Learn me: Moving Cross-Country

How to avoid berking jokers that do a poor job packing is the question I'd want to know how to answer. Last move, company that I hired into paid for packers and movers, and the packing guys did a really poor job. And it's like trying to manage a three ring circus, watching two guys pack a house, while another guy packs the garage. I ended up with a ton of stuff tossed into way too large of boxes in the garage and guys inside using next to no packing materials so a couple odd things got broken.

If I could do it over again, I would have packed everything myself, and not dealt with the "fun" of not knowing what is in each box or pulling broken things out of boxes when I got here.

Moving insurance sounds like a good idea. The details of the movers are still being worked out, but the basic idea is that they'll set us up with a company to pack and move. Based on this feedback, I'll have to either keep a close eye on them or pack myself (really hoping for the former!).

The motorcycle is probably a sell here, buy there situation. It's nothing special and one less thing to move. I'm really hoping to minimize my commute time, even if it means a <1000 sq ft house - we can live with something small.

As for driving - the Miata isn't too bad for long distances, and I'm hopeful that I can pick up a like-minded idiot friend in Ohio.

Anybody want a Focus ST?

just looked up the price of a house in Emeryville.

499.

So do you like not watch the flipping shows?

BoxheadTim wrote: Or do what someone on (IIRC) Garage Journal did - buy an old big rig with a 40' trailer, stuff your belongings in the back and drive across the country.

Don't get too old of a big rig. I think Cali bans them over a certain age.

In reply to lnlogauge:

LOL

that's not even the worst place I've seen.

We're more likely to end up in Oakland, assuming I can find somewhere that seems safe-ish

In reply to lnlogauge:

berkeley that noise.

Oakland is an interesting place. Had some friends buy a house/live there for awhile. I know the wife never really felt safe there, despite their neighborhood supposedly being one of the better ones....

Mirroring what others said:

Determine if mover costs are based on weight or size.

We moved couches. Dumb. Will never do it again.

I brought all my tools: smart. Tools are expensive and take up relatively little space.

Dressers are worth taking because you can stuff a lot of crap in them.

Desks are not worth taking. Desks are a dime a dozen. Same thing for most tables.

Car parts - ditch. Clothing that you haven't worn in years - ditch. Nick nacks? Ditch.

There was so much that we realized after the fact that we shouldn't have moved. There was also some stuff we sold that we shouldn't have, but when you're making good money, buy a used desk isn't a big deal.

Have you visited the area you will be looking to live?

Unless you will be living within 2 miles of work, Keep the motorcycle! It will be a life saver on a commute.

The next time I move across the town, let alone cross country, I'm having a giant garage/estate sale, followed by a trip to Goodwill.

I have so much crap that just never gets used. All of it pointless.

In reply to cmcgregor:

According to some of my acquaintences in the Bay Area, Oakland residents fall into two categories - was already mugged or robbed, or will be mugged/robbed.

Oh, and that fixer upper up there ^^ would probably be close to a million on the other side of the Bay.

In reply to MulletTruck:

Yep, especially as lane splitting is legal in CA.

You can pack yourself pretty easily if you have the time. Don't cheap out; buy proper packing supplies from U-HAUL or the like. Keep the receipts and tax-deduct them and/or submit them to your new employer for reimbursement.

You'll find what takes the longest are the little things you've accumulated.

BoxheadTim wrote: In reply to cmcgregor: According to some of my acquaintences in the Bay Area, Oakland residents fall into two categories - was already mugged or robbed, or will be mugged/robbed. Oh, and that fixer upper up there ^^ would probably be close to a million on the other side of the Bay.

Exactly. Right now crime is on a rise there. They have nothing to lose so they look for tourists and break into cars parked on the street.

The few times I have worked in Oakland were never a good experience. I dont know if there is a good spot there but I have never seen it yet. Im not a fan of the Bay Area.

We've established that it's expensive, that I will need to live in a smaller space, and that there are areas that are not nice. Thanks. We're moving there anyway.

I don't know what we'll have the time to do or not do, or if driving myself is possible, or how the whole thing is going to work out logistically. Honestly, I'm pretty nervous about it.

You'll be fine. I bet there are some really cool and underpriced areas in Oakland or other surrounding places, even in CA.

I live in a Chicago suburb that when mentioned to uppity 'like-to-pretend-to-be-rich-but-are-a-slave-to-the-bank' people they often shudder and look at me like "oh God no!"

I got the same thing when I used to live in Milwaukee proper. Sure, not all of Milwaukee is great, but quite a bit of it is great. Don't write off a whole area because of a name.

Some of the hottest areas in Denver right now are the places that 20-30 years ago also qualified for the "oh God no!" factor. Now the people who bought there then look like real estate geniuses.

Never underestimate the power of fear to reduce the price of the housing market. Haha.

Having lived in an area of Chicago that had a dangerous reputation, only to find it wasn't nearly as bad as it was cracked up to be, I'll echo Robbie's sentiments. I'm sure there is an affordable area that is safe.

Whereabout in San Fran will you be working?

pheller wrote: Whereabout in San Fran will you be working?

Not in San Fran proper, but in Emeryville, for this company

Science-y stuff

I work with lab robotics.

Forgive me if I'm a little sensitive, I do appreciate everyone's input but I've heard all the negative stuff from a lot of people - and I have to be positive if this whole thing is going to go well!

Ah so being in Oakland you'd actually be relatively close to work and in a somewhat more affordable area. All of that sounds good.

I think you'd be good to get an apartment super close to work, store your stuff in a storage unit, and just get the feel for the area.

When I moved to Flagstaff I got a small apartment on a 3-month lease, and I'm so glad I did because it gave me time to scope out the area.

You may find that your coworkers all live in a given area, and that you may want to live there too, or you may find all your coworkers WISH they lived in a certain area, and you may have increased freedom to get there first.

Packing supplies are nicely priced from Amazon as I recently found out. Getting a bunch of packing paper that doesn't already have newsprint ink on it, rubber bands of all kinds of sizes, and a couple kinds of packing blankets made that aspect so much easier. I hate having to stop what I'm doing to go get more of that junk; so much nicer to just have a bit too much and save it for next time or give it to a friend that needs moving supplies next time around.

Oh, one other thing: Figure out everything that you would cry if it broke. Things like a guitar, or Grandma's quilt--things that are irreplaceable.

Pack those things yourself, and move them yourself. For us, that was my guitars, the stereo (not irreplaceable, but it would be difficult as it is all vintage components), our "china" (even though we use it everyday), and our record albums--Oh, and the stuff we'd need in the next week clothing wise.

If its big and easy to replace, donate/sell it. Couches, hutches, bookshelves, heavy coats.

If its small and hard to replace, pack it. Everything else, see if it fits by priority, but you've at least found easy categories for all the big and/or important things.

I might also ask if the move is a reimbursement or a company-pay. When my buddy moved to Austin, it was a reimbursement. He made up a story about how his moving company was inexpensive but wanted payment up front so he provided estimates. They cut him a check which he used to buy a box truck. Then he sold the box truck in Austin and made his money back.

Or, if you have the capital, buy the truck and submit your own receipts for the moving expenses (within reason of course... don't buy a $20k box truck, or at least only submit for a logical amount commensurate with what a mover would have cost) Then, sell the truck and pocket the cash.

Robbie wrote: You'll be fine. I bet there are some really cool and underpriced areas in Oakland or other surrounding places, even in CA. I live in a Chicago suburb that when mentioned to uppity 'like-to-pretend-to-be-rich-but-are-a-slave-to-the-bank' people they often shudder and look at me like "oh God no!" I got the same thing when I used to live in Milwaukee proper. Sure, not all of Milwaukee is great, but quite a bit of it is great. Don't write off a whole area because of a name. Some of the hottest areas in Denver right now are the places that 20-30 years ago also qualified for the "oh God no!" factor. Now the people who bought there then look like real estate geniuses. Never underestimate the power of fear to reduce the price of the housing market. Haha.

Rockford?