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Have You Ever Moved States?
  • ChibikoChibiko
    Posts: 2,672Member
    It looks like we may be moving from Iowa to Minnesota. It's not a done deal yet but we are seriously considering it. Since I've only lived in the same town my entire life I need help. What do I need to think about when moving especially moving states? What's the best way to pack and then haul the stuff? Should I sell most of what we have now and buy new? What should I be thinking about/considering that I'm not?
    U R who U think U R

    "You were the truth I would rather lose than to have never lain beside at all"
  • OtakuHimeOtakuHime
    Posts: 357Member
    I've moved from Washington to Texas, from Texas to Arizona, and back home to Washington. Do you have a house picked out yet? What type of neighborhood do you want/need? Do you need a good school? These are the types of things you want to look at before you get there and are trapped in a bad neighborhood. Now that we have better internet access then when I was a kid, you can also check crime rates of specific areas of where you want to move. These are just a few ideas.
  • LA_PygmyHerderLA_PygmyHerder
    Posts: 1,239Member

    Well, I've moved from GA to MT and back to GA. The first time we moved in a pickup truck with a UHaul trailer. But that was me and 3 kids and we didn't have a lot. The moving back part the company that hired dh paid moving costs. So we had a mover, the truck, and the UHaul. This was for everything in the house, a dog, 2 cats, 3 kids, and 2 adults. The second move went smoother because the moving company packed everything. Unfortunately though, a lot of things broke (the company reimbursed us for the broken dishes and such) and they wouldn't do the animals or dh's ..ahem.. arsenal.


    UHaul sells some good quality moving boxes. Apple boxes from the grocery store are awesome too. I would do UHaul route. They're the cheapest truck by far. To move a whole house you'll need 2 trucks. And as for selling and replacing. Replace what you would have anyway. If you want new furniture, sell the old and buy new if you can. You'll also be surprised at the aquired junk. A lot of it you'll probably sell or donate as you're packing.

  • LadyBug0910LadyBug0910
    Posts: 233Member
    Moved from Indiana to Washington back to Indiana :-) uhaul and mayflower have good lists On their websites for moving states
  • MarySunshineMarySunshine
    Posts: 5,405Member
    We moved from NJ to MD a year ago May 1st. Maryland drivers aside, we love it down here.

    @Vela If you don't mind my asking, what area of MD? We're in Harford County about 20 minutes from Aberdeen Proving Ground and 30 minutes north of Baltimore (Grand Pubaa Scary Mommy country).
    I'm as sexy as a burp mid-kiss. Watch out!

  • OnmylastnerveOnmylastnerve
    Posts: 1,660Member
    I didn't actually move outta state but I could spit on the border from my house. We did a uhaul route we got rid of everything we didn't want to haul. But omg I am so excited! My sm bestie is moving closer to me!!!
    not my chair, not my problem
  • momsaidnomomsaidno
    Posts: 1,813Member
    Myself as a single from Maryland to Chicago to Pennsylvania to Maryland. Being married were thinking moving to South Carolina. But it will be a bitch. Not to sure yet about making that move.

  • FoulMouthedSailorFoulMouthedSailor
    Posts: 1,886Member
    @Chibiko Dw and I are from a small town near Hollock Minnesota (North west corner near Canada), are you moving to the Twin Cities area? I know Iowa can be cold, but Minnesota can be really really cold, so warm winter clothes are a must. And having a good 4x4 vehicle for winter, or at least a good dependable vehicle is a must. Minneapolis-Saint Paul has good public transit. Minnesotans are weird, or so they say. We "talk funny" and some times get hard to understand (My Chief Petty Officer says I'm not allowed to use a radio, he would rather speak to a Mexican). Also I've been told we sound sarcastic, we don't mean to sound like dicks.
    You show the lights that stop me turn to stone, You shine it when I'm alone. And so I tell myself that I'll be strong
    And dreaming when they're gone.
  • ChibikoChibiko
    Posts: 2,672Member
    Taxes... I didn't even think about that!

    We know where we would be moving to. It's my Grandmas house we'd be moving into.

    I'll have to check out the uhaul and mayflower sites

    We were discussing tonight about what we'd sell and just buy new. We get to paint the house inside whatever we want and our current furniture is hand me downs. Plus grandma left some stuff behind when she moved.

    Yay for moving closer to @onmylastnerve !
    U R who U think U R

    "You were the truth I would rather lose than to have never lain beside at all"
  • ChibikoChibiko
    Posts: 2,672Member
    @foulmouthedsailor we would be moving to a town straight west of Minneapolis.

    DH will have to get a new car. He has a tiny Toyota Turcel and I don't think it's safe in the winter. I drive a newer Toyota Sienna so I hope I'm good there.

    From what you said it seems that we'll have to bulk up on winter gear. Great point!
    U R who U think U R

    "You were the truth I would rather lose than to have never lain beside at all"
  • FoulMouthedSailorFoulMouthedSailor
    Posts: 1,886Member
    @Chibiko I'm not sure what those vehicles are :| By cold I mean sometimes it hovers in the 30s, some times in the teens, but most of all its the windchill(-temps with windchill). My grandparents said they Didn't get alot of snow this year, and what they did get melted pretty quick. I'm use to it, but some times the windchills a pain in the ass.
    You show the lights that stop me turn to stone, You shine it when I'm alone. And so I tell myself that I'll be strong
    And dreaming when they're gone.
  • GypsyMamaGypsyMama
    Posts: 617Member
    I had two Toyota Tercels in Colorado and they did great in the winter as long as they had good tires on them. Any front wheel drive car will be fine with good tires, snow tires even better and put some weight in the back, like three or four bags of kitty litter.

    Invest in good boxes and packing materials. Tape boxes securely. You'd be surprised how much things get shaken in a truck on a long trip. You can't put too much info on the outside of a box but always at least label with the room it came from.

    Pack a Quick Start box that has a set of sheets, towels, washcloths, dish towel, dishcloth, a pan or two, paper plates, plastic cups, plastic silverware, paper towels, etc. Things that you'll need the first night or two before everything gets unpacked. This will save trips to the store to buy this and thats of stuff you already have but is still packed. Those little trips can get really expensive quickly.
  • GypsyMamaGypsyMama
    Posts: 617Member
    And it's true about the taxes. Since we are in at least two states a year we pay Liberty Tax to do our taxes. They have done a good job of keeping track of the differing tax laws
  • bombkittybombkitty
    Posts: 306Member
    We've moved from FL to TX to SC, then to Italy, to AZ, and to Turkey.  I like having movers pack my boxes so they pay for what gets screwed up.  The Quick Start box is a must!  Otherwise you'll be opening boxes all night.  UHaul has quality boxes if you do decide to pack yourself, and any boxes you buy but don't use they will buy back.  They have tape, packing, markers, all that stuff.
  • BeerWenchBeerWench
    Posts: 2,844Member
    Moved 36x... I'll be back to write more :)
    :¦:-•:*'""*:•.-:¦:-•** She who leaves a trail of glitter is never forgotten**•-:¦:-•:*'""*:• -:¦:-
  • Jjva
    Posts: 47Member
    I've moved more times than I would like to count. What I would suggest is being VERY clear about what is in boxes....after driving and moving, you're not going to remember your own shorthand. Separate must haves into different boxes than nice to haves (I.e. Toothpaste and tampons vs. Pictures for the wall and your high school yearbook.). Then, if you are packing your own uhaul, put the nice to haves in first and the must haves all at the end. That way, you can separate when you unpack. I put all the nice to haves in one room and the must haves in another.

    Then two years later when I haven't opened one of the nice to have boxes, I might actually throw it away. :)
  • ChibikoChibiko
    Posts: 2,672Member
    A starter box is a fantastic idea!

    Adding it to my ever growing list. :)
    U R who U think U R

    "You were the truth I would rather lose than to have never lain beside at all"
  • BeerWenchBeerWench
    Posts: 2,844Member
    Pack one box with sheets, tp, towels, spare clothes, meds, toiletries. Put it in your car.

    I've had two moving trucks wreck and lost everything once.
    :¦:-•:*'""*:•.-:¦:-•** She who leaves a trail of glitter is never forgotten**•-:¦:-•:*'""*:• -:¦:-
  • AloneOverseasAloneOverseas
    Posts: 2,252Member
    Great time for a yard sale! But don't get rid of it if you still use it unless you plan to upgrade.

    Quick box is a must.

    Any animals? Contact your vet to make arrangements. IA to MN isn't a huge move driving time, so taking animals in the car with you might be ok. For long moves we have flown them up while we drove. If the pets are microchipped, remember to update their address, too.

    Remember to put in your forwarding address with our post office. Notify schools and doctors so records can be transferred. Any mail subscriptions, give them a onth's notice if you can. Stop newspapers early. Contact utility companies in IA and MN to start/stop services, remember TV, water, Internet, gas, electric, phone, cell phones, ...
    I love purple; I love cats. Imagine if cats were purple ...
  • runbitchrunrunbitchrun
    Posts: 907Member
    Now you guys are making me think... CA to NV to VA and hopefully back to CA...
  • GypsyMamaGypsyMama
    Posts: 617Member
    I'm still the winna! Stopped counting at 40 moves and that was before getting into the RV which don't count as moves just one big vacation. It doesn't count when you don't have to pack one box. I have finally solved my chronic moving problem. It now takes us an hour and a half and we are gone!
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