For those of you moving out of state, how are you doing it logistically?

[Elana]

I'll be moving to Colorado to go to CSU this summer, looking to go at the beginning of
August. I'm coming from NY, and I don't have a car. Should I pack a couple of duffels and maybe ship a box or two? And where should I ship it to? I don't have furniture or anything, but all my clothes, shoes, sports equipment, blankets, winter gear will take up more than just a suitcase. Is it a huge deal to rent a uhaul, that seems like overkill to me at this point. Plus I've never driven more than say, 2 hours at a time.

What are the rest of you doing, if you are moving far away?

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[2bOT]

I'm moving 8 hours away and renting a uhaul. Thankfully, my parents will be helping me with the move. During undergrad I kept my stuff 50/50 at my parents house and my college apartment, but my college was only a 2 hour drive away. Now, I'll probably only be able to come home on long holidays by air, so that's not going to work so well! I'm also considering this a more permanent move, as I don't plan on returning to settle in my home state after graduation. I'm moving furniture though, and I'm a girlie girl with tons of clothes/shoes/STUFF that I can't part with, so my situation might be a little different than yours Have you thought about your plans after graduation? If you're going to return to NY and have a place to store the majority of your belongings for the time being, it might make more sense for you to to live small for the next 2 years to save the hassle of moving by shipping yourself what you can't fit into a few suitcases. If you can see yourself moving across the country permanently, I'd bite the bullet and get the major move over with this summer with a uhaul!

 

[OTdream]

Check out Pods. Although they're pricey- from Ny to San Francisco it is ab $3,000 for a 1 bedroom apt. But you don't have to ship it (and avoid the $3k). You can just keep it in the pod and if later you decide to ship it you can. Don't know how much it costs to just rent one without moving it though.

 

[OTlg2]

I will be moving about 5.5 hours away and I will have to rent a u-haul because I have lived on my own already and have furnishings and everything to move into my new apt. If I were you, I would check into how much it would cost to ship everything to your new place. I'm guessing it would be less than renting a u-haul since new york to Colorado is so far. Do you have a parent or family member that would drive you there? If you had a larger vehicle like a van or suv you may be able to fit everything in that. Or perhaps you could rent a vehicle just to drive over. Might also be cheaper than a u-haul and you wouldn't have to worry about finding a way to ship all of that.

 

[New Start]

Moving 23hr away (drive time): Uhaul is $850 + Gas, Enclosed Trailer is $400, Rental SUV w/ unlimited miles is $75 + gas (a day).

My bedroom set w/ matress is pb valued at $1500. To save the trouble of renting a Uhaul/enclosed trainer I'm just going to purchase everything new once arriving to Omaha.

Good luck on everyone's move!!!

 

[Elana]

wait, so with the SUV you can pick it up in your starting location and drop it off at your ending location? That's not so bad...$150...

 

[affa]

I know it's not a competition but I just wanted to write that if it were I would win! I am moving over 5,000 miles to go to school! From Hawaii to Philly.

For those who haven't moved often or to great distance before l want to warn you it is stressful. Really stressful. So don't be mad at yourself if you find it so.

Packing will take you about 3 times as long as you think it will. And you wont be able to do it perfectly.You will wish you brought things and regret bringing others. So, try your best but be gentle with yourself.

A technique I have found is to start with four containers. one container is move with, one container is for storing, one is garbage/goodwill and the last one is a "i'm not sure". Pick up every object only once and don't spend too much time on it. If you aren't sure if it is a keeper put it in the I'm not sure pile quickly. That pile of "i'm not sure" will be the most annoying but you will have quickly packed the most important stuff and the quantity of stuff you will want from keep from the "i'm not sure" pile will be informed by the total quantity of stuff you are keeping. And the carrying capacity of your boxes you can bring.

A couple of thoughs:

I have noticed on craigslist that some folks share U Hauls. Might be an idea? Maybe even this site could function for setting up ride/ UHaul shares?

I have found it OK to just ask everyone in my circle if they know anyone in the area I am moving to. Facebook is made for this. Often they will just invite me to stay with them for a little while when I first arrive or in the case of when I moved to Alaska for the summer they actually sent me a number from a flyer advertising housing in the exact area and price I was looking for. I was just able to go straight from the airport to my furnished room 2 blocks from school.

I plan on bringing one very large rolling suitcase, a hiking backpack for all my outdoor equipment and my bicycle in a box with all of my biking gear including panniers and tools inside the box. I always bring my good knives and will probably bring a couple of the ceramic pieces I have made that I like eating from and am proud of along with a pair a sheets and a blanket. I have always lived with roommates so I plan to move into a place that is mostly furnished. I have been pretty lucky so far in that respect. I am planning on sucking up the very last bits of summer and arriving in Philly just in time for my orientation. Honestly it is likely I will arrive the night before because I am a glutton for punishment. I will be staying with a friend of a friend that first week, then looking for housing during the time between orientation and when the semester starts 3 weeks later. In a perfect world I'll find something very quickly so I can run up to Montreal and visit my brother there for a while before the chaos starts.

 

[skchb]

A friend moved from NJ to Cali a few years ago. She shipped everything to the local UPS the week before. This way everything was there waiting for her.

 

[CurlyHairedGirl]

Greyhound Package Express Freight is good if you can put into one or two large packages (or duffles?) under a bus. You don't have to be travelling Greyhound, just be able to drop the packages off at a bus station and pick them up at a bus station on the other end.

Since Greyhound allows more baggage than flying, that's an option as well. I knew a guy who did NY to California on Amtrak with 3 huge boxes/bags when going to grad school.

Palletized less than load freight is another option. If you have four big boxes, and can tie them to a wooden pallet that would be an option. Try U-ship.com for a variety of quotes. For less than that, I'd go with Greyhound.

To find super strong large boxes, see if you know anyone who works at a computer data center and get some of the boxes their servers are shipped in.

 

[babycheeks]

I'm moving from TX to MA. I'm flying out July 15th. I rented a room in a house and it's all furnished. Just taking luggage anything else I need or want I can get in MA. I gave my things away to salvation army they came to pick it up you get a tax benefit too. It was all old stuff had it for the past 4 years of my bachelors. Some of the rest I left at my uncle house in boxes as safe storage. I don't have anything to worry over for uhauls, to costly.

 

[EastCoastHope]

Depends on where you'll be living. I'm going to be renting a room and will just bring bed linens, bath linens, a suitcase and a few duffle bags of stuff.

Am looking forward to living with less about 5.5 hours away from home.

Having worked in anothe field already for many years that involved spending time with "stuff", less is more. Truly!!!