Wednesday, August 27, 2025

Initial Planning Has Begun - Moving Out Of State

 


After a lot of thought and some conversations with my BFF I’ve come up with an initial plan for how I will be making my move once I have decided where I want to land and have sold my house.  It has been nice to have someone to bounce ideas off of and get input from, but at the end of the day the final decision about everything is mine.  It’s a bit overwhelming, to say the least, so I want to make it as easy on myself as humanly possible.  Especially as I will be five to ten years older and who knows how I will be feeling then?  My goal, of course, is to just get better and better with age.

 

This is the binder I'm keeping my ideas, lists & plans in

I’ve decided that when I move I only want to take with me what will fit into the vehicle I happen to have at the time.  Will that be my truck?  Will it be the Subaru?  Or will it be something else entirely?  At this time I don’t really know, but I have some ideas.  As the time draws nearer and I really get cooking on this scheme of mine I’ll have some big decisions to make about vehicles.

 


Right now, if I decide to use one of the vehicles I have, the truck would likely be my first choice.  It would require a camper shell in order to protect and secure my belongings and those smaller ones are harder to find.  The Subaru would be good on its own because with the backseats down I’d have a nice cargo area, but it would be quite a bit smaller than the bed of the truck.  That wouldn’t necessarily be a bad thing though, I’d just take less stuff with me.  If I go with one of these I would sell the other.  If I decide to buy another vehicle altogether I would sell both of these vehicles.

 


As of right now I’m leaning toward the truck for a variety of reasons.  One is that of the two vehicles I have right now it is the one in the best condition.  Although it is much older it has lower miles and since I bought it brand new in 1997 I know everything there is to know about this vehicle.  Two, and this is a biggie, I have a serious emotional attachment to this truck.  I really LOVE my truck.  Three, it is practical.  I can do pretty much anything and it is a great size.  They don’t sell these smaller trucks anymore (which is a shame) and to replace it with a new one would be quite costly.  And four, I wouldn’t be out the cost or the hassle of buying another vehicle.

 


One thing I do know is that whatever I end up taking with me the majority of it will need to fit into banker boxes as they are sturdy, have handles and are easy to carry.  They are also small enough that I can’t overstuff them and make them too heavy.  Because these boxes will be all the same size they will stack nicer and fit better in the back of my vehicle.  Once I have decided what I’ll be driving I plan to do a mock up with empty boxes to see how many will fit and then I’ll go from there as far as the actual packing.

 


As I look around the house I see a lot of things I am willing to part ways with.  I do not plan to bring large pieces of furniture.  My furniture is old, worn (cats, kids & me have done some damage) and I do not see any logical reason to pay the high price of a moving truck or service to haul this stuff to my next destination.  Once I get to where I am going I’ll just get new furniture, which is actually something I’m really excited about.

 


The same can be said for a lot of my linens and clothing.  By the time I’m ready to go these things will be pretty well worn and ready to be replaced anyway so I don’t plan to waste my precious cargo space with these items either.  Craft and sewing supplies will need to be used up, food will need to be eaten (I will be starting over with my LTFS), sentimental items will be gone through again, the garage will be pared down to just the essentials and I’ll be clearing out all of the storage areas I have in this house.  Phew!  That seems like a lot!

 

Most of this will need to be gone

This is my preliminary idea at this time.  I have a lot more thoughts and ideas swirling around in my head too.  As with anything plans are always subject to change, I know I need to be flexible, but logically, from where I sit this plan makes the most sense right now.  We shall see, when the time comes, if this is what I truly end up doing.  I bet I do.

 

10 comments:

  1. I love the way you plan!
    In 2019 and 2020 we moved across the country 3 times, and each time we took with us only what we could fit in our hatchback car, so I completely understand your logic!

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    1. I don't want to drive a U haul across the country, that is for sure! ;)

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  2. This may sound a bit weird -- but if you decide to sell your Outback, we're interested. (And yes, we'd drive up to Idaho to get it.)

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    1. It isn't weird at all, it's a pretty sweet ride! Yes, I will contact you first if I decide to sell it.

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  3. I'm excited to follow your planning out your move.

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  4. If you use the Subaru you could also get a roofbox to go on top.

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    1. Oh funny! I was just looking at those online yesterday. Great minds!

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  5. This is exciting! I kind of wish you were coming to Austin. (: I will be following your posts diligently as downsizing and relocating are on my mind lately...

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