Moving to another state temporarily is very different than moving to a new state permanently.
After finding a suitable housing solution in the destination place, your priority should be to plan your temporary relocation in the best possible way.
Be ready to tackle important details such as changing your address, registering your vehicle in the new state (if necessary), and changing your health insurance plan.
For one reason or another, it’s really happening – you’re moving out of state temporarily. What this means is that you plan to either come back after a certain period of time – it can be anywhere from a few weeks to several months, or even a year or so – or move onward to another location.
The most important thing you should be aware of is that moving to another state temporarily is different from moving to a new state permanently. Basically, the intent to move again soon or not-so-soon after arriving in the new state changes the way you should approach the upcoming temporary move altogether.
This detailed guide on how to efficiently and effectively plan and execute a temporary move to another state will help you prepare for the upcoming state-to-state relocation in the best possible way.
You will learn critical details about how to plan the long-distance move, the legal and administrative considerations, the moving logistics, and even the adaptation strategies while you’re trying to settle into the new state.
Of course, you’re going to have to start planning another move after your new-state stint is over – either moving back to the original state or moving to a new state altogether.
Here’s everything you need to know when you’re temporarily moving to another state.
Justify your reason for moving to another state temporarily
The very first thing you should do is to make sure you’re not making a mistake by deciding to move out of state for a temporary period of time.
Moving to another state, be it temporarily, is definitely not an easy thing to plan and execute, so you shouldn’t let yourself go through the hassle of organizing an interstate move simply to find out that you didn’t really need to move there in the first place.
If you’ve made up your mind to move to a new state temporarily, then you must have a really good reason to do so.
Employment opportunities. One of the most common reasons for moving to another state temporarily is work. You could be moving temporarily to a new state for a new job or a company transfer. Either way, such work-related temporary relocation can offer an excellent opportunity for career advancement.
Educational purposes. Maybe the major reason for you to want to move to a new state for a temporary period of time is for educational purposes – to attend a specific university that’s located in another state.
Family reasons. You may be moving temporarily out of state to be closer to your family during a significant life event such as an illness or pregnancy.
Healthcare needs. A temporary move may be required when you need specialized medical treatment or medical facilities that are not available in your current state.
Lifestyle and experience. If you wish to experience another climate or lead a different lifestyle, then your only way to do it is to move temporarily to another state in the country. There’s nothing wrong with exploring new places knowing that you can always go back to where you belong.
Military or government assignments. If you work for the military or the U.S. Government, then you may be asked to move to another state temporarily due to assignments.
Retirement exploration. If you happen to be a retiree, then you may choose to move to another state temporarily to see whether life there will be to your liking. Exploring your retirement options is a great way to make an informed decision before making a permanent move.
Securing a place to live should be your very first concern when moving temporarily to another state.
Arguably, the most important aspect when moving temporarily to another state is to find suitable housing.
After all, you’re only staying in the destination place for a pre-determined period of time so purchasing a home or renting a place long term is not an option for you.
Short-term rentals. Renting a furnished house or apartment for a short-term stay is your ideal option. Such rentals are perfect for temporary moves ranging from a few weeks to several months because they often include all the amenities you may need during your stay in the new state.
Extended-stay hotels. Booking a room at an extended-stay hotel can be a good option for you. Such hotels are specifically made for longer stays (hence their name) and offer rooms with kitchenettes at lower rates.
Subletting. Subletting means renting an apartment from a person who already holds the primary lease. You may be able to find sublet listings on Craigslist. The biggest drawback of subletting is that you’ll have limited or no control over the lease.
Corporate housing. If you’re relocating temporarily to another state for work, the company you work for may offer you a furnished apartment where you can stay until it’s time to head back. This is usually a great housing option so you shouldn’t easily dismiss an offer for corporate housing.
Renting a house or apartment. You may be able to find a traditional rental in the new state for a lease period of 3 to 6 months but it’s less common and your options are likely to be limited.
Plan your temporary move
Once you’ve justified your reason to move out of state temporarily and secured a place to stay during your time in the new state, it’s time to make sure you’re 100% ready for the upcoming temporary relocation.
Your very first task when preparing for a temporary move to a different state is to set a moving budget. The main idea, of course, will be for you to spend as little money on the interstate relocation as possible.
You will need several cost estimates from reputable interstate moving companies to learn how much your state-to-state move will cost.
You’re going to need the services of reliable interstate movers when moving to another state.
Moving across the country falls well outside the scope of DIY moves due to the great distance between Point A and Point B.
And this is exactly why you will need the services of a top-rated cross-country moving company.
Basically, you will need to find a long-distance mover that you can trust with your prized possessions. Since you’ll be executing a temporary move to another state, you’re very likely to take only the most necessary items with you.
As a result, the cost of your state-to-state move will be lower.
Use our Moving Cost Calculator to get in touch with properly licensed, adequately insured, and well-experienced interstate movers.
3. Decide what you’ll take with you
Remember that you’re only moving to a new state for a certain period of time. This is a critical piece of information when you’re trying to decide which items to take with you to the new place.
You definitely don’t want to haul any pieces of furniture. Also, it won’t make any sense to pack any winter clothes and shoes when you’ll only be in the new state during the warm months of the year – late spring, summer, or early fall.
To make things easier for you (and cheaper too!), take only the things of absolute necessity – the items you will definitely need during your new-state stay.
Keep in mind that the fewer items you move now, the easier and cheaper your next move will be when you no longer have a valid reason to stay in the destination state.
4. Gather the necessary packing supplies
Your decision to move only the things you will actually need during your stay in the new state will make packing much easier too.
In most cases, you won’t need to pay for professional packing services simply because you won’t have too many items to protect for the move… and you won’t be hauling any furniture pieces either.
For a successful DIY-packing experience, you’re going to need appropriate packing materials – cardboard boxes of various sizes, wrapping paper, bubble wrap, packing tape, and a set of color markers for labeling your moving boxes.
To save valuable time, make sure you have those packing supplies ready before you begin the packing process itself. The good news is that you should be able to get free moving boxes provided that you have enough time to do so.
5. Pack by yourself
Packing by yourself should not be a problem when you’re moving to another state only for a short period of time.
The great news is that packing for a temporary move to another state should be much more straightforward than packing for a permanent move.
Gather all the items you’re taking with you, then sort them out to make packing faster. If you’re moving any fragile items, use plenty of padding materials (packing paper + bubble wrap) to protect them properly.
Don’t pack any items that are forbidden for transport – dangerous items such as corrosive, flammable, and explosive ones. Bear in mind that your moving company will refuse to transport any hazardous materials for safety reasons.
One important aspect of packing for a temporary move that many people neglect is labeling the moving boxes as soon as they are packed. Make sure you label your packing boxes correctly, writing down their contents, destination room, and any handling instructions on each container. You’ll thank yourself later for this.
You may need to have some or all of your remaining household items put into storage until you come back from the destination state. If that’s the case, then you should discuss that with your intestate moving company as they should be able to offer you an adequate storage solution for your belongings.
Depending on how long you plan to stay in the new state, it may be more prudent to sell some of your household items instead of paying to keep them in storage for months on end.
Take care of the USPS, vehicle registration, health insurance
The only way your temporary out-of-state move can be successful is for you to think a few steps ahead. A wise man once said that Plans are nothing, planning is everything.
Here are several super-important tasks that you should take care of when moving temporarily to another state:
1. Change your address with the USPS
If you’re staying in the new state for more than 1 month, you may want to consider changing your address temporarily with the USPS so that you can continue to receive your mail.
A temporary change of address when moving to a new state means that your mail will be forwarded from your old mailing address to the new one for a specific period of time only – usually up to 6 months, with the option to extend that period up to 12 months.
Another option is to ask a trusted neighbor to forward you the most important pieces of mail you receive at your old place.
Call the DMV office in the new state and ask if you need to change your vehicle registration. In most cases, you won’t need to do it simply because you’ve moved there temporarily.
In most cases, you won’t need to register your vehicle in the new state simply because you’ve moved there temporarily.
In other words, you are required to register your car in the destination state only if you’ve moved there permanently – that is, to stay there.
Nevertheless, you should still contact the local DMV office to receive reliable information on the matter since each state has its own laws about the vehicle registration process.
3. Change your health insurance plan, if necessary
When you move to another state, you’re likely to need new health insurance coverage because most health insurance plans are tied to a specific state. What this means is that your current health insurance plan may not cover you in the destination state.
There are a couple of scenarios when you won’t need to enroll in a new health insurance place in the new state: 1) when your employer transfers you to another company location in another state and you’re staying on their sponsored plan, and 2) when your current health insurance plan has coverage in the state you’re temporarily moving to.
Sooner or later, you’re going to need to start thinking about the next move – either going back to the original state or moving onward to another location. And when that time comes, it pays off to be adequately prepared.
Follow the 25 tips below to get completely ready for your next long-distance move.
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