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The time for my family and I to make a big move is quickly approaching and the anticipation is heightened. I'm very anxious but thinking about it also overwhelms me. I am hoping to get some good information, almost step-by-step so as to be sure all bases are covered. Some of the answers I'm looking for are to these ?'s.
* Did you rent a place and how easy was it for you in terms of not being scammed?No
* Did you have a company move your belongings for you?No
* Did you drive or fly to the new residence?Flew out to buy property. Drove moving everything, including my horses, dogs, and cat.
* What did you forget to do or what do you wish you would have done?lol, I didn't forget anything. I would not have done anything different. Even tho I was a 50 yr old SWF, I was and still am Master Drill Sergeant organized.
* My biggest concern is finding a job and trying to find the right place to live so that I'm in close proximity to work.I had a job before I left my home state. It was a high paying 18 month job which bought me enough time to find a permanent job, closer to where I Lived.
* What were all of your expenses? several thousand dollars. I hired two young men my son had gone to school with to drive the Ryder truck and my car, I pulled my horses. They unloaded everything at our destination, I paid their airfare to go back home two weeks later.
Thank you in advance for any information!
. Although you have t said WHY you need to move such a long distance, you really need to have solid job leads to where a job interview will bear fruit sooner than later. You have family to consider, this isn't some hippy trip to Haight-Ashbury.
Better ditch the stress, ditch some of that "stuff", throw your shoulders back and get moving, as long as you know you have an ample financial cushion under you.
Going back to the job part, you have a family to consider. Regardless of whether you fly everyone or drive, it really would be better if you secure a job before you leave your current home base. Unless you're a brain surgeon or rocket scientist, good paying jobs are more difficult to come by these days. You don't want your children living in a car, in some desolate area.
Also, if your move is work related, keep all your receipts as it will be tax deductible for the year you move..
Meemur, I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions. I like the way you dug deep in there to really highlight potential problems.
I have no intentions of putting my family in such a position. If necessary, I will move my family there and return to my current job until I can secure employment. Since we won't be moving until next July, I can't really start looking for another job.
NormaShirley, Thanks for the reply. I do realize it is a big move, but it is due to my husband's disability and the Midwest winters we're trying to escape. The most important thing for me is to secure employment before the move. I do have a backup plan if July should come and I don't have a job. I will move my family and return to work until I have an offer. In addition, my grandchildren live in Las Angeles so we want to be closer to them.
NormaShirley, Thanks for the reply. I do realize it is a big move, but it is due to my husband's disability and the Midwest winters we're trying to escape. The most important thing for me is to secure employment before the move. I do have a backup plan if July should come and I don't have a job. I will move my family and return to work until I have an offer. In addition, my grandchildren live in Las Angeles so we want to be closer to them.
A word of warning about California: It takes a lot of money just for daily living out there. License plates for vehicles are based on bluebook value of that vehicle for example.
I can't even imagine what a home would cost to rent or buy in safe area near LA.
What about Nevada? They have a Dry/arid climate. It is not uncommon for folks to live just inside Nevada and work in SoCal.
I did live in a very rural area of Riverside county and drove to Downtown Long Beach for 18 months. It was a head banger of a drive and I worried constantly about my horses (fires were common). It was only 76 miles one way but, if I didn't leave for work by 5:10 AM, it was a sure bet I would be late for an 8:00 AM start.
I still contend, however, you might find COLA a lot easier to take if you lived in Nevada, near the border. It would still put you less than half a day drive from your family
The time for my family and I to make a big move is quickly approaching and the anticipation is heightened. I'm very anxious but thinking about it also overwhelms me. I am hoping to get some good information, almost step-by-step so as to be sure all bases are covered. Some of the answers I'm looking for are to these ?'s.
* Did you rent a place and how easy was it for you in terms of not being scammed?
* Did you have a company move your belongings for you?
* Did you drive or fly to the new residence?
* What did you forget to do or what do you wish you would have done?
* My biggest concern is finding a job and trying to find the right place to live so that I'm in close proximity to work.
* What were all of your expenses?
Thank you in advance for any information!
It will be different for a family than for a single individual. I've moved across country a few times. (Back and forth and all that.)
* Yes I rented a place, but I had my place lined up before I went. In terms of "not being scammed", I take the time to talk to the person on the phone. They are agreeing to rent to someone sight unseen, and I'm agreeing to rent from someone, sight unseen. We have to talk to make sure it's going to work, more than just, "How much? Can I have my dogs?"
* I've done both ways.
* I drove. I hate flying. Besides, it's a really good excuse to get to see the rest of this country...this country is fascinating, and you realize that we have a lot of very different "cultures" right here. What I mean is not people from different countries or ancestry, I mean each place seems to have its own culture.
* The only thing I've ever forgotten to do was pack something that meant a lot to me. I really wish I would have remembered it, but I had put it some place safe, away from the pets. It had sentimental value to me. Otherwise, I've not forgotten to do anything, but I've moved a lot so I have a lot of experience.
* Either have a job lined up before you go, or have a ton of savings so that you can ride it out for a good year or two, just in case. If you don't have a job lined up, then you should rent, try to find something with a 6 month lease so you can move if necessary.
* Again, for a family, it's going to be a lot different. For just me and the pets, my expenses were:
The cost of a company moving my stuff, when I used a mover.
The gas to drive to my new digs
A few hotel rooms along the way, (again, being solo with dogs, I slept at rest stops a lot - that is not feasible with a family).
Food along the way.
I got my car fully inspected and had things fixed before I left.
Moving supplies such as boxes, tape, bubble wrap, etc.
Getting everything set up in the new place - sometimes you have to pay installation fees and set up fees and all that garbage.
Supplies for the new place that I did not bring from the old place like cleaning supplies, and all those things that you use when making food like condiments and such, (I get my stuff right away so I don't have to take 16,000 trips to the store because I need this sauce, or ketchup, or canned tomatoes, sugar, flour, whatever...I just get it all right off).
Dump fee because after unpacking is done, there's a lot of stuff that won't fit in the garbage can and I can't stand having that stuff lying around in a messy pile somewhere.
In the case of my pets, I had to pay more on my initial vet visits since they had never seen my pets before, even with vet records passed along.
I got my car inspected after I arrived, to make sure all was well after a long drive.
New plates, new license, new registration, and some places require emissions/smog testing.
Because I didn't make a habit of carrying a cell phone, for one move I had to get a cell phone...you never know what could happen along the way.
When I moved again, I had to call up to get a new number and activate the phone again since I didn't use it for years after my last move. (I do 'pay as you go' because I don't 'go' on cell phones.)
Obviously first, last, deposit, and any pro-rated amount if I arrive in the middle of the month.
Because I was driving, I had to buy different pet food for my pets, (they usually eat raw, but that's not really feasible when driving across the country), and enough water for all of us for x amount of days...just in case.
I buy batteries for the flashlight in my road hazard kit...just in case.
Any amount owed on services that I cut off at my old place, (although that usually comes in the mail later, but I still count it as an expense.)
In most cases, I had to get new clothes. Either warmer clothes because I moved from a warm environment to a colder one, or lighter clothes because I moved from the cold environment back to a warmer one.
Replacement of anything that got broken along the way.
Tolls...so if you drive, don't forget to have some $1 bills and some coins, depending on where you're moving and what roads you take.
And that's about all I can think of off the top of my head.
Three Wolves In Snow, Thank you for the abundance of information! I too, want to see as much of this world as possible and I don't think that we should deprive ourselves of that.
The time for my family and I to make a big move is quickly approaching and the anticipation is heightened. I'm very anxious but thinking about it also overwhelms me. I am hoping to get some good information, almost step-by-step so as to be sure all bases are covered. Some of the answers I'm looking for are to these ?'s.
* Did you rent a place and how easy was it for you in terms of not being scammed?
* Did you have a company move your belongings for you?
* Did you drive or fly to the new residence?
* What did you forget to do or what do you wish you would have done?
* My biggest concern is finding a job and trying to find the right place to live so that I'm in close proximity to work.
* What were all of your expenses?
Thank you in advance for any information!
Find a ob first. Unless your wealthy, moving for a ob is best...often the company will pay moving expenses as part of your hiring pkg offer.
We have done both.
We rented a place thru the web...Course this was in 02'...and I do not think there were as many scams as there appear to be now.
I wish that had visited the area in person, instead of relying on my husband's impression.
The house was lovely, but it was near a college campus, and it had more of a campus/frat house area feel then a true neighborhood.
The company moved all of our belongs...We spent weeks condensing our items, then had a huge rummage sale. In hindsight, I would have sold all furnishing and everything unnecessary....as we paid storage for our items there...thinking we would buy a home within the year.
We hated the location, we had moved from the Midwest prairies to R.I. within 10 months we decided to move back home....at our own expense. It was very costly...it took us almost 2 years to recover..Again, if we'd sold everything it would have been better...But, I could not get my husband to agree to that.
He has stated that he wished he'd listened to me then...But, hindsight is 20/20.
We drove...after the moving company loaded our belongings. And my husband drove the moving truck when we came back home.
Finding the right neighborhood is critical, schools, shopping etc. City Data has wonderful information on their main page, and you can look up so much regarding almost any town in the U.S. Check that out.
I cannot tell you a total now, it has been years. Supposedly when the company moved us it was close to 10,000.
When we moved back, it was about half.....We hauled our vehicle behind the moving truck we rented...biggest expense was gas. I'd guesstimate 3,000 incl moving truck.
Research, research, research....pack a suitcase for each family member. Get rid of anything you can live without, including furnishings...It is easy and fun to refurnish a home. Thrift stores and Craig's list bargains at your new location. Keep only memorabilia, clothes and essentials. Rent a smaller trailer with less to move. Save on a large truck, gas and long driving days because trucks travel slower.
Know the area, know the neighborhoods, crime, schools, clubs and activities available. Populations size of City, and any/all stats that concerns your life style.
Moving can be fun and cathartic, and an adventure.
Stay organized, have all necessary phone numbers and contacts written down...have birth certs and important papers with you in your car.
Have fun, hope you find a great job/location.
Moved from Denver to Raleigh, NC and stayed for three years. Lot to be said for staying closer. The grass looks greener but home is home.
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