• Home
  • About Us
  • Work With Us
  • Social Media News
  • Privacy & Terms
  • Thunderbolt Social Media
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Dangerous Cupcake Lifestyle

  • Entertainment
  • Travel
  • Food & Wine
    • Cupcakes
  • Disney
  • Marvel
  • Crafts, Cars & Cool Things
    • Crafts
    • Cars
    • Cool Things
    • Technology
  • Family & Life Over 45
  • Dogs
You are here: Home / Travel / Moving Cross Country: Prepping and Packing for the Big Move

Moving Cross Country: Prepping and Packing for the Big Move

April 29, 2017 By Donna Biroczky 1 Comment

Tweet
Share
Pin7
7 Shares

Back in 2009, we had the bright idea of selling our house, quitting the husband’s job and transplanting the family in the South. We weren’t even sure where we were going to go entirely, but the idea of an adventure, of taking a leap of faith, of trying something new, was appealing. We pulled the trigger and before we knew it, we were packing up all our belongings for a road trip of epic proportion. Moving cross country isn’t easy on any scale, but when you’re doing it with a family, pets and numerous vehicles — and a ton of possessions you think you’ll need — it becomes an entity of its own. Keep reading for my road trip survival tips and how you can move your family cross-country while living to tell about it!

We did it successfully back in 2010, then three short years later, we did it again, returning to California. I don’t call myself an expert in much in life, but for this, I do. Life once you get there, I’m not so much an expert in that, but the move itself is a major project so I’m sharing my top tips on how to approach the move itself, take that road trip to your new home and arrive safely and sanely…okay, that last part, scratch that. I can’t guarantee sanity survives a 2700-mile road trip but safely and as smoothly as possible, I’m your girl. This is such a huge project, it’s worthy of at least two posts, so this first is solely about packing and preparation.

Plan, plan, and plan some more. Choose your destination carefully. Don’t fly blind. Research everything, from the school programs available (especially if you have a kid on an IEP or 504 plan), the prices for your favorite foods at what would be your local grocery store, the insurance rates on your vehicles and property to what your neighborhood would be like at 7am, 12pm, 3pm, 5pm, whatever time of day you and your kids would be at home or on the road. Maybe even consider not selling your previous home until you know you’re going to want to stay put, or rent when you arrive rather than buying.

Write down your schedule in a cheap planner from Target and remember, nothing about the sale of a home or moving is 100% set in stone. Give yourself a little breathing room, even if it means you have to spend a couple of days at the local KOA in your RV or at a hotel enjoying the pool. If you have to leave at a specific time to take ownership of a home or to start a new job, leave a couple of days early. More on that later.

Give yourself plenty of time for this. In fact, as soon as you make the decision to do it, start packing and purging. Start with those huge piles in your garage. You’ll need that space to start stacking boxes once you’ve packed and closed them up. (And label them – be specific about everything that’s in those boxes.)

Look at it not just as downsizing things you keep meaning to get rid away, but you’re also helping stage your home if you’re putting it on the market. You can have a big garage sale, if you’ve got a really good grip on your sanity and patience, or you can take multiple trips to the local donation site. (And save those receipts as they can be a significant tax deduction!)

Allot at least one afternoon a week to pack and purge. Getting it done early will alleviate stress later. Trust me on this. All that crystal you dust once every six months before you put it back in the china cabinet? Pack it up.

If you’re not using it now, pack it or purge it. Chances are, it’s not going to be something you’ll need immediately at your destination either. The reality is that you won’t necessarily have access to those things until you’re settled anyway, so if you have to have a certain bowl for your Christmas dinner in your RV, put it aside in a pile and pack it last. Save a few boxes for that pile, as it will grow, and put them aside to be near the door of your moving truck.

Once you’ve gotten all the extraneous things you don’t need on a daily basis packed, start strategizing what you absolutely will need. You’ll definitely need clothes, but if you’re arriving to the Carolinas in July, you won’t need six pairs of boots and two winter coats. Your pile of Things I Will Absolutely Need will be big; cut it in half. Think about how you’re transporting this and where you’ll store it when you arrive.

In our case, we bought a 53’ trailer and had it brought to our home each weekend. The husband had a sheet of graph paper with a very detailed and measured map of how our trailer would be packed. It worked, but you don’t need to go to that extreme if you don’t want to. Since we own the trailer, we knew we’d have a little more flexibility on unpacking it, as we’d planned on parking it in an accessible spot until we could unpack it completely.

Pack the boxes you’ll need last into the truck first, along with the furniture and whatnot you won’t need immediately. Use all the space you can, as it will fill up much faster than you think.

When it comes time to actually make the move, you should be down to just things you need to live on a day-to-day basis. At that point, we used a combination of paper products and things we could throw into the RV and use on the trip, like inexpensive plastic plates and utensils. Or mason jars for that last-minute champagne toast with your realtor when you sign closing docs. And keep some of the bubbly handy. Moving cross country is already stressful enough, take a break to enjoy the milestones along the way.

moving cross country

And be okay with your living room looking like this badly-lit photo displays: tv trays and storage bins so you can work and eat dinner. Check out those fancy nachos, a meal we threw together to use up food. (You’ll get really creative those last couple of weeks!)

moving cross country

Keep the receipts from your moving expenses, such as boxes and packing supplies, in case you’re able to use them on your tax return. In our case, we moved back to California for a job, so we were able to deduct certain things.

Look on apps and local selling organizations for boxes. Many people will give them away when they’re done if you’re willing to pick them up. Collect shoe boxes from friends; do not just pour shoes into one big box and let it sit in a warm space. I won’t even go into how I know that. Shoes are best stored in separate boxes if at all possible.

If you’re traveling in your RV, put aside the things you’ll be moving into it. For me, this pile started with my Keurig and my KitchenAid stand mixer. We knew we’d be in the RV for a little bit and I wanted to have life as normal as possible. Living in a small space with a large family is a challenge, so pack things that will make you comfortable. I even took my nice Cuisinart stainless steel cookware, and bakeware that I’d made sure would fit into the small oven.

Get the vehicles inspected for any issues, and have your tires checked. Make sure your insurances are all up-to-date, and trust me on this, for the love of all things travel, get the biggest and best roadside service plan you can get. AAA is wonderful, but there are limits on when you can upgrade so make sure you do it in advance, not when you need it or immediately after. Having a long towing limit can be worth the cost of the membership in itself.

I’m not in any way suggesting you start accruing credit card debt, but if you can, have at least one card open and available prior to leaving. You just don’t know what you’ll need to purchase on the road, like $500 for a fuel pump on Easter Sunday.

moving cross country

Start your important paperwork collection. Buy a sturdy folder and fill it with birth certificates, passports, bank information and insurance policies. You’ll need these to get a driver’s license after you move, amongst other reasons. Add in school paperwork and report cards, anything you’ll need to register them on the other end.

Another folder for your home paperwork will save you later on, when you’re waiting to get back deposits from utilities or your realtor calls because the new owner has a question. Put in your last bill for each utility and jot down when you closed the account, when it was shut off, if/when/where you returned cable boxes and what deposit you are owed. The loan paperwork will help in case the buyer’s bank is stupid and loses something, and you have to stop on the road to fax them something from your phone so they can finish funding the loan. (An app like CamScanner on your phone is invaluable.)

Get your prescriptions refilled, and if you can, get an extra month. You don’t know how soon you’ll have a new doctor. This goes for pet meds, too.

Before you know, you’ll be looking at this, in all its glory.

moving cross country

Get ready, here’s where the good times start! No, not really — you still have to plan the road trip itself, and pack up the cars/RV, but more on that in the next post. All I’ll say now is that you have to make moving cross country fun and make memories along the way!

Tweet
Share
Pin7
7 Shares

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: Cross Country Move, move

Previous Post: « Interviewing Roy Conli, Producer of Disneynature’s Born in China
Next Post: Buying a New Car: Getting the Auto Loan You Need, When You Need It »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Craig

    October 7, 2018 at 7:35 pm

    Moving from one place to another is a bit of an effort and costly especially when you have so many things to bring with you but there are still ways to make it more easy and fast..

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Follow Us

dangerous cupcake lifestyle club 33 profile
I’m Donna, and I’m not a mommy blogger.
I’m a Marvel geek and creator of Dangerous Cupcake, a Southern California lifestyle blog dedicated to life after the kids grow up. As my four kids enter different stages of their lives, I get to do the same, having fun, loving Disney, watching Marvel, and not letting my age define anything. Phase 2 of life is pretty amazing. Join me in changing focus ands enjoying life during our next adventure, without totally starting over. However you do it, life is short, live a little dangerously.
Donna@DangerousCupcakeLifestyle.com

We are an Amazon affiliate, which means some Amazon links you click may be our affiliate links. In that case, we may make some money IF you purchase using those links or other affiliate links.
We appreciate you!

STUFF WE WRITE ABOUT

Footer

dangerouscupcakelifestyle

Mom life as the 4 kids grow up🥂
Lifestyle~Travel~Food~Crafts~Entertainment
Collabs: donna@dangerouscupcakelifestyle.com

Donna B ~ SoCal Blogger
So I guess it’s time to frame this beauty? I’m So I guess it’s time to frame this beauty? I’m so sad about today’s news. I still love Disney. Always will. I’ll be here when they’re able to reopen safely again for Disney fans everywhere. 

#disney #disneyland #disneypassholder #disneypass #disneylandpass #apholders #apholders #disneyparks #disneylandcalifornia #disneylandresort #disneynews
Oh, aye, Sassenach....we canna tell you how excite Oh, aye, Sassenach....we canna tell you how excited we are that this arrived today. It was a long trip from Scotland but worth all the wait. 

@sassenachspirits #sassenachwhisky #sassenach @samheughan #sassenachspirits #whisky #outlander #outlanderobsessed #outlanderstarz #outlanderfans #scotland #scottishwhisky #outlanderfans #outlanderseries #meninkilts #whiskydrinker #thesassenach #blendedwhisky
Ready to get up-close and personal with some dinos Ready to get up-close and personal with some dinosaurs, right here in Southern California? Tickets are available now for Jurassic Quest, a socially-distanced drive-thru experience with more than 70 dinosaurs to see from the safety of your vehicle…where you’ll avoid the swinging tail of the 80-foot-long Spinosaurus!

It’s the nation’s largest touring and interactive dinosaur exhibit, where the moving and life-like dinosaurs, including a 50-foot Megalodon are displayed in realistic scenes, complete with audible roars and sounds. 

For $49 per car (with up to 8 occupants), you’ll all get the simultaneous audio tour (available in either English or Spanish) during your hour-long ride back in time.

Tours also include one group photo (in your vehicle) with a dinosaur backdrop and an opportunities to visit with a baby dinosaur and dinosaur trainers!

The schedule below includes four centralized locations through SoCal, making it an easy field trip for anyone. Purchase tickets online at www.jurassicquest.com!

Del Mar Fairgrounds near San Diego: Jan. 1-10
Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena: Jan. 15-31
OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa: Feb. 5-14
Fairplex in Pomona: Feb. 19-28. 

#jurassicquestpartner @jurassicquest #jurassicquest #jurassicquesttour #jurassic #dinosaurs #dinosaurtour #socal #southernCalifornia #pomona #delmarfairgrounds #pomonafairplex #costamesa #rosebowl #rosebowlstadium #pasadena #sandiego #delmarsandiego #welcometojurassicpark
As a person who cannot eat red meat, I've found my As a person who cannot eat red meat, I've found myself so badly missing some of my favorite foods, especially a good taco salad. Now I don't have to miss out anymore, thanks to the new Impossible™ Meat foods available at Rubio's!

Impossible Meat is made from plants, so you can eat less real meat but still get a delicious protein substitute while eating out! It's available in place of the chicken or steak in Rubio's entrees, or in the three below new additions to the menu as of January 6. 

  Impossible™ Taco Salad: Impossible seasoned ground meat made from plants, romaine lettuce, black beans, roasted corn, salsa fresca, tortilla strips, sliced Haas avocado and signature pickled jalapeno ranch dressing.

  Impossible™ Burrito Especial: Impossible seasoned ground meat made from plants, handmade guacamole, chipotle white sauce, roasted chipotle salsa, citrus rice, black beans and salsa fresca in a warm flour tortilla. Served with tortilla chips.

  Impossible™ California Bowl: Impossible seasoned ground meat made from plants, citrus rice, handmade guacamole, black beans, crisp romaine lettuce, salsa fresca, chipotle white sauce with your choice of salsa verde or roasted chipotle salsa.

The Impossible™ seasoned meat has all the protein of 80/20 ground beef but no hormones or antibiotics and it's gluten-free. Seasoned with the same Rubio's signature blend of Mexican spices you're used to, it's delicious! We're huge fans of Rubio's, usually going to our Ontario Mills or Rancho Cucamonga locations, and now we have more reasons to visit because we know everyone in our family will find something they like! So glad to continue to visit and support a restaurant that meets all our dietary needs while always expanding and keeping their menu innovative and healthy!

#RubiosPartner #RubiosXImpossible #ImpossibleFoods @RubiosCoastalGrill @MintPublicity #mexicanfood #impossiblemeat #burrito #food
When you finally get a group photo of all the kids When you finally get a group photo of all the kids in one room but two get cut out and you look like a creeper, you still post it. Life’s short and we don’t get enough time with our loved ones. Take the silly pictures and share them, proudly, no matter how weird they are. This is my crazy family finally together and celebrating a birthday. Mama Bear will do anything for this group. 

#family #birthday #birthdaygirl #familyphoto #familyphotos #familytime #birthdaycelebration
When I was a kid, I was a nerd. I read anything I When I was a kid, I was a nerd. I read anything I could get my hands on, and one day, it was a copy of The Old Farmer’s Almanac. I was hooked. I knew when the sun would set, when the moon would rise and when to plant what in my tiny garden of castoff seeds I’d find in my mom’s garden. I found an early interest in astrology and loved keeping track of full moons, holidays, tide patterns and more. 

Fast-forward to me being an adult and I still love this book. It comes out yearly and is just as much fun now as it was when I was eight. The accompanying website features snow prediction tools, zodiac profiles, word of the day and so many other things a fledgling gardener or suburban homesteader wannabe can use. 

I also received a copy of the Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook, providing step-by-step advice for vegetable growing success, full of photos for your easy reference. Not sure what to plant when? And where? This book will answer all of your questions for only $15.95. (And the almanac itself is a steal at $16.95.)

Let your inner nerd flag fly high — grab this book and settle in for a read. Then let me know what you think! At the very least, you will have a lot of good conversation starters and you’ll be a great candidate for Jeopardy!

#theoldfarmersalmanacpartner @theoldfarmersalmanac #oldfarmersalmanac #oldfarmers #almanac #vegetablegarden #theoldfarmersalmanac #vegetablegardening #vegetablegardens #gardener #gardening #gardenersofinstagram #gardenersofig #gardenerslife #readbooks #gardeningbooks
Follow on Instagram
This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: API requests are being delayed for this account. New posts will not be retrieved.

Log in as an administrator and view the Instagram Feed settings page for more details.

Life is short, so it should never be boring. Dangerous Cupcake Lifestyle is all about enjoying life, finding yourself after your kids grow up and above all, keeping it real. Live dangerously. We'd love to hear from you -- let's work together!

Copyright © 2021 Dangerous Cupcake and Thunderbolt Social Media

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.