MOVING OUT
What should you bring with you?
Deciding what to take with you on your journey can be difficult! You will want to travel light but you'll want to take items that can help your stays feel like home.
STORAGE UNIT
You'll likely need a storage unit unless you plan to get rid of all your belongings except the stuff you are taking with you on the road. Even if you do plan to get rid of most of your belongings, having the storage unit allows you to have a place where you can drop stuff you know you won't need for a season (e.g. winter gear, beach gear, etc). Get the storage unit early, before your move out date! Having more time with the storage unit gives you more time to figure out how you want to pack it. And trust us, your packing strategy is extremely important - more on that later. When you sign a contract for a storage unit, look for one where the rate is locked or where the rate increased has a max amount. These contracts might be harder to find but if you're planning to roam for awhile, odds are your storage unit rate is going to increase every 6mo. Finding a contract that limits that increase will save you in the long run.
WHAT TO TAKE AND WHAT TO LEAVE
So what do you take? This answer obviously will vary dramatically to each person. However, here are some of our suggestions. Before you move out, you'll need to spend some time making a list of all the items you own. Mark next to each item how frequently you use it. Use this list to determine what must come with you and what can live in your storage unit.
Also, remember that you can probably skip most of your kitchenware since Airbnbs are usually pretty well stocked. That being said, we've found it quite refreshing to have a handful of kitchen items to take with us on our journey. Our Always Pan is a great example - we use it for every meal. While Airbnbs are usually pretty well stocked, there is always something missing. For us, it was a vegetable peeler, pizza cutter, and a really good knife. Since we know we'll use these items often, we ended up buying and carrying them with us.
In terms of clothing, our strategy is to only take the clothes we need for the climate where we'll be staying. For example, if our next few Airbnbs will be in the PNW, we probably can skip most of our warm attire. If we decide to journey down to southern California, we'll stop by our storage unit and swap out our wardrobe.
STORAGE UNIT ORGANIZATION
We cannot stress enough how important this topic is. In fact, you'll probably see other content on this site and our social media regarding this topic. We've found that a well organized storage unit can make all the difference when roaming. The fact of the matter is that you will not be able to take all your possessions with you as you journey. But it doesn't make sense to get rid of all the extra stuff - especially if you think you might use it in a few months into your journey. Our solution to this problem is to organize the storage unit in a way where you can quickly swap items in between stays. A great example is if you're going from a warm to a cold climate - you'll likely want to do a wardrobe swap. So, make sure you have your clothes isolated in boxes labeled by the climate. And make sure these boxes are at the front of your storage unit so you can access them quickly. As you begin to fill your storage unit while you're moving out, take some time to consider what you will want to be accessible at the front of your unit and what can live at the back. Trust us, you don't want to have to pull everything out and re-organize it 6mo down the road!
TAKING HOME WITH YOU
While it is important to travel light, also remember that roaming is all about taking your home with you on your journey. Before you move out, identify a few items from your home that make it feel like home. It might be artwork, some kitchenware, your record player, or that random coffee table book that you swear you'll read someday. These items are the things you'll smile at every time you walk into your home away from home. While small, they will truly help give your temporary stay that homey feel. It also can be fun to swap these items out whenever you make a trip back to your storage unit! When you are organizing your storage unit try and identify these items and put them in a box near the front so you can access them easily.
PACKING THE CAR
The most thrilling and terrifying part of moving out is packing your car. You'll probably exclaim "will it all fit??" at least a dozen times. Here are some tips for making the car packing experience as anxiety free as possible. First, buy some reusable boxes/tubs that to organize the stuff in your car. Bonus points if you can find boxes that link together when stacked to avoid sliding around in your car. Packing your car with bins will safe you countless hours and significantly reduce the number of trips you have to make back and forth to your car. Also, they are essential when you move out of your first stay. Being able to pack the boxes inside the Airbnb and then simply transport them to your car on move out day is a lifesaver. Checkout times are often before noon so being able to pack the boxes ahead of time will make your morning much easier.
A final tip is to consider purchasing additional cargo space for your car. These options will vary depending on what you drive but you can usually find roof rack options for any car that will support a roof-top cargo carrier. Trail hitch cargo carriers are also a great option.