You’re moving from one state to another and the mere thought of the interstate move ahead of you makes you nervous, and even scared.
You may be moving to a neighboring state, or you may be moving to a state located at the other end of the country. Either way, moving to a new state is never a joke, so you shouldn’t treat it as one.
It’s time to take things seriously so that you can guarantee the success of the RELOCATION mission – the one you have already accepted, willingly or unwillingly.
Read and follow these 20 tips for moving from one state to another.
Ultimately, the better prepared you are, the greater chance you’ll stand of having a problem-free state-to-state move with no stress and minimum moving expenses.
Things to consider when moving from one state to another
Here’s what to consider when moving to a new state:
1. Avoid DIY risks
Because of the great moving distance, moving to another state is not the right time to test out your self-moving abilities. You may feel confident you can do it by yourself thanks to the fact that you’ve moved house before – experience is always a confidence booster.
However, moving across the country without professional assistance is also risky from a financial point of view due to the hidden DIY moving costs and expenses. Don’t be quick to exclude likely property damage or probable personal injury when moving from one state to another by yourself.
A number of important factors will affect not only the moving cost but also the level of difficulty of your interstate move. Those influential factors include the total shipment weight of the items you’re moving, the extra moving services you need, the moving company you choose, and of course – the move distance to the new home.
Interestingly, the moving distance is the only factor that you can’t modify to make it work in your favor – its constant, fixed, and unchangeable value will force you to look for other ways to spend less money and invest less effort when moving to a new state.
One thing is clear: moving stuff from one state to another will cost you money.
Packing up and moving your clothes shouldn’t worry you in any way – what you should be really concerned about is your furniture. It’s not a secret that most furniture pieces are rather bulky – too oversized and too heavy to be ignored during a state-to-state move.
Be really shrewd when moving furniture from one state to another – each and every extra piece you decide to take with you will cost you more money. Oftentimes, it’s cheaper to leave furniture behind and buy new later than to haul massive furniture pieces thousands of miles across the country.
The great distances when moving from one state to another hint at the usage of experienced cross-country movers.
You may be wondering how to go about moving from one state to another if you happen to own a few really special items in your home such as a piano, a pool table, a hot tub, or even a heavy safe.
In the majority of cases, such specialty items require specialist packing and handling – a service that can only be provided by qualified professional movers.
As an owner of such valuable items, you just know you can’t face that relocation task on your own. Therefore, if the thought of parting with any of your high-value possessions is simply unbearable, then you must get in touch with top-rated long-distance movers.
5. Hire interstate movers
The best way to move from one state to another is to hire one of the best cross-country movers in the country.
By the way, that relocation option also coincides with the easiest way to move from one state to another – you just sit back and let experienced professionals take care of the toughest aspects of your interstate move – expert packing and furniture protection, heavy lifting, and cross-country transportation of your household items.
The toughest thing you will need to do is find good movers that offer excellent relocation services at affordable prices.
By now you should be perfectly aware that the best way to move to a new state is to use the services of a professional moving company. And now that you know how to find reputable and reliable state-to-state movers from the previous tip, you must be really interested in learning the true moving cost from one state to another.
How much does it cost to move from one state to another?
Use our Moving Cost Calculator to get price quotes from top-rated interstate moving companies, then compare the cost estimates to choose the best relocation offer in terms of price and conditions.
You won’t be thrilled to learn the average cost of an interstate move is approximately $4,300 for a move distance of 1,225 miles. Now you’ll understand why everybody’s desperately looking for the cheapest way to move from one state to another.
There are 3 major things you can do to move to another state cheaply: 1) use a low-cost interstate moving company, 2) move only items you will really, really, REALLY need in the new home, and 3) pack up your stuff by yourself, or at least pack the things you can.
Here’s a list of things to do when moving from one state to another:
8. Follow a moving checklist
In-depth planning and proper time management are two essential conditions for a smooth and trouble-free interstate move. It’s important to start the relocation preparation as early as you can, but it’s even more important to organize the tasks and plan your time in the best possible way.
Follow a moving to another state checklist: make sure you never miss an essential job and guarantee yourself a successful completion of all tasks prior to Moving day.
As you keep checking those mini-tasks as complete, your motivation and satisfaction will increase while the move-related stress will decrease.
You’re moving from one state to another state, and that automatically means that your postal address will change too. So, you’re going to have to register your new address in the new state with the United States Postal Service (USPS).
The recommended time frame to request a change of address is at least a couple of weeks before Moving day.
Temporary or permanent change of address?
Individual or family change of address?
What’s the best way to change your address when moving to another state: online, in person, by phone, or by mail?
Our change of address checklist has all the answers.
Moving to a new state is definitely no joke, but the state-to-state move may easily turn into a bad joke if you find your new home with no electricity, running water, or gas. What’s going on?
Contact the utility companies in the new-state city you’re moving to and arrange the connection or re-connection of the three essential home services mentioned above.
Complete this task around one week prior to moving in. Keep in mind that additional services such as cable TV, phone, and Internet can be arranged after you’ve moved into the new house or apartment.
Moving from one state to another with children is a special type of challenge that you as a parent should be ready to face and overcome.
Although these relocation challenges will depend primarily on the exact age of your child or children – newborn, baby, toddler, preschooler, school-age, or teenager, you must be ready to cope with them one by one.
The disruption of routine, the handling of stress, and the change of schools are all important issues when moving with children to a new state. However, your most fundamental task is to ensure their safety before, during, and right after the cross-country move.
The best way to move your dog or cat to a new state is to drive them in your own vehicle.
One thing you can be sure of is that moving to another state with pets is not going to be easy.
Taking into account the fact that interstate movers are not allowed to transport pets, it’s entirely up to you to find the best way to move your pet to the new-state home.
If you’re moving to a new state with a dog [Dog Guide] or moving your cat to another state [Cat Guide], the best way to approach the pet transportation issue is to take your animal friend in the car with you.
This way, your pet will be subjected to a minimal amount of stress because they will never leave your side.
Our tips for moving out of state for the first time continue with arguably the most significant piece of advice you can get during this transitional period: get rid of all unwanted items prior to packing.
It’s pretty simple: the fewer items you choose to take with you to the new state, the more money you will save in terms of transportation costs because of the reduced shipment weight.
What’s the cheapest way to move stuff from one state to another?
Inventory your entire home and go through your items one by one. Be ruthless when deciding what to take and what to leave behind – after all, it’s your own money that’s on the line here.
The greater distance between the two homes means that your household items will spend quite a lot of time on the road. This is why you will need to have your prized possessions packed in the best possible way.
And of course, quality packing requires quality packing materials.
Before you initiate the packing task, make sure you have enough soft packing paper, Bubble wrap, packing tape, and of course – enough cardboard boxes of various sizes.
Lower your packing expenses by getting some or most of your moving boxes for free. Use plenty of bubble wrap when protecting fragile items.
Moving from one state to another is all about being 100% ready for the day of the move. And you won’t be nearly ready for it if you still have boxes to pack on the Big day.
How can you make sure that you will be able to tackle the most time-consuming task of the home-moving process?
The answer is simple: follow a good packing timeline!
A personal packing checklist will first remind you to start packing for a move as soon as you possibly can. Then, your own packing schedule will make sure you don’t make any costly moving mistakes – judgment errors that will slow down or even halt temporarily your home packing inertia.
When moving to another state, the move distance can vary greatly, often reaching overwhelming values of several thousand miles. In such cases, especially when it comes to coast-to-coast moving, you may choose to have your car shipped to the new state instead of driving it for days across the entire continent.
Moving a car from one state to another is a serious issue to solve, so think about what’s best for you, for your personal vehicle, and for your budget. And should you decide that the best option is to have your car transported to the new home, then your next step is to contact top-rated car shipping companies and get price quotes.
Our checklist for moving from one state to another continues with the major tasks you must complete after the interstate move:
17. Unpack at your own pace
You’ve successfully completed the state-to-state move, so congratulations are in order. You only have time for a quick sigh of relief though, for it’ll be some time before you can get your life back to normal.
First of all, make sure you’ve unpacked the essentials boxes, then it’s time to unpack the KITCHEN, BEDROOM, and BATHROOM-labeled boxes so that those three rooms get operational ASAP.
The best thing about unpacking is that you can do it at your own comfortable pace because this time there isn’t any approaching deadline to keep you stressed out.
Don’t postpone the registration of your vehicle when you move to a new state.
If you’re wondering whether you are required to register your car after moving to a new state, the short answer is YES.
Regrettably, you won’t be able to complete this task online, so you’ll really need to find time in your busy schedule and do it in person at a local DMV office.
It’s important to note that different U.S. states have different deadlines for vehicle registration – some will give you one month to do it, while others require you to do it within 10 days (Florida).
Contact the nearest DMV office to learn what documents you will need for the registration process – note that a car insurance policy, purchased from the destination state, is a must.
Moving to another state also means that you’re expected to find new healthcare providers for you and your family members, including your pet. Remember that your health, and the health of the people around you, is a top priority no matter what happens.
Regardless of whether you’ll be looking for primary care doctors, specialized doctors, or licensed vets, you will need the necessary documentation for the registration process.
Usually, the required documents are medical records and vaccination papers which you should have requested from your old physician and veterinarian prior to the actual move.
Relocating to an unfamiliar place where you don’t know anyone, especially if you’re moving to a new state alone, can trigger a strong nostalgic reaction known as separation anxiety.
You just left friends or even family behind, so that pre-move world that gave your comfort and filled your days with calming familiarity is now gone.
Learn more about the relocation depression symptoms (excessive sleep, unusual tiredness, no desire to socialize, unwillingness to leave the new home, obvious apathy) and what you can do to cope with relocation depression – that risky side effect of moving from one state to another.
You will need to take care of many tasks when organizing an interstate move – from finding state-to-state movers and packing up your stuff to changing your address and transferring the home utilities.
Make sure you follow a detailed out-of-state moving checklist to manage your time in the best possible way and increase the overall efficiency of the cross-country move.
How much does it cost to move from one state to another?
The national average cost of a long-distance move is about $4,000 with a price range from $2,200 to $5,700.
Of course, the cost of your own intestate move will depend on critical factors such as the move distance, the overall weight of the shipment, the additional moving services you need, and the moving company you choose to work with.
Request free moving quotes from top state-to-state movers to learn the price of your interstate relocation.
What’s the cheapest way to move from one state to another?
The cheapest way to move to another state is to use various cost-saving techniques at the same time in order to bring down the overall cost of the move.
The top 3 ways to pay less when moving out of state are to 1) find a low-cost interstate mover, 2) take with you only the things you will really need after the move, and 3) pack up your things by yourself.
What’s the easiest way to move from one state to another?
The easiest way to move to another state is to trust a full-service state-to-state moving company that will take care of every little move-related detail.
In fact, it couldn’t possibly get any easier than that – you don’t even have to lift a finger. What you will need to do, however, is to make sure you’re hiring one of the best interstate movers in your area. And, of course, you will have to be able to cover the moving expenses as well.
How to move furniture from one state to another?
In the best-case scenario, you will choose not to move any big and heavy furniture pieces to the new place. Why? The thing is that moving furniture to a new state can easily prove to be costlier than buying brand-new furniture after the move.
However, if you just must move some antique or valuable pieces of furniture with you, look for reputable and experienced furniture movers that will complete the job quickly and safely.
How to move a car from one state to another?
If you need to have your vehicle shipped to another state, then that tough will be best handled by an interstate car shipping company. Get free car shipping quotes from several cross-country auto shippers and pick the offer that best fits your budget.
Additionally, don’t forget to compare the car shippers in order to choose the one with the best reputation in the business. You will also have to know how to prepare your car for interstate shipping.
I am looking for step by step way of moving to another state. A planning guide, like when to start packing and notifying insurance and utility companies.
I live in Phoenix, and I would not recommend that unless you have family here. The culture is that most people stay with their families. The summers are very hot, and the pay is low. The winter months weather is amazing.
Hi everyone, I’ll try to keep it brief lol. I am planning on moving from NJ to PA. I work for the USPS and I applied for multiple jobs where I’m moving. But my question is should I be more concerned about a job lined up or living arrangements? Please help, I know this may be a no-brainer for some of you but its always great to her advice and opinions.
I would like to relocate from New York to Florida. I am in a twenty year abusive relationship of which I am tired. I have all contracts such as (lease, utilities, etc.) in my name. All I want to take with me is my resume, jewelry and some clothes. The furniture, washing machine, air conditioner and other furniture I do not want. How do I proceed?
Very good helpful tips. I’m looking to move from SC to TX in the next year or two. I want to plan everything out carefully before making this life changing move.
I’m looking to make a jump to PA, I’ve got some trade skills, but I will almost literally be starting from zero. Any advice on who I could speak to or who may help???
My sister is thinking about moving into a new area soon. She wants to get the professional help of state to state movers for the best shipment possible. It would make sense that you would want to get the right car registration with your state and my sister would love knowing this.
It’s interesting that you can become anxious when moving to an unfamiliar place. My wife and I are moving out of our first house and she is having a hard time saying goodbye. I think that hiring a moving service will help make things easier for her.
Thank you for reminding me that I shouldn’t rely on my own abilities if I were to move to another state. I moved out while I was in college but now that I’m older and my parents need someone that they can easily call whenever they need help, I think that moving back to my hometown would be the best choice. I’ll follow your advice and hire long distance movers who can help me with my stuff.
I like how you explained that moving to another state is not the time to test your DIY capabilities. When you moving to another state, it would be important to find a moving company that can actually perform an out-of-state job. When you are calling a moving company, or looking at their website, it would be important to check out what all services they offer are.
A wonderful guide to relocating furniture from one state to another. I’m looking to move from SC to TX in the next year or two. I want to plan everything out carefully before making this life-changing move.
My sis and I are moving to New Mexico from Colorado. The freight company that we hired, giving a deposit that covered half of moving cost, were to show up today. Getting no calls back regarding time of move. When we call the company no one answers phone nor returns the numerous messages we have left. Customer service if you do get a live person are rude, unprofessional and no help at all. Sis wants to fire them if still no show tomorrow. What can we do about this. We are super stressed out about this.
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I am looking for step by step way of moving to another state. A planning guide, like when to start packing and notifying insurance and utility companies.
Did you move?
we r moveing and we need some one to move us from pa to woodsfield ohio
THIS IS VERY HELPFUL. I AM COSIDERING PHOENIX AZ VERY DEEPLY
I live in Phoenix, and I would not recommend that unless you have family here. The culture is that most people stay with their families. The summers are very hot, and the pay is low. The winter months weather is amazing.
Hi everyone, I’ll try to keep it brief lol. I am planning on moving from NJ to PA. I work for the USPS and I applied for multiple jobs where I’m moving. But my question is should I be more concerned about a job lined up or living arrangements? Please help, I know this may be a no-brainer for some of you but its always great to her advice and opinions.
I share the same concerns
so am I, However never been there, but looking 2 visit soon and then she what its really like.
I would like to relocate from New York to Florida. I am in a twenty year abusive relationship of which I am tired. I have all contracts such as (lease, utilities, etc.) in my name. All I want to take with me is my resume, jewelry and some clothes. The furniture, washing machine, air conditioner and other furniture I do not want. How do I proceed?
Hi Gina Dupree. I am considering moving to Arizona too. Have you moved there yet? And if so, do you like it? What are some pros and cons?
Very good helpful tips. I’m looking to move from SC to TX in the next year or two. I want to plan everything out carefully before making this life changing move.
I want to move from Denver, CO to Charleston, SC.
Arizona is a wonderful place!!
Hey I live in the Bronx and moving to davenport Washington I have very little belongings what should I do
ps: I can’t drive
Very helpful tips. Thanks
We we're discussing moving from pa to tennessee
I’m looking to make a jump to PA, I’ve got some trade skills, but I will almost literally be starting from zero. Any advice on who I could speak to or who may help???
Lol I googled “how to move from one state to another” because I have a chemistry test tomorrow and this popped up xD
My sister is thinking about moving into a new area soon. She wants to get the professional help of state to state movers for the best shipment possible. It would make sense that you would want to get the right car registration with your state and my sister would love knowing this.
It’s interesting that you can become anxious when moving to an unfamiliar place. My wife and I are moving out of our first house and she is having a hard time saying goodbye. I think that hiring a moving service will help make things easier for her.
Thank you for reminding me that I shouldn’t rely on my own abilities if I were to move to another state. I moved out while I was in college but now that I’m older and my parents need someone that they can easily call whenever they need help, I think that moving back to my hometown would be the best choice. I’ll follow your advice and hire long distance movers who can help me with my stuff.
I like how you explained that moving to another state is not the time to test your DIY capabilities. When you moving to another state, it would be important to find a moving company that can actually perform an out-of-state job. When you are calling a moving company, or looking at their website, it would be important to check out what all services they offer are.
A wonderful guide to relocating furniture from one state to another. I’m looking to move from SC to TX in the next year or two. I want to plan everything out carefully before making this life-changing move.
My sis and I are moving to New Mexico from Colorado. The freight company that we hired, giving a deposit that covered half of moving cost, were to show up today. Getting no calls back regarding time of move. When we call the company no one answers phone nor returns the numerous messages we have left. Customer service if you do get a live person are rude, unprofessional and no help at all. Sis wants to fire them if still no show tomorrow. What can we do about this. We are super stressed out about this.