If you're moving to a new state for school, what's your plan to do so?

[rxpture]

Moving half across the nation to go to school, trying to figure out a good timeline of things. Has anyone done this before? Currently have a mortgage, but thinking I will rent in the new place. How many months before school starts should I try and have a place rented? Any advice on moving?

Thanks in advance!

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[AnatomyGrey12]

Hopefully will have a deposit down in June, head out there the beginning of July so my wife can acclimate to the area and get into a routine before I am gone most of the day

 

[AM508]

I moved to my new area a month in advance which gave me plenty of time to switch driver's licences, vehicle registrations and all the other logistical minutia. It was nice to be able to settle into the area before school started. I had a deposit on an apartment about 4 months before I moved. I used a moving company(with a national van line) because I didn't have anyone to help me move and it was an awful experience. The agency that did the pickup from where I previously lived was horrible, didn't get my items shipped on time and I ended up spending almost a month without my stuff. So if you are going to user moving companies, be careful.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I moved halfway across the country three times and from the mainland to Hawaii and back. I was able to find good housing within a couple weeks every time, and in some cases found places before moving.

Personally, I plan on taking 3-4 weeks to get everything moved and settled. But I'll also be getting paid the whole time, and I have a family to move.

 

[rxpture]

Hopefully will have a deposit down in June, head out there the beginning of July so my wife can acclimate to the area and get into a routine before I am gone most of the day

Are you moving to an apartment?

 

[White Coat Hopefuls]

I showed up a couple weeks before school started. This gave my wife and I a little time to get comfortable with the town and time for her to find a job. We basically packed everything we had into our Corolla and made the drive. What we didn't fit into the car (clothes), we sent via mail (its actually pretty cheap to do this) and just had them send to a friend we'd met somehow. And we slept on an air mattress until ours got to us. If you have a mortgage I am guessing you have a lot of things, so you might be doing the moving truck thing. It's expensive, but often less expensive than selling all your stuff and buying it again. I would definitely recommend renting--it's just a whole lot less to worry about. And if you can go visit the city beforehand and do some apartment/rental shopping that would be ideal, but that isn't so fruitful a couple months out, so we got lucky and signed a place online. We moved a year later, but it worked out. Good luck!

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Are you moving to an apartment?

I have a wife and kids so we have been looking more into houses

 

[austintr]

I'm currently working on the logistics of moving for school, although it's just to the next state over and about a three hour trip. We also have a mortgage, so the main thing for us will be timing the sale of our house and figuring out if we're going to be able to find something to rent or if we'll have to buy again. Not super excited about buying a house while in school, but we have a baby arriving in the next few weeks and a large dog that kind of prevents us from renting an apartment and many houses. Our plan as of now is to put the house on the market by May, have a job for my wife by June, and move up in the early part of July. It will be an interesting experience, but it is what it is!

 

[rxpture]

I showed up a couple weeks before school started. This gave my wife and I a little time to get comfortable with the town and time for her to find a job. We basically packed everything we had into our Corolla and made the drive. What we didn't fit into the car (clothes), we sent via mail (its actually pretty cheap to do this) and just had them send to a friend we'd met somehow. And we slept on an air mattress until ours got to us. If you have a mortgage I am guessing you have a lot of things, so you might be doing the moving truck thing. It's expensive, but often less expensive than selling all your stuff and buying it again. I would definitely recommend renting--it's just a whole lot less to worry about. And if you can go visit the city beforehand and do some apartment/rental shopping that would be ideal, but that isn't so fruitful a couple months out, so we got lucky and signed a place online. We moved a year later, but it worked out. Good luck!

How did looking for houses go? You're saying you just found one at the right time online?

 

[rxpture]

I'm currently working on the logistics of moving for school, although it's just to the next state over and about a three hour trip. We also have a mortgage, so the main thing for us will be timing the sale of our house and figuring out if we're going to be able to find something to rent or if we'll have to buy again. Not super excited about buying a house while in school, but we have a baby arriving in the next few weeks and a large dog that kind of prevents us from renting an apartment and many houses. Our plan as of now is to put the house on the market by May, have a job for my wife by June, and move up in the early part of July. It will be an interesting experience, but it is what it is!

How are you planning on looking for houses? Just online? Frequent visits? I'm trying to figure out the best way to do this. I was thinking of renting an apartment in order to give time towards finding a rental. I definitely don't want to rush the process, but at the same time I want to get moving on it.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

How are you planning on looking for houses? Just online? Frequent visits? I'm trying to figure out the best way to do this. I was thinking of renting an apartment in order to give time towards finding a rental. I definitely don't want to rush the process, but at the same time I want to get moving on it.

Zillow.

 

[rxpture]

Zillow.

Zillow.

Trying to buy or rent? I was thinking about trying to rent, but I have no idea how I would.. Like, pick out some houses, set up a showing, go down for a weekend? haha, I don't want to end up in a bad neighborhood etc.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

Trying to buy or rent? I was thinking about trying to rent, but I have no idea how I would.. Like, pick out some houses, set up a showing, go down for a weekend? haha, I don't want to end up in a bad neighborhood etc.

Rent. There are a couple things you can do, you can call the schools office and see ignore they can get you in contact with some students who live in the area or some areas that students often live. I would personally find a student directly and just talk to them. That's what I did and we are finding some good houses in a pretty good part of town near a number of other students.

 

[SurgDoc95]

Moving into my apartment in early may, going home to CA for 3 weeks before army BOLC which ends two days before orientation week. Such a fun summer planned

 

[Espressso]

I moved to my new area a month in advance which gave me plenty of time to switch driver's licences, vehicle registrations and all the other logistical minutia. It was nice to be able to settle into the area before school started. I had a deposit on an apartment about 4 months before I moved. I used a moving company(with a national van line) because I didn't have anyone to help me move and it was an awful experience. The agency that did the pickup from where I previously lived was horrible, didn't get my items shipped on time and I ended up spending almost a month without my stuff. So if you are going to user moving companies, be careful.

For you (& other) who moved to a different state... Is it completely necessary to change your drivers license and registration? I didn't even think about doing that.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

For you (& other) who moved to a different state... Is it completely necessary to change your drivers license and registration? I didn't even think about doing that.

Yes. Different states have different laws, but generally if you are moving to a new state you must update your license and registration within a certain time period (e.g., 30-45 days). There are some exceptions, but going to med school is not one of them unless you are staying in dorms or something and maintain a permanent residence elsewhere.

 

[iforget2]

Mad respect to those of y'all starting med school with families. I know I wouldn't be able to do it


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[Veggie_Girl]

I would start looking for a place ASAP if you have for sure decided on the school you want to go to. Probably also depends on where you are moving and whether you are looking into a house or apt. I live in Boston now, and getting a place here was wicked tricky. Once you find the place you want you really have to sign the same day because places go like hotcakes! I am hoping to have something in the next few months, but we have two cats so it makes getting a place harder.

Definitely suggest moving in early if possible! We moved into our current place the day before I started grad school and it was a **** show! Unfortunately our lease started on the 1st and school started on the 2nd so I didn't really have a choice. It was a disarray of boxes for so long because I had to juggle school and unpacking, plus I could barely even find a single pen to bring to class!!! My boyfriend started a new job at the same time I started school so it was just a mess. Hoping this time to move at least a few weeks in advanced.

 

[AM508]

For you (& other) who moved to a different state... Is it completely necessary to change your drivers license and registration? I didn't even think about doing that.

It really depends on what your situation is, a lot of folks at my school have not but most of them claim their parents residence as their "home" still. I could not for two reasons, one being that i'm an older student who could not realistically claim a parental residence, second the state that I came from does not accept out of state inspections for vehicles and without that they would not continue my registration (which expired soon after moving) and I was not going to drive 1500 miles one way to get a $15 inspection. So at the end of the day it was easier just to change my state residence and driver's license etc.

 

[austintr]

It really depends on what your situation is, a lot of folks at my school have not but most of them claim their parents residence as their "home" still. I could not for two reasons, one being that i'm an older student who could not realistically claim a parental residence, second the state that I came from does not accept out of state inspections for vehicles and without that they would not continue my registration (which expired soon after moving) and I was not going to drive 1500 miles one way to get a $15 inspection. So at the end of the day it was easier just to change my state residence and driver's license etc.

Nothing to add here, but that's a rad Vaultboy avatar. No pun intended.

 

[Dr Tony T. Chopper]

Moving half across the nation to go to school, trying to figure out a good timeline of things. Has anyone done this before? Currently have a mortgage, but thinking I will rent in the new place. How many months before school starts should I try and have a place rented? Any advice on moving?

Thanks in advance!

I lucked out and got a cheapo 400 bucks a month on campus apartment by lottery. I didn't have much to my name back in UG so took just one car's worth of stuff and bought the rest very cheaply at a local walmart. it took 2 weeks or so to get my life up and running, but the transition was fairly straightforward as long as you endure the harder beginning portion. I'm coming straight out of college so I can't speak to the experience of moving with a spouse of course.

 

[austintr]

I lucked out and got a cheapo 400 bucks a month on campus apartment by lottery. I didn't have much to my name back in UG so took just one car's worth of stuff and bought the rest very cheaply at a local walmart. it took 2 weeks or so to get my life up and running, but the transition was fairly straightforward as long as you endure the harder beginning portion. I'm coming straight out of college so I can't speak to the experience of moving with a spouse of course.

That's awesome. Not having a family may make it easier, but it definitely doesn't make it easy. I'm a bit jealous that there's no way I'll get a $400 apartment, but that's great that you were able to!

 

[drplzz]

I would start looking for a place ASAP if you have for sure decided on the school you want to go to. Probably also depends on where you are moving and whether you are looking into a house or apt. I live in Boston now, and getting a place here was wicked tricky. Once you find the place you want you really have to sign the same day because places go like hotcakes! I am hoping to have something in the next few months, but we have two cats so it makes getting a place harder.

Definitely suggest moving in early if possible! We moved into our current place the day before I started grad school and it was a **** show! Unfortunately our lease started on the 1st and school started on the 2nd so I didn't really have a choice. It was a disarray of boxes for so long because I had to juggle school and unpacking, plus I could barely even find a single pen to bring to class!!! My boyfriend started a new job at the same time I started school so it was just a mess. Hoping this time to move at least a few weeks in advanced.

This situation is most certainly unique to Boston as 75%+ of leases begin on sept 1st and end on august 31st. It is an absolute zoo, but you can most certainly find apartments (nice ones) well into July. Do yourself a favor and aim to NOT have to be in Boston on September 1st unless you want to trash pick through all the furtniture people throw away. I think a lot of the remaining leases start on June 1st and landlords are often willing to work with you.

 

[Mr. D.O.five]

I was planning on moving in an apartment a week or two before orientation day to get everything settled down.

 

[Veggie_Girl]

This situation is most certainly unique to Boston as 75%+ of leases begin on sept 1st and end on august 31st. It is an absolute zoo, but you can most certainly find apartments (nice ones) well into July. Do yourself a favor and aim to NOT have to be in Boston on September 1st unless you want to trash pick through all the furtniture people throw away. I think a lot of the remaining leases start on June 1st and landlords are often willing to work with you.

Luckily I'm moving out of Boston this time, and it will have to be in July so I'm going to be far away from the chaos. Good to know most places don't have the Sept 1st start. I was worried about how to get a couple extra months, because every place I've rented in MA has started on the 1st