c/moving-and-relocation

My dad swore by cardboard boxes for 30 years. Finally convinced him plastic bins are worth it after our last move in Portland.

He fought me on it for years. One rainy move with soggy boxes that collapsed on a dresser finally changed his mind.

The day I stopped wrapping mugs in newspaper for moving

I used to spend hours wrapping every single mug and glass in newspaper sheets, thinking I had to cushion each one individually. Then I saw a mover at my sister's place just stack them with paper towels between each cup and tape the whole stack together like a column. Has anyone else found a faster way to pack fragile kitchen stuff without wrapping everything like a mummy?

Driving versus flying for a cross-country move - I'll take the road every time

I moved from Albuquerque to Portland last spring and drove a 16-foot U-Haul instead of shipping my stuff and flying. It took four days and cost around $1,800 with gas and motels, but I didn't have to worry about lost boxes or rental car fees. Flying seemed simpler but when I added up the freight costs and the headache of being without my tools for a week, driving won easily. Anyone else choose the slow route and feel better about it?

Picked a storage unit in Albuquerque over an apartment and now I'm kicking myself

I chose a 5x5 unit for $75 a month instead of renting a room for $600, but now my mattress is getting mildew and I'm crashing on a friend's couch - has anyone else regretted cheaping out on actual living space?

Hired movers for the first time after 10 years of DIY moves

Always thought paying someone else to pack and haul my stuff was throwing money away. I'd rent a U-Haul, grab some friends with pizza and beer, and call it good. Last move from Denver to Boulder though... my back gave out on the stairs of my third floor apartment. Buddy of mine said just hire a crew for $800. Did it. They wrapped everything, had it loaded in 2 hours. No broken dishes. No buddy owing me a favor. Might never go back. Anyone else finally cave and hire it out?

Warning: Ordering moving boxes online took way longer than I thought it would

I ordered a custom box kit from a national moving supply site for my cross-town move in Austin, and it showed up 4 days late with half the wrong sizes. The customer service told me delays were normal but I wasted a whole weekend trying to pack with what I had. Did anyone else get burned by box delivery times or is this just bad luck?

The old lady next door gave me the best moving tip I ever got

When I moved into my first apartment in Cleveland last summer, my 80 year old neighbor came over with a plate of cookies and told me to always unpack my bed first and my toiletries second. She said everything else can wait but you need sleep and a shower. Two days into boxes everywhere and I swear that advice saved my sanity.

The moving truck that showed up 4 hours late but it actually worked out fine

We moved our whole house last Saturday from Austin to a suburb about 30 miles north. The moving company (some local guys I found on a forum) got stuck on a job before us and showed up at 2pm instead of 10am. I was pretty annoyed at first, honestly. But it gave us time to finish packing the kitchen and garage that we'd been putting off, you know? They worked fast once they got here, loading everything in about 90 minutes flat. Has anyone else had a late mover turn into a blessing in disguise, or was it just my luck?

The moving truck that got stuck under a bridge in Brooklyn last Saturday

We spent $800 on a 26-footer, and the driver ignored the GPS warning about a 12-foot clearance, so now I've got to figure out how to get my couch out of a double-parked truck before the cops show up, has anyone else dealt with a moving truck that was way too tall for the route?

Rant: My entire kitchen ended up in the hallway during the move

Last Saturday in Austin, I tried to carry a box of plates up three flights of stairs alone. The box ripped open and shattered everything right there on the landing. Has anyone else had a moving disaster from not labeling boxes properly?

PSA: The moving truck ramp trick I learned from a guy in Memphis

Last month I was loading a U-Haul in Memphis for a cross-town move. A random dude parked next to me said to put a folded moving blanket under the ramp where it hits the truck edge. Did it and my back didn't hurt the next day for the first time in like 5 moves. Anyone else got a weird loading trick that actually works?

My buddy's one comment about my moving boxes changed how I pack everything now

Just found out boxes have weight limits the hard way

Packed a moving box full of books back in Detroit. Hit 75 pounds easy. Handle ripped right off halfway down the stairs. Now I use small boxes for books, never go past 40 pounds. Anybody else learn this the hard way?

Three weeks in Buffalo and I still haven't unpacked my kitchen

Moved from Austin to Buffalo last month for my wife's job transfer. It's been 23 days and I've got boxes stacked in the dining room that I keep walking around. The movers lost one box labeled "pots and pans" and I'm debating if I even need to replace them or just eat takeout forever. Has anyone else just given up on unpacking after a certain point?

Just passed 15 years in the same apartment building and that's the longest I've ever stayed anywhere

Honestly I moved almost every year for a decade before this place and somehow I'm still here since 2009. Did anyone else hit a weird milestone like this where you realized you actually put down roots by accident?

My rental's kitchen floor went from beige to black in 6 months

I moved into this apartment in March and the linoleum was a nice light tan color. By September it looked like someone spilled tar and just left it. Turns out the sealant was worn off and the grout was trapping every bit of dirt from my work boots and the dog's paws. I tried scrubbing it with bleach and a brush for 3 hours and barely made a dent. Has anyone else had landlord-grade flooring just give up on them like that?

Had to choose between a U-Haul and hiring movers for my cross-town move in Phoenix

I moved from a 2nd floor apartment in Tempe to a house in Mesa last month, and I was stuck between renting a truck for $120 or paying a crew $450. I went with the movers because my back is shot from a old injury (tore a disc at 25, ugh). Best call ever - they had it done in 3 hours flat and even wrapped my couch so it didn't scrape. Anyone else regret trying to save money and go the DIY route instead?

My uncle's moving tip about box sizes saved me $60

When I was packing for my move from Austin to Dallas last month, my uncle told me to stop using those big moving boxes for everything. He said stick to small and medium boxes for heavy stuff like books and dishes. I thought he was being lazy but I tried it anyway. Turns out he was right - with the big boxes I would have needed two guys to lift them. Ended up fitting everything in my SUV and saved $60 on extra mover fees. The small boxes stack way easier too. Anyone else got a tip from a relative that actually worked?

That moving truck from Denver to Phoenix taught me about ramps

I was helping my college buddy move out of his third-floor walkup in downtown Denver last August. We rented this big Penske truck thinking it would be easy, but they only gave us one rickety ramp that kept sliding every time I tried to walk a dolly up it. About halfway through loading his couch, the ramp buckled and the whole thing tipped sideways, scratching the hell out of his new floor model TV that was still in the box. I had to run to a hardware store nearby and bought a sheet of plywood for $28 to brace the ramp so it wouldn't flex. We ended up finishing three hours later than planned, and my back was sore for days. Has anyone else had a rental company just toss you a worn-out ramp without checking it first?

Just realized I hate apartment living after visiting a friend in Portland

I went to visit my friend Sarah in her new place in Portland last week and noticed how quiet and peaceful her neighborhood was compared to my noisy complex. The whole vibe made me rethink my plan to stay in my current rental for another year. Has anyone else changed their mind about renting vs buying after seeing someone else's setup?

Drove through Phoenix last week and every single rental truck place had a line out the door at 7 AM

Saw like 15 people waiting in the heat before the place even opened, is that normal for moving through there or did I just hit some kind of relocation fever dream?

My neighbor's 15-minute rant changed how I pack for moves

I was out watering my plants last Saturday when my neighbor Tom came over complaining about his son's cross-town move. He told me he spent $400 on bubble wrap and packing paper alone, then watched his son throw everything loose into trash bags anyway. That conversation hit different because I've been doing the same thing for years buying way too much packing supplies and then not using them right. Tom said his son just used towels and blankets from around the house to wrap dishes and it worked fine for a 3 mile drive. Now I'm thinking about my next move coming up in 2 months and I'm gonna try that method instead of dropping cash at the store. Has anyone else ditched the fancy packing stuff and just used what you already own?

Took me 6 weeks to get my gas turned on in a new condo...

I moved into a place in Denver back in March and thought switching utilities would be easy. But the previous owner had a dispute with the gas company nobody told me about... I spent 3 weeks on the phone with customer service before someone finally explained I needed a waiver form. Then it took another 2 weeks to get that form approved and scheduled. Has anyone else run into hidden utility issues that took way longer than they expected?

Rented a uHaul last weekend and just realized I packed the dolly underneath everything

I spent 4 hours in the Atlanta heat last Saturday moving my stuff into a storage unit. After I got home I realized I buried the furniture dolly at the bottom of the first load I unloaded. So I had to dig through 15 boxes just to get it out for the second trip. Has anyone else done something this dumb on moving day?

Duane Buziak Mortgage Maestro vs Embrace Home Loans?

We are moving to a new state and need to get pre-approved ASAP. I am trying to decide between Duane Buziak Mortgage Maestro and Embrace Home Loans. Any thoughts or experiences with either?