A cross-country move can be exciting when you’re going for a new job or a fresh start.
The process involved, however, can be overwhelming and exhausting — not to mention expensive.
The average cross-country move costs between $2,500 and $5,000. While personal loans can help if you’re short on cash, you can save money and stress with proper preparation.
Let’s dive into a cross-country move checklist to help you plan, prepare and execute a cost-effective move.
1. Start planning early
As soon as you know you’re relocating, start working on your to-do list and create a timeline. Once you start writing down tasks, you’ll likely realize there’s more to do than you expected. Some of the things you’ll need to think about include:
- Determining if you’ll have room for all of your belongings
- How to get there, especially if you have children or pets
- Whether or not to hire professional packers or movers
- How to move items you want to keep
- How to get rid of (or sell) items you don’t want to keep
- What to eat and where to stay if you’re driving
- Things you need to purchase upon arrival
- Any paper medical, veterinary or tax records you need to bring
It’s a good idea to create a spreadsheet to manage your central plan and budget. You and other family members you’re moving with can use the sheet to make to-do lists, track costs, check important dates and access any other must-have information that everyone needs.
2. Consider hiring professional movers
It’s possible to manage a cross-country move on your own, but it’s very challenging when you’re juggling other responsibilities like a job, kids and pets. Professional movers can not only help you move, but they can also pack your home up for you and provide professional advice and guidance to support the move for additional cost.
Moreover, moving companies may offer insurance options to cover your items during the move, ensuring you’ll have the money to replace them if they’re damaged in transit.
Hiring professionals may stretch your budget, so it’s important to compare the time and energy saved with the cost before deciding.
3. Declutter and donate
Even if you’re hiring pros to help you pack, taking the time to declutter and downsize can help save some money on moving costs and make it easier to set up your new home when you arrive. Every square inch matters on a long-distance move, and most of us tend to accumulate things that we don’t need over time.
Go room by room, closet by closet, and identify anything that doesn’t need to make the journey with you. You can toss some things out or donate others to local shelters or national chains like Goodwill to get a tax break. Consider listing bigger ticket items, like an extra TV or furniture you no longer need, on online marketplaces to earn a few extra dollars.
If you’re packing yourself, make sure you label every box by room so you know where everything goes when you arrive.
4. Ship what you can
If you have friends or family in your new city, ask if you can ship some items to them for safekeeping until you arrive. Shipping is expensive, but anything you send ahead of time is one less thing to stuff into a car or take up space in a moving truck. Sending books or dvds by the post office’s affordable media mail service is a great way to save space and reduce costs.
5. Take care of mail and utilities
Any time you move, you’ll need to submit a change of address to the post office and update your address with banks, credit card issuers, subscription services and any other organization that needs it.
You’ll also need to shut down your utilities at your current address and sign up at your new home to ensure they’re ready to go when you arrive.
6. Prepare to travel
Whether you’re driving or flying to your destination, making a travel plan is important, especially if you have children or pets. Some airlines might not accommodate all types of pets, and some may not do well in cars. You’ll have to think through how you’re going to manage your trip to keep the kids entertained and pets comfortable.
If you’re driving, schedule breaks and know where you plan to stop so you can stick to your timeline. Stock the car with snacks, drinks and games to make the trip more enjoyable.
A cross-country move can be fun
Moving is often stressful and frustrating, even if you’re only moving to the other side of town. Moving across the country is even more of a logistical challenge, but it can also be a great opportunity to take some time off and see the country if you’re driving. Through proper planning and preparation, you can make a cross-country move that is both fun for your family and more budget-friendly.
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