Moving Across the Country

[ProfLorax]

Hey everyone! Like many of you, I'm planning on a big move this summer. I'm curious how many of you have moved cross country. My hubs and I are starting to plan our trip from California to Maryland in July or August. We are hoping to take ten or so days to really enjoy the experience, and we'd prefer not to tow our stuff. We have decided on only taking one car; with public transportation, we think that one car will be enough between the two of us in the DC area. Also, we have a small dog. He's great in the car (he sleeps in a crate in the back seat most of the time), but he's never been in the car this long. 

 

Any tips? For those who have moved across the country, how did you keep costs low? (I cannot believe how expensive those movable PODS are!) Which route/s did you take? How long did your trip take? How did you go about planning the trip? Any secrets for maintaining one's sanity during such a long trip?

 

Thanks in advance! 

[AurantiacaStella]

It seems like pods are expensive, but there are a lot of hidden costs with renting a truck, I.e. when you find out last minute that you have to get this extra insurance they didn't tell you you had to have, the cost of gas at 8 mi/gal in one of those trucks, and depending on what area of the country hundreds of dollars in tolls. Not to mention the headache of driving such a truck, especially through traffic in major cities. So, anyway, we did the Budget truck thing two years ago, and never again. We are using Upack which has very good reviews and is about 1000 less than Pods for our move.

Upack has also been really helpful with setting up moving/packing help at a very reasonable price. And a great thing for you would be that you can have them deliver the cube on a designated day, so you can plan to take as much time as you want on your drive.

As far as animals, with cats I just give them some tranquilizers and try to get them there as quickly as possible! I definitely think planning to take a scenic route is worth a few extra hours though.

[Taco Superior]

thanks for starting this conversation--already learned about some options I hadn't considered (pods and Upack).

[Cactus Ed]

Ever look into UHaul Uboxes? They seem to be less expensive than Pods, plus you can store your stuff at either end of your trip. My wife and I will probably be doing that when we move west from Maine... 

[ProfLorax]

Upack has also been really helpful with setting up moving/packing help at a very reasonable price. And a great thing for you would be that you can have them deliver the cube on a designated day, so you can plan to take as much time as you want on your drive.

As far as animals, with cats I just give them some tranquilizers and try to get them there as quickly as possible! I definitely think planning to take a scenic route is worth a few extra hours though.

Thanks for the advice! You are the second person to recommend UPack, so I'll give them a look. And good idea with the tranqs! I'll have to talk to our vet about that. I also may have to reconsider our ten day plan. We were hoping to give him about 60 minutes of walking each day on the road, but ten days is still a long time in a car.

 

 

thanks for starting this conversation--already learned about some options I hadn't considered (pods and Upack).

Glad to hear I'm not the only one thinking about moving!

 

 

Ever look into UHaul Uboxes? They seem to be less expensive than Pods, plus you can store your stuff at either end of your trip. My wife and I will probably be doing that when we move west from Maine... 

I will now! Thanks! I also heard that people can ship stuff pretty cheaply through Amtrak as well. 

 

Moving furniture is going to be the biggest pain. We have decided to sell, donate, or freecycle all of our Ikea furniture; our futon, couch, and bed are our only really "grown up" pieces of furniture, and we want to keep those for sure.

[AurantiacaStella]

Ever look into UHaul Uboxes? They seem to be less expensive than Pods, plus you can store your stuff at either end of your trip. My wife and I will probably be doing that when we move west from Maine... 

 

From what I've seen of these UHaul boxes, I think they are basically just a wooden structure covered with a tarp. So, while they are cheaper, your stuff will be exposed to the elements. Upack and Pods are both waterproof, which I think is essential (at least cross-country).

[AurantiacaStella]

P.S. You can store with Pods and Upack, too.

[ProfLorax]

UPack gave me a quote... $3,600! Wowzer! I guess I knew that moving cross country wasn't going to be cheap, but I am certainly feeling some sticker shock. Renting a UHaul truck is $2,400, but like AurantiacaStella points out, driving across the country will cost extra in gas, random fees and patience. 

[AurantiacaStella]

UPack gave me a quote... $3,600! Wowzer! I guess I knew that moving cross country wasn't going to be cheap, but I am certainly feeling some sticker shock. Renting a UHaul truck is $2,400, but like AurantiacaStella points out, driving across the country will cost extra in gas, random fees and patience. 

 

Yep, I bet the UHaul would turn out to be about the same price as UPack in the end. I think Budget is a little cheaper if you're still considering driving a truck.

Edited March 26, 2013 by AurantiacaStella

[smellybug]

Thanks for starting this thread! My husband and I are going across the country with two dogs and two cats... Any pet ideas/warnings would be super helpful...

[bfat]

The more I read in this thread and think about moving two dogs, a cat, and an 11-month-old (in July), the more the 2.5 hour drive to PSU sounds like a brilliant idea... Michigan, you are sounding less and less appealing every day...

[beet-nik]

In case anyone hasn't mentioned it, I'm considering using Amtrak Express...it's $49 for the first 100 lbs. of 3'x3'x3' boxes (less than 50 lbs. a piece)!

Edited March 26, 2013 by beet-nik

[justlucy]

I am curious as to how everyone plans on finding a place to live. My husband and I are moving from California to Michigan and it will cost us almost all of our savings to do so, so we won't be able to make a trip out to look for housing. Also, we have a dog so we don't qualify for student housing. Therefore, our search is limited to Craigslit and other online searches. Just wondering if anyone else is in the same boat, and if so, what strategies are you considering to make sure you end up with a decent place?

[christakins]

I am curious as to how everyone plans on finding a place to live. My husband and I are moving from California to Michigan and it will cost us almost all of our savings to do so, so we won't be able to make a trip out to look for housing. Also, we have a dog so we don't qualify for student housing. Therefore, our search is limited to Craigslit and other online searches. Just wondering if anyone else is in the same boat, and if so, what strategies are you considering to make sure you end up with a decent place?

 

Same deal. My husband I will be moving ourselves, a cat, and a dog from Oregon to either D.C., Indiana, or Texas. We made an even longer trek (and with an additional cat) from Florida to Oregon 6 years ago, and it worked out fine. Our dog was a puppy at the time so he was in a kennel, as were the cats, but we made sure to stop every couple of hours so he could have a play break. Sure, it added some time to our trip but saved our sanity. We found most Best Westerns are pet-friendly and cats generally get really vocal after 9 hours in a car. 

 

As for pet-friendly housing, we've been lucky here; it seems everyone has a dog. In general though, independent landlords as opposed to apt complexes are more open to pets. Check around on Craigslist, and ask those in the area for recommendations. Also, don't rule out a place because the ad says "no pets." Give the landlord a call, explain the situation, and offer to have your dog meet him/her. It's worked for us. Good luck!

[kayrabbit]

I am curious as to how everyone plans on finding a place to live. My husband and I are moving from California to Michigan and it will cost us almost all of our savings to do so, so we won't be able to make a trip out to look for housing. Also, we have a dog so we don't qualify for student housing. Therefore, our search is limited to Craigslit and other online searches. Just wondering if anyone else is in the same boat, and if so, what strategies are you considering to make sure you end up with a decent place?

I'm moving from Oregon to Maryland and have been using Craiglist, ForRent.com and Rent.com to at least find places. If you're looking for an apartment complex, these can be good resources to guide you to the community's website or to get in touch with them about units that may be available when you're planning to move. I'm hoping to get a duplex or townhouse that is more independently situated, and unfortunately Craigslist has been the only place I've seen places like that. In a month or two when I feel more reasonable inquiring about August availability, I plan to make contact with landlords through Craigslist, but I'm still less than comfortable with the idea of choosing a place without physically visiting it. We can't really afford an apartment-hunting trip either, but I'm starting to feel that it may be necessary unless we just move into a community of apartment buildings.

[ProfLorax]

I'm moving from Oregon to Maryland and have been using Craiglist, ForRent.com and Rent.com to at least find places. If you're looking for an apartment complex, these can be good resources to guide you to the community's website or to get in touch with them about units that may be available when you're planning to move. I'm hoping to get a duplex or townhouse that is more independently situated, and unfortunately Craigslist has been the only place I've seen places like that. In a month or two when I feel more reasonable inquiring about August availability, I plan to make contact with landlords through Craigslist, but I'm still less than comfortable with the idea of choosing a place without physically visiting it. We can't really afford an apartment-hunting trip either, but I'm starting to feel that it may be necessary unless we just move into a community of apartment buildings.

kayrabbit-- I can't make any promises, but if you want me to check out one or two apartment complexes while I'm there in June, let me know! Maybe I can take pictures? 

 

To everyone else:  grad student organizations can be really helpful in finding places to live. Grad students will tell you which complexes to avoid, which neighborhoods are the most affordable, and more! 

[karochka]

When looking for an apartment, check out www.apartmentratings.com.  They have a lot of info about management and vermin in different complexes -- the kinds of things you want to know!  Still, take it all with a grain of salt, since people tend to comment and rate only when they had a bad experience.  

 

I've moved across county a couple of different ways.  Someone mentioned Amtrack -- this was a REALLY affordable way to move a lot of stuff for the cheapest price, as along as everything is in boxes.  You can also bring your bike(s)!  But also, renting a UHaul truck (small) is a pretty affordable option all things considered. We've done both successfully.

 

Any time you are traveling with pets and/or a baby: plan in lots of stops, and figure out where you are going to sleep in advance.

[muchado]

One student at a school I visited said that once she narrowed her search down to a few apartment complexes, she called the local police to ask about safety of the areas and such. They ruled out two of her three choices. I thought that was a great idea and will definitely be employing it once we decide where we are going.

 

Also - thanks for the U-Pack suggestion! I'll definitely be looking into it. 

 

When we moved from Texas to NY two years ago, we just rented a Budget truck and (with both of my husband's parents and my dad) got the truck and our two cars here. It was a huge pain. If you do want to go that route, I would suggest assuming that it will take a lot longer than you think. Add on at least a couple of hours to any Google Maps estimate.

[justlucy]

I'm moving from Oregon to Maryland and have been using Craiglist, ForRent.com and Rent.com to at least find places. If you're looking for an apartment complex, these can be good resources to guide you to the community's website or to get in touch with them about units that may be available when you're planning to move. I'm hoping to get a duplex or townhouse that is more independently situated, and unfortunately Craigslist has been the only place I've seen places like that. In a month or two when I feel more reasonable inquiring about August availability, I plan to make contact with landlords through Craigslist, but I'm still less than comfortable with the idea of choosing a place without physically visiting it. We can't really afford an apartment-hunting trip either, but I'm starting to feel that it may be necessary unless we just move into a community of apartment buildings.

 

We would also love to live in a privately owned duplex or fourplex/townhouse and to avoid living in a large isolated apartment community, but like you said, there seems to be little resources for this sort of housing without actually scouting the area. I wonder if it would be of bad taste to offer to pay a student volunteer $100 or so to scout out for rent signs in the area when we get closer to our move date? I feel like even if we found something privately owned listed on craigslist, we would need someone to check it out for us before we agreed to anything anyways. Any thoughts?

 

When looking for an apartment, check out www.apartmentratings.com.  They have a lot of info about management and vermin in different complexes -- the kinds of things you want to know!  Still, take it all with a grain of salt, since people tend to comment and rate only when they had a bad experience.  

 

I've moved across county a couple of different ways.  Someone mentioned Amtrack -- this was a REALLY affordable way to move a lot of stuff for the cheapest price, as along as everything is in boxes.  You can also bring your bike(s)!  But also, renting a UHaul truck (small) is a pretty affordable option all things considered. We've done both successfully.

 

Any time you are traveling with pets and/or a baby: plan in lots of stops, and figure out where you are going to sleep in advance.

 

The trouble with the apartment rating sites is that everyone goes on them to complain, therefore, after limiting my search to a few large complexes, I was totally bumbed to find that they all have less than desireable ratings I guess if we end up going the large apartment community route, we will have to arrange a short lease just in case.

[justlucy]

We are also considering a summer sublet to allow us to get to know the area before we commit to a year long lease. Has anyone done this with pets? If so, what was your experience? The hardest part about this move is that I will be particiating in a summer program, therefore, we need something for June and it looks like most of the rentals go up for either summer sublet May-Aug, or regular lease Aug+Sept.

[karochka]

 

 

The trouble with the apartment rating sites is that everyone goes on them to complain, therefore, after limiting my search to a few large complexes, I was totally bumbed to find that they all have less than desireable ratings I guess if we end up going the large apartment community route, we will have to arrange a short lease just in case.

 

Agreed -- what I did was read through the reviews.  People don't tend to lie about things like mice and roaches -- I was able to narrow down my searches by ditching places with overwhelmingly negative reviews, and figure out which problems we could live with.  

[kayrabbit]

kayrabbit-- I can't make any promises, but if you want me to check out one or two apartment complexes while I'm there in June, let me know! Maybe I can take pictures? 

 

To everyone else:  grad student organizations can be really helpful in finding places to live. Grad students will tell you which complexes to avoid, which neighborhoods are the most affordable, and more! 

That would be fantastic if you get the chance! If you happened to be near any of the units I'm hoping to inquire about through craigslist, it would be great to have some idea of what they actually look like and where they are located. I had time to visit one apartment complex in Greenbelt before flying back after the visit day, and it was nice but in a complex that has almost 3,000 units in 3-story buildings, so the stacked on top of each other apartment situation is definitely a drawback.

 

 

We would also love to live in a privately owned duplex or fourplex/townhouse and to avoid living in a large isolated apartment community, but like you said, there seems to be little resources for this sort of housing without actually scouting the area. I wonder if it would be of bad taste to offer to pay a student volunteer $100 or so to scout out for rent signs in the area when we get closer to our move date? I feel like even if we found something privately owned listed on craigslist, we would need someone to check it out for us before we agreed to anything anyways. Any thoughts?

I don't think it would be that bad — you could hire an undergrad to do it so it's less awkward than trying to arrange it with a current grad student (well, I would feel awkward about asking someone in the program to do it, but maybe that's just me). I feel the same way about finding something on craigslist — until you have seen the apartment in person, you really don't know what you're getting.

 

The trouble with the apartment rating sites is that everyone goes on them to complain, therefore, after limiting my search to a few large complexes, I was totally bumbed to find that they all have less than desireable ratings I guess if we end up going the large apartment community route, we will have to arrange a short lease just in case.

The one apartment I did visit in Greenbelt had some bad reviews about mildew and maintenance issues. While I was being shown units by someone from their office, I simply brought up those reviews in a polite, straightforward manner and asked whether those were issues I should expect to encounter. They can of course lie to you, but I feel like just hearing how they react to the question and what they say about the problems reviewers mentioned tells you a lot.

Edited March 26, 2013 by kayrabbit

[practical cat]

We would also love to live in a privately owned duplex or fourplex/townhouse and to avoid living in a large isolated apartment community, but like you said, there seems to be little resources for this sort of housing without actually scouting the area. I wonder if it would be of bad taste to offer to pay a student volunteer $100 or so to scout out for rent signs in the area when we get closer to our move date? I feel like even if we found something privately owned listed on craigslist, we would need someone to check it out for us before we agreed to anything anyways. Any thoughts?

 

 

The trouble with the apartment rating sites is that everyone goes on them to complain, therefore, after limiting my search to a few large complexes, I was totally bumbed to find that they all have less than desireable ratings I guess if we end up going the large apartment community route, we will have to arrange a short lease just in case.

I'd be willing to check out some things for you (for free) if you'd like.

[khyleth]

This may be common knowledge, but it's news to me: a website that pulls rental listings from Craigslist, ApartmentFinder, Postlets, Rent.com, PadLister, etc., and maps them:

 

https://www.padmapper.com/

[smellybug]

This may be common knowledge, but it's news to me: a website that pulls rental listings from Craigslist, ApartmentFinder, Postlets, Rent.com, PadLister, etc., and maps them:   https://www.padmapper.com/'>https://www.padmapper.com/

Helpful! Thanks!