Moving to another state can be an incredibly exciting experience. However, it can often be accompanied by a little doubt and anxiety about the big transition. To make your move as efficient and smooth as possible, here are seven things you should consider before moving out of state.

1. Where to Live

Unless you’re moving back home, moving to another state means adjusting to an unfamiliar place. Before moving, take time to get acquainted with your new home state and city. If possible, travel to your new hometown ahead of the move to scope out neighborhoods and figure out where you want to live. While using resources like realtor.com or Trulia can be useful for house shopping, but there’s no way to get the feel of an area without visiting in person.

2. Job Availability

Wherever you live, you will need a source of income. If you aren’t moving for a new job, make sure you think about opportunities for employment prior to your move. While it’s best to secure a job before making the move, if this is not possible, then at least research open positions and start networking as soon as the boxes are unpacked.

Before moving out of state, make sure you consider employment opportunities in your new hometown.

3. Proximity to Family

In the rush of excitement and anxiety that comes with moving, don’t forget about your family. Perhaps the purpose of moving is to be closer to family, but if your move instead takes you hundreds of miles away, make sure you are comfortable with the proximity of your new location to family. This consideration is especially important if you have little ones.

4. How to Move Everything

After deciding where you’re moving, it’s critical to start planning how you will get all your belongings there. Most people either rent a truck and get family or friends to help with the packing, loading, and transporting, or hire professional movers to get the job done. While your choice will depend largely upon the volume of your belongings, your budget, and your available time, it’s important to get a start on planning your moving logistics about two months before your move.

5. The Cost of the Move

It is hard to guess the exact price of your move without doing some research. Before moving out of state, you should try to get a rough estimate of what your relocation will cost. Some possible expenses include moving services, rental contracts, the purchase of new furniture, down payments, travel expenses, and more. If you are using a professional moving company, make sure to get quotes from multiple movers to get a more accurate idea of what the move itself will cost. Adding up these expenses beforehand can offer some insight into what adjustments need to be made to financially support the move.

Estimate your moving expenses ahead of time to ensure you have money set aside to cover the cost.

6. Leaving Your Current State

Before moving to a new state, you’ll need to wrap up affairs in your current state. This means figuring out how to resign from your job, selling your house, transferring financial institutions, transitioning your kids to their new schools, and more. Making sure you think through the specifics of everything you’re leaving behind can help to make the transition to another state more fluid.

7. Think About the Future

While anticipating a move, it is easy to get caught up in the immediate present. However, with such a big transition, you should consider how your future looks. Ask yourself how long you plan to stay in the new state – is it a temporary or long term move? This question can help to add some clarity to the situation as well as offer some perspective for the future.