Each year, it’s estimated that over 10 percent of US households move to a new home.

Of the people that move, at least a third will move to a new state. Relocating anywhere comes with complications, and relocating to another state adds new moving parts like learning tax codes and planning for a different cost of living — not to mention some of the emotional stress that comes with leaving behind a familiar place.

Don’t worry, though.

Migrating to a new state can and should be a positive and exciting experience. If you’re moving to the Northeast Ohio region from another part of the country, or you’re getting ready to venture out of the greater Cleveland area for the first time, here are some tips to help you have a smooth transition into your new life and home!

Find a New Doctor

Do you know where you’re going to go if you get sick or injured? Are local doctor’s offices in your company’s insurance network?

Nobody plans for a big injury or virus to hit when they’re first moving into a new home, but researching who your new doctor will be in advance is a good thing to have lined up early.

Not sure where to get started?

If you have health insurance, start by asking for a list of in-network physicians for your primary care. Don’t have insurance right now? Click here to find a community health center based on your new zip code.

Keep in Touch

Building a network of friends and coworkers in a new place will take time. Hopefully, you’ll start building relationships with people quickly, but don’t feel bad about taking some time to connect with people from your old home while you’re still getting settled in the new one.

Staying connected with friends and family is healthy, and it’s important to have support if you’re feeling stressed or anxious about your recent move.

Update Your Driver’s License

States each have their own regulations on driving, and you’re going to have to learn them! That also means you’ll have to get a new driver’s license at some point to drive legally on their roads. While this doesn’t have to be the first “to-do” on your cross-state moving list, it should be an early priority.

Be Prepared to File Two Tax Returns

Moving to a new state means you will most likely be filing two state-level tax returns. While you can always hire a professional service or pay for software to make this easier, you’ll still need to keep track of some basic information like your exact move date, the date you started with a new employer and so on.

Before you get settled in, take some time to sit down with your finances and highlight some key events in your moving process. This will make finding your information easier down the line.

Budget a 10% Cushion

Cost of living varies by state, and you have probably already budgeted many bigger dimensions of your finances accordingly. However, there are some basics that will cost more than you were expecting.

For example…

Ohio has a special tax on gasoline that can make driving a car more expensive than a state like Texas or South Carolina. Other states have sugar taxes that could make your morning late a bit pricier.

To help ensure these extra taxes or expenses don’t catch you off guard, consider adding a 10 percent “cushion” to your current budget plans. While you may not spend it all, having the extra cash set aside means you won’t have added stress when a basic costs more than you expected it would.