Leaving California, Headed East, Family of 4 with Dog and Cat

richmond is expensive, but probably not compared to the bay area. that's good, so you won't get sticker shock.

why not arrange a short term rental before you move? living with family, with pets, under those circumstances sounds like a recipe for disaster.

since you have pets you can't do a slow roll that includes lots of fun stops and sight seeing. so go the other direction- plan potty breaks and leg-stretching, but other than that get it done as quickly as possible.

i suggest tranks for the pets.

welcome to the east coast!

:) khairete
S.

We have some family in Midlothian (Richmond suburb) but the kids are all in college now.
Until you have a place to put it your stuff will most likely stay in storage.
Consider getting rid of some big furniture so you don't have to move/store it and when you get a house you can buy what will best fit in the new place.

Work with a realtor that knows the area and check out schools in GreatSchools.org in case your kids don't get into the private school or it doesn't work out.
It's a good idea to rent a house for a year so you really get an idea where you'd like to buy one.
It will give you a place for your stuff and pets (and you and your kids) without over staying your welcome with local family.
It will also give you plenty of time to see what commuting traffic, weather, flooding, etc is like.

https://richmondvamls.net/the-ultimate-relocation-housing...

I move every 2-3 years from state to state with my family. Sometimes every year within the same city.

Don’t buy a house until you get to the area. You need to get a feel for Traffic patterns and the area. I recommend renting for a year.

As for traveling across country, it’s much easier and cheaper to fly the family and ship the cars. It will be the same amount as hotels, meals, gas, car repairs, souvenirs, sight seeing etc. It is also stressful to driving so long with pets and kids. Shipping saves the wear and tear on your vehicles and is much safter.

People forget traveling with a bunch of stuff in cars is dangerous and opens you up to more thefts staying in motels/hotels overnight.

I shipped my car from California to NY for $1500. Saved me 10 days of my life and vacation I went on a tropical vacation instead.
You can also pay extra for poundage to pack things in your cars.

Sell, sell, sell and give away and get rid of your stuff. Downsize and minimize. You will want to get new stuff for your new house and to match your new life style. West cost style is different from east coast style.

Poundage cost money! Shipping is weight.
Ask yourself this, can I buy this from Ikea?
If it’s not sentimental, Chuck it!

Around here, a lot of houses turn over in the summer because families are doing just what you're doing - switching schools. I'd consider renting, though, until you learn more about your new community and until you secure a job. I'd also find something in a district with a good public school system in case your kids don't get into the private school or it's not right for them or it's too expensive on just one salary).

Try to go with the flow on some things. I'm a planner too, but you have to trust that you can manage in so many ways being flexible.

I would consider lightening your load and limiting your moving costs where you can. Sell what you don't absolutely need or love. You could rent a furnished place if necessary, you could rent an apartment and actually rent furniture short-term, or you could buy new. Lots of options.

Re travel: I would turn the trip into a vacation. What a great experience for your kids! The weather would be hospitable, and you could include them in the planning. I'm showing my age, but honestly, don't miss the opportunity to teach them map and navigation skills - don't do it all by GPS! I traveled from NY to Texas in 4th grade when my dad was transferred for a 4-month project, and we went in the family car with 2 kids and a dog. We packed lunches, bought stuff on the road, and found dog-friendly hotels (not nearly as easy then as it is now). There are also temporary pet care places now while you sightsee - if your animals are temperamentally suited to that. There are also dog walkers through Care.com or hotel recommendations.

Another option to consider is shipping the car and renting an RV. We have taken multiple vacations this way, and our son's college tour as well. It was the same money as renting 2 hotel rooms (or cramming into a single one) and buying all our meals out. We ate out or got take out some, but we also made breakfasts and lunches in the RV, and packed a small grill for BBQing in campgrounds (where we met terrific people and our son went swimming and so on). They're a bit of a pain to pack (you need dishes, pots, silverware, etc.) BUT you're going to be packing anyway. And once you pack up the first time, you're done - much easier than going into a different motel every night then repacking the next day. Our dog had free rein in the RV but we also had the crate for when we went out. And you can leave the AC on for an animal in the summer, which solves the problem of leaving pets in a hot car. Plenty of campgrounds have pull-in/pull-out campsites so you don't even really need to learn to back up in tight places. We packed enough groceries for 3 days, then pulled right into a supermarket parking lot to pick up more, and kept going! So easy. It gave us the flexibility to change our minds and our route without worrying that we have to cover a certain number of miles in order to make our hotel reservation. If you want more info and tips, message me.

If you don't have AAA, get it. They not only help with the obvious roadside problems, but they will help you map out a trip, including sights to see, hotels (or campgrounds!), discounts, and more.

I would use the PODS to ship/store your things when you get there.
Keep essentials out like kitchen/bathroom items, label clearly & take them with
you in the car on the drive.
Now having said that, I would think about renting an RV so you can take your pets, have somewhere to sleep/eat automatically. You will have your own toilet/shower facilities that way and your pet can easily travel. You can tow at least one car behind the RV.
I would rent a small place when you get there so you can see what neighborhoods are good. Then look for a home to purchase.
I don't trust shipping my pets. Pets are rarely treated well & have even died on flights due to how they are treated/ things placed on top of their cages so no air reaches them etc.

How about a POD? You pack it, they store it, it ships to your new location once you’re ready to unpack. I suggest a short term furnished rental until you are ready to buy.

Best of luck
F. B.

I second the PODS idea!!! What kind of vehicle do you drive? Are you taking more than one vehicle across country with you? I think a cross country drive could be tons of fun!!! There are chains of hotels that allow pets. If your vehicle can pull a trailer, I'd rent one of those smaller box type trailers for some important stuff you might want with you not only during the trip buy right away when you get to your new location. I like the renting for one year idea also! Make it fun!!! Label your boxes very good!!!

We moved to VA temporarily (and rented out our house while we were gone) and lived there three years. My husband and the kids flew. We had hired movers who packed and took our stuff. I drove with our dog and cat. One of my parents joined me for company. Actually, it was a pleasant drive. I did it in 4 days and it was fun to see some of the country even if just from the highway. My husband and kids stayed in a hotel for a week and I was in the hotel with them a night or two till we could go to our rental house the day our stuff arrived. We found our rental house by me researching good schools and then using Zillow. After we had been there a few months they said our son needed to be sent to the AAP (all advanced academics) school about 15m south of us. We actually ended up moving from our first rental house to one about a couple blocks from the new school. So, in my opinion it is a blessing if you can stay with a family member until you find a house! Keep your cat locked in one bedroom when you get there to reduce stress. If after 3 days your cat wants to go out and explore then you can let him out but watch your cat for stress! Try your hardest to research where you want to live before you go. Anything to make the process more smooth. As for moving with animals...it was fine. I had the litter box in the back of the car and the cat never once used it while I was driving! He mostly kept a low profile. I had him wear a cat harness bc I was worried about him jumping out at a stop and wanted a leash on him. I had to stop to walk the dog regularly for bathroom breaks. Stopping for lunch each day I left the animals in the car with it running (to keep the A/C on). Ate quickly and then got on the road again. Or we would grab something quick to eat and stop at a park to let the dog out. I always left the car running to keep it comfortable inside. Each night when I got to the hotel I would go check in. Then I would carry in the cat while my mom walked the dog in. Then I'd go back and get the litter box. Then I'd carry in my small bag. I guess how your cat handles things depends on his personality. Our cat did fine. My sisters cat, when she moved, yowled in the car a lot and was miserable. If you think your cat will freak out keep him in the cat kennel in the car so he can't lodge himself under a seat. I had a cat do this once and it was a real pain to get her out. PM me if you have any questions! Our kids were 5th grade and Kindergarten when we moved. Then three years later we moved back. It all worked out fine. My 5th grader had a bit of hard time when we moved but once he started going to the AAP school he was much happier and made friends. Good luck!
Ah, I just read your SWH! We rented an RV right after we moved back and it was GREAT! We wanted to drive back in the RV, but it didn't work out for various reasons. So again I drove the pets back to NM and a pet sitter stayed with them while we did the RV trip. We had so much fun and made it a 2 week vacation and stayed in national parks. I HIGHLY recommend doing that. We all love to tent camp in our family, so for us it was easy. I saw a lot of RVers with their dogs with them. Cats not so much. They used the separate A/C in the RV when it was parked (this was summer) to keep their pets cool which you can turn on even if the RV is not running.

How interesting! We just moved from RVA to San Fransisco last year! Richmond VA is a great city, I miss it everyday (lived there for over 20 years) First off, Richmond is a very diverse city and there is so much to do there. There is so much culture, the food scene is great, tons of museums, art exhibits etc. The "Rivah " is a beautiful place to go to paddleboard, kayake, or just sun on the rocks. Their are tons of moutain biking trails, and of course the Shenahoah mountains are just an hour's drive away.
The West End- Short Pump area is known for it's good schools. Depending on where you are working, you can either choose to live in the north of the James River, or South of the James River. The traffic is actually very good, especially compared to San Mateo congestion. There are new homes popping up everywhere, so I would first focus on the Schools in which you're children will go along with the commute time. Seriously, you can get anywhere in that area in about 20 mintues in each direction.
You can either choose to Rent for a year and store your stuff in PODS. If you don't mind moving "twice". If you choose this route, make sure you're kids are going to be in the same school district. You don't want to have to change schools when you purchase you're home.
A second option would be to rent a "furnished" apartment for 6 months while you get a feel for the area. Remember to drive to and from work/school/ during peak commute times and this will help you get a great feel for the area.
We lived in a suburb called "Wyndham". There are older and newer homes there. Great schools, great sense of community and centrally located to everything one would need.
The people of Richmond are warm, inviting, and super friendly. You're going to love it!
http://www.wyndhamfoundation.com/