When it’s time to plan your move to another state, you have quite a few options. You can try a complete long-distance do-it-yourself (DIY) move. You can pack your possessions, then have a moving company transport them for you. Or, you can enjoy the benefits of a full-service move. With this option the interstate moving company will pack, load, transport, unload, and unpack your household for you while you attend to all the other tasks involved in relocating out-of-state. However, you’d like to your move to go, our moving experts have the flexibility to customize your relocation.

1. Selling Most Things You Own

In addition to distance and labor costs, your interstate move is priced by the weight of your possessions. As the weight adds up so does the price tag on your move. If you want to move everything you currently own, and let’s face it, most of us have a lot of stuff, expect a more expensive state-to-state move.

A great way to keep moving costs under control is to purge your possessions. It’s amazing how good it feels to clean out closets and cupboards. Plus, there are a lot of people who will want your stuff! Consignment stores are always happy to take furniture and home accessories. Garage sales are a great way to get rid of all the things you truly don’t use (while making a few bucks). And donating many of your possessions to a worthy cause can be extremely satisfying.

Consider the floor plan of your new home or office, then make sure the things you want to take with you will fit in your new location. If they won’t fit, won’t look great, you won’t use them, or they don’t ‘bring you joy!’, then it’s time to say sayonara.

2. Renting a Moving Truck

Renting a moving truck might save you some money when compared to hiring movers, but be sure to add up all the additional expenses involved in a DIY move to truly understand your overall costs. You’ll need fuel and lodging en route, which combined with food on-the-road can get expensive. Be sure to check the truck rental company’s long-distance policies. Some rental truck companies will charge a hefty fee if you don’t return the truck to the branch where you originally rented it, while others are more generous with one-way rentals. Also, some rental companies add a surcharge if the drop-off location is remote or overloaded with rental trucks. If you don’t have experience driving a big loaded truck, you may be far more comfortable letting professional movers handle the transport aspect of your move.

3. Tow a Rental Trailer

Rental trailers are useful when you don’t have much to move. Just be sure you have experience towing a trailer behind your own vehicle. You may need to back up the trailer or maneuver it in tight spots; during your move isn’t a good time to learn those skills. Check your manual for towing specifications to make sure your car meets the specs for the trailer you plan to rent. The last thing you want to do is pay for engine repairs because your car wasn’t designed to pull a loaded trailer across state lines.

4. Rent a Portable Storage Container

Portable storage containers give you great flexibility during an out-of-state move. They’re convenient and cost effective. PODs, U Hauls’ UBoxes, 1-800-PackRat, and U-Pack Relo Cubes, are just some of the companies that provide portable moving containers. Their truck will deliver the size pod you specify right to your home or office, then you can pack it at your convenience. Check local codes to make sure your residential area or municipality permits parking the containers either in your driveway or in front of your home or office. Because the containers aren’t climate-controlled, only pack them with belongings that won’t be affected by extreme temperature fluctuations.

5. Hire an Interstate Moving Company

Hiring a moving company is the easiest, least stressful way to move to another state. While at first it may seem an expensive choice, compare a full-service move to the emotional and tangible costs of a DIY move. When moving on your own, you must rent a truck, find friends or family to help you pack and load the truck, drive a heavy loaded vehicle in traffic, pay for fuel and lodging en route, get insurance, and then not only unload, but also unpack your belongings. Whew! That’s a lot to manage when you’re moving long distance and have so many other things on your mind. You can easily understand that you’ll pay a price for the stress, time, and work involved in a DIY move.

Professional interstate movers have the experience and know-how to properly care for your valued belongings. Furniture, appliances, multi-media systems, delicate antiques, collectibles, and fragile items like dish and glassware will fare much better in a long distance move when professionals pad, wrap, load, and transport them. Plus, our movers carry the proper insurance and licensing to cover your belongings if anything should happen to them.

Ian’s Interstate Movers will find reliable, experienced, affordable interstate moving services for you, so you don’t have to worry and fret over your move. There are certain things a moving company can’t do for you that only you can do. You’re swamped with finding a new home or office, selling your old home, getting your kids relocated in their new schools, learning how to maneuver around your new town or city, and finding all the services you’ll need as you acclimate. You’ll be busy enough managing all those details, so consider hiring an interstate mover to efficiently pack, transport, and unpack your belongings. Click on Get Quote and get started!

Transporting Your Vehicle

Out-of-state moves can get complicated, especially when you need to relocate one or more vehicles. Are you planning to tow your car behind a rented moving truck? Be sure to find out if the truck you plan to rent allows you to tow your car. Or, you can choose to have your vehicle professionally moved across state lines by rail or auto transport carrier.

If you feel stressed or challenged about how to get your vehicle to your new home or office, Ian’s Interstate Movers can ease your worries. We’ll provide you with affordable quotes from expert interstate car transport companies, so your vehicle is one less thing to worry about.

According to the American Moving and Storage Association, the typical interstate move costs about $5630. That estimate is based on an average move weight of 7100 pounds over 1200 miles (or, the approximate distance from Birmingham, AL to Boston, MA). If you choose an interstate moving company to handle your relocation, they’ll base your moving costs on three factors: the weight of your shipment, the mileage between your point of origin and destination, and contract labor costs.

At Ian’s Interstate Movers, we’ll provide you with no-obligation quotes from up to four trusted moving companies. After you receive your quotes, you can schedule a time for each of them to come to your home or office. This on-site inspection will determine your total moving costs. Make sure to use this time to inform the moving company’s rep of all your specific relocation needs.

As you plan your interstate moving budget, be sure to bear the following costs in mind:

• Travel Expenses – If you’re planning on a full-service interstate move than entails meeting your moving van at your new home or office, you’ll need to think about how you’re going to travel to your new destination. If you’ll be flying, start pricing tickets well in advance of your moving date and purchase your tickets as soon as possible. Remember that airline ticket prices are considerably higher during holidays and summer months. If you’re driving to meet your moving van at your new destination, plan on fuel costs, lodging expenses, and food en route. Restaurant food is notoriously expensive. A picnic stop with some fresh air is a terrific way to unwind from your drive, enjoy nature, and save on food costs.
• Rental Trucks – If you’re budgeting for a DIY out-of-state move, plan for a variety of moving expenses. Go online to comparison shop prices of several rental truck companies. Consider the cost of possibly paying for help loading the truck, especially if you have heavy items to load such as appliances, a large sectional sofa, or other oversize items. Budget for necessary accessories such as hand trucks, furniture pads, packing supplies, and towing equipment. Also plan for expenses like lodging on the road, restaurant and picnic food, fuel costs, incidentals, and insurance.
• Moving add-ons – If you choose additional moving services such as packing, disassembling and reassembling furniture, or piano or pool table relocation, those costs will be added to your basic state-to-state moving charges. Sometimes items like mattress bags, stretch and bubble wrap, and furniture pads are included in your quote. Make sure you ask your mover about add-on costs.
• Moving supplies – If you choose an all-inclusive move, the only supplies you’ll need will be for the very specific things you want to pack yourself, plus your ‘essentials’ boxes that you’ll take with you on the plane, train, or in the car. For DIY movers, you’ll need cardboard boxes, plastic bins, bubble wrap, packing paper, furniture pads, marking pens, tape, and a notebook to keep an inventory of what you pack. You’ll probably also need to rent a hand truck to save your back.
• Your moving date – Your moving costs will depend on the time of year you move. Seventy percent of moves occur between Memorial Day and Labor Day, which increases costs because movers are in high demand. Try to schedule your interstate move during the fall, winter or spring months, and not around major holidays. Most leases start at the beginning of the month and end the last day of the month, so the demand for movers will increase your moving costs during those times as well.
• Valuation coverage, liability and insurance – Federal law requires interstate movers to provide two different valuation coverage options. ‘Full Value Protection’ covers damage by replacement or reimbursement. Basic ‘Released Value Protection’ covers .60 per pound of cargo liability. Third party insurance is a good idea if you have particularly valuable items. Make sure you save all your moving-related receipts and take photos of valuables before they get packed.
• Moving quotes – Understanding how interstate moving companies provide estimates will go a long way in helping you accurately budget your move. Initially, a moving company will give you a ‘non-binding estimate’. They do this to give you a ball-park idea of what your move will cost. If you want to continue working with the company, you’ll schedule them come to your home or office, so they can more accurately assess the size and weight of your cargo, calculate add-ons, or the need for contract labor. After the inspection, you’ll be given a ‘not to exceed, binding estimate’. This means your total moving cost won’t exceed the quoted price. The actual cost will be calculated on moving day after your load has been weighed on the truck. Before you sign the paperwork, make sure you are signing a ‘not to exceed, binding’ contract.