How do most OOS move to their new place?

[Demilaax]

Ok so I plan on driving to Chicago, and staying at a motel for few days to find an apartment. My current concern is how long it will take the apartment I'm moving into to clear my credit/background... I'd hate to spend too much money on motels. I want to see if i can call and apply, but I would really rather go and see the place with my eyes. What's the best plan?

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[ktran17]

Most people normally get all the paper work done before they move to the actual state. You can either fly to the state and check out apartments or you can look at pictures online. I for one am living in the dental fraternity house, so that's a little bit different.

I will be purchasing a one way ticket to the OOS school. From there, I will be buying all new furniture. I will only be bringing my clothes with me onto the plane. The rest of the stuff, I'm having my parents ship via UPS or USPS. If you crunch the numbers, most of the time it's actually cheaper to buy new furniture as opposed to moving it.

 

[Longcatislong]

I sold all my furniture already, and will be driving to my new state with only what fits in my car. I hope to find a furnished, short-term rental until I find suitable permanent housing. I'll buy furniture off Craigslist or a local Ikea w/ a rental truck.

 

[dieanotherday]

driving 14 hours 1 way in a 14 foot rental truck while towing a car containing my 2 cats
not fun.

 

[kingenamel]

driving 14 hours 1 way in a 14 foot rental truck while towing a car containing my 2 cats
not fun.

not fun at all. best of luck!

 

[Sublimazing]

I've had to do big moves like this a couple of times. Here are my tips

1.) Bring as little as possible...don't pack your furniture, start fresh. I brought my clothes and my TV (my most beloved item). Buy those Vacuum packs for your clothes...they work like crazy! Invest in a nylon roof attachment and you can fit all your clothes up there, and some of the bigger stuff in your shaggin-wagon.

2.) If you're driving far, invite a friend...make it a road trip, pay for all the gas and just have them buy a 1way ticket home...makes for a great time and a way easier drive/move. I drove from Chicago to SoCal and we hit all the sweet hot-spots along the way (Boulder, Las Vegas, Death Valley)

3.) Try to find a place that will do a month to month lease...even better if you rent just a room from someone (as the house/apt will be otherwise furnished). You can usually do this over the internet, and you're only going to be there 1-2months so you don't have to toil over selecting a perfect match...just choose somewhere with a landlord that won't use an ether rag to sedate and then rape you

4.) Drive out with the bare essentials and spend 1-2 months in your rented room and get a feel for your schedule/geography so that you can make an informed decision on where to live for the next 1-4 years. Even in a weekend of house hunting you may find a place you like only to discover that EVERYONE else lives in another part of town, or that you didn't realize how often you'd have to ride the train, or you need to be closer to Chik-Fil-A because their ice cream gives you a food boner

Made my life a heck of a lot easier following this routine...if you have no friends, a family, or furniture you cannot get rid of then you're looking at making it a lot more difficult.

Good luck, and may god have mercy on your soul.

 

[Ferneezy]

my place will be sold next week. when i finally move i'm leaving/donating all my furniture (including my tv) and throwing my clothes and a toothbrush in a bag before the ten hour drive to my home for the next four years. subletting a place through august will give me a chance to see if i like it enough to commit to it long-term. if it doesn't work out, it should be just as easy for me to move elsewhere as it was to get in.

if i dig it, i'll dig in and rebuild for some semblance of home comfort before neurohistobiochemicalcraniofacial science hell takes over my life.

 

[Dr.PetesAFDDS]

Buy furniture wherever you go. I work at my family business (furniture stores, conveniently), so I will be bringing my own furniture only because that's much cheaper for me. If you check with a Uhaul, you can get fairly reasonable rates if you are booking far in advance, but that's hit or miss depending on if it's their busy season.

 

[Cheburashka]

driving 14 hours 1 way in a 14 foot rental truck while towing a car containing my 2 cats
not fun.

I'm in the same boat, driving 34 hours in a truck with car towed, one cat, one parakeet and a husband. Completed all the paperwork with the apartment complex, but we still don't know which and if the apartment we want will be available. This makes me a bit nervous considering that the move is in 2 months.

 

[Ferneezy]

I'm in the same boat, driving 34 hours in a truck with car towed, one cat, one parakeet and a husband. Completed all the paperwork with the apartment complex, but we still don't know which and if the apartment we want will be available. This makes me a bit nervous considering that the move is in 2 months.

coming in from mexico city?

 

[dieanotherday]

I'm in the same boat, driving 34 hours in a truck with car towed, one cat, one parakeet and a husband. Completed all the paperwork with the apartment complex, but we still don't know which and if the apartment we want will be available. This makes me a bit nervous considering that the move is in 2 months.

it is so hard to plan with apartment living as they don't know anything until 30 days to the date that you want

 

[SpartanWolverine]

I signed a one-year lease over the internet without ever seeing my new place (on the recommendation of another student). Lets hope it works out well; I'm moving in a month.

 

[dieanotherday]

I signed a one-year lease over the internet without ever seeing my new place (on the recommendation of another student). Lets hope it works out well; I'm moving in a month.

me too!

 

[Glimmer1991]

I'm not even OOS, but it's really bothing me not to know if my chosen living accommodations will actually pan out. I'm wanting to move into my apartment during July or early August, but they don't yet know if they will have anything open. However, my boyfriend and I are in slots 1 and 2 on the waiting list, so SURELY something will open up...

I hope I find out next month!

 

[Cheburashka]

coming in from mexico city?

Ha ha, no Ferneezy, I'll be driving from Ann Arbor to Seattle, it's a looooong haul

 

[ToothbrushBuddy]

Moving tip of the day: I just wanted to let you all know that I found out today that moving truck rental companies will get into a bidding war to keep your business! I made a reservation with two different companies and they both offered drastically lower rates just because I called to cancel because I had found a cheaper rate else-where.