Moving cross country can be a huge and expensive headache. But there are ways to ease the pain, both logistically and financially.
1. Employer Assistance
If you are relocating for a job, you may be able to negotiate relocation assistance as part of your job offer. It should be researched ahead of time and arranged in advance.
Especially if you are in a white-collar profession, relocation assistance can add up to thousands of dollars. It can cover a variety of needs, from moving expenses to help with the down payment on a house.
2. Tax Deductions
Most moves are employment-related. Even if your employer doesn’t offer a relocation assistance package, the government provides a variety of tax breaks. If you haven’t moved for work before, you might have no idea.
Here is the low down from the IRS on what you can and cannot reasonably deduct. If you aren’t comfortable figuring it yourself, this would be a great time to hire a professional to do your taxes for you. That is an excellent way to both maximize your tax deductions and calm your nerves. Should you get audited, they will look to your tax prepared for answers.
3. When In Doubt, Throw It Out
When moving long-distance, the last thing you want to do is pack something, pay the cost to have it moved cross country, unpack it, and then decide to toss it. So before you pack anything, try making three piles:
- keep
- sell or donate
- trash
The less you take with you, the better. You may still find yourself downsizing further in your new home, but it will save you time, money, and aggravation if you do a thorough decluttering ahead of time to minimize the pain.
4. Don’t Leave Things Behind In Storage
The internet has stories of people who put stuff in storage, left, and are stuck paying the storage fees with no means to readily resolve the situation. People routinely underestimate how logistically hard it will be to carve out the time to go back and just how much money it will cost.
Take it with you or get rid of it. It’s perhaps additional motivation to downsize, but the real point is that what seems like the fitting answer — “Oh, I’ll just stick a few things in storage here.” — frequently turns into a problem people don’t know how to solve.
5. Don’t Be Penny Wise And Pound Foolish
You should check out movers thoroughly and be willing to pay a little more to get it done right. It will help if you also consider moving insurance.
Reliable movers are movers you can trust. That’s why it costs a little more upfront. Going without insurance is betting that nothing will go wrong.
The “cheap” solution can cost you more in the long run. Think twice before going that route.