moving concerns

[nike of samothrace]

I'd like to see a thread about everyone's concerns about moving, particularly long-distance. We've got lots to think about - packing, truck/trailer rentals, costs, pets, spouses, etc. What are you most concerned about, or need some advice on?

I'm most worried right now about having to rent an apartment sight-unseen for the fall. I'm moving to an area that is a 15-hour drive from where I am now, and flights are hard to come by as there aren't any direct routes - basically, making the trip is really expensive. I'm trying to visit soon to get a feel for the place, but probably won't be able to get an apartment lined up for the fall as it's still really early for Sept. 1 leases. However, I'm in a discipline where most everyone goes abroad for the summer months, so if I put off my visit until June or so in an attempt to get a lease signed, I will miss out on meeting most of the grad students and faculty, and probably get a really lonely feeling from my new school. So my options aren't great, and I'd much rather visit now and meet folks. But that leaves me to sign a lease based only on pictures and trusting a landlord... which could work out ok, but could very easily not...

Anyone have any tips on this? I can't be the only person who can't afford a lease-signing trip to New School U.

Any other moving worries?

[rising_star]

I'm going to fly out to scout for apartments sometime in May/June. I'm petrified of renting a place sight unseen. I don't think April/May is too early for a Sept 1 lease, particularly if they're used to dealing with students.

I'm most worried about moving all of my stuff across the country.

[UndraftedFreeAgent]

nike: You could email the grad director of your new program to ask for the emails of current grad students and ask them for any recommendations regarding apartments. You might also consider asking for a short term lease that you could convert to a regular 9 or 12 month lease later. Short term leases generally cost $25-50 extra per month, but it might be worth it (if you can get it), so that you aren't stuck with a horrible place if everything goes wrong.

As for packing/moving stuff, depending on the towing abilities of your car (if you have one), I would imagine it's cheaper to rent a uhaul trailer rather than a moving van.

Grocery stores are a good place to get boxes. They throw out so many boxes every day, that many are more than willing to just give some to you if you ask nicely.

A $15 hand truck from Home Depot will make moving a LOT easier if you're moving into a ground level apartment or a complex with elevators. You can carry three or four boxes per trip from your car to the apartment, your arms won't get sore, and you'll have energy left to unpack once you get everything inside. On that note, be sure to lock your car or leave someone to watch it while you are moving in. Every year, some poor student returns to his/her car to find that a friendly neighbor has stolen the tv, stereo, and computer.

I've got a 1002 mile trip ahead of me, but am going down in a few weeks to check out apartments, hopefully sign a lease, and move some of my stuff into storage nearby.

[portafoy]

I've been thinking about this too. Mainly, I'm focusing on what to bring and what to leave behind and what to bring later. I intend to just buy a bed and some cheap chairs and a cheap table when I get to where I'll be living (Chicago). I'll buy furniture (except for the mattress) at antique/used furniture stores. I'm only going to need it for a couple of years. I'm not paying to ship towels and sheets and the like and I'm using this move as an excuse to pare down my clothes. My desire is to move as little as possible and live a relatively spartan life, at least in the beginning. I'm going to study photography, so I'm bringing cameras, the warmest clothes I own, a toothbrush, and a couple of boxes of books. I'm hoping to get used furniture and if I have to paint it, well, so much the better. My goal is to get all my stuff there in the luggage I put on the plane and a couple of UPS boxes.

For apartments, I'm planning on using craigslist and I've bought a couple of books about the town so I'll know the neighborhoods. I'm giving myself about 3 days in a hotel to find a place to live and moving early (August 1st) so I'll know the neighboorhood and mass transit by the time school starts.

I started out at the opposite end of the extreme, fretting about how much of a pain the move will be and then decided to not stress about it at all and see just how simple I can possibly make it.

[UndraftedFreeAgent]

You should check how much it would cost to ship those extra items as opposed to buying them all over again. I don't know if buying used items, but saving on shipping would actually save all that much. If you're coming from overseas, then I'm fairly certain buying sheets/towels here would be much cheaper.

Before packing your bags, check with the airline to see how much weight they allow you to bring without an extra charge. It used to be that they wouldn't really care and would let students slip, but these days, most are pretty strict about charging through the nose for extra or overweight bags. American Airlines, for example, limits you to 50lbs per bag of checked luggage, plus one carry on and one personal item (purse or laptop bag). I'm sure you've already been thinking about that, but it caught some of my friends coming home from abroad by surprise and they ended up throwing some of their luggage in the trash because they had too many souveneirs.

As a photographer, at least you should be able to decorate your apartment nicely on the cheap!

[rising_star]

The new airline baggage rules make moving much more complicated, at least for me. I remember the glory days (2003) when you could check 3 bags of up to 70lbs each on AirTran for no additional cost... By this summer, checking a second bag will cost $25 on most major US airlines. *sigh*

[ollie cromwell]

I have a 12 hour drive from my current location to my future home. I'm actually going to arrive in August, so I feel like I've got a little more time in the summer to attempt another road trip. I might actually have a place to stay other than my car when I get there to scout for housing. I'm feeling pretty lucky about most everything. I know that U-Haul's the only option for me...I need to take along this new bed I just purchased. We're getting rid of most of the rest of our furniture.

I'm concerned about getting rid of all this crap -- particularly my beater car that I won't be taking with me. I live in a rural area, so I'm having a lot of difficulty finding a charity that will take it off my hands.

For those of you looking to ship lots of stuff, you might check out a company called PODS -- it turned out to be more expensive than a U-Haul for me, but if I was crossing the country with a lot of belongings, that's probably the route I'd take. They basically back all of your stuff into a large box and throw it on a semi with a bunch of other large boxes headed in the same direction.

[engguy]

I'm concerned about getting rid of all this crap -- particularly my beater car that I won't be taking with me. I live in a rural area, so I'm having a lot of difficulty finding a charity that will take it off my hands.

For those of you looking to ship lots of stuff, you might check out a company called PODS -- it turned out to be more expensive than a U-Haul for me, but if I was crossing the country with a lot of belongings, that's probably the route I'd take. They basically back all of your stuff into a large box and throw it on a semi with a bunch of other large boxes headed in the same direction.

See if there's a junkyard anywhere close to you. They would probably be willing to send a wrecker out and tow the car and even give you $25 for it. I've had several beaters and never been able to pawn them off to a charity, but junkyards usually will take them for scrap and parts.

I looked into the PODS thing too when I did my last move and found, as you did, that it's actually more expensive.

As I mentioned on a different thread, if you keep all your receipts and keep track of mileage, you can claim moving expenses on your taxes, assuming that you are working as part of your grad school move.

[StudyMom]

We've got a 4 bedroom house and 3 kids. We've been getting rid of stuff since before Halloween when I decided to apply to grad school. We've moved two times in the past 5 years and this will be the third. Up to now they've been local moves but very expensive ($1,000 to move stuff into storage and then $1,000 to move it out and into the house -- a real drag). We have some nice stuff that we want to keep because it would cost more to replace than move it but we have had to sell and give away a lot of books. Two book addicts in one house plus all our children's books that we've handed down plus all the beautiful kids books they've received as gifts has caused a major headache. Books are friends! It is so hard to let them go but it costs too much to ship them all.

Our basic rule has been 50% -- If we have 20 cookbooks then we will end up with 10 or less. If we have two boxes of videos we cut it down to one box. If the kids have 150 matchbox cars they get to keep around 75 (not exaggerating!). This has worked pretty well. Also, we are moving to the south from New England so we get to get rid of snow gear, except for one good coat, hat, scarf, gloves per person. Good bye shovels! If we move to the north again we can get new shovels and sleds etc.

We've cut down on everything we own using the 50% rule and it feels great. Now we have to decide what furniture to keep and what to give/toss.

It is going to cost us about $5,000 to $6,000 to move 1,800 miles but it will include loading the truck on this end and unloading it on the other end. It's a lot of money but furnishing for a large family costs a lot, too.

We could not replace all our furniture and the toys and books for that amount so we have to bite the bullet - (that tax refund thing is going to come in handy for moving). Luckily my husband will have job where we move and we won't have to subsist on my stipend!

Best of luck all. I'm going to check out PODS but I found that posting my moving request online got me some good discounts from long-distance movers -- 50% or more off the regular price. We figured out it turns out to cost about 50 cents per pound.

[luvalicious]

These are just two general things that I know or have come across:

You can still look at apartments now even if you aren't planning to lease - you probably won't get what you actually see, but you can at least have an idea. You might also look into whether there are apartment finder services; I'm moving to Chicago and there are several which scout out the places for free. I have rented exactly one apartment sight unseen and it was a disappointment but hardy unlivable, but frankly I think I got lucky. I did all the paperwork via fax and mail and then signed the lease the day I moved in. This time, I'm planning to make a trip back out to check out places and hopefully sign a lease, but I'm waiting until the spring quarter is over in hopes of there being more availability.

Renting a moving truck is extremely expensive if you are not moving in-town, far more so than I initially realised, as I found out last night (I've always used a car before, but I'm not driving and the vehicle is staying where I live now (with my boyfriend, sniff)). I'm moving just under 300 miles away; its an easy half-day trip but these rental places will book you for three days minimum, may limit your mileage (so don't get lost!), and of course you have to pay for gas. If you are moving more than 300 miles away, a "you pack, they drive, you unpack" service might be cheaper for you. My journey is too short and my origin is too "out of the way" but if you're going from a metro to a metro, it might work.

[rising_star]

Are there any moving companies people would recommend?

[4givn1]

I agree about the short-term lease. Try to get one for a month or so, so that if it's unbearable you can move out with relative ease. Also ask for a copy of the lease in advance so you can evaluate it, and not just the place. You will want to make sure you can get out if for instance the place becomes detrimental to your health in the future.

I had to move all my stuff across the country last year. It cost a bunch and of course took a lot of time to be settled, but I didn't get stressed out about anything except my guitar. The one I have with me (and really like) I would have to go to Japan to replace.

I have to move back (more) east to my school at some point this summer. I'm still working things out and calculating costs. Concerns are my guitar still, and my television which I had to expensively replace after my previous got busted in shipping. This time I won't have to deal with furniture, though, since my school has grad housing I can get into somewhere.

[ohno]

I guess my main concerns are finding an apartment and my belongings. I live in San Diego and will be moving to Chicago, and I currently have a 40+ hour job that is breathing down my neck, so getting the time off to find an apartment is looking rough. I'm taking the first week of July off regardless (you won't approve my vacation time? ok... I'll just call in sick for a week... sigh.)

I have an extensive record collection (1,000+), so I am going to ship those to my new address (once I get one, of course.) I also have collected mid-century furniture for years, so I will be freighting (either Roadway or PODS) my favorite pieces. I know that freighting it will end up costing significantly less than replacing particular items. I also have a cat, so I need to start researching airlines that have a good reputation of transporting animals (I've heard some horror stories...)

As far as apartments go, I have never been to Chicago and I don't know anyone who currently lives there, so that's a little tricky. I'm planning on going for 5-7 days, and using Craigslist and the apartment people as my main rental resources. I've researched the neighborhoods, so I have a good idea of the areas I would like to start looking in (Bucktown, Wicker Park, Wrigleyville, and Pilsen.)

If anyone has suggestions to any reputable airlines or freighting companies, please let me know!

[crustaceangirl]

ohno, not sure if you're flying yourself when you relocate, but some airlines will let you take a small pet in a soft-sided carrier as a piece of "carry-on baggage." I've seen cats transported this way before on (I think) Delta and JetBlue.

I'm using PODS for my ~1100 mile move. Considering how expensive gas is, and how bad the MPG of a moving truck is, it's actually not much more expensive than renting a similar sized U-Haul. And WAY more convenient than driving a big truck from Boston to Atlanta. We've been getting rid of our excess stuff but it's hard. Will be selling some furniture here and buying new things upon arrival, because some of our stuff isn't worth moving (we needed a new couch and new bed anyway).

[starvinggrad]

I'll be moving from the East Coast to the West Coast. Last year I was on the other side of the world, though, so the transition shouldn't be too rocky.

My main concern is mostly handling the living costs of my new environment (LA). Plus I'm worried I'll be able to find a part time job and get around ok without a car. But I guess I'd be worried about this wherever I go.

I also have a SO, but we've talked a lot and are cool with the move since it's for the best. We'll be keeping in touch with each other often. I'll miss her for sure though.

[Leavinmyheartinsf]

I didn't want to deal with all of this stuff you guys are talking about, so I am loading up my Neon and headng from california to North Carolina with whatever will fit. I am going to live on campus for my first semester so that I can scope the place out. I did not want the stress of moving 3000 miles, leaving my boyfriend and my family and a job that I love, trying to meet new people, finding a church, adjusting to Grad School, blah, blah blah, so everything that I don't need is staying here for now. Grad student housiing may suck, but the convenience was well worth the trade-off for me.

[luvalicious]

I didn't want to deal with all of this stuff you guys are talking about, so I am loading up my Neon and headng from california to North Carolina with whatever will fit. I am going to live on campus for my first semester so that I can scope the place out. I did not want the stress of moving 3000 miles, leaving my boyfriend and my family and a job that I love, trying to meet new people, finding a church, adjusting to Grad School, blah, blah blah, so everything that I don't need is staying here for now. Grad student housiing may suck, but the convenience was well worth the trade-off for me.

In a way, I think stressing about moving is keeping me from stressing about the rest of the stuff.

I do wish I had the option of living on campus for a quarter or two so that I could use my fellowship to pay some of my moving-related expenses, but at my university you have to rent for the full year.

[Carnivalesque]

I think the biggest anxiety for me is moving my pets. Me and my partner have a little hamster and my pride a joy - my little newt. She is fully aquatic and although she could easily be transported in a small tupperware container - the airlines will not have it since amphibians are not considered "personal pets." I would hate to see anything bad happen to her since she is my desk buddy so I'm trying to work out arrangements for her. I'm also concerned about the California heat (I'm from PA) and its affect on her

Hopefully things will work out for us!

[maroonwings]

I think the biggest anxiety for me is moving my pets. Me and my partner have a little hamster and my pride a joy - my little newt. She is fully aquatic and although she could easily be transported in a small tupperware container - the airlines will not have it since amphibians are not considered "personal pets." I would hate to see anything bad happen to her since she is my desk buddy so I'm trying to work out arrangements for her. I'm also concerned about the California heat (I'm from PA) and its affect on her

Hopefully things will work out for us!

If she'll fit in a three ounce container, you might not have any problems getting her onto the plane (Don't worry, I'm kidding!)

In seriousness...maybe there's some sort of courier service? My fiance, who used to work at a PetSmart, says it's possible to ship fish, so theoretically I suppose you could ship other aquatic animals. There's a discussion over in "The Lobby" about moving with cats, but I imagine a newt would be more difficult. How are you moving the hamster?

Nice to meet another UCI person

[Leavinmyheartinsf]

Irvine isn't that hot. You'll just see the sun every now and then, unlike in Pensylvania!

[Gethsemane]

finding a church

Yes, hopefully I can find a church of the FSM when I get there!

[christina_bme]

I wouldn't be this worried about moving if it weren't for the new couch, coffee table, and bedroom suite I just purchased last year. I LOVE this furniture and will really need it at the new place. Everything else I could move myself with the help of family.

Right now I'm calling around for estimates on professional moving. I'm also considering U-Haul-ing it and hiring some locals to help move the heavy furniture. I'll have to get a friend or family member to help me drive the truck, though...I don't really see myself driving a 14' truck down the interstate.

[UndraftedFreeAgent]

Clearly I've been staring at my computer too long and need to leave for my mid-day break, because the last two posts merged together in my mind and I thought you were talking about carrying a church from a truck into your apartment.

If you have heavy stuff like couches, beds, and stuff, you should check out the "forearm forklift" or whatever generic versions of it there are. I helped a friend of mine move accross the street from her old apartment awhile ago and that thing made it a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. This way, your arms will be sore instead of your back haha.

[Quarex]

Glad to see LeavingMyHeartinSF represented the best approach to moving: "put your stuff in your car, and if it will not fit in your car, you do not need it." Assuming you have a car, and want to keep it, the price of getting it and your stuff there in one fell swoop is clearly going to be cheaper than any other method of getting it and your stuff to a new destination (seriously, try pricing a U-Haul for something even three or four states away, let alone across the country; it is about 5 times the cost of stuffing the same amount of crap in your own car for the drive).

Now, yes, obviously this approach is infeasible for those of you with families and years of accumulation of valuable furniture and other items, and my heart goes out to you for the nigh-infinite costs involved. But if there is any way you can just toss out all of your stuff other than what you actually need (and maybe a couple of things you really want), you will be much happier. My girlfriend and I moved from Illinois to Virginia using this method and had plenty of space for the stuff we each needed, even with her bringing her upright electric piano in her Scion. Even with both our gas costs, we still saved about $1100 over what the U-Haul would have cost.

Generic every-show-on-TLC-probably-says-these-tips:

* Give away/throw out anything you have not used or worn in a year.

* Have a friend go through your things and tell you what he/she thinks you do not need. Then see if you can justify it to him/her, and then throw it out if you cannot (and maybe even if you can)

* Set fire to everything else.

[Minnesotan]

Yes, hopefully I can find a church of the FSM when I get there!

His noodly appendage touches all of us, and His church is found within our hearts.