This isn’t an all-inclusive list, but the things I considered when I made the move from the East Coast to the West Coast…and then back again 😉

JUST HOW MUCH BAGGAGE DO YOU HAVE?

Can you get rid of anything? Assess what you have and then assess what you need (“NEED”). Here are some options depending on whether you have a little or a lot.

Check your baggage (10 bags for $250 + Airfare)

Consider flying with Southwest or Virgin America.  If you plan on flying directly to your new home, check out these baggage fees (other fees included for your convenience, directly from their website).  Did you know that if you have 10 pieces of luggage, weighing up to 50 pounds each, that it would only cost you $250 to check those bags if you fly on Virgin!?

Virgin America

Ticketing Fees

• Non-refundable ticket change fee: $75-$100 depending on destination
• Cancellation of Reservation: $75-$150 depending on route
• Same day change fee: $25-$50
• Reservation by phone fee: $20
• Unaccompanied minor fee: $75-$125

Baggage Fees

• Carry on bag: Free
• First checked bag: $25
• Second checked bag: $25
• Additional bags fee (up to 10): $25 each
• Oversize bags: $50
• In-cabin pet fee: $100

Southwest

Ticketing Fees

• Non-refundable ticket change fee: Free
• Same day change fee: None but any fare difference will apply
• Reservation by phone fee: Free
• Unaccompanied minor fee: $50

Baggage Fees

• Carry on bag: Free
• First checked bag: Free
• Second checked bag: Free
• Additional bags fee: $50 each for 3-9 bags; $110 each for more
• Oversize bags: $75
• In-cabin pet fee: $75

 

Road-trip it (~$360 in fuel (zip code 32801 to 90028) + Hotels + TIME):

I want the fastest and most efficient way to get somewhere, but…check out THIS SITE to plan your road-trip…enter Point A and Point B, your car’s year/make/model, and it’ll give you an estimate of how much fuel you’ll spend and how long it’ll take you.

Try Furkot if you’re interested in doing some fun things along the way.  This site gives you tips on where to stay depending on your route. Plus, it helps you plan the perfect route for your trip and you can even log how much you prefer to drive per day, so you can see what the best places are to stop.  This is a great option if you’ve got some vacation time, some friends to visit along the way, and enough space in your car for all of your baggage.  I don’t think I would have been able to fit 10 suitcases in my car , so the flight option would have been better for me.

Portable Moving Containers (U-PACK Relocubes ($2000 -$3000 / cube + movers)):

U-PACK is a company that offers portable moving/storage containers that are ~300 cubic feet large.  You pack it up yourself, lock it up with your own lock, and they will pick up the container and ship it to your destination.  I used this when I move from Orlando, FL to Los Angeles, CA and it was so easy.  If you can fit your belongings in the “relocube” then you can ship it, there wasn’t any weight limit imposed. I think the cube can hold up to 2,500 pounds technically, but no one weighed my stuff.  The nice thing is you can get an instant quote online and there’s really no surprise when it comes to moving day.  Whether or not you fill that bad boy up, you’re paying that quoted price.  Just be mindful that you are loading and unloading it yourself.  I hired some movers when I got to LA but I had friends and family to help in Orlando.

TIP: mark off a part of your house/apartment to prepare a mock-move.  The Relocube’s internal dimensions are: ~70″ x 82″ x 93″ (DWH), so use tape to mark off those dimensions (see mine attempt below) and make sure you have enough space to move everything.  Just because your total cubic feet is less than 300, you don’t want to play Tetris the day the container is dropped off for you.

Full-service moving companies (???):

So this is the option I’m going with for my move back to Orlando from Los Angeles! Instead of dealing with movers to load a relocube, pay for a relocube, and then movers to unload, I’m just going to use one company to do it all.  I’m still pricing things out, but it’s depends on how much you’re moving.  Be mindful if your quote is by the weight or space.  I personally prefer paying by the space, since it’s much easier for me to measure it out myself and have a nice ballpark idea of the total moving expenses.  If you are paying by the weight, you’re really going to find out once they take your stuff and go to an actual weigh station.  Other things you want to bear in mind when researching a full-service mover:

• Ask for their Department of Transportation (DOT) number (it’s usually on their website) and do some research online @ https://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/ and BBB to look up complaints.
• Do a simple google search on them and any of the names they may be doing business as (“DBA”) for any inconsistencies or bad reviews.
• Know that if a business is “BBB Accredited” it means they paid for that accreditation.  Just because they are non-accredited, it’s not a bad thing. Check their rating.
• Take an inventory of what you have first- they will ask for this in order to generate a quote for you.
• Know exactly what is in your quote (e.g. door-to-door transportation, loading and unloading for ___ feet, free furniture wrapping, any supplies?).  Be mindful of additional fees for long-carry (depends on how far the end of the truck is in relation to your front door); fees for going up and down stairs, and additional packing materials.
• Ask the company what they require to be packed up and how.  For instance, all the moving companies I’ve spoken to require all mattresses to be covered with a mattress bag.  If you don’t already have one, they’ll use their own, and you’re stuck paying whatever they charge.  Purchase any packing materials beforehand unless you know and agree with their pricing! Plus, if there’s any smaller things you can pack and get out of the way, do it.  I paid for a full-service move from Hollywood to Marina Del Rey, and the process was painstakingly long because the movers took their time packing up stuff I either didn’t care about or didn’t need anything more than a moving blanket.

 

WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR CAR?

SHIP IT- I shipped my car with Acme Car Shipping (Orlando to LA = $1300- $1500) based off a friend’s referral.  Do your research on the company!  I didn’t have any problems, and the car was in the same shape that I left it.  Also, it showed up on the date promised.  If you’re willing to pay less and take a chance on when you’ll receive your car, then that’s your call.  I went with them for peace of mind. Plus, the sooner I got my car, the sooner I could return my rental.

SELL IT- With only two months left in Los Angeles 🙁 , I decided to sell my car before it was paid off. The cost to ship that thing back and carry a depreciating asset did not make any sense to me.  Before you sell, check the KBB value of your vehicle so you have an idea of it is worth and you don’t get completely sheisted!  I looked into three different options:

1. Trade-in to the dealer for a new car: the dealership said they could ship my new car for less than $800 and depending on the final deal we negotiated, this may have been a decent option.  They weren’t willing to trade it in for a good price given how many miles I’ve driven, and I wasn’t sold on what car I wanted yet.
2. CarMax: The entire appraisal process was super fast and easy, and the price was good (I had positive equity!).  Offer is good for seven days.  Consider going to different CarMax locations- they may offer you different prices depending on your car and the location you’re in.
3. Trade-in Solutions: This place was the fucking winner, for sure.  They offered me more than CarMax and boasted about their quick pay-off process (~2-3 days as opposed to Car Max’s 10 days I believe). If you don’t sell your car to them within the first 24 hours of their first appraisal, they will automatically reduce their offer by $200-300 (offer good for seven days).  Just be prepared to sell when you go in, but the process was smooth and EXTREMELY easy.  My loan was paid off in a matter of days, and they cut me a check for the difference the day I went in.  So here’s a shameless plug to use them.

There’s a fourth option of selling it yourself, which I did not explore. As soon as I heard the advice “Make sure you only accept cash” and “Have  stipulations if they crash the car”, I said “NFW”.

TAX DEDUCTION

If your employer doesn’t reimburse you or take care of your moving expenses, then consider this.

If you’ve met the Distance and Time test (check here), then you can deduct ELIGIBLE moving expenses on your tax return.  There are SPECIFIC instructions on what you can deduct, so just be sure to keep all of your receipts and track everything.  Get your form on the IRS website- Form 3903. Expenses must be reasonable and necessary for your move (e.g. mileage on your car if you drive, storage if your new place is not available upon arrival, boxes, moving company….).   As long as you’ve tracked your (a) shipping and storage costs; (b) travel, lodging, and gas costs; and (3) any employer reimbursements, then you can fill out your form.  You don’t need a tax professional to help you unless you have questions on eligible expenses.  Unfortunately, that’s not me.

PACKING TIPS

• Pack and clearly mark one box “NEW MOVE SURVIVAL KIT” – pack some paper towels, toilet paper, disinfectant wipes, scissors, a box cutter, candle and lighter, and your chargers.  Also consider packing a shower curtain/liner and a towel! 🙂 If you’re not  like me and expect to unpack everything in the first day, then you’ll definitely want to make sure you have all of the essentials ready to unpack the first box in.
• Don’t pack your medicines – bring them with you in case you lose your luggage or the moving company doesn’t arrive on time.
• Use your suitcases instead of boxes and towels as padding.
• Pack your shot glasses with newspaper and store in a Christmas ornament storage box.
• Label your boxes – indicate what room things go into, and I usually like to put a quick inventory of what’s inside the box on the inside flap of the box.
• Use wardrobe boxes to ship clothes on their hangers and stuff the bottom of those boxes with shoes (in bags so your clothes don’t smell like shoes), or handbags.
• Invest in good boxes and tape – don’t skimp on your packing supplies in general, but don’t skimp out on these. You wouldn’t want your boxes busting open mid-move!

 

OTHER TIPS

• Set a calendar reminder to update your address for credit cards, shopping sites, etc.
• Arrange for mail forwarding through the US Postal Service.
• Arrange for cable and internet installment to come to the new place the day of the move!
• Cancel/Set-up other utilities- especially power to turn on before you get there. Duh.
• If you need to rent a car, sign up ahead to get on their preferred lists to skip the lines!! I made the mistake of NOT doing that, and ended up standing in line at Dollar RAC for like two freakin’ hours!!!! The line for their Dollar Express Queue was like 3 people deep at all times.  Wah wah…
• Book enough time off before and after the move to get adjusted.  Something always comes up, and your stuff could possibly come later than expected.
• Pack and bring enough clothes/stuff with you for a week.  Pack as if you’re going on vacation for a week in case you face delays with your move.
• Make sure you schedule out your doctor appointments and check-ups before you move if you don’t anticipate having time to find them right away when you move.
• Consider getting a credit card that offer points for travel, so you can go back and visit often!
• And most importantly….Make the last days with your friends and family worth every minute before you go!!

I hope this has been a helpful read to get you started on your next big move. Thanks for the read!!