As we prepare for an out of state move – I’d love to hear your tips. We will be writing about what worked and didn’t work so well, but I’d love to avoid as many of the “didn’t work so well” parts. So if you’ve moved out of state – or long distance for that matter, what should we know? Here are just a few questions that come to mind, but please share anything that you think of – thanks!
Thirty miles in any direction is about the extent of our “moving” and this last home was “over the hill” and seemed like an eternity away from our old neighborhood in Concord. This is going to be interesting!
- Where do you find the best prices or free moving boxes?
- How do you pack things like clothes that would have normally just stayed in the drawers for an in-town move? Or do they stay in drawers?
- Who has the best price for moving trucks?
- How do you transport pets, the dog seems simple but the cat? In a crate for 8+ hours…
- Who helps you unload in a town where you don’t know anyone yet?
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If you can, get a large dog crate for your cat for the ride. You can put a litter box and blankets in it so that the cat is more comfortable than in a little crate.
Label your boxes very obviously so that when they get to the new house, you know exactly what room to take it to. Do not create a dumping ground for all the boxes in one place. Take them to the room they will belong in. Only handle each box the one time! It will save you work!
Plastic tubs are just not practical for an entire move. Go to Craigslist for all the free boxes you need. Then give them away on Craigslist on the other end.
As for unloading, hmm… how many kids do you have?
As you know, we just moved from California to Tennessee…. Here’s what worked for us:
*Where do you find the best prices or free moving boxes?
Freecycle / Craigslist ~ most of our boxes were from someone who had just moved from SoCal to the Bay area and had spent $400 for her boxes. They were practically new!
*How do you pack things like clothes that would have normally just stayed in the drawers for an in-town move? Or do they stay in drawers?
We put it all in boxes.
*Who has the best price for moving trucks?
When we added gas + rental to a UHaul (or other rental), there was no comparison that our best price would be UPack.com They left their giant trailer in front of our house empty and came to pick it up after we had it loaded. They charge just for the space used and there were no extra fees. It was great to have them drive our stuff since the loading, unloading, and travel were already so much work.
*How do you transport pets, the dog seems simple but the cat? In a crate for 8+ hours…
Our dog traveled in the back seat of our car. (We don’t have a cat, but our friends do and their vet prescribed “travel meds” for their cat when they had to fly with it. Might be an option for you)
*Who helps you unload in a town where you don’t know anyone yet?
)
We found our help on CraigsList. We had tried asking people that we knew and asking our new local church, but those two guys were worth every penny of the $250 we paid them. They had references (which I checked out first) and came with their truck, dolleys, furniture straps, and it took them (and us) five hours to unload our truck. If we had volunteers it would have taken a couple of days and I was EXHAUSTED from the travel at that point. I would pay it again in a heartbeat…. because once it’s unloaded, I needed all of my reserves to start unpacking! A friend of mine who was in town unpacked all of my kitchen boxes while we were unloading the moving van with our CraigsList guys. THAT is a great task for an able volunteer! Having my kitchen all ready to go was a huge blessing!!!
We are praying for you all and can’t wait to see the next chapter of your lives unfold!
Ok Stacy a question about UPack.com – do you think since your drive was much further than ours will be it’s still as affordable? Maybe I’m running my quote wrong but it’s coming in at $2,800!
I would give them a call and find out if your estimates are wrong or if they’ve significantly raised their prices in the last six monts. That is more than we paid to go from California to Tennessee (but, maybe we didn’t have as much stuff???) We used 21 feet of a 23 foot trailer and it cost us about $2,500. They are super helpful on the phone!!
If it’s still in an unopened box from your last move, get rid of it!
LOTS of great suggestions. If I can add anything, be careful about using other peoples used boxes (bed bugs love to travel!). Liquor boxes are great – size and sturdiness. Using towels and clothing for padding delicates is a great way to save money on supplies. Lastly, a suggestion that was already made, LABEL, LABEL, LABEL! It’ll be easier for everyone when the unpacking begins =) Best of luck, and enjoy the adventure!
If you hire movers please feed them! Best tip ever! They don’t get treated well usually and it will make them happy and take care of your stuff. Coffee and doughnuts or juice in the morning. Also go to subway grab a few subs and put the sides in a salad dish. Trust me you may be sad and stressed about moving but thinking about your movers will decrease that stress it will pay you back 10 fold!
last time i moved, the burlington coat factory had A LOT of good sized boxes sitting behind there store.
Liquor stores have the best boxes for moving. They are really good for books, because they are smaller than moving boxes. Grocery stores have egg boxes that are great for other things that aren’t as heavy.
One thing I learned from our last move: Pack a suitcase for each person in your family like you are going on vacation. This way when you get to your new house everyone has clothes for a few days, their toiletries, ect., also add in sheets, a roll of toilet paper and a roll of paper towels or a couple of kitchen towels if you don’t use paper towels. You may not find the toilet paper bathroom box for a few days!!!
We’ve often had help moving from a few family members or friends who have come along for a couple of days, or friends we meet at church (we scout ahead before the actual move so we’re not lost the first Sunday).
In addition to labeling the boxes, when you get to the new house put a label on each room (bedrooms and bathrooms tend to look the same to outside help). Color coding them also helps.
We have moved a lot! In fact we just moved from CA to Kansas last month. We are pros at now. You can leave your clothes in the drawers for the most part. One thing that really helps us is to color code rooms and make sure that the box only contains things from the correct color room. You can go to a moving company and ask them for some boxes. They give them away because they can’t really reuse them. Also purge as much as humanly possible. Makes the entire process so much easier.
You can go to any of the big moving co’s online-they have a free calculation chart that will help you figure out aprox how much it will cost to have them move you. This includes them packing, loading, transporting, and unloading you. Anything they pack they completely insure regarding breakage. They do offer discounts if you pack some things and they pack some things. Beware going to “discount” companies. They are not so reliable when it comes to breakage, loss of items, and items that mysteriously disappear from boxes sometime during the trip. Whomever you use, do not send your PC, important papers or family history info with them. Keep those items with you.
Use boxes that are all the same size if possible. Book box size is the best all around. You can purchase them from UPS, WalMArt or box stores. Most moving co’s furnish their own. Or go to Jamba Juice. They have fruit crates with a top and bottom that you can get for free. You may have to go quite a few times but they are recieving shipments all the time. Plastic crates are expensive and do not protect quality items like china, believe it or not its the rigitivety of the plastic crate itself that contributes to breakage, especially on a long move. Beware using newspaper to pack-it can stain and stick. Go to local newspaper and ask for a roll of newsprint…great and no ink mess. Moving co’s have clothing boxes that hang your clothes. keep the ones you will need for a few days with you in suitcases and pack the rest.
Pets-go to vet and ask for a mild sedative for a long trip. We have had vets recommend Tums as a stomach settler before trips. Wrap in a favorite treat and adninster right before leaving. Plan on stopping often and give water only-no food, and another Tums or two if necessary.
Ask your church members to help when you get there, or check out the local college for a “hungry students” program-these are students who are willing to do temp work to earn a bit of money for school. Take a relative ot two along for the ride. Also you may find some friendly neighbors willing to help when you get there-especially if you sweeten your greetings with promised future barbcue.
We have moved often, both big and small and these are the biggest helpful hints we can think of. If your budget allows hire a reputable national co to move you- even if you pack part and they pack part- it is worth the money, and worth relieving the stress and worry of the logistics of loading and unloading.
Good Luck!
For free boxes, I’ve heard that you can ask at big box stores like Walmart, and grocery stores. They’re just going to recycle them anyway. I’ve moved 4 times in the last 6 years, and I would recommend putting as many clothes as possible in suitcases, but then put the rest in boxes. If you want to pay for boxes, then you can get wardrobe boxes from U-haul that have hanging bars in them for your closet items. As far as the pets go, we let the dog ride in the backseat, and put the cats in crates and they rode in the backseat of one of the other cars. My last move was professionally done, so a bunch of guys came to my house and packed up everything. Next day, they loaded it all in a truck, and when we arrived here, the truck was delivered to our house, and came with guys who unloaded, and took away a whole bunch of boxes. I don’t know how much it cost for the moving company to do it because it was a military move, but I do know that if you’re looking for a little less stress in your move, it can be totally worth it to hire a moving company to do all of the work for you. I just had to sit back and watch while they packed everything for me. Watching would be the key, though. Not all movers are completely honest, and they could mismark your boxes, or not write things down, or even walk off with your stuff.
I have never personally moves out of CA, but I have heard that PODS are helpful if you would rather ot use a u-haul (maybe check their prices to see if it would be cost effective for you). Also, some grocery stores will donate some of their boxes on freight night, depending on the manager.
Last year I moved across country the country to CA, since I’ve only lived in apartments, I’m not sure this will be helpful. I used Greyhound PackageXpress to ship most of my stuff. Basically, they put your boxes under the buses when there is extra room. It takes a little longer to ship than going through UPS or FedEx but it is significantly cheaper. Also, the Greyhound station can hold your boxes for you until you are ready to pick them up (I think it was $1/day for holding). All in all, it cost me about $150 to ship my entire apartment across the country…pretty good huh?!
SIMPLIFY!!!! If you have’nt touched it since ur last move, toss it. Keep clothes in the drawer, why not, less boxes. Diaper boxes are the best for kids books and toys. Stock up and get from friends. I save my boxes from each move, maybe you a friend who does the same. Contact the local church in Oregon maybe thay have some volunteers who could help since you are new to the area. Try and stay sane, my dear…..
Where do you find the best prices or free moving boxes?
I have never paid for a moving box in the 7 times I have moved! I have gotten free boxes from Trader Joe’s, K-Mart and Walmart. You usually need to arrange it for them to hold some for you as their stockers recycle the boxes every day.
How do you pack things like clothes that would have normally just stayed in the drawers for an in-town move? Or do they stay in drawers?
I either leave them in the drawers or put them in garbage bags (opposed to boxes) they are easier to wedge between stuff that way and the bags can be reused at the other end of the trip.
Who has the best price for moving trucks?
We ended up going with UHaul
How do you transport pets, the dog seems simple but the cat? In a crate for 8+ hours…
They have disposable litter boxes that are only a few inches tall cardboard boxes with litter already inside of it. We brought a few of these with us and just dispose as needed at rest stops. We also got a harness and leash for our cat instead of crating her, but my friend recently moved from CA to TX and she got her cat medicine from the vet and kept her in a dog crate.
Who helps you unload in a town where you don’t know anyone yet?
The company you rent your truck from should be able to help with this.
Apple boxes are the best, have the grocery store save them for you, they have handles and the tops fit the bottoms – or you can leave them open for more boxes! Since they’re the same size, they stack well too. Mark them well, maybe with those free Sharpies from Target this week!
Keep clothes in drawers, no need to pack them. Use towels and other linens to wrap fragile stuff, be sure to label those boxes FRAGILE so no one grabs a towel and breaks an heirloom.
Pack as much as you can now, leaving out just what you need for daily living – like dishes and glasses and such. It’s much easier to load a box with a couple place settings than it is to pack and wrap an entire kitchen on moving day! And that last week, I switch to paper anyway.
When a room is completely emptied and cleaned, close the door as an indication it is done. You could even hang a piece of paper off the door knob to indicate there is nothing left to do in that room. Always check it on your last walk-through, in case the kids left something in there when you weren’t looking or someone shoved a box in there. On that last walk-through, leave the door open again.
At the other end, why not ask for help at a local church, or, even better, get a couple of TFF fans (and their strong hubbies) to meet you for a move-in party! A quick BBQ will satisfy hungry helpers (hot dogs and chips and iced tea goes a long way) and you get to meet fellow couponers/savers! If I know TFF fans, they’ll bring all the fixin’s from their private stashes, so all you have to do is point out where the boxes go and keep the kids happy!
Good luck with your move!
I watched Craigslist and found someone who had been moved by professional movers and got their boxes, bubble wrap and the nice white packing paper. The white packing paper is so nice to work with compared to newspapers!! They just wanted to get rid of it…so it was FREE! Good luck!
First of all SELL absoulutely EVERYTHING you dont love or need. We made a 6 hour move and I wish I would of sold at least half of what we hauled!! With the money you save in shipping and moving costs you can rebuy many items on craigslist or yard sales. As for unloading we had many of my husbands co-workers show up and moved everything into the correct rooms than we unpacked the boxes. Egg boxes work the best ~they are large and versitile and also have built in “handles” all grocery stores will give them to you free. You have to ask the manager or go early in the morning before they bail them. We moved our dog with us but as for the cat they are very fickle so we found friends who adored our cat and gave him a loving home a move for cats can sometimes be traunatizing. If you dont want this option i think some vets with prescribe something to keep them sleepy or calm for the 8 hours.
My biggest tip is LABEL the outside of every box for the exact room it goes to in BIG BOLD LETTERS, then underneath make list of what the box contains ie: BATHROOM: Towels, Toliet Paper, and so on, KITCHEN – GLASS: Mugs, Plates, Cups, Lids, and anything else you would put in there!!!! Its time consuming I know, but if you label every box like this you will never have to search through 10 boxes labeled KITCHEN when you get to the new house for ANYTHING, esp. the coffee supplies or TP, lol!!!
As a military wife, I have found the most important thing for us was packing our bedding that we will need on the other end in one box (or as few boxes as possible) and include toilet paper, soap, and paper towels or hand towels in the box(es). Mark those boxes “OPEN FIRST!” The very first thing you’re going to want to do when you arrive at your new house and have all your boxes off the truck is to set up your beds without having to go through boxes to find the stuff you’ll need to make the beds. Also, since the TP, soap and hand towels are in there, you’ll know right where that stuff is instead of having to remember which box it was in.
As for a truck, check out PODS and ABF also.
Good luck on your move!!
I’ve made cross-country moves twice (TN to DC and back again) and have used ABF (Upack.com) and Uhaul.
I love, love, love ABF. Since I’m an apartment dweller, the ABF Relocubes are the best price around. They drop off a cube that’s around 10×7 (if my memory is correct) and then you fill it. When finished, they’ll pick them up and deliver them to your new destination. I usually get 2 cubes for around $1k.
When moving a house ABF offer Upack. You pay by how much space you use and can opt to have packers and loaders.
As stated earlier, ABF has awesome customer service and are active on Twitter.
Regarding boxes, I”ve found that Home Depot has the best prices. Their small boxes under $1 and are easy to lift. I’ve found that anything larger is is either to cumbersome or too heavy when loaded.
Label one box “Open ME first” In it put dishes (or paper plates) sheets, one mulit-use pot, some cups, toilet paper, some towels, and any other things you think you might want to find right away (coffee pot, a favorite toy for each child). It will be a random collection of things, but at least you know that you will be able to eat and sleep before everything else is unpacked!
I have been able to find boxes at liquor stores that the “hard liquor” comes in. They are the perfect size for packing books, you can fit quite a few in the box–but it doesn’t get too heavy that you can not carry it!! I have also had luck with my local paper shop getting paper boxes. I have never bought boxes for a move! Here, we could call ahead and find out when they have their shipments to get the boxes before they were broken down and throw in the dumpster–the employees were more than willing to let you take them, because it meant less work for them (breaking down/taking to dumpster)…
For all my moves, I have left clothes in the drawers… I take them out to carry and then tie the drawers shut in the dresser with a string/twine and then you are maximizing your space since the drawer space would be empty if you took the clothes out and packed them in more boxes!! Saves alot of space, and time!! Taking the drawers out definately makes carry the dressers easier since there are places to grab on and you dont have to worry about them falling out!!
Sorry if someone else already said these things, I didn’t go through all the comments!! Best wishes!!
Another tip I haven’t seen yet is to gatter important papers like the moving co documents, hotel reservation (if needed), maps, realtor info, house closing documents, lender info (not sure if you are buying your place or not), last utility bills, etc in one place before moving so they are easily accessable during your move. You do not want to have to look for stuff on moving day.
I also make a list of all telephone numbers, adresses and account numbers from the utility companies and other numbers that I might need in both places (you can keep it on your phone).
Also get a copy of your childrens medical records at the pediatricians office, you most likely need to pay a small fee (they can also mail it to you later once you are settled more) but I like to have that info with me (this is probably more important if your child has had medical issues in the past).
We moved from CA to TX and back again. We found the best deal for a rental truck from Penske. You get a discount if you’re a AAA member. When we moved to TX we were already AAA members. When we moved back we re-enrolled in AAA because the discount more than paid for the AAA membership.
I moved into California last year. Here are my tips for a successful move:
- Don’t pack any candles, especially if you’re moving during the hot summer months. They can melt all over other items in your boxes and make a huge mess.
- When deciding what to put in each box, think about how the destination home will be laid out, not how your current home is laid out.
- Always write the contents of a box on 2 of the sides and the top. This way if the boxes are stacked, you still have a chance of reading what’s inside.
- Pack “carryon” items to take with you during the move. These are the everyday essentials like vitamins, medicine, clothes, pj’s, etc.
- Pack a “first day at the new home” box and keep it VERY easy to find. This includes pillows, blankets, sheets, towels, soap, shampoo, etc. Essentially anything you need to sleep in the new home and prepare yourself for a day of unpacking.
- Number your boxes with a priority per room so you know which ones you need to open first. For example, in the kitchen your first box to open should probably contain paper plates, paper cups, paper towels, cleaning supplies, trash bags, etc.
- Keep plenty of water bottles around to stay hydrated while packing and unpacking. (Glasses, while better for the environment, will just get in the way and will need to be packed)
Good luck!
1. We moved two months ago. I found that the best place to get boxes was the liquor store. They had tons of them, several days a week and they left them intact so we didn’t have to rebuild each one – saving time and tape. Absolutely do not buy boxes from U-Haul, they are so expensive. If you must, Lowe’s boxes are about $1-$1.50 apiece. We bought a dozen size large boxes for bigger, lightweight items like towels. For pillows and comforters, stuff them into black garbage bags.
2. For clothing, anything in drawers went into boxes. Anything that hung up, stayed on hangers and we used twist ties to bunch them in sets of 5-10 hangers. Then we put large groups of 30+ hangers (with clothing on them) into black garbage bags. They laid flat for moving and it the garbage bag kept them clean.
3. We had a hook up at a local company so I can’t help you there.
4. No pets, can’t help!
5. I grew up there and have lots of friends that live there and my mom lives there. I’m happy to help you find some people to unload. I bet there are people at my mom’s church that would be glad to help. Email me if you are interested.
I should mention that after we moved, I listed all of our packing material and boxes on Craigslist, for free. They were gone right away. You might check Craigslist or ask if anyone has some on Facebook, too.
When we moved we left the clothes in the dresser we went to walmart at night and got all the boxes from the laundry isle they worked great and smelled good. Feed your help we did and they were really careful with all of my things. And as for all the breakables we wrapped them in our tshirts and none ended up breaking. Label all boxes & toss out anything you don’t use .good luck and god bless
We just moved from AZ to MI….it was a long haul with 4 kids and a dog but we survived
Penske had the best prices and they always beat the (by $500+) other truck rental companies. They are a bit inconvenient when it comes to height of the truck. My husband worked for a moving company during his college years and during that time he learned how to pack a truck properly. He learned to build a wall of boxes and then add in furniture, then followed by another wall of boxes. Packing the truck tightly will help with shifting your things around. Also, standing the sofas on their sides is better than stacking heavy boxes or objects on top of them. I used bed sheets and towels to pad our breakables and carefully labeled anything breakable on outside of the box. I also used blankets for padding on the truck to protect glass objects and wood from getting scratched. We have had bad experiences with the truck rental companies providing the pads we ordered. It seems that they are always short on pads. In the long run, they always did give us a generous discount when they did not have on hand what we ordered. Moving is never ever easy. I will be praying for your safe arrival
Some uhaul locations have a box exchange area where people can discard used boxes and other people can pick them up for free – generally only larger locations will have this. It can be really hit or miss if they have it at a location and if people drop off boxes this definitely helped us on a georgia to oregon move
We moved an entire family 500 miles…1 dog, 4 cats, a marine reef tank, etc. and while a few more gray hairs are the result, it is certainly do-able.
Regarding moving cats…do NOT use medications unless your cats respond well to them. I am a minimalist in all regards, and we chose not to go the medication route. The first hour, there were sounds of complaint, but after that, every single cat, high strung every one of them, settled down, and slept the entire way.
Not only did we move, but we were in temporary housing for two weeks, and as long as the cats were kept in a small space, (i.e. bathroom) with their usual litter box, normal food, fresh water, and time with you, they will do absolutely fine. Two of our cats were quite old and we were afraid they would not make the trip, but they did absolutely fine.
Boxes we used U-Haul and Craig’s List.
FEED and WATER your helpers! Always ask them for their preferences…they’ll do a MUCH better job for you.
Hope this helps.
Boxes -
Grocery stores gives boxes away for FREE no need to buy them. I work at Safeway if you ask in the produce dept. they will save them for you. It is soft fruit season so we have more smaller size boxes available rather than apple boxes which is what people ususally request. Banana Boxes have a hole in the bottom but have a liner and handles. Don’t be to picky about what you get, and they should be more than happy to save them for you because we just recycle them.
ALSO… nectarines, soft fruit, apples usually come with pad or foam between liners that is great for wrapping breakables like dishes. Ask them to save that for you to!!
Ah… large moves. I sometimes feel like we’re the experts on the topic (although I’m sure we’re not). We moved from Delaware to Texas, then Texas to California. First trip just husband and me; second trip plus 8mo baby.
1. Where do you find the best prices or free moving boxes?
Craigslist or Freecycle. Do.not.pay.for.boxes.
2. How do you pack things like clothes that would have normally just stayed in the drawers for an in-town move? Or do they stay in drawers?
Don’t leave your clothes in the drawers. This makes the furniture not only extremely heavy, but if the drawers open, your underwear falls out everywhere (speaking from experience here, trust me, it happens). Pack a suitcase with what you would need for about one week, including toiletries. Then pack all of your other clothes in boxes, labeling the outside with “Mom’s Drawers” so you know where they go when you bring the box into the house.
3. Who has the best price for moving trucks?
It depends. We didn’t use moving trucks either trip, but we while pricing out a move to Delaware, it would have been the most cost efficient if we had used a company that allowed us to pack a truck ourselves but then they drove it. You share the space with another family and your items arrive in a 3-5 day window. It’s great if you don’t need your things right away, or are able to keep the “must haves” in your car and only ship the big stuff.
4. How do you transport pets, the dog seems simple but the cat? In a crate for 8+ hours…
In a crate. It seems mean, but not only will it keep you sane (without a cat under the driver’s seat, not telling the kids to keep track of the cat…), but it’s safer and it’s no different than locking them up while you go to work for the day.
5. Who helps you unload in a town where you don’t know anyone yet?
Tough one. We had friends and family in our moves, but my first thought is a local church. Scope out the websites of some churches you’re considering attending and call some up to see if they could lend a hand!
In my seven years of marriage, we have moved eight times! With our second move we invested in tubs and they have been a life saver. It not only kept our stuff safe (we have never had something break during a move) but it protected everything from the weather (it snowed during several of our moves) When we move we usually have my in-laws help and we both pull trailers. One is an open trailer and one is enclosed. In the enclosed trailer we store out furniture and the open trailer we stack our tubs. The tubs do cost a lot more than boxes but they keep everything much safer and if anything were to leak, it would only leak on the things in that tub and not soak through and get on other things like it would if it were in a box (my brother and sister in-law had some special books ruined because lotion leaked in a different box). If you did want to buy boxes different stores give them away for free like Barnes and Noble. All you need to do it ask:). When packing away my glassware I always use towels and wash clothes as padding and they do a great job protecting my belongings.
I didn’t read through every post so I’m sorry if this is repetitive…
Moving boxes- we got some of ours from liquor stores, some free from the Uhaul office but we got most of them from my school. I’m a teacher and there are always boxes available from new textbooks, supplies, paper, etc. If you have a good relationship with a teacher, ask them to pick some up for you.
Moved from CA to FL on May.
Moving truck: Best price found on moving truck was UPack. $3100 for 14ft. Great service! No hidden fees…
Moving boxes: Got them all FREE from Craigslist…
Moving help: Got a professional dolly from Craigslist for $60…we did all the work ourselves…
Dining rooms, beds and desks are really easy to find for real good prices on Craigslist.
We sold our desk for $40 and bought another one when we got to FL for $25, bigger, and better!!!
We like to get boxes from hospitals for moving. They are very sturdy and come clean (get the supply boxes, not food). You also have a wide selection of sizes, and there should be a ton in their recycle dumpster when you go. Getting them out of the recycle dumpster means clean boxes. Sometimes you can even get them before they are in the dumpster. We have Abbott Vascular (medical supply) near here and they have great boxes too.
If you are packing a truck yourself, think about how steep the driveway will be when you are loading and unloading. We got a Penske truck because it was cheaper and discovered that our driveway was so steep we walked straight out from our garage to the truck. I am almost positive that loading the truck would have been much more complicated with a UHaul because the tailgate of the truck is lower and we probably would not have been able to load from the driveway at all or at least would not have been able to use the ramp.
Hi Julia! We just moved from Clayton to Clayton! 2 miles!! But let me tell you, it’s just as much work because you still need to pack and be organized! But we are fortunate that my husband works at John Muir Hospital so we got all of our boxes as he unpacked their supplies on a daily basis! I found that the cheapest place for bubble wrap was Sam’s Club. I am sorry that I gave all of our used boxes to the buyers of our home or they would have been yours!
But the biggest suggestion I can give you, is number one, have a box marked number 1 that you take in your car with you, not in the moving truck with your belongings. It should have the basic necessities toilet paper, paper towels, bandaids, diapers and wipes if necessary , phones and phone charges, flash light and batteries, etc. You will definitely find out how much you needed it, as soon as you need it and know right where it is!! Oh, and your camera too!!
When we moved 20 years ago from South San Francisco to Clayton, I had heard from my pediatrician that is is VERY important to make sure that the kids feel settled as soon as possible! Our first night we “camped” out together on the family room floor~it was so much fun! And then at first day light, I started decorating their bedrooms and put everything away. When they woke up in the morning, I was well on my way and they enjoyed helping with the rest. By night fall, their rooms were THEIR rooms~clothes put away, beds made, pictures hanging on the walls!!
Also, when labeling your boxes, there aren’t TOO many labels!! A label with the room it should go into as well as one with the contents make life so much easier!! Put them on top and all sides of the boxes, that way, you can see from all angles what is in there.
Ok,that’s my words of wisdom! Keep a smile on your face and know it’s only temporary and it too shall pass!! All the best to you and your family!!
Not sure if you already found a truck company or not (sorry, I was on the road coming back from WA State and missed this when you posted it) but I wanted to let you know what was the best that we found for our move from the Seattle area to the Bay Area. We contacted Penske and were pleased to find that they beat every other company in terms of cost. Our trip was about 800 miles and we paid $650 one-way for a large 24 foot truck rental (we moved out of a 3500 sqft home to come down here to our snug 800 sqft one). It was unlimited milage (YAY!) and we got to have it for a week (DOUBLE YAY!). We did the drive in one day so that gave us 3 days on each side to pack/unpack the truck. Sure we had to pay gas and additional truck insurance but that still was only another three hundred dollars on top of it all. So less than $1000 for the whole thing and their trucks are SOOOOO much better/comfy than UHaul crap!
Tip if you do go with them. Go online and plug in the trip plan for your journey and then ask them to call you back with a quote. They gave us 40% off the online quote just by doing it that way. I hope this helps!
If I could I would be out of CA in a heartbeat. We are only here due to a promotion my husband couldn’t shake a stick at. But even with the increase in pay, between the income tax, higher sales tax, and higher cost of living we actually have LESS than we did in WA. My Hubby wants you to know (even though I know that you already choose Bend) that there is no income tax in WA so if things don’t work out, move there!
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