Lurker Here...PCSing

[gracioushoney]

Hi there, I've been a lurker on here since you moved over, but I've decided to come out of hiding because I have a question. My H is ADAF and we just received orders to a new base and this is our first time PCSing. Do you have any tips or hints for it all? Like finding housing and what to move yourselves and meeting people at the new base. Anything and everything would be helpful. I am going to the moving class that the AFRC has, but I wanted to know if you guys had any hands on experience with this. TIA!

[G22]

If your looking to live on base, I think you would called the housing office regarding if there's a waitlist or anything. We have always lived off base and have gone through ahrn.com to find our houses. Its made specifically for military families to find housing. We have had good luck with it the 2 times we moved. If TMO is moving you, they'll pack EVERYTHING for you. You only need to pack and and set aside what you'll be taking with you. You'll want clothing, anything you use daily like toiletries, and a couple dishes. We forgot stuff the first time around and I ended up browning hamburger in a pan with a spoon. It was great. If you have any kids or pets you'll need to pack daily stuff for them too. also anything valuable that's easy to take with you isn't a bad idea. I brought my jewelry box with us, instead of sending it with the movers.

Its inevitable, but try not to stress too much. Everything will work out in the end, even if you hit some kinks along the way. Not sure if that helped but feel free to ask anything specific.

[flycatcher]

First tip: don't stress. For us, the process went pretty smoothly.

The first thing was deciding whether we wanted to live on base or off. Our decision was made when we realized "on base" housing here isn't actually on base, so convienence was no longer a consideration. Second, we couldn't be sure we'd get a house with a fenced yard. I knew we needed one of those for our dog.

The class you're going to will probably have a lot of information. Like gumby said, the housing office is who to talk to about living on base.

As far as the moving, if you're having the military move you, it's really easy. Just make sure to have everything organized, throw away things you don't want to unpack when you get to your new place. We marked off a room of things that we were taking with us (since we drove our cars and pets). We put a sign on the door that said, "do not pack". You'll want anything you might need before you get your boxes unpacked.

Another thing about being organized. Our boxes were labeled according to room; bedroom, living room, office, etc. The company that did ours said this was necessary. But, because we didn't know where things were going most of the stuff said living room. It might help if you put things in piles according to where they will need to be when packed. Because our blender managed to get stuffed in with living room stuff. : )

[gracioushoney]

Thank you all so much for your help. We are planning on living off base and have no kids. Do you know about how long it took for you to get your things once you got to your new base? Also, is there anything that you wish you had taken with you, but you forgot? I am afraid that we will need something and not remember it!

[basilosaurus]

I'm not much help since all my moves have had an ocean between them. I will say, expect the unexpected. What should have been our fastest shipment since it was already in storage in crates took 6 months. The last to be packed arrived first, about 2 months later. Hopefully, without oceans, you have better luck.

Use this time to purge everything you don't want. It makes unpacking so much easier. Keep anything you want to take with you in a closed off room like your bathroom (after, of course, taking the bathroom stuff out to ship). That way it doesn't accidentally get packed.

I pack all my breakable and delicate electronics myself. I usually take out the hard drives from my computer and hand carry them, too. But I'm a nut like that.

I don't know where you're going, so I can't tell what you'd need, but I wished we had coats during our summer move to Japan. It was so cold and rainy, even in July. And snow started falling in Oct, thankfully, right after we got our shipment with winter gear.

I make sure to have some decent cooking equipment b/c home cooked meals are the biggest way I feel settled, even if in temporary lodging.

FTR, except overseas, I've never bothered with the housing office or that ahrn. I've relied on craigslist with great success. Ahrn here had far fewer listings. You can start craigslist hunting now, at least to get a feel for areas and prices.

[bigmamma]

planmymove.mhf.dod.mil/

[basilosaurus]

Sept 6, 2012 15:16:57 GMT -5 bigmamma said:

planmymove.mhf.dod.mil/

Lol, I just played around with this for a few of the moves I've had. It thinks we couldn't have done any of the moves we've made b/c we've never gotten the 3 months it plans on.

I love this
"Remember to pick up the children and pets before you move"

[basilosaurus]

Sept 6, 2012 15:22:29 GMT -5 killercupcake said:

Is it wrong to whore out my blog? Because I'm going to.

www.lipstickandleathernecks.com/2012/03/its-pcs-time.html

The movers will NOT pack any non perishable food that has been opened

So they say

Did you see my posts when I was going through the months of unpacking? The Korean movers packed everything from H's pantry, even unopened. It was hilarious (and a nice surprise).

[crimewatcher]

Pack enough to get you by for a couple extra weeks than the estimated time of delivery. My stuff was stuck in Iowa for a week because other people cancelled their moves and they wouldn't move the truck with my stuff being the only items on the truck. But they did however, send another truck to get my stuff and finish the move. (How that was better for them is beyond me).

I had all my stuff already prepacked since I was living at home and put my stuff in storage- but the movers still have to itemize the contents so know if you pack yourself don't tape the boxes. Our movers also repacked a couple of our boxes and I only had 1 very small decorative ceramic bowl break. ($5 from Michaels lol.. NBD).

My H also went to the AF Smooth Move class- at his class they mentioned to hand carry things like DVDS, Video/Computer Games and other things that are light/easy to take and can be pawned or resold easily.

I will add www.militarybyowner.com is a great resource for available houses for rent or purchasing.

Lastly, if your stuff is delayed you can go to the Airman's Attic and Loan Closet at your new base and temporarily loan a ton of stuff to get you by until your stuff arrives. (Dishes, Pots, Pans, Tools, Fans, Coffee Maker, Silverware, Crockpots etc.)

[flycatcher]

Sept 6, 2012 15:05:28 GMT -5 gracioushoney said:

Thank you all so much for your help. We are planning on living off base and have no kids. Do you know about how long it took for you to get your things once you got to your new base? Also, is there anything that you wish you had taken with you, but you forgot? I am afraid that we will need something and not remember it!

It probably depends where it's going and when. Ours was going from Minnesota to Ohio the week of Thanksgiving and it only took 2 1/2 weeks.

It went straight into storage on base because we didn't have our place yet. Once we requested our stuff it took about 2 days to get it delivered.

[gracioushoney]

Sibil, we are going to Arkansas.

KC, that blog was a great help, thank you! I think we might do a partial DITY. We just moved into a new place 2 months ago and I really don't want to do that whole thing over again. However there is some stuff that I would like to move on my own.

Oh, another question, (sorry for so many!) we have notification of a PCS, but not actual orders yet. Do you know about how long that may take? TIA!

[basilosaurus]

Hold up, stop, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

No orders to me means I don't do jackshit. Well, I'd do some initial research, like look at craigslist, but that's about it. I thought you couldn't go through the checklist without orders anyway.

Even with orders, I've had the country change from one overseas to another.

[flycatcher]

I remember something!!! If you think you'll be sleeping someplace without a mattress, bring an air mattress or sleeping bags.

We brought a set of sheets and our comforter and pillows, but neglected sleeping bags. We slept on the floor of our new bedroom for 2 days while we waited for our mattress. Extra padding would have been nice, lol.

[gracioushoney]

Sept 6, 2012 15:52:21 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

Hold up, stop, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

No orders to me means I don't do jackshit. Well, I'd do some initial research, like look at craigslist, but that's about it. I thought you couldn't go through the checklist without orders anyway.

Even with orders, I've had the country change from one overseas to another.

Oh, I am just doing research right now. Not actually doing anything. And my H is TDY right now anyway and is about to start a class where he won't be able to contact me so I may not know when we have orders til after he's back. I like to be prepared, so I am just trying to figure out as much as I can beforehand. That is definitely a big change, though from one country to another..hopefully that won't happen!

[basilosaurus]

I also had wrapping paper, wrapped, in packing paper. The Japanese packers practically origamied some of our stuff.

This was my living room with just the shipment from Korea, the smallest of the 4. And of course they couldn't come in the right order. All the furniture in which I could store stuff came a couple months later.