Moving Cross Border to Anchorage

Bekins Worldwide Building

Contact Bekins Worldwide NOW

1 (800) 880-1829

or

   E Mail Bekins

Relocating to Anchorage

   Anchorage is said to be 5 minutes from Alaska. It is similar to other cities in the lower 48 states with the usual shopping malls, restaurants and entertainment. Five minutes later exposes the reality of distance. Especially the distance from the contiguous 48 states. It is the door to a natural wilderness at the top of the world. It shares all the traits of Canada's Yukon.

The realities of living in Anchorage include:
    Anchorage is an expensive place to live, compared to locations further south. Holiday or a visit back home ends up 8 to 16 hours flying time and has the costs that generates.

    Being best dressed in Anchorage means wearing lots of layers. Even the summer lends itself to cloths for hiking and hunting, rather than beach wear. The amazingly fresh air is fuel that entices you outdoors where your cloths are needed to keep enjoying those outdoors.

    Nature is in your back yard. Fishing and hunting are everyday realities, delivering enjoyment from the best flavors of salmon, moose and more.

    Alaska is about distance between locations and weather conditions. The roads and sidewalks do support getting around. You will also find paths and greater distances, on less than perfect roads. Winter is from the end of September to April. The spring break up makes May is a little muddy. Summer from June to August sees temperatures up to the 70's.

    Day time in winter is dark for all but a few hours and even those feature a dark sky. The summer is similar where even night has enough light on the horizon to block the stars.

    Alaskans tend to have strong views. Being Alaskan is what they are about. They love it or hate it. They engage and enjoy helping. Wilderness tends to expose the need to depend on one another. Yet some came to get away from others, wanting little to do with them.

Tips When Moving to Anchorage

   1. The outdoors and winter are fundamental aspects of life in Alaska. Move practical clothing, items for winter and the outdoors.
   2. Consider downsizing possessions to control the higher cost of living in Anchorage. Put tentative items into storage, for shipment later, if you still feel you will need them.
   3. Balance the cost of shipping versus buying new on arrival. Buy "on sale local items" to ship with possessions. Snowmobiles, all terrain utility vehicles of larger items may result in savings.
   4. Bringing a pet to Anchorage needs consideration. The outdoors and the fresh air make it a wonderful place for your pet dog. Moving stress, certificates, customs considerations or time to adjust, are factors to look at from your pets perspective.
   5. Alaska gets about 80% of its revenue from oil and gas. The state government shares its revenue with permanent residents of Alaska. In 2019 that meant a payment of $1606 per man, woman and child. About 625,000 of the 700,000 plus folks who lived there in 2019 received the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend.
   6. Alaska gets cold. This presents a problem for possessions like lacquer finished tables an furniture that needs to be considered when moving