Moving Expenses - Temporary Lodging until all our goods came to our new home. Can I claim the lodging?

[djt002]

We arrived at the city where I was going to be working and bought a home almost right away but it took 10 weeks for the mortgage and escrow to complete.

[IsabellaG]

No. Deductible moving expenses are limited to:  

• Moving your household goods and personal effects (including in-transit or foreign-move storage expenses), and
• Traveling (including lodging but not meals) to your new home.

See this link to IRS Publication 521. The Illustrated Example shows that temporary living expenses aren’t deductible.