Moving To South Carolina Guide

Getting Ready to Move to South Carolina

There’s a legend that anyone who drinks from Catfish Creek in Marion, South Carolina, will fall in love with the area and want to stay there forever – but you don’t need to be under a spell to want to live in the Palmetto State. Whether you’re enticed by this southern state’s swathes of green spaces, the thriving food culture, the beautiful beaches, or the low cost of living, SmartMove’s here to help you relocate stress-free.

You’ll need to do a fair bit of planning and preparation to move to your South Carolinian home, regardless of whether you decide to purchase or rent a property. With this little guide courtesy of SmartMove, you’ll know just what you need to do for a move just as relaxed as the way of life in your new state.

Check out providers by city

• Aiken
• Anderson
• Charleston
• Columbia
• Conway
• Easley
• Florence
• Fort Mill
• Goose Creek
• Greenville
• Greer
• Hanahan
• Hilton Head Island
• Irmo
• Johns Island
• Ladson
• Lexington
• Mount Pleasant
• Murrells Inlet
• Myrtle Beach
• Newberry
• North Augusta
• North Charleston
• North Myrtle Beach
• Orangeburg
• Simpsonville
• Spartanburg
• Summerville
• Sumter
• Taylors
• West Columbia

Preparing to Move Your Digital Life to South Carolina

Modern life relies heavily on online and digital connections for pleasure and communication. SmartMove can keep you linked to South Carolina's most dependable Internet, cable TV, and phone service providers.

Internet Services in South Carolina

WiFi and high-speed Internet are practically necessities in the 21st century. Whether you need it for work, school, or just to stay connected with friends and family, it’s important to have a good Internet connection in your new home.

Having no data caps in your Internet packages is important if you want to avoid any nasty surprises on your bill. Most providers also offer different speeds, usually starting at around 12 Mbps and going up to 1 Gbps – the latter being quite a bit faster, but also more expensive. 

Broadband Internet access is also quite important. This type of Internet uses a cable instead of a phone line, and it’s generally much faster than dial-up. The speeds can vary from around 10 Mbps to 100 Mbps or more, but the average in South Carolina is about 50 Mbps.

Fast download speeds and upload speeds are crucial if you work from home, are a heavy Internet user, or like to stream movies and TV shows. Fast Internet access is widely available in South Carolina. Most providers offer at least one high-speed option, and you should have no trouble finding a package that fits both your needs and your budget. Internet plans that offer speeds of at least 25 Mbps download and 3 Mbps upload are widely available in South Carolina.

Cable Providers Available in South Carolina

Whether you go for Charter, Comcast, or any other provider for your Internet, TV, and phone, you can use SmartMove to streamline the process. Using SmartMove, you can check if your new provider is the same as the old one and transfer across the terms of your contract. If you want to try out a new company, SmartMove will help you find the best prices and ease the transition as much as possible.

TV services should also be considered when you’re thinking about your new home’s utilities. If you like to watch a lot of TV, or if you have kids who need entertainment while you’re busy with other things, it might be worth getting a TV package. Most providers offer different channels, ranging from the basic ones to premium channels, and you can usually add on extras like sports or movie channels.

On-demand is an add-on that lets you watch TV shows and movies whenever you want, rather than having to wait for them to air. It’s a great option if you have a busy schedule or if you want to be able to watch your favorite shows at your convenience.

You want to be able to watch your favorite TV shows. The channel lineup on the channel guide is important, but what’s even more important is the number of channels that are available in HD. Most providers offer a good selection of HD channels, but some have more than others.

Having a reliable router and modem makes watching live TV and streaming movies a lot smoother and more enjoyable. A good router will also help you stay connected to the Internet even if one of your devices is having trouble connecting.

Phone Services in South Carolina

Finding a new phone service when moving to South Carolina is easy with SmartMove. You can either keep your old service and just move it to your new address, or you can sign up for a new service altogether.

You want a phone plan with unlimited data so you can use your phone as much as you want without having to worry about going over your data limit. Most providers offer at least one unlimited data option, and some even have unlimited data plans that include international calls.

Moving to South Carolina: Resources and Support

You'll need to move from your current location to your future one in addition to getting your digital life in order. Here are some pointers on how to physically move to a new location in South Carolina.

How to Choose a Moving Company

If you've decided to engage a moving company, you need to complete your homework well enough ahead of time to secure their services. Start looking into what companies are available both where you are and where you want to go about six months before your move date. SmartMove is a free online tool to help you identify and compare moving firms in South Carolina.

Once you've determined which firms are capable of moving your belongings, use reviews to further reduce your list. Consider customer service, price, and dependability. Once you've decided, book their services. Then use SmartMove's free moving checklist to prepare for the rest of your South Carolina relocation!

How to Move Yourself

Moving yourself is an excellent alternative if you want to save money on your relocation to South Carolina or simply appreciate the feeling of having complete control over your stuff from point A to point B. Before you decide to relocate, consider the following questions:

• Do you truly want your friends and relatives to assist you with moving boxes and furniture?
• Are you, your friends, and family physically capable of moving?
• What are your plans in case of terrible weather or an accident?

Also keep in mind that you can always employ local movers to assist you at the beginning and/or end of your journey.

Remember to save your receipts for your tax preparer whether you relocate yourself or employ a professional moving company. If you're moving for employment, see if your employer will pay your moving expenses.