Drowning in details! Throw me a life ring!

April 20, 2012 5:39 AM

Looking for help planning an upcoming cross-country move and logistics planning and options. Move: Baltimore, MD to Berkeley, CA, with a LOT of leeway, but it's still hella complicated! Lots of special snowflake details inside.

In the Fall 2012, my goal is to move to Berkeley, CA from Baltimore, MD. This is partly because of splitting up with my ex of 15 years, partly due to needing to see to elder care for my parents, partly wanting to take the opportunity to return to my beloved East Bay.

My problem? The huge pile of logistics I am personally responsible for doing before I get there is usually okay, but sometimes it really gets to me. So help me think about this, take it head on and start handling it directly instead of just worrying about it.

I have a bunch of advantages and things working largely in my favor:
- I will move to my Mom's property, in a separate house from hers.
- I can work the job I already have, remotely, on a Pacific Time schedule.
- My Mom is willing to and interested in taking care of my cat while I complete the move.
- I do not have a set schedule (though this isn't helping me deal emotionally).
- Money needs to be reasonable, but short term availability of money is not an issue.
- I have a good, proven Seller's Agent for selling my house.
- From June until selling the house and moving permanently, I'm approved to work 2 weeks in MD and 2 weeks in CA, alternating indefinitely (assuming I can afford the travel costs and the schedule doesn't kick my butt). So I can totally use the travel to help move small items.

Handled or almost handled obstacles:
- Cat move logistics worked out. (This is/was crazy complicated.)
- Selling/finding a home for all of my furniture.
- Fixing up the really obvious things about my house prior sale listing.
- Split up assets in the house, various furniture and possessions already marked for her or me. Very little uncertainty there, but I am having trouble visualizing what will be left.
- Generalities about selling the house - schedule and listing price, as well as amenities and details about recent renovation.

Things still being worked out:
- Preparing/staging house for sale.
- Listing house for sale.
- Setting up an office in Berkeley, CA property.
- In June, my ex will move out and take most of the furniture (the stuff I'm not selling/giving away). Do I rent some furniture or keep it nude?
- What to do with the stuff I have that is on bookshelves now (storage? mail/ship to my Mom's property? move to Mom's property?) And what's the most efficient/cost effective?
- How to ultimately move the stuff I am left with and want to keep.

Please help me figure out what to do/how to plan with the stuff I still need to work out.

posted by kalessin to travel & transportation around Berkeley, CA (3 answers total)

Can you list the house in May at a competitive price and sell while the furniture is still there? Even if you get 5% less it might be worth it to be done quickly.
posted by mercredi at 6:40 AM on April 20, 2012

Thanks mercredi, yes, I hope to list in May. Price and amenities will be competitive to a couple houses that have been listed higher for a few months (with no serious action AFAIK).

Now trying to fade into the background so as not to mod my thread. :)
posted by kalessin at 6:42 AM on April 20, 2012

Regarding the stuff on your bookshelves now, it's probably going to be much cheaper to ship them to your mom's than to pack and haul them cross-country. I checked media mail prices from Baltimore to Berkeley and you can ship 50 pounds of books for about $20. If you're worried about bare shelves, pick up a few cheap frames/prints at the Goodwill or Ikea to set out in place of your books.
posted by jabes at 9:23 AM on April 21, 2012