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Here's what we take (we've moved alot):
Money!
Clothes
Coffee pot - a couple of mugs
One deep fry/stir fry pan
Can Opener
A couple of bowls
Knife
Spatula
Cutting board
Cooler (for drinks in the car)
Blacklight flashlight (for the new place to find bio waste for sanitizing -- example pee on walls in bathroom)
My small toolbag
My small home safe
Then at destination we go to a dollar store and get dispoable things like paper plates, cups, cleaning products, sponges and bucket, for cleaning the new place anything else we can get cheap and dispose of that will tide us over.
We sleep at a motel, but usually hang at the house a bit until the stuff arrives. But if we slept there an air mattress and towels is also a great idea.
I have a small 6-cup perculator. It is perfect to tuck into a suitcase. Has a metal basket and the cord can just be dropped into the pot. Nothing's better than a perculator for travel!
Trulia has a basic list - some of these items may be bought on your first day in your new home https://www.trulia.com/blog/moving-n...30-essentials/
Other things you need to know
Check the hours that the closet grocery and pharmacy are open.
Know where the nearest emergency room is at your new place - things happen
Know the location and hours of the nearest hardware store
If your new neighborhood has Nextdoor Neighbor, request access, in many areas this can be a handy way to get local recommendations and to know your new neighbors
Other items
Measuring tape, notebook and pens or keep a list on your phone.
Flash light
We set up housekeeping for almost 5 months with a minimum of things. But we drove, and carried much of it with us. I also shipped several boxes of things ahead to be held by a family member. If you can do that, do. Or, rent a box from UPS or USPS ahead of time and ship to that address, if that would work for receiving packages.
If you are flying, and you already have an address, I think you could probably send things out on the day before you leave, and they would arrive at your new address after you would.
I made sure to have personal papers, jewelry, very basic cooking things, linens including towels, clothing and toiletries. I filled in with things I bought cheaply at the Goodwill, and which I donated back after our stuff arrived. Oh, I also shipped flatware.
Might want to bring a pillow. After you arrive get a cheap used TV. You can often find working CRT TVS for free, even great big ones. No one wants them anymore. You can probably find a free or nearly free VCR as well, then go to your local library and check out some VC movies, or buy them for a quarter each. You care going to get cable anyway so just get it hooked up right away.
Soduku puzzles?
You will probably be so busy getting out and exploring your new environs and meeting people, you will not have time to need anything.
You will also need to buy some pots and pans so you can cook. Just go to Salvation Army of St Vincente De Paul (or if you want to spend a lot - go to goodwill). You can get by with paper and plastic flatware and dishes for a while.
Your toiletries should include sun block and bug spray. Ad don't forget your sunglasses.
My wife did this with our 5 kids (aged 5-14 at the time). They flew out with some of our pets. I followed two weeks later in a minivan with more of our things that were either critical or could not go into the moving truck and some more pets. The moving truck did nto arrive until about eight weeks after she did.
They bought some cheap folding chairs, outdoor type because then we still had a use for them after our furniture arrived. Plus they re super cheap. They got a free CRT TV and put it on a TV table. They also got a VCR and some movies someplace. They brought the gamebot with them. They had blankets and air mattresses that we mailed in advance. Otherwise they just had the things you listed. They did fine, even had a party for one of the kids birthday and invited her whole class. I think they bought some games at a garage sale. Most of their time was spent exploring, filling out forms for a zillion different things, and visiting people. They got invited to a lot of things, especially at first.
Thanks for starting this! I'll be going through the process the end of August & there are so many things I hadn't thought of.
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