From the -48: what you wish you would have brought (and not) (Anchorage: movers, how much)

[JasonAndJulie]

Just like the title says:

For instance, I need a new table and chairs once we move. Ours has worked fine now and been beaten to heck with 3 meals a day and 5 children, so I'm not bringing it. It doesn't seem worthwhile.

I will however, be bringing my gigantic dog crates because they are hard enough to get shipped to me as it is.

All of our stuff would come up on a barge, so I think there are limitations...but if you were giving me advice, what would you bring (and not)?

[stiffnecked]

Nothing. Every single thing you think you need from the lower 48 is available in Anchorage. Other then family photos and keepsakes I wouldn't drag anything else up here.

[tigre79]

Your dog crates can have other stuff packed inside them, so they probably won't take up too much extra room. Of course you can buy that sort of thing at any pet store up here, too. I wouldn't bring any furniture unless it's heirloom antique stuff with a lot of sentimental value. Bring things that are irreplaceable or things you will actually use on a regular basis and have much higher replacement costs than what you could sell them for. For me a lot of it was tools, shooting/reloading equipment, clothes, and outdoor gear.

There are things I brought and shouldn't have and things I didn't bring that I should have. Some of the latter are perfectly replaceable (like my stereo receiver and bookshelf speakers) but I liked them a lot and they didn't take up that much room. I could have brought them if I hadn't brought certain other things that I really didn't need. I drove up though, and I don't know anything about barging your stuff.

[JasonAndJulie]

I should clarify : Husband's employer will be paying to move our stuff. I know I can get everything up there, it's just that I'm not getting a furniture allowance, I'm getting a moving package. In the same light, I try not to be excessive and in the past year have gotten rid of about half of everything we have. The dog crates are fully collapsable, but weigh 75 lbs each. Forgot to mention they are for Great Danes so not easily available except online. My kids will be leaving everything familiar behind so we plan on keeping their bedroom furniture and some small stuff, be we are leaving a good portion behind.

[globetraveler]

Originally Posted by JasonAndJulie

I should clarify : Husband's employer will be paying to move our stuff. I know I can get everything up there, it's just that I'm not getting a furniture allowance, I'm getting a moving package.

It is hard to answer your question without knowing how much your husbands employer is allowing for the transportation of your household goods. Additional consideration surrounds how long you plan on living here and the size difference between the place you currently live and the place you will have here.

I transferred back to Alaska about two years ago from Europe. I was allowed up to 20000 lbs of household goods, plus one vehicle but took about 7000 lbs and one vehicle because of the structure of my relocation package. There was a max monetary cap for the entire relocation, so if I used the entire 20000lbs, I wouldn't have coverage for airfare, temporary lodging, etc.. My priority was personal items that could not be replaced, followed by clothing, kitchen utensils, furniture, books and dvds. I

Just an FYI - since your husbands employer will be paying parts of your move, if you haven't already done so, read IRS publication 521: http://www.irs.gov/file_source/pub/irs-pdf/p521.pdf. Certain items paid for during a relocation by an employer are considered income. Make sure you save all your receipts and keep track of all your expenses. You will need it at tax time. I've known a few people who got "burned" at tax time because they didn't know the rules and didn't keep track of expenses.

[TL551]

I agree with globetrotter. When I moved to Alaska 3 years ago, my current employer gave me a relocation benefit. I chose to have my employer pay the moving company directly and the money never touched my hands. That way I didn't have all the money to add to my income for taxing. I also spent some of my personal money for motel, and other things and was able to use those costs as tax deductions. Where will your hubby be working?

[JasonAndJulie]

Thanks for the tips. I am wondering if anyone has ever said to themselves "Thank goodness I brought 10 of X because they are so useful/delicious/perfect in some other way but so expensive to ship/hard to find/ too expensive", etc.

I believe the movers are paid directly. I think they pay for both vehicles. Like you, I want as little cash touching my bank account as possible. The last thing I need is higher taxes. We are still in the beginning stages of this process, but going off what another employee told him, so time will tell.

[globetraveler]

Originally Posted by JasonAndJulie

Thanks for the tips. I am wondering if anyone has ever said to themselves "Thank goodness I brought 10 of X because they are so useful/delicious/perfect in some other way but so expensive to ship/hard to find/ too expensive", etc.

I'm sure there might be a local specialty item that you can't get in Anchorage. I haven't really found anything that I did or didn't ship that I can't find here. Anchorage isn't as backwoods as you would think.

The only things that came close to that for us was curry ketchup, mustard in a tube (great for backpacking and road trips), sweet mustard, and a few other German/European food itemss. These were things I got used to while working in Germany, so I missed them at first. However all of these can be ordered through the mail and I realize that those are pretty unique items that most Americans wouldn't really need. That being said, recently I found a local place (Alaska Sausage and Seafood) carries some of these German items, so even this can be found locally.

In the catagory "nice to have" would be some IKEA stuff. I've got some IKEA modular furniture that I could reconfigure to better suit the layout of our house with a couple of extra items. It's not a huge deal and I could order them through the mail, however the shipping for them is very pricey to Alaska, so I've worked around it.

I believe the movers are paid directly. I think they pay for both vehicles. Like you, I want as little cash touching my bank account as possible. The last thing I need is higher taxes. We are still in the beginning stages of this process, but going off what another employee told him, so time will tell.

Remember, just because cash doesn't touch your bank account directly, it doesn't mean it won't be considered income. Items paid on your husbands behalf (hotels, storage of HHG beyond 30 days, meals) could be considered taxable income. If your spouse's employer is using a non-accoutable plan for reimbursment, the employer will add the amount of any reimbursement paid under a non-accountable plan to the employees wages, salary, or other pay.

Reading IRS publication 521, deteriming if the relocation will be covered under a accountable or non-accountable plan, and speaking with a tax professional is something to consider way before the movers show up. Going off what another well-meaning employee states could result in problems down the road. Non-military, employee paid relocations can be tricky and may open oneself to additional tax liabilities.

As they say, been there, done that, and got the T-shirt. My first relocation was a tax disaster.

[JasonAndJulie]

Thanks so much for the input.

Just to be clear, I don't think it's backwoods. But after trying to find a route for my dogs to get to Alaska (and currently failing except for the ferry which doesn't sound good for the dogs...) I have become acutely aware of the shipping thing.

I figure as long as there is a Costco, I can live anywhere.

I really do appreciate the info on the tax implications. I need to find out more about it, as we get a little closer in negotiations. I am going to bring up all your points, because they are valid.

Thanks so much again.

[globetraveler]

Originally Posted by JasonAndJulie

Thanks so much for the input.

Just to be clear, I don't think it's backwoods. But after trying to find a route for my dogs to get to Alaska (and currently failing except for the ferry which doesn't sound good for the dogs...) I have become acutely aware of the shipping thing.

I guess I missed that thread on shipping your dogs. My only transportation option for our cat coming from Europe was via air. Since I was going to move in the middle of winter and there are temperature restrictions on animals, we ended up using a pet shipping company and sending our cat via cargo air freight to my wife's parents on the east coast way before we started our move in earnest. In the end, that made for a much less stressful move because we didn't have to rush around dealing with health certificates, restrictions, customs, USDA, etc., while trying to pack out a house and turn the place back over to the landlord. By the time the movers arrived at your place in Germany, our cat was settled in her temporary home. She stayed there until we were fully settled in our new place and the weather had warmed up in the lower 48, but hadn't become too hot. It worked out very well, but there was a ton a pre-planning

Originally Posted by JasonAndJulie

I figure as long as there is a Costco, I can live anywhere.

I really do appreciate the info on the tax implications. I need to find out more about it, as we get a little closer in negotiations. I am going to bring up all your points, because they are valid.

Thanks so much again.

You probably know there are two Costco locations in Anchorage, so you'll be fine.

If you have any questions on tax stuff, let me know. You can always send me a private message if you don't want to share the details in a public forum. I'm certainly no tax expert, however I've done six employee paid moves over the years.