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“A fresh start.” “A new adventure.” “A chance to start over.” You’ve heard it all before, and since you’ve already committed to your move, there’s no need to hear it all over again. No, now you need a no-nonsense guide to out of state moving, and that’s what Moving APT is here to deliver.
There’s a lot of ground to cover, and we used our 20+ years of experience to make sure you get a room-by-room walkthrough that has plenty of industry insights. Ready to hit the road? Read on for a guide to out of state moving, handcrafted by the helping hands at Moving APT.
Here’s What You Should Pack First When You’re Moving
Before you jump into your packing, you should know where to find the starting line. Obviously, we recommend hiring professional movers to take care of your packing. But if you insist on doing it yourself, there’s an order you should stick to.
- Seasonal Stuff: The goal is to start packing your least-used items first. You hardly use seasonal decor anyways, so this is the logical starting point. Christmas lights, giant skeletons, etc. And if you have extra room in those boxes, try not to mix in anything else.
- Art and Decor: The art on your walls makes you feel nice, but you don’t need it to make it through the day. This is next up on your list of stuff to pack. Since we’re talking artwork and decor, make sure you pack it up carefully and use plenty of bubble wrap.
- Rarely-used Appliances: Ordinarily, we’d recommend downsizing and getting rid of items you never – or rarely – use. But if you just can’t part with that quesadilla maker you got four Christmases ago, box it up after the art and decor.
- Anything you’re moving by yourself: There’s no shame in calling the pros to help out with the packing. If you’ve got movers on the way, you can still pack up some items by yourself – namely your valuables anything else that needs your personal touch.
Room by Room Moving Checklist
It’s a good idea to go room by room. Take a look at this checklist to make sure you’re not forgetting anything.
Kitchen/Dining
- Appliances: We can’t believe we have to say it, but do not try to move appliances by yourself. If you’ve got the cash to pay for professional moving labor, pay for professional moving labor. Otherwise, draft some friends or family members to help out.
- Dishes/fragile items: If you want to keep your dishes and glasses totally safe, a few old t-shirts aren’t gonna cut it. Pick up some bubble wrap. Use specially-made glassware boxes (these have an insert to keep things from moving around). And keep it upright.
- Furniture: Do you still have the instructions? Great; you can disassemble and reassemble your furniture at your destination. Otherwise, it’s a judgment call: risk moving it in one piece, or risk disassembling it without the rulebook.
Living Room
- Furniture: Out of all the rooms in your house, the living room is probably the most furniture-heavy. You’ll have sofas, entertainment centers, and those much-cherished easy chairs. Don’t skimp on cardboard – you don’t want to damage the upholstery.
- TVs and high-value devices: TVs, gaming consoles, sound systems, and more: TV boxes exist for a reason. Keep your cables with their respective devices, too. And use plenty of packing supplies to fill out empty space and reduce the risk of bumping around.
- Decor: We’ve seen display cases, artwork on the walls, large mirrors, the works. Decor deserves special handling, especially if it’s all those little knick knacks you’ve got on your mantle. Use picture and mirror boxes when applicable.
Bedrooms
- Furniture: Your wardrobe and dressers are typically your bulkiest and heaviest items. As such, they may be first to go into the truck, to keep weight more towards the front of the trailer. Give ‘em a good once-over with wrapping foam.
- Beds and bedding: Unless you want a bunch of dust in your bed, use a mattress bag. As for bags and comforters, those actually go in your large boxes. These boxes are too flimsy for heavy, high-density items – but they’re perfect for fluffy stuff.
- Clothing: Ordinarily, you can fold your clothes and put everything in a medium-sized box. But there are specialty wardrobe boxes (complete with internal hanging rails) that are perfect for suits, gowns, and anything else that doesn’t like getting crumpled up.
Office
- High value electronics: Much like the living room, you don’t want to spare any expense when it’s time to pack up your office electronics. If you have antistatic wrap, great. If you still have the original boxes (complete with foam inserts), that’s even better.
- Furniture: Office furniture can be a little flimsier or sturdier, depending on the style you went with. Those office chairs can be disassembled with some simple tools, but the Resolute Desk is going to take some special attention.
Bathrooms
- Toiletries: Your everyday toiletries should actually be the last items you pack. Look at it this way, you don’t want to be digging through boxes to find your toothbrush every morning. Pack a suitcase with your must-haves, and get used to living out of it.
- Flammable and pressurized items: Moving companies won’t move flammable items, even if it’s just a bottle of nail polish remover. Either get rid of all that stuff beforehand, or figure out a way to transport it yourself.
Miscellaneous
- Home gym setup: Home gyms can be a little tricky, especially since they’re literally made out of heavy weights. Try to protect your other items with furniture pads, and try to disassemble your workout gear as much as you can before wrapping and loading.
- Garage: Have a car? Great – you’ve got two options: Drive it yourself, or pay car transporters to trailer it to point B. Have more than one car? Unless you’re planning on taking more than one trip, auto transport is a must-have.
- Lawn and garden: Hand tools are pretty easy to transport, as long as you put plenty of cardboard around cutting edges and pointy bits. Anything with a gas tank needs to be emptied completely, though.
- Supply closet: If you use your spare closet for your seasonal decor, this should be the first room you pack up. If you have cleaning supplies, you may need to transport them yourself, as some movers don’t transport hazardous chemicals.
Professional Moving Services for Out of State Moves
Some add-ons and extras are worth the price. Here are our recommendations if you’re building a custom out-of-state move.
1. Full Service Moving
Full service moving is a complete, VIP experience. You book your movers, they take care of the rest. And we mean it. Packing? Yeah, they’ll handle it. Furniture disassembly? If it’s on the menu. And of course, the long haul interstate moving.
The only downside to full service moving is the cost. Since you’re getting the most convenience, you’re also paying the most money. Full service movers usually run a from a couple hundred bucks for a 101-mile haul and a studio apartment, to over $10,000 for a cross-country haul and a 5-bedroom house.
2. Packing Services
Trying to DIY the drive? No problem. You can still save yourself a lot of trouble by booking packing services. This is pretty much what you get with full service movers, but without the actual transportation part.
We really recommend packing services, since DIY packing is pretty miserable. Between all those trips to Home Depot for more and more packing supplies, and wasting all your free time with wrapping and boxing, it’s easily the hardest part of the job. Book professional packing, and that’s one thing less to worry about.
3. Moving Labor
Let’s say you’re DIYing the drive, and the packing. We gotta give you props, but we still need to provide a word of caution: Just because you wrapped your refrigerator, doesn’t meant you can lift your refrigerator into your truck.
Moving labor is a must-have, even for the most intrepid DIYer. You pay these guys a flat fee, and they’ll show up to take care of the heaviest of heavy lifting. It costs a little bit more than bribing your friends with pizza and beer, but there’s much less risk of taking a surprise trip to the hospital.
4. Storage
It’s not always an exact fit when you’re moving place to place. You may need a little extra room for your items – or you may just need a little more time to unpack at your own pace. This is where storage can really help.
When most people think of storage, they think of those big facilities in the sketchy part of town. But when you book full service storage, that’s not really the case. Unlike self storage, full service storage providers will keep all of your belongings in a safe location – typically a warehouse at HQ if they’re also a moving company. Then, when you need your stuff, they’ll deliver it right to your door.
5. Car Transport
Car transportation may sound like a luxury at first, but believe us, it’s worth the extra expense. Look at it this way: You can only drive one car at a time. If you’ve got more cars than you’ve got drivers, you can either A: Do the whole interstate trip multiple times with each car; or B: pay a professional to transport your other vehicle(s).
Professional driving services will result in the most wear-and-tear on your car, and you’ve got to really trust the operator, since you’re literally paying someone else to drive it for you.
Open trailers are the best choice if you want car transport without the extra mileage. But if you can afford it (and if you own an exotic or collectible) you can’t beat closed trailers for the VIP value.
6. Specialty Item Handling
Specialty item handling is a must-have for all those high-value items, or anything that’s too awkward or heavy for a standard-issue moving box. There’s quite a bit of overlap between the two.
Specialty movers are trained to handle all the hard stuff. We’ve seen these guys hoist pianos through windows, build custom crates around vintage motorcycles, and disassemble pool tables in a disconcertingly short amount of time. If you have anything that requires some extra TLC, book specialty item handling and leave it to the pros.
When Should I Book an Out of State Move?
Tl;dr: In the middle of the week, in the middle of the month, and ideally in a month that doesn’t include any major holidays or vacation times.
Movers are in high demand during the summer, so if you’re trying to save money, try to avoid June through August. (Nowadays, we’re seeing price spikes starting in May and ending in September, so if you want to be extra safe, book a move anytime between October and April.)
It helps to think about when people want to move, and when their schedules will allow for it. Obviously, summer’s when the kids are out of school. But the first and last days of each month is also when leases run out, so expect some higher prices around those times as well.
Book Your Move with Moving APT
You’ve got the checklist. And you’ve learned all you need to know about scheduling smart and booking the right services. Now, all you have to do is book your move with Moving APT.
At Moving APT, we’re ready to give you a custom-tailored relocation, with all the extras and add-ons you need to make your interstate move a success. It all starts with getting a quote, and we’ve made that super easy, too. Check out our moving cost calculator to get started:
Out of State Moving FAQs
How long does it take to move out of state?
It shouldn’t take more than 21 days to complete an out of state move, and even 21 days is kinda pushing it. Realistically, you’re looking at a 2, 3-day minimum depending on how far you’re moving.
The other half of the equation is how much you’re moving. If it’s just a studio apartment, you may have to wait a little longer while your movers are handling other relocations on the same route.
How much does out of state moving cost?
Out of state moving can cost as little as $400 if you’re just moving a studio to the next state over. But if you’re moving a 5-bedroom house from Maine to California? Expect your price to balloon up to $10,000 – or more. The major factors are the miles and the mass. More miles = more money. More stuff = more money, also.
What’s the difference between local and long distance moving?
Local movers handle everything under 100 miles and within the same state. They usually charge an hourly rate, multiplied by how many movers it takes to do the job (usually about two per bedroom).
Long distance movers handle anything over 100 miles or across state lines – even if the state line is like… half a mile away. Long distance movers charge per mile, and per pound. If you play your cards right, long distance moving companies may be cheaper than local movers.
Is moving insurance worth it?
Yes. What, you thought we were gonna tell you to just not get insurance?
We’re not saying that every move results in broken or damaged goods. Most movers are incredibly competent, and super careful with your belongings. But there’s always a chance of accidents, and in those cases, you’ll want to be prepared.
Long distance movers offer basic insurance coverage for free. It’s only good for $0.60 per pound of damaged or destroyed items, but it’s better than nothing. If you want to be reimbursed the full value of your items, we recommend paying a little extra for full value coverage.
When is the best time to book movers?
Try to book your movers at least two or three months in advance. This gives you plenty of time to pack and prepare, and you won’t feel as rushed with 6 to 8 weekends to handle all the moving prep. Plus, you can score a sweet discount by booking way early!
