Anyone here ever make a long distance move alone? Was it hard to settle in? (relocate, packing)

[Girl with Flower Tattoo]

Has anyone ever made a big move alone? Where did you move from and where did you relocate to after? Was it difficult to set up, coordinate, and execute everything for said move by yourself? After you got settled in, did it take a while to get acclimated to your new surroundings? I am considering a move across the country next year and I would be doing it all on my own. Thanks for reading!

[mdlee3_46041]

I moved from TN to IN by myself, not a super far move, but still fairly long distance. It's more stressful in some ways, but less stressful in others.

When you're moving with others and you're renting a truck, you need to get everybody on the same schedule basically. When moving by yourself, you just have to keep yourself on schedule.

Personally, it didn't take me long to get acclimated to my surroundings, maybe about little more than a month really. I think that's more of a personal thing though. It will depend on how well you deal with being on your own and also away from friends and family.

[karen_in_nh_2012]

Originally Posted by Girl with Flower Tattoo

Has anyone ever made a big move alone? Where did you move from and where did you relocate to after? Was it difficult to set up, coordinate, and execute everything for said move by yourself? After you got settled in, did it take a while to get acclimated to your new surroundings? I am considering a move across the country next year and I would be doing it all on my own. Thanks for reading!

I've done this many times, starting back in the '80s for college (parents had retired in California but I wanted to go back to New England, so I did).

Then after college, New Hampshire to Berkeley CA for grad school.

Then after that, Berkeley to Ann Arbor MI for more grad school (different program).

Then after that, Ann Arbor to New Hampshire for a job.

The move from Berkeley to Ann Arbor was hard only because I had to fly my 2 cats out (a friend picked them up at Detroit Airport) and then I drove, and there were no cell phones then, and I was worried sick about them (but they were fine!). The move from Ann Arbor to NH was the hardest in terms of logistics, just because I had a LOT of crap to move (but luckily my new employer reimbursed almost all of the expenses); I also moved within a few days of Michigan's semester ending so I was packing while I was still teaching, and that was crazy.

My next move will be when I retire, and I don't yet know where I will go. It could be as close as the coast of Maine (a few hours away from where I currently live) or as far away as England (I have dual citizenship and think sometimes about retiring there). My decision will partly be made based on whether I am with my current SO by then -- it's 15-20 years away, so who knows!

Moving has never felt scary to me, probably because I grew up in the Air Force and moved every few years so that seemed normal! I am insanely independent, too, and that helps.

[Meemur]

A few tips for moving alone

Overall Philosophy:

if you know you're going to be moving on your own and probably have a few moves in your future, get rid of as many large items as you can. For example, I have a small, solid maple dresser that I've had all of my life. When it's necessary, I can move it myself with a handcart. I've kept that idea in mind with all of my furniture. The exceptions are things like the sofa, and I bought new when I moved in, as the last sofa was too old to merit moving.

Pre-move:

- Sell/donate as much as you're comfortable with letting go and consider sticking with things like folding bookcases and smaller pieces of furniture that are easy for one person to move.

There are several threads on this topic, so I won't elaborate.

- Keep a notebook with you. Have a section for lists. Have another for projects in progress, like phone numbers for moving help, etc. When you feel panic, drink a cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate and go over your lists.

- Spend several hours researching and planning your move. For example, I ended up using two Relocubes (ABX Freight) on my last move, rather renting a truck. I had a Plan A and a Plan B.

Also decide whether you need to hire any moving help. Places like Two Men and a Truck, Labor Ready, and many others can provide movers for an hour or several hours.

- If you have pets, see the tips of moving with pets in the moving thread at the top of this section.

- If you aren't already a member of something like AAA Road Service (there are others!) Become one or find several people along the route who can come and bail you out if you have a flat or other problem.

- Pack larger valuables in boxes and label them as something boring, like "Halloween Decorations."

The Move:

- IMPORTANT -- put your small valuables someplace safe and out of sight. I stuffed my passport, cash, and such in a red tool box that fit under the seat of my car and then locked my car and kept it in sight.

- ALSO IMPORTANT -- if you can afford it, have cleaning help scheduled to come in after you load. You will frequently get a discount for a one-time cleaning of an empty house or apartment. This little perk is highly recommended, especially when you are alone.

- Eat on time. Stay hydrated. Don't tire yourself out. If you can load one day and leave the next day safely, do that.

On the Road:

- Have your hotels planned out.

- Don't linger at rest areas along the highway. For greater safety, use truck stops during the day for gas and potty breaks.

- Avoid driving into the night if possible. Stop around sunset and get up early.

- Check your vehicle. Keep an eye on the tires, etc.

- Check in with a trusted friend/relative at regular times. Basically, make sure someone knows approximately where you are.

- Pamper yourself! If a small bag of potato chips will keep up your morale, forget the diet and eat them.
Also have the music you love and / or audio books available for your drive. Again, morale.

- Keep your maps/GPS at hand. Don't allow yourself to get lost.

Moving in:

- If possible, change the locks first thing, even before moving anything in if you know how to do that. Arrange to have a locksmith there as you're moving in, if that's not something you can do yourself. If you are renting, make sure the landlord does it immediately.

- Again, eat and stay hydrated. Stay sharp! Don't allow small items to sit unattended outside, unless you know for sure no one will bother them. Keep an eye on things. Don't allow someone to distract you at the back of the house if you have things like easy to grab electronics in plain sight.

Draft some help if you can. If you have hired movers, it's good to have another person, even someone's teenage kid (if mature) to keep an eye on them. Most movers are honest! But it doesn't hurt to have another set of eyes. If not, just be sure you have already secured your valuables.

Keep your wits about you. Pamper yourself! And all will be well. Lots of people move alone without half of the planning I've suggested, but if you do some solid planning beforehand, things will go more smoothly and any glitches will be easier to solve if you are well-rested and not panicked.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

[Meemur]

Also - as others have suggested in other threads, consider buying your own appliance dolly, plus a lighter one (look for sales). You can always sell them later. It's generally cheaper to do that than rent longer term, if you are moving a house/apt. If you have a lot less stuff, still consider a dolly for boxes. It'll save your back!

[MBryant23]

Originally Posted by Meemur

Also - as others have suggested in other threads, consider buying your own appliance dolly, plus a lighter one (look for sales). You can always sell them later. It's generally cheaper to do that than rent longer term, if you are moving a house/apt. If you have a lot less stuff, still consider a dolly for boxes. It'll save your back!

Harbor Freight (if you have on near you) usually has hand trucks and furniture dollies on sale and if you get the fliers with coupons you can save even more. My husband and I are on a budget so we will be buying rather than renting these as it will most likely be cheaper for us.

[DaniellaG]

I moved to NJ, CA, and FL alone. I knew only a few people who I was not close to. I am a quiet person and not extremely social but it did force me to be more so.
In terms of planning. I usually research before I leave. For example if you will be renting an apartment to call around and get prices and availabilities. Then you can set up an appointment. Booking hotel, car rental if you need one cause I usually have my car shipped. The time I drove like others said I made sure my tires, oil was changed, GPS. I usually don't make a plan of what hotel I will stay at during the driving trip because I like to drive is far as I can. When I get off at an exit I try to stay at Hampton or Marriot and not a motel.
Are you familiar with the area where you want to move? I always try to drive around a little to get the feel of different areas. Especially when I look at a rental I drive all around in each direction to see if there is anything negative. I get lost even with a GPS but I strongly encourage having one.
Do you know anyone where you will move? Even one person can help you feel less alone.

[Alaskan Mutt]

A year ago I moved from Alaska to Washington. It was a spur of the moment move and where my final destination would be would not be decided until I got there. I was not even sure if it would be Washington. Because of this I decided to get rid of all my furnature and limit what I took to what would fit in the Jeep. The actual trip was easy as I took the ferry from Alaska to Washington. I only had to drive from Northern Washington to Southern Washington. Since I had never been to Vancouver I expected it to take a while to find a place. Rather than keeping everything I owned in the Jeep I rented a storage unit on a month to month basis. I gave myself about 3 weeks to locate a place to live. When I did not find a place by the deadline I decided to pack up the Jeep and head to Salt Lake City. Just before heading to the storage unit I checked Craigslist one last time and found a listing that had posted 4 minutes earlier. I ended up staying in Vancouver. It took me a couple weeks to furnish the condo. Took a couple more weeks to learn my way around Vancouver. Now a year later I am still a little intimidated by the traffic in Portland.

[ElleTea]

I moved from Des Moines to Phoenix last November. People said I was "brave" for going alone, then they said I was "smart" for missing out on this last winter.

I am totally fine being alone, exploring alone, etc. My BF has moved to Phoenix now, so it's nice to not be alone, too

[goodlife36]

I did it and it was hard. I never realized how much I relied on my coworkers for social interaction.