Moving across country - Budgetary Numbers?

I routinely get calls from headhunters / recruiters, been an expert in the test field for some time now. Last call I got was for a lab management position out in silicon valley (CA). I throw out my usual high salary requirements & they dont flinch. Dang.

One of the areas I need to research is the cost of moving from Detroit to CA. Without me signing up on a bunch of websites, anyone have an ballpark idea on what a 2K sq-ft house costs to move? $7500? 10K?

I know the movers scam, btw. They quote you a low price, pickup your stuff, then charge you a higher fee when they have it. Need to weed those guys out as well.

Anyway, if anyone knows, it'd be the GRM crew.

thanks Kendall

I would think the Grassroots method would be a UHaul...

But, then again, my last move was accomplished with my in-laws' trailer in an afternoon.

Come on Kendall, it has to be a U-Haul, I'd be disappointed in anything else! Forget moving across country, I moved continents with a total of two backpacks. I then brought the rest of my crap over piece meal on trips back. Admittedly my tools and welder are still over there, but you don't need to pay much to move.

Well, I'm not paying :) I figure if the Company wants to move my house in style, I'll move the shop bits u haul style. just need a number to give the CO.

KJ

Kendall_Jones wrote: Well, I'm not paying :)

Cool, is this a done deal or exploratory? What happens to the shop?

Kendall_Jones wrote: I throw out my usual high salary requirements & they dont flinch. Dang.

Just checking but do you really know how much more expensive it is to live there compared to Michigan? It is singinficant and therefore the pay raise has to be significant just to get even.

I have moved a friend from NJ to Ok... that was a fun trip behind the wheel of an 18foot ryder truck pulling a 12 foot Uhaul trailer.

jrw1621 wrote:

Kendall_Jones wrote: I throw out my usual high salary requirements & they dont flinch. Dang.

Just checking but do you really know how much more expensive it is to live there compared to Michigan? It is singinficant and therefore the pay raise has to be significant just to get even.

Believe me, its enough to make me think about it. Michigan is not that inexpensive to live in (at least where I'm at). Everything is exploratory right now, but I just need to round up some relocation numbers to toss that back at them.

thanks, KJ

If the new company will pay for the whole move then just hire the pros and have them do the whole job.
If you want to be a bit more GRM about the whole thing, I have heard good things about this company.
http://www.upack.com
http://www.abfs.com
A small semi trailer arrives at your house.
The trailer stays there for 3 days while you load it yourself or hire their hourly laborers.
You pay by the foot for the space that you use-pack high (you can get two trailers if needed)
You then place the secured divider in place and lock it with your own padlock.
When the trailer arrives at your new house you have 3 days to unload it.

It you have a partial trailer, the empty portion will likely be loaded with a few pallets of dry goods being shipped to a business or factory near your new home to be dropped off along the way.

I'm a big fan of the POD. I used one for a local move, but they also do long distance, if needed. I like the whole load and unload at your leisure deal.

Per

I picked up and moved everything I own in the back of my aspire. Cost me about 60 dollars in fuel....

YMMV....

So does that mean us GRM leaches need to have a super sweet going away party at your shop?

John Brown wrote: So does that mean us GRM leaches need to have a super sweet going away party at your shop?

Not yet, oh wait, why not. Even if I dont go I cant say no to a party (cue Jackass party boy music :)

FWIW, I have a dyno day this Saturday & Next Saturday. I think they are mostly full but always room for spectators....

Kendall

If they are coming to you, the move is part of the deal - either in sign on bonus or just flat out paid by company - moving co. packs & unpacks - company should want your talent to themselves - not your diverted attention to relocation and logistics issues. Cost is likely in the 10k range from what I've seen of some moves in our company.

Make sure the headhunter is a direct employee of whoever it is you are being hired by. My buddy was wooed by a third party head hunter to an Aerospace engineering contractor in Texas. He was told 80k-100k starting salary. When my buddy was interviewing with his future boss, he made him come up with a number for what he wanted to start at, so he conservatively threw out 80k. The guy nearly spit out his drink and mentioned that HE barely made that. Needless to say, headhunters will say whatever they have to to get you to an interview. In another low move of his, he asked for several coworkers contact info for references. My buddy gave my number (with my permission), but the guy wasn't interested in references, he was just wanting more numbers for other engineers to woo. He left a message on my machine that my boss could overhear. NOT good.

jrw1621 wrote:

Just checking but do you really know how much more expensive it is to live there compared to Michigan? It is singinficant and therefore the pay raise has to be significant just to get even.

I spent some time in Silicon Valley back in 2001... while I know things have changed a bit since then, the cost of living out there is so much higher than here in NJ/PA (not exactly cheap), that it was staggering. Housing was about triple for the equivalent size. Besides that, everything cost more... food, gas, etc...

From what I can tell, to maintain my current living standard, a move from PA/NJ to NorCal would require doubling my salary. At least.

Kendall_Jones wrote:

jrw1621 wrote:

Kendall_Jones wrote: I throw out my usual high salary requirements & they dont flinch. Dang.

Just checking but do you really know how much more expensive it is to live there compared to Michigan? It is singinficant and therefore the pay raise has to be significant just to get even.

Believe me, its enough to make me think about it. Michigan is not that inexpensive to live in (at least where I'm at). Everything is exploratory right now, but I just need to round up some relocation numbers to toss that back at them.

Be careful about that, though. My wife used to work in Mountain View, I used to go out there on a regular basis.

House prices there have me scared, and I used to live in London which has amongst the highest prices for housing world wide. Even a converted rabbit hutch is going to cost you big time unless you're willing to commute quite far.

Traffic is murder unless you can use the high occupancy lane (IIRC bikes are allowed in there) and everything else is CA prices.

Although I know there's work out there for me I'm trying to give CA a miss for the time being.

Ian F wrote:

jrw1621 wrote:

Just checking but do you really know how much more expensive it is to live there compared to Michigan? It is singinficant and therefore the pay raise has to be significant just to get even.

I spent some time in Silicon Valley back in 2001... while I know things have changed a bit since then, the cost of living out there is so much higher than here in NJ/PA (not exactly cheap), that it was staggering. Housing was about triple for the equivalent size. Besides that, everything cost more... food, gas, etc...

From what I can tell, to maintain my current living standard, a move from PA/NJ to NorCal would require doubling my salary. At least.

I know that theres no way I can sell my house in MI for what I owe. I'd have to rent (or short sale) my house here & probably rent one out there (no way I could buy). Looking in the outskirts I can find house rentals that are similar to my mortgage.

Its probably a 25% more cost of living increase (separate of housing), but the numbers are enough to make me think about it.

Thanks for the leads above. The ABF one seems pretty reasonable. :)

Kendall

If you are saying that you think you will see a 25% cost of living increase I think you are grossly undersetimating. My guess would be 40%.

Yes, I know Oakland County. I worked in Detroit for 5 years (1998-2003.)

jrw1621 wrote: If you are saying that you think you will see a 25% cost of living increase I think you are grossly undersetimating. My guess would be 40%. Yes, I know Oakland County. I worked in Detroit for 5 years (1998-2003.)

At double my current salary, is it really an issue? :) My current health insurance costs more than my mortgage :(

KJ

My move in 2003 from St. Thomas to North Bay, ON (5 1/2 hour drive) was $6500 CAD, so I would think a move from Detroit to California would definitely be more like the $10K range even in US$.

Agreed, double is good!
Good Luck landing the job.

One of the places that I hate the most for traffic is I-75 between Pontiac and I-696 (thru Troy) with a traffic accident. If you are willing to accept that as "normal" traffic then you will be okay with CA.

Well, dang. 3 interviews later & I'm out to San Jose next week for a tour.

Had 3 moving companies quote shipping the house. 8-10K seemed to be the norm (they load & drive). I didnt mention the 10K sq-ft shop w/ dyno yet ;)

KJ

My daughter just moved from L.A. and my son from Napa Valley due to cost of living. I realize that's not Silicon Valley but so many of the disadvantages of Cali travel to Silicon Valley as well.

Both were making low 6 figures and living not much better than when they were in college here in Texas. They still had to have room mates to get a decent place to live.

You do know they have an state income tax in Cali don't you? Last year my daughter got an IOU for her refund that wasn't good to deposit till December.

Double your income might still not net you a positive income flow. Gas is more expensive, food is more expensive, housing is absolutely outrageous, everything you do will cost you more. The state is bankrupt and so they have raised taxes on everything.

I used Upack. it was about 1200 to move from OH to Co.