Learning How to Move to Another State from San Diego

Out-of-state moves can be very stressful and present a variety of issues that shorter in-town and in-state moves may not involve. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that while 40 percent of moves are within a distance of 50 miles or less, many people do change their state of residence within the course of each year. Popular destinations from California for out-of-state moves include Nevada, Arizona and Washington, with the highest out-of-California move rate involving relocations to Texas. So, know that you are in good company as you are learning how to move to another state from San Diego. Use this guide and moving out-of-state checklist to help find San Diego long distance movers and complete your relocation as seamlessly as possible.

Checklist Phase 1: Planning For Your Move

Whether you find out long months or mere weeks ahead of your move that you will be relocating to another state from San Diego, the time to start planning is now. Begin with these steps;

1. Determine your moving timeframe, including when you must be in your new home to start work or school and when you must vacate your current home.
2. Determine your moving budget, including how much you can afford to spending on a moving company, on storage if there will be a lag between leaving one home and occupying the next, on in-transit temporary housing or hotel stays, and on securing your new home.
3. Determine who in your household or greater network of friends and family will be impacted by your move and can help support you during this time.
4. Learn which laws and regulations you need to be aware of in your new home and how they may impact you – i.e., concealed carry permits and registration for weapons, certifications and licenses for professional designations like accounting and law, running businesses from your new home, how many and what type of pets your new hometown allows, etc.

Outlining these areas will make moving onto the next steps of learning how to move to another state from San Diego flow more smoothly.

Checklist Phase 2: Preparing For Your Move

It’s certainly no secret that San Diego, along with many areas of California, have a higher cost of living quotient than many other parts of the United States. As you move to the second phase of learning how to move to another state from San Diego, begin by preparing your finances for the move with these questions:

1. How will your salary or business income be impacted by the move itself and by the new area in which you will settle?
2. What is the cost of living index in your new area – how far will your new salary or business income stretch, depending on where you move?
3. Drilling down from the overall cost of living index, how expensive, specifically, are housing and utilities in your new home?
4. What can you do to mitigate cost of living changes?

Once you’ve determined your expenses, the next part of this phase of your moving checklist can rest on finding and securing your new house. Use these questions to prepare:

1. Are you prepared and qualified to purchase a new home, would you prefer to build instead of buy, or are you looking to rent an apartment or home in your new locale?
2. What documentation will you need to gather to qualify for a mortgage or rental contract?
3. What area within the state you’re moving to would you prefer to live, and how flexible are you with also considering surrounding areas?
4. How many times can you travel to your new hometown to see houses in person and make your housing decision? Do you know anyone already in that area who can be your feet-on-the-ground while you remain in San Diego?
5. Have you found a real estate agent in the new area – or do you need one at all?
6. How soon do you need to make a definitive housing decision to not adversely affect your move?

Now, you’re ready for the third phase of moving: getting to work!

Phase Three: Enacting Your Move

Whether you plan to hire a full-service long distance moving company that will both pack and move your belongings, or you plan to do the packing work and hire a crew to load the truck, you’ll still need to roll up your sleeves and get busy. Here are some items to tackle:

1. Concoct a list for each room of what you want to pack yourself – valuables and delicate items – versus what you can delegate to a mover or another member of your household or circle of supporting friends and family.
2. Get on the phone and start setting up your services and coverage for your new home and setting disconnect and end-of-coverage dates for your current home.
3. Gather boxes from local stores and supply companies for movers to begin filling or schedule the time when the movers will come in to begin work.
4. Draw a diagram of your new home so movers know where to put furniture and boxes when they arrive.
5. Mentally prepare for the big day – likely, days or week – by envisioning your new home, spending time reading through other tips and checklists for preparing your current home to move, and staying positive about the excitement of moving.

Learning how to move to another state from San Diego can feel daunting at first but by the time you work through your three phases of moving checklists and feel secure that you have adequately prepared, all that will be left to do is watch your belongings get loaded on the truck, get in your car, and sail off to your new home.