to experienced movers.
Request in-home surveys from 3-4 reputable out-of-state moving companies and compare their moving cost estimates carefully to choose the best offer.
high-quality services + reasonable prices = the best out-of-state moving companies
Choosing a good and reliable out-of-state moving company often proves to be the most crucial factor that will inevitably determine the outcome of the move itself.
You want to entrust your valuable household goods to an experienced and reliable moving company that will take good care of your possessions when packing, carrying, loading, transporting, and unpacking them.
You need an interstate mover with many years of experience and a high level of professionalism in order to have a problem-free move.
But how can you find such a reliable out-of-state moving company?
The process of hunting down the best out-of-state moving companies is not a piece of cake, but it’s not too difficult either. It takes nothing but a bit of time, some patience, and a few smart decisions.
Follow these 5 major steps to find the best out-of-state movers near you:
FILL IN a quick moving quote to get in touch with reputable interstate movers in your city. This initial step only takes one minute and will ensure that you get contacted by properly licensed and adequately insured state-to-state movers.
REQUEST in-house visual estimation of the household items you have for transportation from the selected state-to-state moving companies and ask them to visit your home in person in order to furnish you with binding written estimates;
CHECK the online reputation of out-of-state moving companies by reading moving reviews, testimonials, and ratings about their relocation services. This way, you’ll get a better idea about what to expect from your interstate movers because the moving reviews have been left by satisfied or dissatisfied customers of the moving companies;
SEE if the movers are properly licensed by checking their electronic record with the U.S. Department of Transportation, or more precisely, confirming that they have a USDOT number issued by the government;
TAKE a good look at the received moving estimates, and compare carefully the rates and the corresponding services included. It shouldn’t be too hard to pick up the winner – the moving company that fits comfortably within your set budget and fulfills your house moving requirements and needs.
REFRAIN from accepting an offer that is way lower than the rest as that could be a sign of moving fraud. Protect yourself from moving scams by checking our complete Moving Fraud Prevention Guide.
Choosing a reputable out-of-state mover is not a piece of cake by any means. However, the time and effort you will invest in picking a good long-distance moving company will pay off tenfold in the end.
When getting ready to move out of state, time can either be your faithful ally or your arch enemy. Which one do you choose? That will depend mainly on how good your time management skills are.
Quick and safe packing is essential for the success of your out-of-state relocation, but combine it with proper organization of your time and the results will be nothing short of outstanding.
Here’s a brief moving out-of-state checklist to guarantee the success of your house-moving operation:
1. Set an out-of-state moving budget
Setting up a budget for your upcoming state-to-state move is an important step that shouldn’t be skipped. After all, it’s your hard-earned money that will be at risk and the better you play out your cards, the more dollars you’ll manage to save in the end.
Know in advance how much your interstate move will roughly cost (an estimate) to get a good reference point, a shrewd financial strategy, and a decent preliminary idea of how your entire move to another state will be financed.
Ask your best pal the Giant Panda to help you organize your time before moving to a new state.
The best organizational tool for your move to another part of the country that will surely save you plenty of valuable time is a detailed to-do list.
You complete a task, you mark it as DONE, and move on to the next one – simple, yet effective.
Because of the overwhelming number of things to do when moving out of state, such a week-by-week planner will help you stay on the right track by keeping your motivation and concentration elevated throughout the preparation period. The overall number of moving tasks and their execution frequency will depend primarily on how much time you have until Moving day.
Consult our Weekly Moving Calendar for some great ideas for your own out-of-state checklist.
3. Gather the right packing materials
Packing your household items without proper packing materials is simply unthinkable.
If you can afford it, it’s obviously best to get brand new high-quality packing supplies either from your movers or from the nearest office supply store or home improvement store. However, you may have to think outside the moving box in order to cut down your moving expenses because, you know, moving is fairly expensive as it is.
And as far as packing supplies go, the biggest expense is the king of packing materials – the moving boxes. Cardboard boxes in good condition can be obtained just for the asking from large local businesses (supermarkets, retail stores, bookstores, etc.) or from friends who have relocated recently.
Are you sure you are familiar with the proper packing techniques?
Once you have procured all the packing materials you’ll need for your interstate move, it’s time to come up with a solid packing strategy.
Obviously, you can’t just go from one room to another and put random items into random boxes without carefully planning your packing moves first. Well, actually you can do it but we guarantee you that you won’t like the final result.
Start the packing process from the premises that you use most infrequently (garage, attic, basement, spare rooms) and work your way towards the rooms you use on a daily base. Also, decide how to prepare the big, bulky and heavy items first (furniture, kitchen appliances, etc.) and take care of your smallest possessions in the very end.
And above all, start packing up your stuff as early as humanly possible to avoid last-minute chaos and stress.
Moving all your household items as they are seldom is a reasonable and justifiable solution. Remember that you’re going to get charged for the distance to your home in another state and the total weight of the shipment.
Therefore, the fewer items you have for transportation, the more you’re going to save on your move. And frankly, are you really going to need all of that stuff in your new place?
Go through your possessions carefully and decide which ones (like, want, and will need in the near future) you’re taking with you and which ones (never liked, don’t want, and won’t need in the foreseeable future) you’re leaving behind.
Sell at a moving sale, give away to friends, or donate to charity all the items you’ve decided NOT to move but are still worth something.
You’ll need to know in advance which items your out-of-state movers won’t agree to move due to safety reasons. You are not allowed to pack any hazardous materials (corrosive, flammable, and explosive) that may endanger people’s health during the move, or your items or the mover’s property, and therefore you must dispose of such potentially dangerous goods.
Besides dangerous goods, your state-to-state moving company will also refuse to load perishable foods, pets, and plants onto their moving truck. So, use up or give away your perishables prior to moving day and find an alternative method of transporting your pets and plants to your new residence.
Contact your interstate movers in advance and request their complete list of forbidden items before you begin to pack up your things. Also, consult our Guide on Non-Allowables that includes detailed information about what to do with each one as well.
Be careful what you pack into your essentials boxes.
Packing a box or two with absolute essentials that you will most likely need while the rest of your possessions are in transit is a very good idea.
These essentials boxes will be by your side either on your last day in your old place or on your first day in your new apartment or house while waiting for your out-of-state movers to deliver your items, or maybe even on both days.
Some helpful things you should consider packing in your survival kit: prescription medicine, non-perishable food, plastic utensils, extra clothes for everyone, toiletries, some basic tools such as screwdrivers, a hammer, a flashlight, a measuring tape, etc.
DON’T hand over the essentials boxes to your movers – those open-first boxes must stay with you at all times.
When you have your boxes packed and ready for transportation, don’t forget to label each and every moving container appropriately before it is loaded into the moving vehicle. It’s been proven that a logical labeling system that takes up to one minute per box can save you hours while unpacking at your new home.
Take a black marker pen and write down the content, destination room, and handling instructions on each container. The usage of different color tags or labels for different rooms is also highly recommended because it will accelerate the unpacking process even more.
Moving to another state means that your address is changing too. So, to keep getting your mail without any problems, you’ll have to change your postal address with the United States Postal Service (USPS).
In most cases, the best time to change your address is to do it roughly 2 weeks prior to your move-out date. However, if you find yourself too busy to tackle that task before Moving day, you can also take care of it right after moving into the new-state home.
The good news is that you are given FOUR different options to change your address: 1) you can do it ONLINE, 2) you can do it personally at the closest USPS office, 3) you can do it over the phone, and 4) you can complete the Change of Address operation by mail.
Your out-of-state moving checklist should remind you to transfer the home utilities on time.
Moving to another state will also mean that you’ll have to transfer your home utilities – electricity, water and sewage, gas, cable TV, Internet, telephone, waste removal, etc. – to the new place.
Failure to tackle this important task could result in your finding the new residence without electricity or running water – something that you wouldn’t really enjoy.
Make a list of all the utilities you’re enjoying at the moment, then go through that list carefully and reassess the necessity of those utility services. Needless to say, you should get rid of any utility service that you’re not really using to save money.
Make sure you contact your current utility companies to schedule the disconnection of those services (at least 3 weeks prior to Moving day) and then get in touch with the utility service providers in the new state to arrange for the timely connection of the new utility services.
The cost of moving out of state may prove to be higher than what you can afford.
Don’t despair, for there are good ways to cut the moving costs and make your interstate move cheaper – that is, affordable enough for your limited moving budget.
Here are the top 3 ways to save money on your out-of-state move:
1. Move only the things you love, use, and need
There isn’t a single reason why you shouldn’t pocket some cash by organizing a moving sale for the stuff you no longer need.
As you already know, packing and moving all of your household items to the new home in a different state is a rookie mistake you should avoid at all costs. Why?
It’s simple enough: moving more things means 1) higher transportation costs, 2) higher packing costs, and 3) less storage space in the new place.
So, don’t do it. Instead, save plenty of money by sorting through your stuff and setting aside for packing and moving only the things that you do intend to use in the foreseeable future. Add the items you’ve always liked (even when they are not that useful) and you’re done.
Get rid of all the stuff you’re not moving with you. As a bonus, you can try to sell some of those items and add the earned cash to your budget.
One of the best ways to cut moving costs when moving to a new state is to pack your things on your own as opposed to paying professional packers to come to your home and do the job for you.
In fact, any extra service that you can do without will save you money, and that’s especially true for the most common moving service of them all – professional packing. Bear in mind that professional packing services are not cheap, and they can be even more expensive when you have too many items to protect for the road or multiple specialty items that require special packing needs.
The good news is that as long as you have enough time, you should manage the house-packing project just fine. Seriously, do you need to pay professional packers to pack your clothes, shoes, or books? Thus said, packing up fragile items can be risky, so careful risk assessment is still a must-do thing before your final decision.
Besides, you can always ask your friends to help you pack, can’t you?
Having already figured out your move-out date, you should not delay booking your move with the interstate moving company you have selected.
There’s no such thing as booking a move too early. On the contrary, the earlier you reserve your date, the higher the chance of getting a better deal in the end. This is especially true during the height of the moving season (May-September) when the demand for moving services out of state reaches its peak.
To lower the moving costs, think about moving out of state during the off-peak season. If you do have the luxury to choose the time of your move to another state, then it’s advisable that you choose a weekday (rather than the weekend) in the middle of the month (rather than the beginning and end of the month) anywhere between September and May.
Keep in mind that most moving companies will be willing to offer steep discounts, sometimes up to 30% off their standard rates, in order to secure more moving jobs. So, why not take advantage of your scheduling flexibility?
Finally, let’s point out that the best way to move out of state is to be perfectly prepared for the long-distance relocation. Here is some additional advice on moving to another state:
Moving out of state with children
If you’re moving out of state with a child or children, then the relocation preparation and the execution of your interstate move will automatically become even more complicated and stressful.
This is why we have prepared a complete and practical Children’s Moving Guide with tips on how to move to a new state with a child. For your convenience, the guide is broken into 3 separate chapters and each chapter covers the various set of challenges you’re about to face with each different age group.
As mentioned above, your interstate movers won’t agree to transport your pet to your city in the new state, so you’ll need to figure out an alternative way to ship your animal friend.
Regardless of whether you’re driving to your new out-of-state home and taking your pet inside your vehicle, or you’re flying together with your furry friend to your new residence, you’ll need to know how to prepare your pet for the cross-country move and how to guarantee their safety during the transportation itself.
What to do after you move to a new state
The transportation of your household goods ends when the moving company, having fulfilled its contractual obligations, departs from your new address and you find yourself at the foot of a mountain of packed boxes, wondering how to organize your post-move time most efficiently.
Yes, the relocation is not really over until you have settled comfortably in your new home in the new state. However, before you can do just that, there are a number of really urgent tasks that you must take care of first.
So, what should you do first after moving to a new state?
That would be great, but usually companies don’t pay to much attention to out of state applicants. I can vouch from experience. If you don’t already live there, you can’t get a job. No one will rent to you because you don’t have a job in the state you want to live. Catch 22!!
It makes sense that the cost of moving to another state will depend on the distance between the two locations. My wife and I are planning on moving to a different state soon. We’ll be sure to consider how much moving will cost based on the location of our new home.
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Getting a job before you move
That would be great, but usually companies don’t pay to much attention to out of state applicants. I can vouch from experience. If you don’t already live there, you can’t get a job. No one will rent to you because you don’t have a job in the state you want to live. Catch 22!!
It makes sense that the cost of moving to another state will depend on the distance between the two locations. My wife and I are planning on moving to a different state soon. We’ll be sure to consider how much moving will cost based on the location of our new home.