Reader Story: Pursue a dream to move to a new location
Published on - December 30th, 2012 (Modified on - January 3rd, 2013) (by Ellen Cannon) This is a guest post from Jason Price from One Money Design.
This summer, my wife and I took our kids on a family vacation to Disneyland in California. The Southern California weather, beaches and a trip to San Diego on Highway 1 made it an experience we’ll never forget.
We are a beach family and we dream of one day living by the ocean. The California trip fueled an existing passion that’s existed deep within us for some time. We want to watch more ocean sunsets than we can with a yearly week-long vacation to the beach. We take these trips each year and return home dreaming about living close to the ocean someday. We always say we’re going to take steps to fulfill this dream – then, life happens. We get busy with the kids, work and whatnot. Our dream, while still present, becomes more and more distant.
But this time, it’s different. We are committed to taking our dream to the next step. In fact, we have a checklist and a husband-and-wife agreement on our approach. We are going to take the next step of seriously looking into a move to Southern California. This would be a big change for a family of four in Texas. I know there are many reasons not to move, but there are also many reasons to move. In fact, for the time being, we’ve agreed to stop thinking and discussing the reasons why we should stay.
Since I’m not the kind of person who would jump into the car with wife, two kids, cat and dog and take off toward the sunset without a plan, we started a simple checklist of all the things we need to consider in our planning efforts.
- Employment
- Location and housing
- Selling an existing home
- Moving
- Getting settled
- Credit score
Employment
For us, employment is at the top of the checklist. Fortunately, I can perform my current job responsibilities from just about anywhere. However, I’ve already taken some initial steps to look into new opportunities with the same company via our internal career site. It would be best to move for company reasons versus personal reasons. Regardless, if no new opportunities present themselves in the next six months, my wife and I agree that I would contact my employer and inquire about a location transition.
Location and housing
Sorting out location and housing can be done in parallel with the employment step. We’ve already started searching for a location based on what we’ve learned about the area, but it is difficult to do this from long distance.
Our plan is to come up with a list of at least three to five areas in which we can evaluate the cost of living, location, recreation, school, church and ocean breeze options. We know we’ll rent for at least the first year. As we learn more about Southern California and the area, perhaps we’ll eventually buy.
Selling an existing home
Once the work situation has been figured out, we’ll list our home and try to sell. In fact, our move would be contingent upon selling the house. We need to sell, cash out on our equity and use some of that money for the move (if it’s not company sponsored). The remaining money would go into short-term savings and build back up for a future down payment. Based on the work situation, I would be open to traveling for work until the house sells. My wife and I discussed this and both agreed it would be fine to travel, should that be a work requirement, knowing it wouldn’t be a permanent requirement going forward.
Moving
This is the one step on the checklist where I’m completely in the dark. However, after conducting a bit of research online I found a great recommendation to have three moving companies come to our house, perform a walk-through and estimate the cost of moving possessions across the country. I can’t imagine this being anything less than an astronomical cost, but it’s definitely one we’ll have to face if we’re serious about going forward with our dream. We also may try to minimize this cost by putting some items in storage. We figured our rental property, likely a condo, will be much smaller than our house today. So, we may try to store some furniture in Texas for a while, or even sell it before we move.
Getting settled
I know it requires a lot of work to get settled when you move to a new house in your existing city. There is a lot of work involved with moving across the country, but people do this all the time – it doesn’t intimidate me. “Getting settled” involves finding all the services we’re accustomed to having at home. We’ll need to find a new church, doctors, dentists, schools, baby sitters, local grocery stores, learn the area and much more. Everything will change and we’ll have to make a list of the most important things first. My estimate is that it will take a year to get settled. But that’s part of the fun and experience of moving!
Credit Score
Your credit score is a very important aspect of whether you can get a loan or not, and if you can get a loan, what will your rate be? Scores range from 300-850, and you can check yours for free at Credit Karma.
Creating this initial checklist takes a load off our shoulders. It makes this dream real for us, and it helps my wife and me focus on one or two areas at a time without getting overwhelmed. I believe our biggest roadblock in the many years of returning home from the beach and letting our dream die has been us. We find too many excuses not to move forward in seeking a new and exciting experience for our family. At the end of it all, if we move and this is a big train wreck, my children will learn many things — two of which will be to follow your dreams and passions (with a plan), and don’t be one of those people who always talks about doing something but never does it.
Have you ever moved to a new location or city? If so, what tips would you provide?
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As daunting as it may sound, consider doing all of the packing yourself. Not only will you save a lot of money, but it can be a great time to cull through a lot of the unnecessary STUFF that hangs around. Moving can be even a fresher start that way.
Corporate movers will pack EVERYTHING they can get their hands on. (Bigger profits – and oh yeah, they often go way over those estimates!) I think my favorite story is that when my sister was getting divorced she and the (now ex) husband went through everything in the house. What did they find? A roll of extra linoleum that had followed them for 3 moves. They haven’t lived in the house where that linoleum was on the floor in about a decade, and yet this had been taking up garage space for way too long. Crazy.
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Get a pod! That is the easiest way to pack. You can even get one, use it to declutter the stuff you want to move, they’ll store it and then finish packing after the sale.
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I have done cross country moves into cities I’ve not lived in twice. One thing I have found really valuable is following the local newspaper online for a few months – it shows a lot of the tone of an area and helps you understand the dynamics a little easier.
I’ve also started watching housing really early in the process. Google maps is GENIUS for this. I start with the things I do most often (gym, grocery store, Target) and look for neighborhoods where this will be easy and begin watching housing.
For me, making the transition is easiest when I have a real sense for what a place will be like and how I will fit in there. It sounds like a grand adventure and GOOD LUCK!
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I completely agree that corporate moves are ridiculous…however, if it’s no cost to you, stick with it
I just completed a cross-country move, and I learned three things
1)don’t wait to get packed/ get rid of stuff. I knew my move was coming 6 months out. Every weekend, I chose one tiny area of my house to clean out. By the time it was actually time to pack, it was so much less daunting without any scary drawers to dread AND I found old stuff I didn’t even know I had. Plus I invited friends over to hang out, and it was a nice way to see everyone before I left.
2) Seriously consider your furniture. When I moved, I combined households with my fiance. I was too attached to my old junky furniture, so with me it came. As soon as I got there, I realized that I had just paid someone to move my garbage across country. It was in the street a couple of days later. {facepalm}
3) Invest in a good mover. In previous moves, I went with cheaper movers and it was a disaster. We went way over the quote, and I ended up spending more than I thought. My friend recommended flatrate, and I’ve used them ever since. Their quotes are higher, but they have to stick to it, and you can book them as far in advance as you need, so you have a line item in your budget you can trust.
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Definitely do the map thing. A good friend moved from the east coast to California. Because her spouse moved first, he was able to send her video of places he thought would be of family interest, and, combined with spending many nights walking the streets using Google Maps/Earth, by the time she moved to her new home she was able to get in the car and find most of what she wnted. Familiarity and comfort takes away a lot of anxiety
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Consider the cost of living. It’s expensive to live in the mild temperatures and beach cities. Other than that, I hope you get your dream.
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Make sure you consider living in Laguna Beach, CA. Rent might be a bit more expensive, but it is one of the nicest places in Southern California with a (somewhat) small town feel. If you live downtown you can walk to virtually anywhere including restaurants, art galleries and countless beaches which is a fantastic way to meet people and get to know the area!
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I have moved a lot. I’d seriously consider cost of living when moving. I moved from DC to Florida with a similar salary and it was awesome. If I went the opposite way I’d hate myself.
As far as moving goes, I’ve always done it myself by renting a Penske truck, packing it up an driving. I’m rather young though and didn’t have a ton of stuff though (or kids) so you might be better of hiring. The companies that do it all for you do an awesome job (my dad was military) but I imagine it costs and arm and a leg.
Good luck and update us once you make the big move!
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when you consider moving, look into pods (either the actual company named that or the spin-offs that every moving company has). our plan for our next half-way-across the country move is to rent two uhaul pods (you’ll need more — we have no kids), park them on the street while we move the lighter stuff in, hire movers for the larger stuff (or all of it if we get tired!), have them transported to our new location, reverse the process. we’ll save a ton over having someone else pack our things and even over the companies that charge you by weight. (i was once quoted an additional $1200 just for moving my books — that move I did entirely by hiring people to do anything I didn’t want to do and it came under $3500).
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I’ve moved cross-country twice – SC to CA and CA to DC, and was close to moving back to CA a few years ago. I’ve found that it takes about two years for a place to feel like “home.” You’ll find your way around before that, but there is a difference between that and “home.” Here’s my advice, focusing on GRS thinking:
First, DO NOT store anything. If you won’t need it when you get there (especially for a year if you are renting), you probably don’t need it at all. In fact, get rid of those things now to simplify your life a little bit.
Moving from Texas to California, be realistic about what you can expect as far as living space. I live in a close-in suburb of DC, one of the more expensive areas of the country. Folks moving here from Texas get a house half the size they had in Texas. When I looked into moving to San Diego, I expected to cut that by 1/2 to 1/3 again.
With that in mind, consider selling your house now, downsizing and renting a place in TX closer in size to what you can expect in a community near the beach. Your family will need to adjust to a smaller space/less stuff anyway and you can save some money in the meantime.
I recommend this because, honestly, if you are in a position where you need to sell your house to afford moving expenses (whether this is because you don’t make tons of money or you are living at the top of your means) you are going to take a BIG step back lifestyle-wise going from Texas to California. You might as well make the cutbacks today, pocket the difference in the meantime and then be ready as soon as things line up for you to make the move. You run the risk of maintain two households if you wait until you have an opportunity to work in CA to put your house on the market.
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I would second this advice. If you want to live near the beaches your cost of living will be substantially higher and your square footage substantially lower.
Look at the school systems first then narrow down the neighborhoods from there. Even though you probably saw all the nice areas of SoCal on your vacation there are a lot of really crap public schools.
Practice your commute before signing a lease. Get up early drive to your possible new home and leave there for the office. You may be shocked at how long it takes to go 12 miles compared to what you’re used to.
I lived in orange county (Tustin, Irvine, Huntington Beach, and Costa Mesa) for ~ 9 years and just moved to Denver.
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Figure out how long it’ll take to do the physical move to your new location. And then allow two extra days before you have to go back to work. One way or another, you’ll need them.
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We just did a 1,000 mile move in May, and hired a moving company. We did all the packing ourselves, so all the movers did was load the truck, make the drive, and then unload the truck. It was just under $5,000, so it wasn’t cheap, however, for us, it worked out much better than we ever dreamed. With that said, we got rid of a lot of stuff before, and realized later we should have gotten rid of more. It is just my husband and I and our 2 small dogs. Both of our children are grown. Realize in advance that life happens; for example, the buyer of our house was in the midst of a complicated divorce, and it took extra time for her to get loan approval, even though she had excellent credit and a good job. Even though we still took possession of our new house in about week after arriving, we’d have been up the river without a paddle if a longtime friend hadn’t let us crash with her. Even though now we aren’t happy with the decision to move, at least we won’t get to the end of our life and regret not having tried. Plan to visit as many times as you can BEFORE you get serious about making the move, at least once every season. What may be dreamy during your annual vacation may completely stink once you’re year-round residents. Good luck!
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I’ll co-sign the suggestion that you plan more visits before you move. Going from an annual vacay to living there on a full-time basis is a big transition. When I moved from Chicago to ATL years ago, I had visited enough to be prepared for the downside of southern living–ok, semi-prepared. I went thru a brief depression about everything I was missing back home, but it would have been far worse if I hadn’t visited a few times at different times of the year to get a feel for what living here full time would really be like.
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We just moved ourselves from Colorado to California. Start packing now: you have to clear things out to put the house on the market anyway (if you want it to look good, spacious, etc.) and it takes more effort to get rid of things than you would think.
If you can get a corporate move, go for it! We were moved by a company to Colorado some years ago and it was relatively a breeze. This time, moving ourselves, was a pain — but if i recall the numbers correctly we did it for about 20% of the corporate move costs. We ended up needing a second, smaller uHaul truck and I called some movers for cost estimates of what was left in the garage — 4 times what we ultimately spent which included flying my husband and a friend back to drive the truck out.
But get professional movers to pack the stuff you can’t manage (we had some art/big things that we just couldn’t manage) and load the truck. Well worth the savings in back pain alone if you have any problems in that way — plus, if they are professionals, they know how to load the truck so things do not shift.
Good luck.
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One year ago, my wife and I moved from Southern California to Michigan.
Your list is great. To it I would add:
1. Cost of living is high in So Cal. Real estate, sales tax, gasoline, income tax, even groceries! Do careful budgeting.
2. We looked into how to sell our Malibu home & got plenty of advice on “staging” it. Besides fixing-up (both genuine & cosmetic), we needed to de-clutter, removing personal items from display & leaving just enough furniture & art work to be attractive. Then, when the house finally sold (after 10 months in a down market) we had just a couple of weeks to finalize the movers (Joyce Van Lines, who we had researched in advance — excellent firm) and get out. Plan ahead which nice stuff to keep in Texas to help your house sell, and live bare-bones in CA (if you’ve already moved by that point) & you’ll be happier. (We were downsizing as well as moving, so in all it took us 2 years to get rid of extra stuff — donations, selling, giving to friends & family.)
Good luck, and follow your dream!
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We live in Texas also (Denton to be exact) and have 6 kids, we have moved so many times across country that I have to really think about it when I recall the moves. Lets see, CA to GA, GA to MA, 2x in MA, MA to N CA, N CA to FL, FL to MA, MA to TX, TX to TN, TN to TX and a final move in TX to our beloved Denton.
I have run the extremes of corporate moves (they are not free, they charge it all back to you as income and sometimes do not pay the taxes for you, watch out for that), DIY moves, Half and Half and 25/75.
The last two times we did the comment 7 plan with a Penske Truck (they always work but don’t go faster than 65mph, but thats good) and made two to three trips with a really big truck. The thing that made all the difference was hiring moving labor on both sides to load (under my supervision) and unload at the other end. The guys are good, courteous and don’t work for the moving company they work for you so tip them good.
If your not sore from loading and unloading, you can turn around the next day and drive back for another load. I took my son with me for the TN to TX drives.
I grew up in So CAL and I love it there, I just can’t stomach how much the same house in TX would cost in So CAL. Laguna Beach is awesome as comment 6 says but very expensive. We have been back many times and I would so move back if I could rationalize the extended costs of leaving TX. You know the, retirement timetable vs spending it all to be happy dilemma. I have been a work at home dad for 4 yrs now and probably could not change jobs if I had to work in an office.
I will say that the freedoms we have in TX are not all in CA, everything is made for small cars so if you drive a suburban or an expedition be ready for tight or no parking. Most of my family lives in CA and they all drive Prius’. And with everything so close they don’t spend much on Gas because they plug them in each night.
We settled for a good place to raise kids and a great place to save money here in TX. Were also in our 40′s with kids in college now. Follow your dreams when you can because at some point the time will have passed you by.
Rob
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A friend once passed on to accept every invitation the first 3 months in a new place, to help connect in a new environment.
I had my car towed the first night in my new state. Attach parking stickers ASAP! Lesson learned.
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As someone who has had approximately 17 different addresses in the 40 years I’ve been alive, I have a few things to share:
1. You’re going from a state with no income tax to a state that will make you pay almost 10% (depending on your income). If you’re going to stay with your employer after the move, consider asking for a raise now. Otherwise, prepare to live off of a smaller paycheck in state with a much higher cost of living–particularly when it comes to real estate.
2. The same goes for sales tax rates. Generally, states set a base sales tax rate (6.25% in Texas, 7.25% in California, I believe), and then municipalities can add to that as they see fit. So not only will your employer begin withholding state income tax, making your take-home pay smaller–you’ll pay more for stuff with that smaller paycheck.
3. Think about gas prices, too. CA’s gas taxes are something like 45 cents a gallon. You’re going from a state with an average gas price of $3.10-$3.20 a gallon to one with an average price of $3.50-$4 a gallon. That’ll cost you an extra $1,600 a year for two cars that fill up once a week.
4. Always pack your own stuff. Movers overcharge for that, it takes forever, and I’ve never had a mover NOT break something or steal something. Yes, steal. Every time.
5. When you’re looking for a neighborhood, back into the answer by starting with schools. Often, school districts require you to live in a specific, mapped-out area in order to attend (or to guarantee a space for the child, if the district has a lottery/choice system). You can compare schools at greatschools.com and schooldigger.com. If you plan to stay for several years, be sure those schools feed into middle schools and high schools that are acceptable to you, and then narrow your neighborhood maps again.
6. As other commenters have mentioned, it’s always better to get your employer to pay for the move. But if you end up paying, set aside at least $10,000 for the move, and keep the receipts for everything–moving expenses can be tax-deductible. The movers will almost always tell you that everything was heavier than expected in the walkthrough (when they gave you the quote), and then they will tell you to pay more. Be sure to get a firm quote.
7. Moving expenses that I continually fail to plan for include: registering the cars, getting emissions tests on the cars, install fees on new cable service, and changes in the cost of your health insurance (you’re changing states).
I don’t mean to sound anti-California. I love the state. What I am against, however, is failure to do homework. We’ve had more than one set of friends move somewhere for the hell of it, pick a house in a nice neighborhood, and then spend the next year realizing they have a lot less money and that they could’ve gotten their children into better schools if they hadn’t been so intent on living right next to the park/lake/downtown/hiking trail/office or buying the house with the cool views/floors/pantry/built-in sound system.
Hope that helps.
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I second the pods. Don’t let movers touch your stuff unless they’re local movers packing or unpacking the pod. I moved from Florida to Arizona and hiring a long distance moving company was one of the most expensive and traumatizing experiences of ny life.
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BRAVO to you for saying YES to this dream. I am walking a similar path–I had my heart set on living on the central coast of CA for 15 years but was always WAITING to make it happen. 2 years ago I put a plan into place: shift how I work so that I can do it from anywhere and I started browsing Craigslist to see what kind of rentals appeared, prices/locations. I thought I was going to move all of my stuff but the closer I got to moving time, I realized it was less expensive and less hassle to sell most things and I pared things down to 30 boxes and a couple of very special pieces that went into storage.
Plans shift, ideas change, opportunities present themselves. I realized I didn’t want to live in a house with all of the commitments and so, instead, I’m living in my RV in a fabulous mobile home park with neighbors, a community and the beach is right across the street.
By tips: stay flexible, stay open, travel light, and, more than anything ENJOY THE JOURNEY!
you can read about my adventure at http://www.sparktheheart.com/finding-home
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I grew up in So Cal and now live near Austin. I’d like to throw in my two cents for what it’s worth. The beach towns of So Cal are all different depending on their surrounding area. For instance, though I lived in Ventura for years and have a deep love for it, I wouldn’t raise my family there (or Oxnard). Way too many drugs, gangs, riff raff…really. Santa Barbara is a nice area but far from LA if you like to be close to the city. I lived & went to school a little inland from Malibu (Agoura) and though its changed some, that section from Malibu to Pacific Palisades is lovely, if you have the means. The further south you go, I believe, can be hit and miss. As someone mentioned above, Laguna is nice but Long Beach not so much and so on. Someone mentioned reading the local papers and that is excellent. Not the big papers but the little locally produced once a week (or month) ones. Also find Facebook and Twitter pages to see what they have going on and how their residents respond. And remember, you don’t have to actually live in that beach town to enjoy the beach whenever you wish. When I lived in Agoura, I was at the beach probably 5 days out of the week at least. Oh and I say sell whatever you don’t love or “have” to have, furniture included. It will help with the move and with the fresh start.
Do it so you never look back and wish you had.
Good luck!
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You might want to look at the House/home exchange websites…even if you do not plan to swap homes for a vacation they may have write ups on the homes in the areas you are interested in…giving you a better idea of area. You mention churches and you might set up links via Facebook etc with the congregation in your new area… they may have tips for you in advance of the move. Also connections with professional organisations etc…I am in the UK and a volunteer in the Red Cross and on occasion have made contact with the Red Cross people when visiting abroad.. they have similar philosophy. So think about your interests now and start making connections…And good luck with fulfilling your dream.. go for it!
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I’ve moved all my life. I was a Navy brat, and the wanderlust stuck. I’ve moved from Florida to Alaska, and down the block–and last month, I moved from Virginia to New Mexico. Here are my tips:
Do the packing yourself. You know what needs bubble wrap and what doesn’t. What is valuable to you, isn’t necessary valuable to the movers. Use U-Haul boxes–you can order them online, they are standard sizes, and you can return the ones you don’t use.
Get estimates from the traditional movers for moving your stuff, sure. But also check out companies like PODS or U-Pack. Then, hire a couple of locals on either end to do the heavy lifting. We spent 120$ on either end for 2 hours of work. Well worth it. Everything else we did ourselves.
Plan for the whole move costing $5K more than you think it will. Trust me, it will. Deposits on utilities, deposits on your rental, emergencies, who knows what all. The extra really comes in handy.
Bring a box with you in the car that has a skillet, a sauce pan, and a couple of utensils. Comes in handy when you arrive before your stuff. Paper plates and plastic cups and utensils will get you through. Invest in a couple of cheap air mattresses from Wal-Mart. A place to sleep before your stuff gets delivered, and they come in handy later for sleepovers, family visits, etc. Much cheaper than a hotel.
Get your licenses and car registrations done ASAP, BEFORE you change your car insurance over. Once you transfer your car insurance, your previous state may suspend your license for lack of insurance, so remember to send your tags and registration back to your old state. Learned that one the hard way
Good luck on your upcoming move–be safe
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We are just about to move in one week. We have moved across the country two times now. This time we are going from TX to FL for more beach time as well.
A few tips that I didn’t read in the comments.
1. If you are going the DIY route, grocery stores such as Whole Foods will give you egg & milk boxes. They just crush them so give them a call and you can schedule a pick up of as much as you can put in your car. I went back three times and bingo, enough boxes for the move. We also picked up packing paper and mirror boxes from CL.
2. Get rid of stuff. Anything you think you’re not going to use in the future donate it or post it for free on CL. People will do the driving for you to come get free stuff.
Just some background. We have two small kids and rent a place around 1400 sq ft and the move will cost about $1k + hotel and food on the way to FL.
Good luck!
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Our family of four moved from South Africa to the US in 1998 – having never been to the States before and knowing only one person on the entire continent!!
We sold down a 4 bedroom house into 8 suitcases. The results of our selling up everything we owned amounted to starting our American dream with $7,000 and the contents of said 8 suitcases.
In 2006 we moved from Minnesota to Georgia … for the weather, mostly.
In that move we were unwilling to sell up, although we did have several really thorough purgings and large yard sales.
We opted to use Pods for our move, firstly because we could pack them ourselves at our leisure, and secondly because they could store what we didn’t need immediately in our new home.
It worked out fabulously, both in convenience and cost.
And renting for the first year is definitely the best way to go. The only thing we regret about moving south is buying a house.
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I second all the above advice. You can save thousands if you move yourself. It isn’t that hard.
Parts of So. Cal. are extremely expensive. Check out housing prices before you fall in love with an area.
Start getting rid of stuff right now. I guarantee that no matter how much you get rid of you will still wonder why you brought as much as you did when you start unpacking. And it’s fun to sell off things and have garage sales. You tuck that money into your moving account.
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I moved from the beautiful Pacific Northwest to San Diego 25 years ago when I was young and adventurous…before the internet when researching the move meant checking the library and hoping to find current cost of living and housing info. I remember thinking that if we’re paying $350 for rent, doubling that amount should work. That was a rude awakening! I’m not sure if living within walking distance to the beach is what you have in mind…we live a 20 minute drive to a great beach but our house is on a canyon rim where we have coyotes, hawks, and foxes outside… 10 minutes to downtown, 40 minutes to the mountains if we want to play in the snow this time of year. Even with the inevitable struggles, follow your dream, just plan on everything being more expensive here. You’ve got a good plan in the works…
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My wife and I relocated to southern California from New York in 1971. It was a job transfer! It helped I had some friends out here before we moved Aside from a job, a social network makes a major move easier. Housing is expensive here, but you save on other things because of the weather.
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My wife and I recently moved from Ohio (where we both went to college) to Oregon (where I’m now going to grad school).
The single best thing that happened to help the move was for her to fly out for a few days before we moved. In those few days, she toured several apartments and did everything short of signing a lease. It was a huge relief knowing that we had a place to live when we got there! (We had scouted out rentals before she left, and set up appointments with landlords.)
Our situation was simple because we didn’t have a house in Ohio, and we’re not planning on buying one any time soon. However, even if you are in that position, sending someone to scope the market and get even temporary housing set up would be a great idea.
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Awesome decision! My wife and I just did a similar thing 2-months ago.
We had been to the southwest a few times and just loved it down here. In November of 2011 we decided that we were fed up with the rain and needed a change. I found a position through some networking and we moved to Scottsdale Arizona last month. It is expensive and a lot of work to do it, but very well worth it. No more rain!
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The day will come when you wistfully think about that wonderful rain!
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The only additional point I would make is to cut costs as much as you can before you move, doing a lot of the thrifty stuff we talk about here. The economy is still a little shaky and you’re moving to an area with a higher cost of living. This would be the time to have MORE than enough money in the bank to cover any of the possible unknowns that might come up in spite of your best planning.
Congrats on your plan to make your dream come true, wishing you the best!
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Excellent list and great additional comments! We moved from Toronto, Canada to San Diego almost ten years ago, thinking, “What’s the worst that can happen? We don’t like it after a year or two and move back with stories and memories!” We’re still here and loving the adventure!
Seriously, life is too short to not live the life you want. Doing research is key, especially if you have kids. School districts vary greatly here so check them out online to make sure you’re in a great area. That will set the tone for most of the search and other details. Budgeting is important because it is expensive to live here – housing, gas, state sales and income taxes, vehicle registrations, food, etc. Prepare to downsize and pay a lot more for it!
Start sorting and selling or giving away stuff NOW. Shipping is expensive and in many cases, it’s easier and less costly to just replace many items (especially if you use craigslist when you get there). Your stuff might not even fit into your new space or decor. Consider renting furnished to start.
Getting involved in community events, sports, etc. will help you meet other families and develop vital support systems. It will still take TIME to really get to know people and forge the kind of bonds and trust needed to ever leave your kids in their care though (and vice versa) so start getting involved as soon as you arrive.
Finally, if possible consider keeping your TX home as a rental property, at least for the first couple of years. It will give you all the tax benefits of home ownership (and more since you will then be able to deduct repairs, maintenance, management, etc.) even while you rent a new primary residence, plus maybe provide a little income toward your rent but it can be a backup plan just in case something unexpected happens. Owning in TX is, in many ways, a lot easier and less expensive than owning in CA so it might make financial sense to rent for less in an area you might otherwise not be able to afford while owning elsewhere – we still rent here but own a variety of income properties in other states (and we are in the real estate business!)
Above all, be open minded and remember that CA isn’t TX – people think and do things differently here and they come from all walks of life. Don’t try to recreate your old life; build a new one. Give it time, focus on what you really value as a family and make sure your spending is on the same track (i.e. spend more to live closer to the water in a smaller space). Good luck and enjoy the adventure!
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If you keep the Texas home and want to rent it, you’ll need a management company. Long distance landlording is a royal pain in the arse, and it just takes one meth lab to destroy your entire net worth.
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I had neighbors in PA who decided that they wanted to move to Florida for retirement. They figured out that if they move while they are still young, they’ll have a social network when they retire.
The first thing they did two years before they moved was start getting their sad lawn in shape. They hired one of those companies that fertilize and aerate and stuff, and by the time they were ready to put the house on the market, the yard looked great.
So spend some time making sure your house is market-ready in a relatively leisurely fashion. You’ll get more for the house and it won’t be as stressful.
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Lets hope that your dreams of living in California come true in 2013! good luck!
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Highly recommend one of you move first to the area and start looking around the area you want to move first. Maybe rent a studio or arrange to stay a couple months with friends. Nothing beats the intel gained from co-workers and other locals. A 10-minute commute distance in Texas might become 50-minutes. Also, this allows one to focus on the new job and environment without having to cater to multiple family issues. This requires a lot of trust, so this may not be a good idea if there are other issues.
We usually move ourselves. Budget or Penske trucks are a lot easier to drive than you might think. However, your car insurance will not cover the truck so be prepared to pay an obnoxious amount for coverage through the company. Note: Most recently the university reimbursed moving only after 6-months of being on the job.
Rented our house but kept control of the garage. This allowed us to store our belongings we did not want to move yet. Have you priced storage? Storage can easily set you back $100 to $300 per month based on needs and location.
Best wishes!
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I’m sure you know this, but you’re going to have about a 10% paycut just moving from a state with no income tax to California. I hope you plan for the much more expensive climate. But, depending on where you land, it sure will be better weather!
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We’ve moved a bunch of times, including several times to/from California. Unless you’re getting a corporate relocation package, you’re best off packing yourself. Also seriously consider alternatives to the formal moving companies. We have used Broadway Express twice now for long-distance moves and HIGHLY recommend them — you pack it yourself (both your own boxes as well as onto the truck) but you can save a ton of money. You pay by linear foot in the truck, which for us, anyway, was much cheaper than the per-pound rate that most standard movers charge. We did another move using ABF/Uhaul Relocubes (kind of like pods, but they were cheaper); you also pack these yourself (either at their terminal or at your house) and they drop off at your new place when you are ready for them. The nice thing about this option is that you can also just have them stick the cubes in storage until you’re ready for them.)
As far as southern CA goes, it’s all expensive (at least if anywhere near the beach), but some places are more expensive than others. If you are willing to settle for living within easy day trip distance to the beach (and not literally right on it) you’ll also have a lot more options, and still get to enjoy the rest of the many benefits that come with southern CA living.
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Darce, do you know if Broadway Express or ABF/Uhaul Relocubes are truly nationwide or only regional?
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Just an FYI, Upack is also a “by the linear foot” carrier. We recently used them for our VA-NM move, so definitely nationwide. I couldn’t be happier with the whole process.
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The savvy moving tip I like the best is to get to know an area through a civic or church group first, that way a person has a resource for other contacts, and probably from people with a similar mindset. Someone I knew got in touch with the local cycling club here a few months before he moved from out of state, and by the time he arrived, he had insider tips on neighborhoods with features he liked, rentals, and bike shops, not to mention people to keep in touch with.
I definitely agree with the idea of starting to sort and pack as soon as possible, and with the idea of doing as much of the packing and shipping yourself as possible.
Who knows… maybe a couple of the groups in your new town will send a group to come over and help unload — another favorite story of mine is about how a church group moved two young adults lock, stock and barrel– from taking beds apart through loading and hauling and right down to hanging pictures and putting silverware in the drawers at the new home. This was only across town, but the point is that moving goes so quickly with a few people to help.
Good luck and I admire you for making a list and a timeline.
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We just moved from New Hampshire to California for a new job. We loaded up a 26′ moving truck and went west. My two great tips are:
1) Sell everything. I so wish we moved with just a backpack and a few boxes…
2) If you must take all your junk, negotiate HARD with the moving trucks rental companies. Investing a few hours in negotiation can save you thousands in your move. The online quotes are never the best price. Call and ask for a discount (no reason needed) and you’ll get one. Then tell the other company you got this deal from that guy. Play the game back and forth… We ended up with 35% off the online quoted price plus unlimited miles, a brand new truck (for great gas mileage) and a free dolly and moving blankets. If I stopped after the first negotiation I would have saved only 20%. NEGOTIATE HARD!!!
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We moved to So Cal from NJ in 2006. I hated the cold weather in NJ and bugged (nagged) my husband to move. It took him 1 year to get used to the idea and 3 months to land a good job. Once we moved, we haven’t looked back!
Bad part – we had to move in 3 weeks! But I am living proof that it can be done.
First thing – we listed our town house with a reliable and knowledgeable realtor. He was a big help as we communicated daily until the house was sold.
Secondly – We were moving from a 2100 sq ft townhouse with full basement to an apartment for a year until we figured out where to buy something decent. So we had to get rid of a lot of stuff. Fast! Everything was listed on Internet and word of mouth. E.g. – 2 year old leather couch in excellent condition for $300 plus free 36″ HD TV! Most of the stuff sold really fast. Rest went to VW vets and Salvation army. Their truck was a permanent fixture in our driveway.
We stayed in company provided hotel for one week until we found an apartment.
Life in So Cal – love it! Love it! Love it!
Other than housing (ok – thats a big part but not tremendously from NJ) it’s not that much more expensive. The beautiful weather makes up for it. Plan out your lifestyle and its quite affordable. We moved one town over from Laguna Beach – this gives us best of both worlds. The beach is 7 minutes away and we get to live in nice housing development – much cheaper than expensive Laguna Beach where traffic is a nightmare and a shack will cost $1M (or close enough!) In the summers we make use of free shuttle service in LB and go to the concerts and art galleries and of course the beach!
The lifestyle here so much more fun and relaxed. You can do lots of free things that are fun. I meet friends for a jog on the beach routinely or go for hikes in the middle of January where its snowing in other parts of the nation. There are many free concerts and musical events and art shows throughout the year.
The food is amazing – local farmers markets everywhere and by learning to shop wisely I have cut my grocery bill tremendously while cooking healthy fresh food at home.
We have cut back from 3 TV’s in NJ to one nice one here. And we love that change. Because we are outside most of the time, we don’t miss the idiot box.
And you get to wear flip-flops all year round!
Good luck to you – I hope you make it here!
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Thanks for this post! My husband and I want to move to San Diego within the next 5 years – though more for the weather, jobs, and proximity to family than the beach specifically. I’ll follow your story with interest! We’re in NC currently but will likely move once more to another city before San Diego.
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Earlier this year, I moved from the great state of Texas. My main recommendation is to conduct a lot of research on the prospective moving companies. We ran into some issues with a smaller “best price” moving company. This occurred even though research was completed. I would have been better off starting my search with the highly respected reputable companies. It all worked out OK but definitely caused some stress. I learned you get what you pay for (especially with movers). Good luck.
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I second all the comments about getting rid of as much Stuff as you can before you move. You should be constantly asking yourself, “Would I be willing to sacrifice this to live out our dream?” We don’t really need many material things at all.
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I have a few comments to add. Although you are still thinking of your dream location as a dream since you are not permanently there yet,remember that reality will quickly sink in. Be prepared to realize your paradise is not perfect,and you WILL suffer from homesickness and culture shock.It will probably take you a good year to get used to your new location, so give your family lots of time to do this. Also, unless your work is providing some sort of reimbursement for moving expenses, I would say sell all of your furniture and start over from scratch when you get to your new location. You have enough worry, stress and expense without packing it all up and moving it across the country. Take only what you need (clothes,personal items, important family heirlooms) and sell the rest. Furniture is just stuff; you can replace it easily once you get there. The last time we moved, we rented a furnished duplex for 3 months which was ideal. We had furniture, a place to live, and 3 months to find another rental…and we didn’t have to haul all our stuff across the country. Check with the real estate agents in the SoCal area to look into that option. Good luck!!!
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We moved from Arizona to San Diego 12 years ago. Best move we ever made. Went from 1800 sq ft to 900, so before we left I closed off (emptied) a bedroom, dining room and living room and got rid of a lot of stuff.
Yes, real estate is expensive, schools are tricky, but utilities are super low ($50 gas/electric) by the beach (no A/C, little heat) and you can use your outdoor space as an extra room.
We are in SD Unified district which is hit and miss. You should look up the coast a little (Solana Beach, Leucadia, Encinitas, Carlsbad). Really anything by the beach is pretty good.
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My retirement dream has always been to live on or by the Shore. With the weather events of the past few years, that dream has changed. I don’t know if I could live with the anxiety of knowing I might have to clear out (again and again) and possibly lose it all.
I’ve tried to get information from various sources about the reality of my fears, but all I get are glossy photos of seniors enjoying a care-free lifestyle at an expensive 55+ community.
Maybe I’ll buy an RV and keep it filled with gas.
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Moving to a new location is very tiring, even within the city. I have experience with U-Haul and also with hiring movers. I find that the major brunt of the work is on you in both cases, especially with boxing and packaging. The more stuff you have, the harder it is. Having said that, it is extremely doable with some forethought and organization. Extra pair of hands help too.
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I just spent 8 wonderful years in San Diego having moved there from Ohio. SoCal is truly a special/magical place. You’ll love it.
My only word of advice is to go full throttle. Do not do it halfway. After living a life of financial irresponsibility in San Diego for a couple of years I had my “oh !$#@” moment when I decided I needed to get my financial act together. Enemy #1 was rent on the beach, so I moved 3 miles inland. Just a 10 minute drive to the beach at most! Upon moving inland and the beach not being anything new, I found myself always looking to go watch a sunset “tomorrow.” Living within walking to the beach (as opposed to a 10 minute car ride) is a significant difference in your day to day. If this is the stuff your dreams are made of, don’t settle for good enough.
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I have done two interstate moves in the past 18 months with my husband and preschool-aged child, here is my advice. Check out abf-u-pack for shipping your stuff. Purge all non-necessities but hold on to your kid’s stuff as it will help them with the transition. (Personally I love purging and getting organized, one of the best aspects of moving.) Resist the urge to buy new furniture for your rental unless it’s super cheap because it may not work in your perm residence. Take a month off work if you can to give yourself time to get situated. Be thrifty about how you get there: for our second move we road-tripped and stayed at koa cabins along the way and saved a ton. Chit chat with everybody to get tips on doctors, dentists, schools, whatever. Church, mom’s meet-up groups, and my husband’s work colleagues have been great sources of advice and friendship. Good luck!
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That sounds like a fantastic goal! I currently have dreams of moving but life always happens as well, or the people you are with are at a different point in their lives and can’t up and leave their jobs, etc. I wish you luck!
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What about taxes??? Texas has no income tax, while CA has some of the highest taxes and other costs of living in the nation.
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i have lived in SD and LA – both nice cities, but i suggest you move overseas. there are plenty of affordable beach towns abroad where your money will go much, much further. your children may also become bilingual and you can do amazing travel. cali is cool but other countries can offer so much more.
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We moved from TX to CA (SF Bay Area) in 2012 through a corporate move when my husband landed a dream job. I recommend that you start getting rid of stuff now. I decluttered for about 4 months before we moved. I am glad that we got rid of some of our large scale furniture. We passed along a lot of stuff to friends and had a garage sale. I do not think that storage is worth the cost. We have filled in with some purchases from Craigslist and Ikea. We now live in 500 less square feet, but we spend more time outside. We sold a house in TX and are now happy renting a smaller house. With careful planning, we have found that we can still save money in a high cost state such as CA. We enjoy living here!
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