A move from one home to another has been listed by psychologists as one of the top ten stressful life events that a person can go through.
Moving state or even country shifts are even further up the list and have been said to cause severe anxiety and even depression for the person moving.
The average person does, however, move at least 10 to 11 times in their life, with at least one or two of those to a new state.
State or country moves are severely low in frequency compared to interstate moves. Statistics show that the average American tends to spend their lives in or near their childhood neighborhood to maintain close ties to family and parents.
Only one in four Americans have moved out of their state and only 25% of these have moved country completely.
A cross-state move is logistically more challenging than an interstate move for most people, no matter what country they are residing in.
A new state will come with new laws and regulations, as well as a plethora of new permits and licenses to obtain. We took a look at the top administrative aspects that you will need to consider when moving from one state to another.
Find a Reliable Moving Company
This is first and foremost your top priority when you make the decision to move. The rule of thumb is to start your research as soon as you know that you are moving in order to pick out the right moving company to suit your needs.
Not only is it important to find a company that is affordable to help you transport your life’s belongings cross-country, but you will need a reputable company, too.
The fact is that the state of moving can be somewhat flawed with unprofessional and scam moving companies.
Not only can you potentially end up overpaying, but you could be at risk of losing a large portion of your possessions due to theft or damage.
Research your moving company thoroughly and make sure you compare all options before making your selection.
Get Your Insurance in Order
In most cases, you will need to change insurance companies when you move state. Every state has different laws and the majority of insurance agents are probably not licensed in another state.
The first task will be to look at your car insurance policy and start shopping for a new agent and company.
It is best to contact your current insurer, let them know of your move, and find out if they have any recommendations for a different company should they not be able to assist.
If they can insure you in your new state, make sure you contact them with your intentions of moving, as well as your new details in order to ensure that your assets are covered at all times.
You will most likely be driving your car cross-country and do not want it unprotected during this time. The second policy to look at is your home and general insurance. You will need to cancel your existing policy and get your new home re-evaluated.
Keep in mind, that your payments will most likely change based on your new area, the size of your home, and the security aspects around it.
Top Tip: Give as much information and detail as you can in order to ensure that you are not charged with insurance fraud in case anything goes wrong.
Notify Financial Institutions of Your Change of Address
The next thing to look at is your finances. You will need to inform all of your creditors and all the companies that you have accounts with that you are changing your address.
They will need your new address to send your bills to and to keep in communication with you.
Keep in mind, that this is a legal requirement for you, and there will be implications if you do not inform all creditors of your new address.
You will also need to inform your bank of your move. In some cases, you might simply be shifting branches, but in some cases, your bank might not have a branch in that state.
Contact your bank and find out if you can stay with them and make the changes in the branch. If they do not, you will have to open a new account with a new bank and transfer your funds to the new company.
Keep your current bank informed of these changes at all times as there will be fees associated with this.
Re-Register Your Vehicle
When moving state, not only will you need to re-insure your car, but you will need to re-register it and update your driver’s license.
In most cases, you will be able to do this when you have actually settled in your new home as most states do give you a grace period to make the alterations.
Make sure you check this carefully, however, as it does differ from state to state, with most only offering 30 days grace period. After this, you will start receiving fines.
Visit your licensing department to register your car and get your new number plates. You will need to provide your title of vehicle, identity document, insurance papers, and possibly your residency status to register your car.
The best thing is to check your local DMV site to make sure you know what to take with you. Your driver’s license will need to be updated too to reflect your new state.
You can most likely do this at the same place as your vehicle, however, just double check that before you head out to kill two birds with one stone.
You will only need new pictures as well as an identity document to change your license.
Last Thoughts
It is going to make your life a lot easier if you start to do all of the legwork as soon as you make the decision to move. The period running up to a big move is highly stressful and goes very quickly, and you do not want to be left with no time to make all of the important administrative changes.
Make a list of all of the companies that you need to contact and get them done in one day. You can then plan out tasks one by one and ensure that you are totally covered and can settle quickly and comfortably in your new home.
