Any opinions on how it is living up there? We currently live in a Dallas suburb and would both double our salaries with a move. We do have a dog and I am not sure how pet friendly it is up there. What say you, TexAgs?

I like seattle to visit...i cant imagine acrually living there.

I have only been once where it didnt rain for 90 percent of the time. I would have no idea on living expenses. I cant imagine its cheap.

Does political landscape matter to you? If you're at all conservative you might have some trouble with people tolerating you. The big Pacific Northwest cities (SF, Portland, Seattle) are very liberal and quite intolerant of anyone who isn't. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of folks like that and would never live there. Of course, I live in SF due to work and the people here are awful. I've heard Seattle is about the same, if not worse. If this doesn't bother you then it comes down to if you are ok with their weather. It seems to be a decent place to live in general from those I've met from there.

We live in SE Washington about 250 miles east of Seattle. Would NOT care to live there - too many people and a whole bunch of liberals. The traffic is horrible. When we go to the "big city", we head for Portland.

WA does not have an income tax but makes up for it in other ways. From what I've heard from people who have lived there (Seattle) the cost of living is pretty darn high.

I can't speak for Seattle specifically, but we love the PNW. Landscape is beautiful here, but if you are looking for something like Texas, this isn't it.

Also, people love their dogs up here. Like super love them.

I have been there many times on business and on vacation. Nice area, a lot to do especially with the ocean nearby. It is crowded, traffic is abysmal and I have a couple of friends that live there that have stated it is pretty expensive to live there, Not Bay area expensive, but expensive. It is cloudy/rainy/misty for about 8 months out of the year. I happen to think that area is beautiful, but it could just be that it is green since I live in what is basically a desert.

I believe a poster names rykamyr (sp?) lives there so maybe he can chime in. He would know first hand what it is like to live there.

Edit: The post above probably comes off as pretty negative on Seattle. I actually like Seattle and have thought about moving there in the past. I haven't because A) I am not sure I could afford to and 2) While the weather is fine when I have visited (even when raining...Boise reaction: What is this stuff falling from the sky? ) I am not sure I could put up with all of the cloudy weather.

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Also, people love their dogs up here. Like super love them.

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No sh*t. It's kind of creepy how much they love them.

I'm not in Seattle, but down in Oregon. I've heard it can be tough to make friends because of the "Seattle freeze" - we encountered something like that here in Oregon.

But I encourage you to give it a try. Doubling your income can be really great and if you really hate it, you guys can find something else. If you're childless - once those little jokers get in the mix, all kinds of trouble follows.

I'd say go for it as an adventure if nothing else.

4 months June - sept are gorgeous and the rest are cloudy They actually don't get a lot of rain. Just a lot of drizzle

Are tou going from $40k to $80k or more like $100k to $200k big difference. I'd say do it. You can always move back.

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4 months June - sept are gorgeous and the rest are cloudy They actually don't get a lot of rain. Just a lot of drizzle.

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This. Its not pouring all the time, just overcast a lot. But you'll see great weather in summertime. And the outdoor activities and scenery (green everywhere, mountains, forests) are worth it alone.

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4 months June - sept are gorgeous and the rest are cloudy They actually don't get a lot of rain. Just a lot of drizzle

Are tou going from $40k to $80k or more like $100k to $200k big difference. I'd say do it. You can always move back.

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We are going from $85k combined to about $120k combined. As we have gotten closer to making the decision the actual salary numbers are showing themselves. I would have to work at a private school to pull in double, which I thought about, but decided against.

My main concern is just the lifestyle. We are both 24 but moderately conservative and have never lived out of state. We aren't hipsters by any stretch whatsoever and we are frequent church-goers.

She is doing her formal interview here in a week or two so we will be able to go up there and see what it's like.

I'm not sure what the housing is like in Seattle compared to Portland, but we got pushed out to the suburbs because we couldn't afford the space we wanted in the city. We do have quite a bit of student loans, though, so that factors in.

I'm sure you can find your niche in Seattle, but if you are concerned about leaving your comfort zone and experiencing some different things, you should probably stay in Texas. It is quite a bit different up here.

I have student loans and she doesn't have any debt except the house we bought last year. I'm not worried at all about leaving my comfort zone but do want to find a good niche.

And rent for a one bedroom apartment is between $1500 and $2000 a month

It definitely won't be a permanent move but we got the itch to move out of state and experience new things before we settle down to have kids

I was replying to your comment that lifestyle was your major concern. The lifestyle of most people here isnot the same lifestyle of conservative Texans.

I'm pretty conservative and never lived out of Texas and we just moved to Sherman oaks ca. I moved from a big Texas city not some Podunk Texas town, which would have been more of a shock.

Don't get hung up on the extreme left issues you are referring to. There are plenty of people just like you. And you are 24 might as well try it. Run the numbers and look online at housing and figure up how much better off you are. You are 24 no kids might as well try it. You can always come back.

There will be plenty of churches you can attend and you will gravitate towards people like yourself. And maybe it isn't a bad thing to open up and see different lifestyles and ways of living.

You aren't moving to Some foreign land. It is Seattle which some would argue is one of the best cities in America.

You said you live in a Dallas suburb.. Which town?

People in Seattle love their dogs like old ranchers in Texas love their dogs that go with them everywhere. Don't worry about that.

Rent or housing are expensive for various reasons but a major one is that tons of people are wanting to move there.

Once again try it. You can always move back your comfort zone back in a Texas suburb.

LOLz. I'm currently living in Minneapolis and know someone about to make the move to Dallas. Everyone here warns her about the scary conservatives. Sorry, no comment about Seattle necessarily but the politics and near-hysteria.

I lived in Seattle (Kirkland actually) for over 3 years. I just moved back a year ago. All of the negative posts above are accurate.

Cons

• It does rain 8 months out of the year. This is not a rain like we have in Texas. It's just a constant drizzle. This started to get to me after a while.
• The "Seattle Freeze" is real. People just aren't as friendly and open up there as they are in Texas. If you say hi to a stranger in passing they will look at you weird.
• The cost of living is expensive. The housing costs is IMO about double of that of Texas. I was in the housing market just before being transferred back to Dallas. I told my realtor that my cap was $300K for a 4 bedroom 3 bathroom house on at least .25 acres in the Eastside (Redmond, Kirkland, Bothell) and not a total fixer upper. He told me I couldn't find that for anything less than $350K. I was making $150K single and I lived comfortably but not a lot of left over income. If you're not planning on buying a house and just renting, I rented a nice house for $2500/month. Depending on where you want to live and with no kids, you can get by on less. I recommend you living in Seattle if you can so you can really experience Seattle.
• I may sound crazy but I actually like the Texas warmth. You can't beat a warm Texas summer night. There is no such thing in Seattle. It's in the 50s/60s at night during the summer. It's very rare to get warm enough to be able to swim in a river/lake or non-heated pool.
• It's very liberal. All my Seattle friends are currently boasting about their governor publicly stating that Washington is still allowing Syrian refugees. I was proud of Texas governor stating the opposite.

Pros

• The 4 months of summer are beautiful. The high is in the 80s and not a cloud in the sky. Most houses don't have AC in Seattle as it rarely gets into the 90s for a long duration during the summer.
• Gay marriage and marijuana are legal if that's your thing.
• Nature. There's tons of outdoor activities to do when it's not raining. With close mountains, there are tons of places to hike/camp. There's close by skiing during the winter. There's also a whole different world of hunting and fishing there.
• They have a decent Aggie alumni club up there. I lived in Vancouver and Toronto prior to Seattle which did not and watching A&M football with non Aggies is just not the same.
• While they lack on BBQ and TexMex, they have a lot of other great foods that you can't find as easily in Texas.
• No bugs or snakes. There's very few bugs and no mosquitoes. I don't think there's a poisonous snake in the state. My first time hiking with a friend up here was up a mountain through waist high grass. I would never do that in Texas but he said there were none.

Long story, short... Do it.

Like you said, you don't plan on it being a permanent move. It will be a good experience for y'all. That's what I did. left Texas 10 years ago and lived in Vancouver, Toronto, and Seattle before figuring out I wanted to return to Texas for my "permanent" settling spot. I feel kinda sorry for Texans that have never lived outside of Texas.

Wonder if Texans know that Texas is in fact the largest population of Syrian refugees taken in so far...

Mid 20s with no kids? Move! Texas will be waiting for you when you come back.

I agree with the above posters. Go, OP. You're young and there's a ton out there to experience. I'm also in my 20s and I've lived in Denver for 3 years. I may go back to Texas one day, I may not. But getting out for a while really changes you as a person. I've been to Seattle once and loved it. Seems like a really cool place to live, at least for a while. Definitely a great place for young people.

And if you don't like it, you can always go back.

I may be moving to Seattle soon as well. For those that have done this, any pointers about moving cross-country like that? I've been thinking about using PODS. I'm sure it's been discussed elsewhere, so if there is a good thread with help on the logistics, can someone point me to it?

Just moved Texas to Cali. What moving questions do you have?

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Just moved Texas to Cali. What moving questions do you have?

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Better to use PODS, a moving / shipping company, suck it up and drive with a Uhaul trailer, etc?

If it happens I'll be moving with dogs. Interested if people have had good experience driving with dogs and planning a trip with dog-friendly hotels or had their vehicles shipped and flew with dogs.

Any helpful pointers or things you wished you had known before moving cross-country would be cool. Thanks!

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We currently live in a Dallas suburb and would both double our salaries with a move.

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We are going from $85k combined to about $120k combined

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You guys accountants or somethin?

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Just moved Texas to Cali. What moving questions do you have?

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Better to use PODS, a moving / shipping company, suck it up and drive with a Uhaul trailer, etc?

If it happens I'll be moving with dogs. Interested if people have had good experience driving with dogs and planning a trip with dog-friendly hotels or had their vehicles shipped and flew with dogs.

Any helpful pointers or things you wished you had known before moving cross-country would be cool. Thanks!

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I got estimates from 3 major van shipping lines. They come out and estimate the total pounds of your move. There is a per lb. calculation plus a mileage calculation they figure when getting your estimate. MAKE SURE you have a FIRM quote and not a quote where the estimator lowballs your lbs. and then when the driver shows up it is more weight and you are stuck with your stuff not going on the truck or having to add more money to get it moved. Compare apples to apples. Also tell the companies what the other prices are so you can get the best deal. My example the move from Fort Worth to Los Angeles with 11400 lbs of stuff was $8000 (including packing/shipping/unloading). Remember, anything that you pack will NOT be insured by the packing crew.

The POD system was too much work. That meant I had to pack everything. It was $1500 for Allied Van Lines crew to wrap box pack everything in my house and that included all boxes and materials. They also break down all beds. Simple. Most van lines will pair you move up with others so there are 2-3 picks on the truck and 2-3 drops. It will be more for a full truck 1 pick and 1 drop.

I drove 20 hours with my dog (basset hound) in the back of a 2 seat Mercedes. He was fine. Stopped at rest areas every 3-4 hours to walk around, pee, etc. There are a lot of hotels who allow animals. I stayed at a Drury Inn in Las Cruces. They allow dogs at all facilities, but it is up to the local owners. Be aware some places will charge $200 pet fee. I would call the hotel directly. Do not trust the corporate website.

You can save money by doing UHaul, but by the time I bought plane tickets for myself and my dog, shipped my car ($1000 FW to LA) bought boxes/packing supplies/labor, etc, it was easier to do it that way.

House was packed in 6 hours (2100 sq foot house 3/2) by 3 ladies, loaded the next day in 6 hours and was in LA 4 days later it was a no brainer. Let me know if other questions.....I'm sure others have had good and bad experiences. Mine was flawless. No issues, no broken stuff. Communication with the truck driver and dispatcher are essential. I went with Allied Van Lines.

Wow $8k is way more than I expected. Thanks for all the info though!

Once again you can save money doing it all yourself but I'd budget $2000 for packing and loading and delivering yourself. Where are you moving from and to?

We rented a penske 28' truck. Packed all our stuff over many months. (A large portion of which was packed for decluttering to show the house.)

Day of move we paid moving laborers to pack truck, and again on flip side to unpack truck. This saved my and all my friend's backs.

Truck was $600 (well in advance) plus a couple hundred in gas. Labor was about $150-$200 on each side.
Wife drove her car behind me with a last minute 10' uhaul trailer for the stuff that didn't fit in truck, and my mom drove my car a day or two earlier (my aunt who lived at destination flew down one way and rode back with her) so another $100 or so in gas for two vehicles.

Trip was 1000 miles. Stayed overnight in ft worth at I laws to break up trip a bit. Had three cats in tow.

Just over $1000 to move two cars and 1700sqft 3 bedroom house. It wasn't totally rock bottom because we paid the laborers, but that portion was a no brainier.

Thanks for the thoughts -- I'm moving to Seattle from Houston. Good to know the ranges of costs. Looks to me that everyone agrees for sure its worth the money to pay people to load and unload whatever I use (truck or pods).

I was told the longest truck you can rent at Ryder or Uhaul or Penske is 28'. My wife and I barely squeezed a 2100 sq foot house in it from San Antonio to Fort Worth, so be ready that a truck may not be enough. You may need 2.

How much was the PODS quote?

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How much was the PODS quote?

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$2500 or so. At this point, it seems like my best option.

Then you have to pack it. And boxes can be done for free if you look around. Plus will you hire help loading and unloading? Prob $3000-3200 going that route I guess ?