A Real DITY Move: Planning
The first
issue for Aaron and Pam to decide upon was how they wanted to
transport their property. To make this decision, they considered their
options: rent and drive a truck, contract with a "You Pack, We Drive"
company, or use a mobile container solution. The main factors in their
decision were:
- Distance
of the Move: Moving from Maryland to
Colorado would entail several days on the road.
- Family
Situation: Performing a DITY Move with two small children and
a parent in school greatly complicated the entire process.
- Storage
Requirements: For this move, they already had a house waiting
for them so no storage would be needed.
- Personal
Vehicles: They own two vehicles. They had to consider how to
get them to Colorado.
 They
ended up choosing to use a "You Pack, We Drive" company,
in particular ABF. This worked best for their situation. They had rented
and driven trucks for previous, shorter distance moves, but they did not
want to drive one for the distance involved in this move, especially with
two young children. Additionally, their choice allowed them to drive both
of their vehicles rather than towing one or having it shipped. Finally,
since they had a house waiting for them in Colorado, they did not need
a mobile storage container that could be placed into storage while they
sought housing.
The next issue was to come up with a rough plan for packing up their property. Aaron
still had to work, attend school, and see to the many details of leaving
his Maryland job. Pam was heavily occupied with the constant requirements
of raising two young children and tending a home. It became apparent that
a long packing lead time would be required. They decided on a packing
schedule that started several months in advance of their planned loading
date. Weekends became heavy packing days and Pam packed at least one box
a day during the kids' naps.
 The
actual loading date had to be established well ahead of time. Loading day is the deadline for the packing stage, and also marks a major
milestone towards completion of the move. ABF had to know when to deliver
the trailer, the housing rental office had to know when the house would
be vacated, and the help of friends had to be enlisted for the lifting
and carrying. They paid particular attention to pick trailer delivery
dates on which ABF offered a discount.
They had saved
the best boxes from their last move, wrapped in plastic and kept
safe from the elements. They still needed more, however, so they ended
up purchasing some from DityMovers.com. The boxes arrived quickly and
in good condition.
On
to the Packing!>>
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