My partner and I had always dreamed of having our own small space on wheels so we could live simply and have a flexible lifestyle.
So, in 2019, we began building our very own tiny home on a 32-foot trailer. After many months (and YouTube tutorials), it was complete.
For a while, we lived in it while parked on his parents’ property in New Jersey. By 2021, we’d decided to move our 350-square-foot build across the country to California, where we’d found a great tiny-home community in a national forest about an hour outside San Diego.
Although I’d been nervous about moving our home for the first time, it worked out — and our new community was wonderful. We loved taking advantage of our easy access to beautiful trails and mountain views and befriended our neighbors, too.
However, after years of secluded mountain living, we wanted a change of scenery and to be closer to a grocery store — the nearest one was more than 20 miles away, about a 35-minute drive.
We also wanted to be near more activities and be able to casually take pottery classes nearby or join a local soccer league.
So, we set our sights on Bend, Oregon. We had friends in the area and loved the idea of living in the Pacific Northwest, in a city with better access to what we wanted.
We spent a few months preparing for the move
After researching reliable moving companies, we estimated it would cost at least $3,000 to relocate our house. So, for months leading up to our move, we put as much money as possible into our savings account.
We also began looking for land in Bend that we could rent to place our house on. Eventually, we found a spot online by connecting with homeowners in the area who were interested in hosting us.
With land in place, we hired someone to drive our home to Oregon while my partner and I drove separately with our dog.
Next, we needed to pack. On the bright side, no moving truck is needed when you’re moving your actual home. Instead, we filled our house.
We packed everything from our shelves and cabinets into boxes, using clothes to wrap plates, pans, and other breakables. Those boxes were then stacked and packed tightly in our living room.
To be extra cautious, we also secured our fridge and washer/dryer to the walls with bungee cords.
Moving day wasn’t perfect, but it went smoothly enough
On the day of the move, we dealt with minor car troubles and our first driver canceling, though another was sent in their place.
By then, we’d already decided to start our long drive, with our dog in tow.
Luckily, our friends in the community were able to meet the new driver and facilitate the move. The biggest relief came when they sent us videos of our house being hooked up and safely towed away.
Although the beginning of the moving day didn’t go as smoothly as intended, the rest of it did. Moving a tiny home on wheels across state lines requires planning and flexibility, but for us, the ability to take our home wherever life leads makes every logistical hurdle worth it.
