Moving to a whole new state will not only be stressful, but it's a lot of work as well. There are a lot of things you'll have to do before your moving day if you want to be properly prepared. Here are 4 things to put on your to-do list.

Declutter Your Home

Now is the time to start evaluating what you are going to take with you to your new home. You'll want to go around your current home and declutter. Start getting things ready to throw away in the trash, donate, or set aside from recycling.

The reasons for this is that moves out of state are billed differently by moving companies. It is common for the price to be based off the weight of the truck rather than how long the move takes. At some point, the truck will be weighed to figure out how much stuff you have. The less stuff you take with you, the cheaper the move will be. Anything you prematurely get rid of before the move is going to save you money.

Hire Movers

Chances are that an out of state move is going to be something you'd rather not do on your own. It could be due to the effort needed to load and unload the truck with an entire home worth of stuff, or the stress of driving such a large truck for a long distance on the freeway.

You'll want to hire movers that specialize with moves outside your state. This means going beyond your local moving companies that may only service other cities within the same state.

Change Your Address

The post office has forms you can fill out to change your address. This allows all mail to be forwarded to your new home for up to a year. While it is up to you to contact companies you work with and change your address, using the official form from the post office can help you catch mailings that you may have missed.

Learn About Your New Neighborhood

After you know where you are moving to, start learning about your neighborhood. Look at maps online to explore the surrounding area. Find out where your nearest grocery store is, what doctors you can visit, and what local stores are in the area.

For more tips on what you should be doing prior to your move, reach out to local movers.