Moving company prices have always been high, and you get what you pay for, so looking for a “cheap moving company” will likely backfire. But with all the focus on moving company prices, the hassle of packing, comparing and contrasting different storage and moving companies and, in some cases, the whole process of buying and selling real estate, there’s very little talk about what needs to happen on the other end of the move, especially if you’ve gone farther than the next town over. Here’s a short checklist of eight things you should keep in mind for the aftermath of moving to another state.
Use the internet to share your experience with others. Hopefully it’s been a fairly smooth ride and you have good things to say about the services and choices you made. But especially if this isn’t the case, you want others to know, and you want to send a message to the moving company involved that they cannot get away with slip-shard service.
Particularly if you have a family, finding good medical care will be of prime importance, and trusting someone with your health can be tricky. Consider the specifics: do you just need a primary care doctor, or do you need a pediatrician as well? How about specialists — does anyone in your family have a pre-existing condition that needs special care? in the latter case, you should see if your previous doctor knows anyone they can refer you to in your new location. Online resources can help, such as American Medical Association and “Doctor Directory.”
If you haven’t gotten the ball rolling prior to leaving your old location, getting the children settled for school is something to address immediately. Shortlist a number of options via a web search. The National Center for Education Statistics has an excellent school locator tool that will prove useful.
It may not seem like a priority to you, but many states actually have regulations about how long you can be a resident and not carry their state license. You’ll need to register the car in the new state and transfer your license, and chances are you will need to do this in person since you don’t have a state record in their system yet. Keep in mind, prior to being able to register in a new state, you will need to make new arrangements with your insurance carrier. Additionally, you may need to have a title in your name and pass emissions and safety inspections in the new state. Best bet is to call ahead and find out exactly what they’ll want.
This doesn’t come naturally to everyone, but saying hi to your new neighbors and establishing rapport with them can make life easier getting established. By developing a relationship with your neighbors, you’ve established an alliance that can supply ideas for most of the other issues listed above, not to mention give you a feeling of familiarity in your new digs.
Packing, unpacking, moving company prices and dealings with self storage management companies tend to dominate our thoughts about moving – but it pays to think ahead if you can and prepare for the loose ends you’ll need to tie up once you get to your new home in another state.
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