Due to a painful set of circumstances, I’m going to be moving out of state soon. Way out of state. As in from the southwest US to somewhere around Wisconsin.
Making preparations, but I wouldn’t mind some advice from folks who’ve actually done this sort of thing. Packing tips? I’m not going to do a UHaul, so any moving companies you’d like to recommend? Any you’d avoid? Animal transport services?
Great advice from Nava. The “open first” boxes are dead on. Put cleaning products into an “open first” box.
Also use this opportunity to cull out old crap you’ve been keeping and don’t need/want. Don’t just pack stuff randomly. Look at it and figure out if you’re really going to use it again. If not, sell it or give it away. There are charities, free recycling groups, all sorts of ways to offload stuff that’s still usable but you no longer want. Don’t bring that box that you haven’t opened in 5 years since your last move! (unless of course it has your old winter clothes which you didn’t need in the southwest but sure will need in Wisconsin!)
The other things to consider are turning your old utilities off and new utilities on (assuming you’re moving to a new apt or house that is not occupied). Change of address at your post office. If you’re moving somewhere completely new to you, find a good source of info as where the basics are.
Good luck!
Follow Nava’s excellent advice.
If you have the time, take the opportunity to weed your belongings. Consider your wardrobe, books, and tchotchke: If you haven’t used/worn/displayed them in more than six months, ask yourself whether you really still want them. Don’t move anything just because you have it around.
Similarly, appliances and furniture: If they’re showing signs of excessive wear, it may be cheaper, and more effective to simply ditch the old and replace when you’re in your new location. Electronics that are starting to go may well not survive a move.
Not just for books, but for everything: seriously think about how heavy the box is going to be. “Large” moving boxes are really just for blankets, pillows, and clothes. All books and dishes should go in “Small” ones–better yet, put your dishes in Dish Packs.
I have always used United and haven’t had problems.
That “open first” box should contain basics to help you get by for a day or two. I’d add toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, and plastic silverware to that box.
Carry a stash of cash for unexpected incidences and expenses. You’ll always get them. Or else have a credit card with extra room on it to charge this sort of expense.
Get refills of any prescriptions you have now. It will be one less thing to have to worry about right away when you get to Wisconsin.
If you’re driving a car there, get the car checked over now, and take care of any problems that you’ve been putting off if possible. Tell the mechanic you’re driving cross country, and get the oil changed, belts and hoses checked, transmission serviced, etc. Breaking down in the middle of nowhere with 3 yowling cats and 2 hungry kids is no fun.
It seems to me that Wisconsin had some sort of weird law about registering a car from out of state. They want you to pay sales tax on the original value when you bought it, rather than current value, or something like that. Contact the Wisconsin DMV to find out. I may be all wrong on this, and maybe some WI dopers can correct me or clarify this. I’d hate to get hit with a big bill like this when you expect to pay only $100 or so to get your Wisconsin tags.
Carry a notebook, and make a list of all the things you have to do - utilities to shut off, banks and insurance agents and doctors to notify, that sort of thing. You always think of them when you’re out doing something - this gives you a way to write it down before you forget it.
If possible, color code the boxes according to what room they go into. You don’t need anything exotic - labeling them with a colored marker when you write the contents will do. It will make things simpler for the movers to unpack at the other end if they know “Blue is the bathroom, red is the kitchen, black goes in the corner at the back of the living room”, etc.
If you have extra fragile stuff to pack, like great-great-great-grandma’s china that came over on the Mayflower, consider letting the movers pack that. They do this for a living, and if it breaks, it’s their responsibility. Or at least get their input on how to pack it.
Talk to your vet about how to transport the animals. Dogs usually love car rides - cats, not so much. A vet can prescribe something to tranquilize a pet and make the ride easier. Three days of driving with a yowling cat would get on anyone’s nerves. But think about trying the tranquilizer on the animal well ahead of time. A friend got some from his vet for his cats, and gave it to them just before a 12 hour drive. Turns out one of the cats was allergic to the stuff. Again, consult with your vet on this!
The suggestion to thin your possessions is a great one. The last time we moved, we moved way too much stuff and junk, and we only went 30 miles. I would hate the idea of trying to move now, and we’ve only been in this place for 14 years. Consider 3 groups when you’re sorting - one for things you use every day, and have to have. Next is things you use reasonably often, or are hard to replace, or great sentimental value. Last is stuff that gets used once a year, or is easy to replace, or is worn or damaged, or is bulky and hard to move. Group 1 goes without question. Group 2 probably goes, and group 3 probably gets thrown away or sold or donated.
Oh, one last thing - apparently, movers expect tips at the end of the job. When we moved, the 2 guys hung around forever when the work was done, and I couldn’t figure out why. I offered them beer, and that was accepted well enough, but they waited even longer. I only found out why later, probably after I was cursed and badmouthed all the way back to their office.
I moved with a “you pack it, we drive it” company and had a good experience. Much better than UHaul, IMHO. I used ABF U-Pack. The trick is to lad the trailer as high as possible to use as little room as possible. They were pretty reasonable, and my stuff arrived on time and in good condition.
If you’ve got time when you’re packing and are of the over organizing bent, a spreadsheet of what’s in each box is awesome. It’s actually most valuable for the boxes of stuff that you don’t use every day, that will likely be unpacked last. When you finally need “The Idiots guide to Plumbing repair” it’s good to know which of the 20 boxes of unpacked books it’s in.
Other than that I’ve got nothing to add to Nava’s great advice.
Small boxes. Seriously. Only use medium or large boxes for very light things. Even clothing gets heavy after a while. My boyfriend and I actually each have a full set of luggage so we were able to pack most our clothes in suitcases. But, every other time I’ve moved, I’ve ended up using large boxes for clothes and found out after I was done just how heavy t-shirts are. This time we used mostly small boxes with very few medium and only 1 large (comforters). Even with 2 bad arms I was able to lift every box. The guys wouldn’t LET me, but I could.
If it’s available where you are and where you’re going, I’d recommend PODS. We used them for our move last year and we absolutely loved them.
If you can, get utilities set up before you move. It really sucks to try to unpack with no lights. Find out before you move what local places deliver food. You’re probably not going to want to cook much until you’re settled in. If you know what’s available before you get there, you save yourself the hassle when you’re hungry and tired.
Use garbage bags with handles for clothes, bedding, towels, and an other fabrics. Much easier than boxes.
True. Unless you’re using said fabrics as cushioning for breakables. I had picture frames and other fragile things stashed between my layers of folded stuff.
Bingo. In fact, don’t put more than 5 books in a box. That sounds foolish, but they get REALLY heavy.
For some reason, people leave the bathroom and bedroom to pack last, and they’ve run out of boxes. There is a TON of shit in your bathrooms and bedrooms. Start there first, and liberally throw things away you haven’t used in 1-2 years.
Never, EVER think to yourself “Oh, all that small stuff can fit in my car.” Do you know how many trips to your car you need to take in order to get ALL that small stuff? Pack it up.
Do not look at a desk or a dresser - or, more specifically, the stuff INSIDE the desk or dresser - and say, “It’s already packed (in the desk/dresser)! Moving on…” A full desk/dresser is extremely heavy, and you won’t discover this until moving day. Pack it up.
Yes. I packed my dishes in my towels. 
Consider using an email forwarding service.
That way, the email address you give out belongs to the forwarding service, not to your account at your ISP, and, when you change ISPs as part of the move (if you do), you can just change the address that the forwarding service sends mail to. Plus, you then don’t need to give [del]spammers[/del] marketers and survey people the email address that is linked to your internet account.
I’ve done this for years; I maintain my email address as part of my own domain. I collect the mail and send it on to my ISP, then download ir view it there. And I’ve changed ISPs 3 times without losing my email.
Webmail services like Google Mail, Hotmail and Yahoo Mail essentially do this as well. You can collect and view your mail online before ever downloading it to your computer. In fact, Rogers uses Yahoo Mail and Bell uses Hotmail around here.
A suggestion from a previous boss of mine: pack your dishes with a paper plate between each one. Keeps 'em from clacking and clinking, and then, while you’re busy and exhausted from the move and unpacking … you can eat off the paper plates, and not have to do the dishes!
It is a rule of moving that you will run out of boxes, and out of time. I have never known someone whose move violated that rule!
AH! ME! Other than the stuff I needed (some clothes, food, toiletries, computer) I was fully ready to load up before the POD arrived and I had about 20 extra boxes.
Quite frankly I’d ditch a lot of the bigger stuff, especially furniture and such. It costs thousands to move that far, and most of that stuff you can sell and save the money on the move to buy new stuff. My brother-in-law packed all his stuff and it costs a couple of thousand to move cross country. The reason, lots of old bookshelves, beds, tables, chairs and the like. For the couple of thousand you can buy new or newer stuff.
Same goes for plates and pots and pans. I’ve got really good stuff for a few hundred bucks.
Unless you have family heirlooms you can get new and better stuff. I know if I moved that far I’d be ditching almost everything, and that includes my books and all my furniture. I could probably fit everything in one of those UHaul trailers and be done with it. Why spend more to move the stuff you have then what it’s worth?
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Your “Open First” box should include a shower curtain, a shower curtain rod, and rings.
If you don’t want to pay for boxes ask your local borders if you can take theirs. They are incredibly sturdy, don’t crush, and stack like a mofo. It also helps if you color code the boxes with postits or something. Green = Living room is pretty easy to explain to a non english speaker, and it makes group them a bit easier.
If you can get pro movers (and verify them on Angie’s list or the local equivalent) go for it. They are fast to a degree that boggles the mind.
Also a towel, your cell phone charger, pens, markers, scissors, safety pins, tape, sanitary products (if you’re female or have a female companion…periods have a way of coming off cycle when you’re stressing from a move), a flashlight and a corkscrew.
If possible, use the internet or a local connection to gather some delivery menus from your new locale *before *you move. No one wants to cook the day they move, but not knowing where to order a pizza from can be a real drag when you’re new to the neighborhood. The menu/s should also go in your “open first” box.