I recently moved from Minneapolis to Dallas and wanted to share some tips for moving out of state and what I learned during this process.
If you want to keep your sanity while planning for a move, I highly suggest setting SMART goals. I didn’t create this term, but I find it highly effective in goal setting. Specific,Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time based goals.
One of the things that helped me was giving myself a timeline. I knew if I was serious about moving, I’d have to save money. This IS instrumental in planning a successful move. I gave up my apartment and moved in with my mom for a little under two years. It was really difficult to give my own space but I knew it was a sacrifice I would have to make. I saved aggressively during that time, and was able to pay off my car. I didn’t want to move with a lot of debt. I would advice setting a time frame for when you want to move, budget and see how much you can realistically save per month to help you figure out when you can financially afford the move.
Checklist– On a typical day, I am list obsessed, but when it comes to moving, you’ll find it instrumental in staying sane and organized during your move out of state.
Declutter– Start decluttering as early as possible. I donated a ton of beauty products, and clothing to the local women shelter and gifted my younger cousins clothes I hadn’t worn in so long.
Compare moving companies. I knew I didn’t want to drive a truck or ask my brother to drive it for me. After comparing PODS, Uhaul and other companies, I settled on Haul’s Ubox service. They dropped off the box to my home on a Saturday, and we loaded the truck in less than two hours. My Ubox was picked up the following Monday and arrived in Dallas one week later. Upon arriving to Dallas, I hired movers from moving help.com to unload my belongings into my apartment.
Start packing EARLY. I started to pack 6 weeks prior to my move. I didn’t have an exciting social life so my bags, shoes and fancy clothing I didn’t wear often, I packed it all. I left out clothes for work, church and the occasional dinners until my actual move. When my Ubox arrived, I didn’t need to pack anything as it was all packed previously. My brother helped me load the truck which literally took under an hour and half. It was THEE less stressful thing ever! A little packing tip: You’ll find it helpful to pack all your bags, shoes, dresses, denim, skirts and like items in separate boxes and make sure you label them. A sharpie will get the job done just fine if you do not have a label maker.
Now that we’ve tackled saving money and packing. Where are you going to live? What neighborhoods do you like? What is your budget for rent?
Five weeks prior to my move, I flew down to Dallas and connected with an apartment locator service. I gave him my apartment wish list, and budget and he found about 6 apartments in various neighborhoods. Apartment locator services are usually free and they make a commission when you rent an apartment they found you. Some will even include free movers for you, so be sure to ask. Luckily, I was able to choose an apartment I loved on the same day. I applied immediately and was approved on the same day. It was very important to me to tour the apartment and see the neighborhood before I actually sign a lease. Nothing worse than living in a place for 12 months that you hate.
Save more than you think you need. Regardless of how much money you’ve saved, there are always unexpected expenses so saving more money puts you ahead financially. I’m sure there are more tips for moving out of state. These were most helpful to me. If you’re planning on moving out of state anytime soon, let me know if this was helpful.
Check out this USA today article that had some great insights.