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Hi, everyone. I need your help! I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed tonight, as my husband JUST got his job offer in Seattle.
We're moving from DC. We have a dog who's too large to ride in the cabin of an airplane, so she will have to be driven cross country. Oh, we also have our 4 month old baby who I prefer fly, instead of being stuck in a carseat for a week straight. So, husband and dog will likely drive and me and baby will fly. Ugh.
We have to sell our home and will move into a 2 bedroom apartment. We'll have a ton of furniture to get rid of. Should we just start fresh once we're there and bring no furniture? I think shipping will be very costly. We're getting 10k for moving expenses (we keep what isn't spent). Is that enough?! We have flights, car rentals, shipping our two cars, hotel stays, and furniture/everythingelse shipping costs to spend.
Any tips? Tricks? Anyone do a big move with a needy infant? Wish us luck!
You can look into transport for your dog-- I have worked with dog rescues that have transported pets cross country (in vehicles) that might be preferable so your husband doesn't have to drive. Honestly, as a mom of three, driving with an infant that age is WAY easier than you might think (I'm also about to drive/move 1800 miles in a vehicle with 3 kids and 2 dogs, so I might just be comparing your seemingly less complicated drive with 2 less kids and one less dog, LOL).
As far as moving, check PODS and Upack.com-- and YES, downsize as much as you can.. we're doing that now and it's liberating plus will reduce your costs significantly. I would guesstimate that the move, with hiring help at either end to load and unload, will cost you between $4K-$5K (but it might be less, definitely check the rates!)-- shipping your cars will cost you at least $1K/each, if not $1500/each. Flights should be under $1K (depending on whether or not you get your infant a seat) total-- and transporting the dog will likely cost $500ish (total guess-- it cost the rescue I volunteer for $200 to transport a dog from FL to Boston).
That's going to eat up that $10K pretty quickly-- if you can ditch your furniture and just take what you can either pack in the car (if you're allowed to transport items in the car-- you're not always, if you're shipping the car) and/or what you can take on the plane (or ship via FedEx/UPS or just get one small UBox or POD), you will make money on selling your items AND have enough cash-- from your $10K relo money-- to replace your items once you land in your new city.
I would sell everything but the husband, baby and dog. The rest can be replaced after you get across the country, as well as one of the vehicles. Pack and take only what you absolutely need to have and get rid of everything else you just cannot part with.
The money you are getting to help with moving cost is not nearly enough to do all you want and transport all of your things.
Personally I would prefer to drive with a baby instead of fly that way you can stop when you need to and you will not be dragging baby through airports and be inside a secured cabin around a bunch of strangers where baby could get exposed to some sort of illness.
As far as the driving if you and your husband share the driving you should get much further in one day than just one of your driving which will cut down the cost of hotels tremendously.
It won't be as pleasant as staying in a hotel but it will get you there quicker and cost much less.
Hi, everyone. I need your help! I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed tonight, as my husband JUST got his job offer in Seattle.
We're moving from DC. We have a dog who's too large to ride in the cabin of an airplane, so she will have to be driven cross country. Oh, we also have our 4 month old baby who I prefer fly, instead of being stuck in a carseat for a week straight. So, husband and dog will likely drive and me and baby will fly. Ugh.
We have to sell our home and will move into a 2 bedroom apartment. We'll have a ton of furniture to get rid of. Should we just start fresh once we're there and bring no furniture? I think shipping will be very costly. We're getting 10k for moving expenses (we keep what isn't spent). Is that enough?! We have flights, car rentals, shipping our two cars, hotel stays, and furniture/everythingelse shipping costs to spend.
Any tips? Tricks? Anyone do a big move with a needy infant? Wish us luck!
What exactly seems to be the problem? Husband and dog go in the car, you fly with the baby. Since you aren't flying the plane, you can devote plenty of time to the baby. Babies are needy, no big deal really. Its only one day and of that day just some hours unless you are flying to Alaska. Even then, 1 day.
As for the money, you make all your reservations, add up the costs and then you'll know if the $10k will cover it.
Why are you shipping two cars if your husband is driving one of them? Do you have three cars? If so, thats probably part of the problem, 3 cars, two people.
Get a calendar and on it mark down what you need to do on the days you need to do it. Allow some leeway and just start doing what you can as soon as you can do it. You end up with a buffer of time.
If you are shipping cars but your husband is driving one of them, arrange to have one shipped ahead of time to that you have that car there when you arrive. Since your husband is driving the other car, no problem. At most you have a car rental for a short period of time just before you fly out. When you arrive, husband should have the other car ready and waiting. Again, no big deal.
Last piece of advice. The person you need to be talking to is your husband. (hint)
We're moving from DC.
We have a dog who's too large to ride in the cabin of an airplane...
we also have our 4 month old baby...
Any tips? Tricks?
Change your attitude and **embrace** the opportunity for a nice long sightseeing road trip.
Quote:
We have to sell our home and will move into a 2 bedroom apartment.
We'll have a ton of furniture to get rid of.
Should we just start fresh once we're there and bring no furniture?
That is the common wisdom.
If it won't fit INTO a box... sell it in DC (including cars).
Exceptions being the very new/nice/expensive and family heirlooms.
The dog can still ride in the belly of the plane, no? We looked at doing cross country move a few years ago when my daughter was a baby. In fairness, our stuff would have been moved by my husbands employer.
Once we mapped out everything - it was way cheaper to ship a car than I would have thought vs. the wear and tear, gas, and hotel costs. Plus - if you are driving cross country with pets - it's hard to plan any sightseeing. Our move would have been southern California to Florida so hot-hot-hot the whole drive. It would have been hard to even stop for a decent meal.....
Flying with a baby was pretty easy, IMO. When she was still lap baby size we mostly upgraded to first class. Yes, some people give you the "stink eye" for bringing a baby into first class but totally worth it in terms of comfort. Plus easy enough to keep the seat belt around the two of us and get baby to snuggle in for a nap. Plus - not sure if you are breast feeding but that's a consideration too. And better to get to a restroom for changing....
The dog can still ride in the belly of the plane, no? We looked at doing cross country move a few years ago when my daughter was a baby. In fairness, our stuff would have been moved by my husbands employer.
Once we mapped out everything - it was way cheaper to ship a car than I would have thought vs. the wear and tear, gas, and hotel costs. Plus - if you are driving cross country with pets - it's hard to plan any sightseeing. Our move would have been southern California to Florida so hot-hot-hot the whole drive. It would have been hard to even stop for a decent meal.....
Flying with a baby was pretty easy, IMO. When she was still lap baby size we mostly upgraded to first class. Yes, some people give you the "stink eye" for bringing a baby into first class but totally worth it in terms of comfort. Plus easy enough to keep the seat belt around the two of us and get baby to snuggle in for a nap. Plus - not sure if you are breast feeding but that's a consideration too. And better to get to a restroom for changing....
As long as YOU are comfortable, who cares about the enjoyment of the flight for everyone else, eh?
I wouldn't allow my dog to ride in the "belly of the plane" but that's just me.
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OP here. Thanks for all the advice so far! I don't feel comfortable at all with my dog riding in the belly of the plane, unfortunately. No judgment on those who do it, though. As far as the plane, we will have to do what it takes, but I am hopeful that my baby will sleep mostly through it. I recently went on a flight (without my baby) where there were several babies on board. Truthfully, the engine noise drowns out a lot. Maybe it's because I'm a mother of an infant, but I didn't find it too bothersome to listen to cries every now and again.
Does anyone have any ultimate checklists that they can recommend or send a link to?
I would fly with the baby myself. I have done long car trips with babies before and its not fun, especially in the summer. Get rid of everything you can, including cars. Make a goal to ship only heirlooms and other things you can't part with. Get rid of all of your furniture. Put new tires and do a tune up on the car that is being driven. Enjoy your new home!
This is kind of a silly question (maybe?), but what sort of companies can pick up furniture from our home that we want to donate? They would need to bring it down flights of stairs in my townhome for me.
Can you tell I haven't moved long distance before?
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