Hiring a good professional moving company will cost a hefty amount and if it is an interstate move, the amount goes a lot higher than a local move. Though an interstate move is way more expensive than moving within a state, sticking to your budget is still possible. The first step to plan an interstate move is to budget your move and try to include all unexpected expenses that may come up later.
There are a few tricks and tips that can help you manage your finances during an interstate move. So what are you waiting for, here we go:
Plan Your Way to Move
Choosing the right way to move your goods impacts your moving expenses a lot. You have many ways to choose from including DIY, hiring a full-service moving company, rental truck, or a hybrid move. Before you choose your move, look into the reason for your move. If you are moving for work, confirm what all costs are covered up in the employee relocation policy of your company. A DIY move or a rental truck is not a guarantee of a cheap move, there can be many unseen expenses related to these. Consider all the factors before deciding on any particular type of move.
Choose Your Moving Time Smartly
According to the best out of state movers listed with Moving APT, if possible, one should avoid moving during peak seasons, weekends, or month-ends. These are the times when moving companies charge the highest possible amount for your move. You can avail of lean season discounts or midweek discounts by choosing your moving dates smartly. Most people do not get leaves during working days so they plan their move on weekends and if you afford to move during the week, it can save a good amount of money.
Downsize Your Shipment
Go through each room of your house and decide what all items you want to take along and what you would like to leave behind. Anyhow moving is the right time to de-clutter and downsize your home. Generally, a moving company charges based on the size of your shipment and the distance to be moved, so an interstate move with a big size shipment will cost you a big amount. It is wise to sort all the unwanted stuff out before creating a final list of items to be moved.
Decluttering your house also means making money as you can sell that furniture item that you do not wish to take along. Take out all the stuff that you are not willing to use in the future and this may include a number of items like old clothes, kitchenware, appliances, electronics, and artwork. We always possess some things that are of some sentimental value for us, you can take pictures of such items for memories and discard them.
No Shopping
Moving to a new state and a new home is a very exciting phase and it is hard to resist the temptation of buying new stuff for your new home. But you must understand that it is important to limit your expenses to manage your finances during a move. It is not a good idea to invest in a furniture piece here and then to pay to transport it to your new place. You can consider buying all the required stuff at your new place after settling down there well. Leave your curtain and linen shopping pending and save money. Your major concern while moving interstate should be your rent deposit and not shower curtains and other supplies. Plan a budget for all those post-move expenses.
Know Your Post-Move Expenses
Set aside some money for your post-move expenses like rent deposit, advance house rent, deposit for utilities, getting a new driver’s license, buying a new car, health insurance, school admission if you have kids, and registration of your pets, etc. Make sure you do research on each of these tasks and costs related to it so that you can plan your budget according to the expected expenses.
Partial-year State Tax
Learn state taxes rules and regulations of both the states; the one that you are moving from and the one that you are moving to. Plan your move according to the tax that you need to pay at each state. Some states require you to pay only for the time that you have lived there and can apply for partial-year state tax. If you are self-employed then this becomes even more important to you to understate state tax laws before filing your taxes.
Also, keep all your moving-related receipts saved as in some cases you can claim your moving cost as a deduction on your federal income tax return and save some money. Although a change in your principal place of work makes you eligible for the claim, it is better to learn and understand taxation laws well before filing any such claims.