Out Of State Moving Checklist For Elderly Parents (65+ Years of Age)

American National Movers
Apr 28, 2025
8 min read

Updated: Feb 16

An American National Movers worker is greeting an older adult who appears to be over the age of 65. The older adults seem happy, and American National Movers are smiling. — American National Movers is a highly rated senior long distance moving company, specializing in relocating veterans, disabled, and aging parents' household goods across state lines. What’s even better is that we heavily discount all senior relocations by up to 25%.

The most efficient way to move your elderly parents to a new state closer to home or to assisted living is to hire movers who specialize in relocating aging adults (65+). In 2026, modern senior long distance moving companies can assist with junk removal (downsizing), packing and unpacking, and coordinating delivery around medical or assisted living schedules.

As you may have already noticed during your research, most moving companies do not understand how logistically sensitive it is to relocate an older person’s household goods and lifelong possessions. Elderly individuals need out of state movers who can guarantee a price, commit to a firm delivery date, and provide consistent communication.

At American National Movers, this exact level of white-glove care and peace of mind is what we are trained for.

Prioritize These Long Distance Moving Tips For Seniors

American National Movers created an out of state moving checklist for seniors. You can read the practical tips on our website below, or download the checklist at the bottom of this page and read it at your earliest convenience.

Phase 1: 8 to 12 Weeks Out (Budgeting, Hiring, and Planning).

Daughter helping her elderly father read American National Movers 4.8-star reviews on a laptop to find reputable out-of-state movers for seniors. — Before hiring state to state movers for your elderly parents its' crucial to ensure you check reviews to verify your hiring a reputable company.

✔ Consider Your Relocation Budget

Seniors and retirees are often on a moving budget, generally between $6,000 and $10,000. If this is your budget, you are in good shape and have a good chance of securing a reputable mover. If your budget is lower than that, consider delaying your relocation until you can afford to pay at least $7,000.

In this industry, highly rated out of state moving options for the elderly cost at least $6,000 to $10,000 for mid-sized to large homes. If you’re tempted to choose a relocation option for less than that, your shipment is more likely to be damaged, incur hidden fees, face deceptive business practices, and experience transportation delays.

✔ Read The Out Of State Movers Reviews

Frankly, this industry lacks integrity. Many moving sales estimators promise one thing over the phone or even in writing, and they still don’t honor it on moving day. That’s why it’s important to read every mover's reviews before choosing an out-of-state moving company for elderly parents. This research will help separate the good movers from the bad, and the honest quotes from deceptive bait-and-switch scams.

✔ Ask Your Movers For A Guaranteed Price

For all senior relocations, getting a guaranteed price in writing is so crucial. Many brands aren’t transparent about this, but cost increases on a consumer's moving date are common. Why? Because your relocation costs are being estimated, many movers use this to their advantage to negotiate your costs, even if the price increase is not justifiable.

The Solution: Reputable moving companies like American National Movers offer guaranteed pricing for long distance and out of state moves. The common terminology for this is a binding not to exceed quote or flat rate.

✔ Consider A Dedicated Truck

Another thing carriers and brokers are not transparent about is how they handle your household goods after loading them into their truck. You might assume it will be transported directly from your precious address to your new home without any stops, but this is often not the case.

Instead, your items will be dropped off at a holding facility and reloaded onto a trailer with several other loads (about 15,000 lbs of cargo). Then the moving company will make several stop-offs and re-handle your load multiple times. This is a logistical nightmare for most senior citizens, who generally have items of extreme sentimental value.

To avoid this, it’s best to ask your movers not to combine your load in a trailer and to provide you with a dedicated truck. On average, American National Movers charges $6,800 to $9,000 for a dedicated truck service. This might sound expensive, but you’re getting better value: an exclusive truck and a guaranteed delivery date, which is highly valued for loads with high financial or sentimental value.

✔ Book Your Move Early, Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute

After you have found a moving company you feel comfortable with, book the move early (the sooner the better). Giving your movers a two-month runway allows them to properly coordinate the sensitive logistics required for senior relocations. Furthermore, out of state moving companies offer discounts to individuals who book their move 30-60 days in advance.

Phase 2: 4 to 8 Weeks Out ( Downsizing Reality and Building Restrictions)

Daughter and father separating passports and medication from downsizing boxes while reviewing assisted living move-in dates on a calendar — Phase 2 is the hard part; this is when you should consider downsizing furniture and boxes to make the senior's long-distance moving costs more affordable. Crucially, this is also the time to separate essential documents and medication that must travel with you, not on the truck.

✔ Downsize (Don’t Pay To Ship Junk).

Out of state and long distance moving costs are heavily based on the size and weight of your shipment. The number of items you have plays a greater role in costs than the distance of your relocation. If the cost to ship your items outweighs their value, do not pay a moving company to ship it. Seniors generally do not like to dispose of things, but downsizing will help you save a lot of money on moving costs.

For assistance with junk removal, consider 1-800-GOT-JUNK, or ask your moving company if they can help dispose of unwanted items as part of the relocation package.

✔ Navigating To Assisted Living (If Applicable).

If your elderly parents are in a 55+ community or care facility, a random delivery window from movers will not work. Assisted living facilities have strict move-in and move-out schedules and require your movers to provide proof of insurance.

Proof of insurance must be submitted weeks in advance, and you must reserve the service elevators and loading docks, and ensure the movers arrive within that date and time frame. This is why a dedicated truck option is better for most assisted living relocations because it can guarantee a delivery date. However, keep in mind that dedicated trucks and guaranteed delivery dates add about $2,500 to your relocation costs.

✔ Secure Government Documents and Medication

If the moving option you choose doesn't have a guaranteed delivery date, it's absolutely vital to pack government-issued documentation (passport, ID, birth certificate, etc.). If applicable, please pack the medications your elderly parent is required to take daily. Do not put these on the moving truck.

Some long distance moving companies can take a very long time to deliver a person's load. Some seniors have reported waiting over 30 days for their things, and state: ‘I didn’t know my items were being loaded on a shared truck, I thought it was a straight delivery.’ While paying for a dedicated moving truck is recommended for a senior out-of-state relocation, if it’s out of your budget, it’s crucial to pack the items listed above.

Phase 3: 2 to 4 Weeks Out (Packing Tips, Liability, and Confirmation)

Daughter auditing the moving box inventory list to prevent price increases while her father confirms the schedule with out-of-state movers. — At Phase 3, reassess your packing situation. If you’re certain you can pack all the boxes, provide your senior movers with an accurate count to avoid price hikes. Finally, call your out-of-state movers to verbally confirm both the inventory and the moving date.

✔ The DIY Packing Liability Clause

Many families try to save money by packing and boxing their elderly parents' entire home themselves. However, the moving industry has a major liability loophole: if you pack an item and it breaks while it’s in transit, the company is legally not liable for the damage.

Expert Tip: For budgeting purposes, you can take a strategic approach. Save money by packing the non-breakable items yourself (Fabric and books), and ask the movers to pack the fragile items (art, antiques, TVs). This is known as a partial pack and is a cost-effective way to save money, get packing help for seniors, and hold movers accountable for damage.

✔ Reevaluate Your Box Count

Check the box count on your moving contract and make sure it matches the quantity to avoid price increases on move day. Many families underestimate how many boxes they will have on the day of their move, and boxes can take up a lot of space in a 26-foot truck. For example, 100 boxes take up roughly 400-500 cubic feet, which is about 30% of a 26-foot truck's 1600 cubic feet capacity.

Every extra box you have that's not on the inventory list gives moving companies an excuse to raise your moving-day price significantly. If you still want to take the additional boxes (if any), call the moving company before the move to inform them and request a written updated quote.

✔ Confirm Your Moving Date With Movers

Based on review data, some relocation brands were reported to have poor communication, last-minute cancellations, and no-shows. So, once your move date is 2 weeks out, call your out-of-state movers and confirm your move date and their estimated time of arrival. Furthermore, if your parents are moving into a facility that requires a Certificate of Insurance for movers to enter the premises, use this phone call to verify that the movers have the COI with building management.

Final Phase: Preparation & Move Day

Daughter signing the Bill of Lading with uniformed American National Movers while her elderly father waits comfortably in a quiet area. — If you followed all the senior moving tips above, this phase is the easiest and most fulfilling part.

✔ Assign a Calm Area For Your Elderly Parents

American National Movers recommends moving your parents out before the movers arrive to avoid added stress and anxiety. If that's not possible, assign a quiet space for them while the movers pack. The quiet area should be away from the crew so that the movers can work and your elderly parents can relax.

Pro Tip: Once the movers have finished packing and unloading the bulk of the furniture and boxes, ask them to begin packing the area where your parents are. While they are doing that, you can relocate your parents or begin doing a walk-through with them to ensure everything is packed and loaded.

✔ Do A Walk Through

If you did not get a guaranteed price, when your out-of-state movers arrive, they may begin to do a walk-through. During this walk-through, they'll review the agreed-upon inventory list and assess whether your estimated volume is accurate. If your estimated volume is inaccurate, they must inform you before loading your goods and, if applicable, quote you a new cost.

What To Know: If you hired a reputable senior moving company, your estimated out of state moving costs should be reasonably accurate. There should be no additional charges, and if there are, they should not be double or triple your previous quote. Again, if a moving company needs to renegotiate your quote for the moving date, it must be done before loading your household goods, not after.

✔ Get And Sign Bill Of Lading

Lastly, once the movers have finished packing and loading and you have made a payment, they are required to provide a Bill of Lading. A Bill of Lading is an agreement between the Carrier (movers) and the shipper (customer). This legal document serves as a final contract and receipt, including all terms and conditions for your load. Do not let your movers leave without providing you with a copy of their Bill of Lading.

We’ve Moved 1000+ Senior Citizens To Another State.

American National Movers has experience moving the elderly between the ages of 65-85+ and knows the amount of patience, communication, and planning that's required for a smooth relocation. Whether you are an adult child looking for the safest and easiest way to relocate your parents or if you’re a senior handling the logistics for yourself and/or your spouse, contact American National Movers: 1 (800)-245-7967.