Guide to moving from Washington to Colorado

Moving from Washington to Colorado is not going to be a simple task. However, if you follow our guide, even the distance of 1,300 miles won’t represent a big issue. Of course, for such a long relocation, you will have to find an appropriate moving company to help you. Nevertheless, you will have to do a lot of planning and preparation in order to make this process smooth and easy. And in the following article, the best moving companies Seattle is going to show you how to do it.

Do your calculations – Colorado is more expensive than Washington

If you are moving from Washington to Colorado, the first thing that you will need to do is to make a financial plan before you actually pack all your stuff and hire piano movers Seattle to help you. You see, living in Colorado is 6% more expensive than living in Washington. So you will need a good plan. For example, groceries are almost 12% more expensive so for 2 lbs. of boneless chicken breast, and you will pay $10.96 instead of the $9.38 that you were paying in Washington. 2 lbs. of oranges that you were paying $3.45 in Washington, now you will have to pay around $4.69 – that is a +36.0% difference.

Potatoes that you are used to paying $1.93, in Colorado cost $3.05 – 58.2% higher. Besides groceries, you will also pay more for transportation even though gas is cheaper in Colorado. For instance, a monthly transit pass in Washington cost around $66.05, while the same things will cost you $78.47 in the state of Colorado. A 5-mile taxi trip in the downtown area costs around $18.56 in Washington and $19.82 in Colorado.

As you can see, living in Colorado is going to be more costly. Therefore you will need a good financial plan in advance. If you are not switching your job for the one that pays more, moving to Colorado is not going to be beneficial. At least from a financial standpoint.

Housing costs when moving from Washington to Colorado

When it comes to housing, things are looking better. The median home value in both states is on the same level. The median home value in Washington is $339,000, while the median home value in Colorado is $343,300. Therefore, switching homes is not going to be a difficult task, considering that you will get enough money for your Washington property to buy a property of the same size in Colorado. If you are renting, expect to find slightly higher rents than in Washington. Renting a 1-bedroom apartment will cost around 9% more, while for a 2-bedroom apartment, you will pay around  +5.2% more in Colorado. The good thing is that utilities are cheaper in Colorado. So for a 2 bedroom apartment, you will pay around $110.73 for utilities -11.1% less than in Washington.

This means that you will have to make peace with the fact that you will be living in a smaller space after moving from Washington to Colorado if you do not do something about it. You can, of course, sell your home and add some money to that pile in order to buy a property of the same size as you had in Washington. Or, you can simply rent a self storage Seattle, store some excess items there, and enjoy the same amount of free space as you had in your previous home without actually paying more for sq footage.

Preparing for the move

Once you handle your finance and do all calculations, it is time to start preparing for the accrual move. And here, you basically have two tasks. To get yourself and your items from Washington to Colorado. As far as your items are concerned, first, you need to declutter and get rid of all the junk that you never use. You can sell them, donate, or rent some Newcastle storage and put them in there. Once you get rid of the junk, prepare a moving inventory list that will help you plan your actions further. After you prepare a moving inventory list, take a good look at it and make a few decisions.

Who is going to handle all those items and prepare them for the move? If you are going to pack, start preparing as soon as you can; if you are going to hire a moving company to help you, start searching now as all the best movers are booked for weeks in advance. Also, a look at the moving inventory list should also reveal whether you need to hire some additional services like piano moving, furniture disassembling, fine art movers, or something similar.

Travel arrangements

Once you handle your possessions, you should start thinking about your own travel arrangements. More precisely, you need to decide whether you are going to fly to Colorado or maybe drive there in your own vehicle. When moving long-distance, your vehicle can actually become a burden as driving across long distances is not recommended after a long and tiring pre-move process.

That is why the best solution in these situations is to hire an auto shipper to handle your car, and you can book yourself a plane ticket and get to your new Colorado home in style. Here are some of the options that you have when traveling from Seattle to Denver, for example.

• Catch a direct flight from Seattle to Denver – 5h 4m – US$64 – US$505
• Ride a bus from Seattle to Denver – 32h 50m – US$143 – US$205
• Ride a train from Seattle to Denver – 2 days 4h – US$207 – US$300

If you decide to drive to Colorado nevertheless, expect a 20h 16m long drive. And somewhere between $131 and $189 for the fuel cost. Remember that, in this case, you need to be well-rested and fitted for a 1,300 –mile long drive.

Relocating from Washington to Colorado is not as difficult as it may seem

As you can see, moving from Washington to Colorado is not as difficult as you thought. The only problem that you will have to overcome is the difference in living costs. Luckily, the difference is not that significant, so you will certainly manage to settle into your new Colorado home quickly.

Why Choose Us

History

Hansen Bros. Moving & Storage is locally owned and operated by the same family for four generations, since 1890. We have a well-established reputation for service quality and reliability with a high percentage of repeat household and commercial clients.

Professionalism

We’re a certified ProMover by the American Moving and Storage Association with A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, voted “Best in Western Washington” in 2009 and from 2011 to 2016 by KING5. Our company is fully licensed and insured and member of WMC and AMSA.

Value

Hansen Bros. Moving & Storage provide free, no-obligation in-home estimate and competitive rates, including low minimum rates for shipments moving under 300 miles. We’ve set a refund policy for unused packing materials and three Puget Sound locations to help clients save on travel fee costs.