Guide to Moving Out of State: Part 3 - Expenses to Prepare For + Q&A.

     We've made it to the end of the moving process! Both literally and figuratively. Literally as in I've been in Virginia for over a month now and am really starting to feel settled here, and figuratively in that this is the final post in my moving out of state blog post series! I wasn't honestly quite sure at first how where to go with this third post: in my first post I wrote out a pre-move checklist, and the second post covered packing in detail. So where to go next?


      I thought about it a lot, and one thing I realized that I felt a little overwhelmed by with both moves this year and last were the financial implications of an out of state move. There are the obvious costs, like moving supplies and a moving truck. But lots of other costs involved as well which you might not think of off the top of your head! In today's post, I'm sharing a list of financial obligations to be prepared to pay for with an out of state move. I'm also sharing a Q&A at the end with some general moving questions that a few of y'all DM'd me!

Financial Obligations when Moving Out of State:



ACT OF MOVING: 
   
     *Rented moving truck and/or moving company with movers (If you're moving for a new job, your new employer might cover this for your or reimburse you. Check on this in the hiring process. If they do not, this will be out of pocket, although you will be able to claim a deduction for moving expenses the following year on your taxes, so SAVE ALL RECEIPTS if you're paying out of pocket.) 

     *Moving supplies (Boxes and everything else. I shared my packing list of supplies I use for my moves in Part 2 of this blog post series.)

     *Hotel rooms while on the road/before you move into new home in new state (Again- check with your new employer if this is something that they cover.) 

     *Restaurant meals during last days in former state, days drive on road, and first days in new state (Trust me- you don't want to be cooking in last days before a move or the second you move into your new place!)



AUTOMOTIVE: 

     *Gas to drive from former state to new state, and if renting a moving truck, gas and insurance for rented truck as well (Again- if you're doing the move all out of pocket, save every receipt and mileage for taxes!)

     *Oil change before move, and any other necessary maintenance before move

     *Highway tolls

     *DMV expenses in new state - a lot of people try and keep their former license and plates for many months, but this is actually ILLEGAL in most cases! In every state that I've moved to, it's the LAW to establish residency with your vehicle within 30 days of the move. So far Vermont was the most expensive state that I've had to do this in- their registration and license costs were double that of NC.

•      License
•      Title 
•      Registration
•      Switch car insurance to new state (Be prepared for your rates to increase or decrease significantly- my insurance went down in Vermont but increased exponentially in Virginia)
•      Inspection if required in new state

     *Parking costs (This is one I've never had to deal with- but if you're moving from a rural area to a very large city, your new apartment or workplace might require you to pay to park your vehicle each day!)

HOUSING: (This is written from the perspective of renting an apartment- home ownership in a new state would have its own fees!)

     *Security deposit on new apartment

     *Application fee on new apartment (Sometimes waved if apartment complex is running a special, but not always!)

     *Utility deposits (In some cities, utility companies require residents to pay deposits on their utility accounts. I've had an apartment complex that covered these fees for residents before, and also two complexes that did not.)

     *Installation fees for utilities or furniture delivery fees (The joys of getting new things!)

     *First month's rent

     *Renters' Insurance (A lot of apartment complexes require this, but even if your landlord does not, it's very smart to open a policy. I bundle mine with my car insurance.)

     *Various appliances / furniture needs for new apartment which your former apartment might not have needed or already had (Example: every apartment I'd lived in previously to Virginia came with a microwave. My apartment here did not! I wasn't expecting to buy a microwave on top of all of my other moving expenses. There are always surprises like that with a move!)

     I was very lucky with my moves to Vermont and Virginia that my parents generously paid for the cost of renting a moving truck and the hotels that my dad and I stayed at overnight while moving. I had just finished school and didn't have much in savings before my Vermont move, and with my Virginia move... let's just say that my first salary in radio wasn't that much better than what I made working part-time as a student! So I am very grateful they helped out with some of the costs associated. However- as you can see from this list, the moving truck and hotel rooms aren't everything! There's a lot of costs involved with an out of state move. From moving supplies to a new apartment security deposit to DMV fees.... yikes yikes yikes. I've definitely had to cut back over the last couple months on personal purchases and "fun spending" to make sure I'm not overspending right now and still being financially responsible! 

Moving Out of State Q&A

      *What did you use to move your bigger stuff? As I mentioned in Part 1 of this blog post series, my dad and I chose to rent a Penske truck for both moves this year and last! I'd highly recommend them! They seem to be the cheapest moving option by far, and they offer a Triple A discount as well. I talk more about that part of the moving process in this post.

      *Is it worth it to hire movers? I think it would be worth it to hire movers for moves of great distance, or to move a whole house. I've only ever moved one bedroom apartments, and I don't have a ton of large furniture. I can imagine with an entire house or condo an out of state move would be difficult. What my dad and I have done is hired local movers to load/unload the moving truck for an hour on moving day in each state- essentially just to carry in the heavy furniture. That's what works well for us! But if you'd be unable to drive a rented moving truck out of state yourself or find someone to do it, looking into movers might be smart. 

     *What are some things you think are easy to forget your first time making that big of a move? Definitely how many financial obligations there are with moving!! Hence the inspiration for today's post. (There really should be a college class on adult things like this...) Also- make sure to prioritize saying your goodbyes to family/friends in your former state, and have a going away party if you can! I promise you'll regret it if you don't. 

     *How do you make friends in a new city? I wrote an entire blog post on this topic while I lived in Vermont! Truth be told- new job has been keeping me so busy here in Virginia (and I already knew some acquaintances in Charlottesville as well) so I actually haven't tried most of these things here yet- but I need to make more of an effort with meeting friends soon! I will say- blogging has helped me so much with meeting people in North Carolina, Vermont, and now Virginia. I'm thankful for it! 

     Hope that you've enjoyed these posts this month! Please send me any moving questions if you still have them. And cross your fingers for me that I'm here to STAY in Virginia for awhile.... no more moves for a bit! 😉 

     God Bless,

     xoxo Annaliese