December 8, 2017 Posted in Coping with Relocation
Eva Johnson

Digital nomad born in New York but currently living online, Eva knows everything there is to know about packing and moving.

Moving to Another State Alone – Are You Ready for a New Beginning

Leaving your friends and family behind and moving to another state alone can be stressful and daunting, but it can be an opportunity to build a life that you’ve always wanted. But to ensure everything goes smoothly and stress-free, you should carefully research, create a realistic budget, check all the costs and the job market, pack everything and organize your move on time. Let’s take a look at all the things that must be done to make your relocation work.

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Embarking on a new adventure alone can be a great decision.

Prepare for Each Step of Moving to Another State Alone

No matter if you are relocating during the holidays or decide to move in the summer, preparation is key to relocating without any stress and successfully avoiding common moving mistakes. Since there are a lot of steps that need to be covered, it’s essential to start early and avoid doing anything in a hurry. Slowly start making preparations for packing, but also make sure you research your future town. The more you learn about the location you are going to live in, the smaller are the chances for you to feel anxious about moving out or to get relocation depression. When you have all the information and know all the packing tips and tricks it will be easy to find a way to reduce relocation expenses.

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It’s Best to Create a Budget

Before you decide where your future home will be and what would be the best time of the year to move, look up the costs of living, and be realistic when creating a budget. Look at your income and set how much you can save by cutting down on certain things if you see that you lack money. Take into consideration that you must get various packing supplies such as bubble wrap and packing paper, but also pay the movers, prepare money for rent and deposit, and cover meals and other expenses you will have when you arrive at your new city.

If you’re looking to save some money and reduce the costs of moving, then relocating during the cheapest time of the year and moving into a smaller home might be the best solution, for starters. You can also save money on packing materials for moving by finding free boxes. We suggest you keep track of how much you spend per week and make a budget plan for the first few weeks. Your savings will change when you find a stable job that pays well. Do you want to keep track of your money after the first few weeks? Making a long-term budget plan can be a great idea.

Make Sure You Have a Stable Income

You’re coming into the unknown, so ensure you are well prepared. Research available employment opportunities and what kind of businesses are present in the area. But how do you find a job when moving to another state? Go online, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are great places to learn about work positions. You should look for a job in advance, not cross that bridge when you get there. Settling down in an unfamiliar place without employment will only increase your stress levels if you don’t know how to cope with stress when moving.

Do Your Research and Read About the City

Check the climate during the entire year and see if it suits you. If you’re moving to a big city, get familiar with the cultural scene and social practices in the city, so you know what to expect when you move there. This can also be done via Facebook, and Twitter, where people share day-to-day occurrences. A positive sign that you belong in the town is that you can see yourself building a life there.

Find a Suitable Home When You Are Moving Across Country Alone

Look at different neighborhoods and find the important information – crime rates and how safe a neighborhood is, prices, proximity to health institutions, and anything else you might require. When you go house hunting, think about what features your future apartment might need to have and look for a property in good condition that you can afford. There are some reliable websites that you can use to check out the neighborhood you consider relocating to. Try Niche, Best neighborhood, and Area Vibes.

Making a Moving Checklist Will Help

The best method to organize everything in your life and make sure you pack all of your belongings is to create a moving checklist. Create an inventory list of all the items in each room. Out of all belongings, pack the ones you won’t use straight away and then slowly start packing other things. Pack clothes that are not season-appropriate and appliances you don’t use at the moment. Keep in mind that the best way to keep track of the items you are moving is to make a household inventory list that will help you keep track of your items. Creating a photo inventory, especially if you plan to insure your valuables, is one of the things to consider when relocating to a new state.

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Make sure you have a checklist for everything that needs to be done.

Organize Everything on Time

Start planning and preparing all of your belongings for transport weeks ahead. The more you prolong this, the harder it will be later. Create a relocating to another state checklist with all of the tasks that need to be done, and make sure you set deadlines for yourself and stick to them.

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Organize everything and you will live carefree and look forward to the bright future.

Learn How to Pack Certain Items

If you’re planning to pack the items without the movers because you want to have the cheapest way to move out of state, be sure that you know how to do it properly, so nothing gets damaged during the travel. Breakable and delicate stuff like glasses, mirrors, dishes, and China can be tricky, so it would be good for you to learn how to pack fragile items and glassware, and solve the everlasting packing paper vs. bubble wrap dilemma. The same applies to moving electronics since you surely do not want anything to get damaged.

Don’t Leave Packing for the Last Minute

Start collecting boxes and packing supplies before anything else. The sooner you get the best-sized boxes and other materials, the sooner you can start packing. Don’t forget to label all of your boxes and carefully pack everything. That will help you stay organized once you arrive at the apartment and begin unpacking, but also make sure that the boxes are handled in the right way.

Watch Your Back, and Avoid Injuries by Getting a Moving Dolly

Most companies have a dolly, also known as a hand truck, that helps them easily transport items and boxes. You should consider getting one as well if you have a lot of items and want to move safely.

Get Rid of Unnecessary Things

While you’re packing your furniture and other belongings, try to declutter your apartment and get rid of the unnecessary stuff you’ve been collecting over the years. You can organize a garage sale one day, donate some of your things or just throw out anything that can’t be used. If you are moving to a long-distance location, you can donate your furniture to cut down on costs or donate unwanted items.

Keep Your Things in Storage

Once you get moving services, placing items in storage is always a good idea, especially if you won’t move into your apartment right away. Have you spent years collecting books, vinyl, or musical instruments? If the space you are going to live in is not big enough, don’t sell or throw your valuables away. Keeping them in storage is a perfect solution.

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Don't wait until the last minute to start packing.

Changing Your Address Should Also Be on Your List

It is one of the things that people usually forget. It comes last after you’ve done all the packing and moving tasks. Make sure you don’t forget to change your address, transfer utilities, and cancel any subscriptions you might have at your old apartment. Also, notify the bank, your work, and the post office that you’ll be living in another state. Your insurer should be notified as well.

Get a New Driver’s License

If you own a car, it might be the smartest choice to get car shipping for a long-distance move and to get a driver’s license of the state you are living in now. That way, you will save on gasoline costs, and you won’t have to drive it to your future location. Choose a reputable, reliable, and highly recommended cross-country moving company when transporting a car across the country, but first, make sure that you know how car shipping works.

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Get a license and enjoy driving around

A Few Tips on How to Deal With Living in a New City

Moving to a new city is exciting, but also unnerving. However, it doesn’t have to be like that. This is an opportunity for you to start over. After you’ve done all the research and informed yourself about your future town, it’s time to enjoy life in it. Relocating to urban jungles such as San Francisco, Seattle, or one of the five boroughs of New York City, might inspire you to go out and meet some people and explore everything the place can offer you. One day you can visit museums, other day can be spent in a park or a restaurant. It is up to you to decide what you are going to do when you leave your apartment.

Make Your Place Feel Like Home

When you begin unpacking, we recommend you try and make your home feel like one. Whether it will look like your old one or it will have a fresh and pleasant homely vibe – it’s up to you. Just be sure you are comfortable and that you are feeling like you’re home. Rearrange your stuff, replace some old ones and add some details. There is a bunch of tips on how to make your place look better in no time. Try them and you’ll see that they work! It will give a different vibe to space you’re residing in, and you’ll feel happier while spending time inside. With a place like that, your life will be much better.

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Explore the new area until you feel like you belong

Get to Know Your Neighbors and Meet New People

When settling in, it’s important you get to know your surroundings – including the people in it. After all, you will live near them. Start by introducing yourself to your neighbors and the family next door. Invite them over for a snack and some coffee. The sentence “I’m your new neighbor,” can be the beginning of something great. Who knows – you might even find someone to be your loved friend. After all, life is more comfortable when the ones you care about are around.

If you are an introverted person, and you find it hard to talk to others, remember, it takes as long as it takes, a day, week, or years, you don’t have to meet all folks in the building right away. Making an effort is what counts.

“I’m single, what are the tips for meeting and dating others?” You are not moving in together with your significant other, meaning you can take advantage of being single by signing in on the dating website. Invite your friends to come to visit you, make some plans, and take them to bar hopping. That way you’ll have fun together and bump into some unfamiliar faces.

Explore the City

When you are moving across the country alone, use your time to explore your environment. Find exciting things to do and invite some friends to join you. Go to the theatre or a museum – just find some places and activities you’ll enjoy. Being in an unknown city is an opportunity to find a new favorite restaurant, family business grocery shop, park, bar, or club. Adjust to the new state by exploring and getting to know it and if you are relocating with your dog, they can always keep you company.

Get Involved in the Community

“I’m into activism. What should I do to participate in solving local problems actively?” Getting involved in your community means spending time with the locals, so you’ll have a chance to meet other people and make some friends. And you’ll also be aware of all the problems and concerns of the community. Do you want to find out the biggest issues in your community? Check Facebook and Twitter. Locals probably share and talk about their problems in some online groups. Contact them and sign in for some community services. If you’re relocating to the suburbs, research if the suburb has its group online, it will help you connect with locals before relocating.

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Sign in for some community service and learn about the area you live in.

Want a Fresh Beginning? Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

You are not moving for a relationship so it is easy to stay indoors and glue yourself to a TV, but it is much better to go out and explore all the opportunities your city has to offer and meet a lot of interesting people. Relocating to another state is an adventure whatever might be your reason to move, and with the right moving tips, you’ll have a fantastic time.

Open a chapter in your life, embrace your different home, and live life to the fullest. This way you’ll always be satisfied. Friends and family from your previous place can always come and visit you, help you with what you might need, or you can go to them. Changes bring so many beautiful events, we learn and grow from them, so don’t be afraid – trust us, you are ready for a new beginning and you’ll make it work!

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