DIY distance moving

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retire14
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DIY distance moving

Post by retire14 »

We are moving from NJ to Va. Instead of spending $$$ to pay for a distance mover, we are thinking of renting a Penske truck, hire local movers at each end to load and unload. We will pack ourselves. We do have a grand piano which we will pay a professional mover to handle. The rest we would like to do it ourselves to save a few bucks.

Has anyone done this?Is it worth doing? Any advice as to getting local moving help? Where to get packing materials, etc.. TIA
psteinx
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by psteinx »

Your moniker is "retire14". Is it an accurate assumption that you are retired, and perhaps 60+, as is your spouse? Unless you and your spouse are unusually fit and strong, and/or your possessions other than the piano are unusually small and/or sparse, this sounds like a questionable idea.

Do you have (young, healthy, strong) helpers on both ends who are willing and happy to assist?
Last edited by psteinx on Tue Apr 28, 2015 11:20 am, edited 1 time in total.
EagertoLearnMore
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by EagertoLearnMore »

Yes you can do it with assistance at each end. I have been looking into this too. Penske is associated with a company that provides labor. Minimum charge of 3 hours. If you want more detailed information you may PM me.
sls239
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by sls239 »

Costco / Sams have moving boxes kits. That's probably the best time/space/money tradeoff. Well that and selling / giving away / chucking anything not worth moving. Also, they are more costly, but Rubbermaid Roughneck containers (medium size) stack very well are easy to carry, and can be used for other things when done with moving. Sometimes Target puts certain colors on clearance, I've seen them as cheap as $3 or so.

One thing to check is the clearance heights of the roadways you plan on navigating, and parking for any places you plan to stop.

Another thing to check is the tolls.

Also, you will be responsible for following the transportation laws - meaning restrictions on hazardous materials and possibly plants and such.

I personally prefer packing my own things because I organize things for the new place, not just where things happen to be in the old place, and mark boxes as "open first" and such.
stinkycat
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by stinkycat »

Does anyone have experience with those pods they drop off at your house and then pick up for you?
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powermega
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by powermega »

stinkycat wrote:Does anyone have experience with those pods they drop off at your house and then pick up for you?
I have experience using the ABF "U-Pack" trailer. A truck dropped off a trailer, we loaded it, and then they came and picked it up. This seems like a good option if you can hire some guys to help pack and unpack it.
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cadreamer2015
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by cadreamer2015 »

We used PODS to move part of our household goods from Washington State to New Jersey about 10 years ago. It was convenient - you can take as long as you want to load and unload the POD, rather than rushing to get everything packed in a day. Good way to declutter the house before listing for sale. Looks like others, including UHaul, offer a similar service these days.
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Rodc
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by Rodc »

retire14 wrote:We are moving from NJ to Va. Instead of spending $$$ to pay for a distance mover, we are thinking of renting a Penske truck, hire local movers at each end to load and unload. We will pack ourselves. We do have a grand piano which we will pay a professional mover to handle. The rest we would like to do it ourselves to save a few bucks.

Has anyone done this?Is it worth doing? Any advice as to getting local moving help? Where to get packing materials, etc.. TIA
My parents have done this a couple of times. Worked out fine.
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bac573
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by bac573 »

13 years ago we did something very similar. We moved from Boston to Dallas. We rented a 16ft Penske truck. The ride was great. We did not hire movers. Our heaviest items were a washing machine and dryer. No refrigerator. I say go for it and all the best to you.
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roflwaffle
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by roflwaffle »

I'd DIY with a pod. There's a branded version, but a bunch of companies offer them. The monthly rental fee isn't too bad, and being able to stretch out the time you load something helps make things far less stressful. Just make sure you have plenty of dunnage to prevent any loss.
frankbrenowitz
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by frankbrenowitz »

I have done it both ways, and the hybrid DIY is the only way to go. You do all the packing of the small items at a measured pace, sifting and sorting and most importantly TOSSING stuff that you are not absolutely certain you want in your new place. We just moved back to Iowa from Nevada a few weeks ago. We visited several grocery stores in the weeks leading up to our move and obtained dozens of uniformly sized apple boxes to supplement our large moving boxes. We packed up clothes and light stuff in the large boxes, books and kitchen stuff in the apple boxes. We didn't touch the furniture. We ordered a 14ft u-haul truck, an auto transport, a couple of dozen blankets and some spare boxes. On the day of the move, our loaders showed up and packed the truck in two hours. I used to load trucks in college and these guys knew their stuff. Packed to the ceiling, snug and tied off. Most moving damage occurs due to shifting of contents during the drive and this truck was packed to perfection. I drove the truck 2,000 miles, unloaders were waiting for us at the other end, and the all-in cost was three grand. YMMV
ieee488
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by ieee488 »

frankbrenowitz wrote:I have done it both ways, and the hybrid DIY is the only way to go. You do all the packing of the small items at a measured pace, sifting and sorting and most importantly TOSSING stuff that you are not absolutely certain you want in your new place. We just moved back to Iowa from Nevada a few weeks ago. We visited several grocery stores in the weeks leading up to our move and obtained dozens of uniformly sized apple boxes to supplement our large moving boxes. We packed up clothes and light stuff in the large boxes, books and kitchen stuff in the apple boxes. We didn't touch the furniture. We ordered a 14ft u-haul truck, an auto transport, a couple of dozen blankets and some spare boxes. On the day of the move, our loaders showed up and packed the truck in two hours. I used to load trucks in college and these guys knew their stuff. Packed to the ceiling, snug and tied off. Most moving damage occurs due to shifting of contents during the drive and this truck was packed to perfection. I drove the truck 2,000 miles, unloaders were waiting for us at the other end, and the all-in cost was three grand. YMMV
You may be surprised by how much an actual moving van company will cost vs doing it yourself.
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wfrobinette
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by wfrobinette »

ieee488 wrote:
frankbrenowitz wrote:I have done it both ways, and the hybrid DIY is the only way to go. You do all the packing of the small items at a measured pace, sifting and sorting and most importantly TOSSING stuff that you are not absolutely certain you want in your new place. We just moved back to Iowa from Nevada a few weeks ago. We visited several grocery stores in the weeks leading up to our move and obtained dozens of uniformly sized apple boxes to supplement our large moving boxes. We packed up clothes and light stuff in the large boxes, books and kitchen stuff in the apple boxes. We didn't touch the furniture. We ordered a 14ft u-haul truck, an auto transport, a couple of dozen blankets and some spare boxes. On the day of the move, our loaders showed up and packed the truck in two hours. I used to load trucks in college and these guys knew their stuff. Packed to the ceiling, snug and tied off. Most moving damage occurs due to shifting of contents during the drive and this truck was packed to perfection. I drove the truck 2,000 miles, unloaders were waiting for us at the other end, and the all-in cost was three grand. YMMV
You may be surprised by how much an actual moving van company will cost vs doing it yourself.
+1 on this. The last move I made from VA to PA it cost less than 4k to load a full moving trailer, make the drive 350 miles and then unload. Where it gets nuts is when they do the packing and unpacking.

I would at least get a quote and go from there.
DoubleClick
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by DoubleClick »

I've had a couple of experiences with ABF U-Pack, and both were highly excellent (way above "very good") in all respects, including price. My primary motivation was cost.

We largely packed ourselves, then hired a handful of day laborers to load ABF's cube (around $15/hour/person), and unload at the destination. Unpacked by hand. This process went very well. The only stage that seemed to take forever is the packing part, which is a given in any move, in my experience. As frankbrenowitz said above, tossing things you don't need is an important part of moving, and so, I'd still pack things myself so I have the opportunity to review and get rid of unnecessary items.

The main thing to remember is to use the hired help to do the heavy lifting (literally). Plan where your furniture will go, and where each box will go, and get the hired help to place them as close to their final destination as possible. Have the hired help give you a hand with assembling your furniture if needed. Then, all you should have to do is to open the boxes and move them to shelving (that is ideally 1-2 feet away if you planned well), and then recycle the boxes and clean up.

Total moving cost was really cheap, much cheaper than if I'd hired a U-Haul truck or anything else to drive myself. This will of course depend on the distance of your move.
profnot
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by profnot »

PODs are the best bet. You pack the pods yourself with the help of family and friends (paid or not). Then you lock the pod with your own padlock to which only you and perhaps a trusted friend has a key. I was very happy with this mode of moving.

When I drove to a new city, I unpacked everything from my car into the hotel rooms while on the road to avoid theft.

I've had many items stolen by thieves while moving. Some theft was by people hired to load or unload truck. Some theft was from moving company.

Thanks to a forum tip, I avoided having a rental UHaul or similar theft due to crooks opening the side of a metal truck and helping themselves to higher ticket items.

Power tools, electronics, and expensive kitchen countertop appliances have lots of appeal to thieves. I've lost lots of these. Don't name attractive items on the boxes. Instead, label using a code name - something heavy to account for the weight, like cast iron pans or books.

Get someone you know to help you supervise unloading at the destination if you use hired people you don't know. Your real estate agent, perhaps.

Out of state moves seem the most vulnerable to theft.

www.ClarkHoward.com has some good tips.

Good luck!
HoopDiddyDiddy
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by HoopDiddyDiddy »

PODS are a viable alternative if they service both your current and future locations- in my case they did not. The nearest facility to my new location was 120 miles away from our new house, so moving using a POD was out of the question for me. I did use a POD to hold 80% of my belongings while my home was on the market and staged, then moved everything onto a Penske truck for the actual move.

In my case I hired guys from my new location to take a bus to my old location, load the truck, drive it to the new location and unload it.They did one night in a hotel on the way and parked the truck in such a manner that the rear doors were inaccessible to thieves. They were cheap labor- I had contacts in my new location to help me find them. Not the smartest guys in the world but fairly trustworthy and they got it done.

By using hired drivers I was able to drive one car with multiple pets while my husband drove our second car containing his disabled mother. It was quite the trip (especially hotel night) but we made it just fine and eventually recovered :)

Moving this way is far cheaper than hiring a moving company but requires a good deal of organizational skill and planning. And if closing is delayed in any way it sure throws a monkey wrench into the works. In my case the truck with all our belongings left the day before closing, so there was a bit of terrifying limbo there. But in the end it all worked and if I ever move cross country again I will do it the same way.
FreddieG
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by FreddieG »

This is a very relevant thread for me. I am relocating from DC to Colorado. I was going to retire because I am eligible, but then I asked my employer if I could work remotely until the end of the year - which was approved. I am a software developer.

I have been in my current home for 26 years, so there is a lot of stuff that I am going to chuck, and start anew with out there. I did get one estimate from full service movers, and they wanted about $7,800.

I got an estimate from Pods, and for 2 16' pods, they want $6k. Although I think it can do it with 1 Pod.

I ended up reserving an ABF U-Pack trailer for about $3k. I will box most everything, and stage as much as I can in the driveway. I will have some local pros load the truck from that point.

At the other end, I'll probably hire some local muscle. Packing experience isn't needed, so I don't need quite the skill set.
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retire14
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by retire14 »

FreddieG: Does the 3K from U-pack include their driving it from DC to Co? If so, it's reasonable. If not, how much additional? I am leaning to g the U-Pack route so i don't have to drive.
TradingPlaces
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by TradingPlaces »

There are some considerations:

1. The value of your belongings:

- you have put-together furniture, lighter pieces, and mostly stuff that packs easily, and does not break,
- not above, i.e., expensive furniture, lots of glassware, even if packed, your stuff is subject to breakage,

2. How much importance do you place on your stuff:

- you don't care if some things get dinged, damaged, etc, because you can easily replace them, or their cost is low, or you can tolerate using dinged damaged stuff,
- not above,

3. How much stuff you have:

- you have a ridiculous amount of stuff,
- you have moderate amount of stuff,
- you don't have that much stuff.

If the dial is closer to the first answer in each category, then doing a self move is a bad idea.
If you still want to do a self move, what you can do is bring the dial closer to the later answers:

- sell or donate stuff,
- replace furniture, i.e., sell at origin, buy at destination, and maybe buy cheaper, lighter pieices,
- get rid of some stuff.


In my opinion, most moves cost a ridiculous amount relative to the value of actual goods. Moving is a bad business model for many reasons:

- too many intermediaries,
- lack of accountability,
- asymmetric information.
TradingPlaces
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by TradingPlaces »

FreddieG wrote:
I have been in my current home for 26 years, so there is a lot of stuff that I am going to chuck, and start anew with out there. I did get one estimate from full service movers, and they wanted about $7,800.

I got an estimate from Pods, and for 2 16' pods, they want $6k. Although I think it can do it with 1 Pod.
For a DC to Colorado move, those estimates are cheap, especially the full service. I guarantee you that you will be dissatisfied with that move.

I moved from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, and that was $6K: full service move. Consider you are moving 5 or 6x the distance, I just don't see
them providing a good move experience for such a low price.
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by TradingPlaces »

frankbrenowitz wrote:TOSSING
This is the most important part of any move.

Ideally, you would want to toss (sell, donate) 90% of your moving weight if you are going to do DIY.

I did a move after grad school, and it cost me less than $500, and the keyword was tossing: I sold, donated, gave-away, probably 90% of my apartments content weight:

- coach / sofa,
- chairs,
- kitchen stuff,
- bed,
- recliner,
- book-shelves,
- personal belongings,
- bike,
- small appliances,
- forget a lot of stuff.
TradingPlaces
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by TradingPlaces »

ieee488 wrote: You may be surprised by how much an actual moving van company will cost vs doing it yourself.
Precisely. They charge you by:

- weight,
- distance,
- combo,
- state crossing,
- difficulty of loading and unloading (e.g., if inner-city condo, they will find their way to weasle another $500 in each end-point because the semi can not drive there, and they need a shuttle truck, even though semi being able to get there is irrelevant! They need to load the semi in the warehouse).
FreddieG
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by FreddieG »

retire14 wrote:FreddieG: Does the 3K from U-pack include their driving it from DC to Co? If so, it's reasonable. If not, how much additional? I am leaning to g the U-Pack route so i don't have to drive.
Yes, ABF leaves a 28' trailer at your house and you have 3 days to pack it. It is then driven by a tractor.

The other poster is correct about the cost relative to the value of the goods being skewed. Except for some tools, clothes and heirloom furniture, I plan to shed a lot of stuff. Most of the stuff in the kitchen in staying here. One LR sofa will go, the other one is very clean, but 30 years old....
FreddieG
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by FreddieG »

You may be surprised by how much an actual moving van company will cost vs doing it yourself.
Are you saying that the full service guys will be much higher, or not much difference? I figure that if I can save $4k, that is money I can put into appliances, etc in my new home.
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Bengineer
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by Bengineer »

ieee488 wrote:...You may be surprised by how much an actual moving van company will cost vs doing it yourself.
I think so too. It may be that one of the full-service moving companies in your area is low on work at the time you want to move.

We moved a few hundred miles a few years ago. We got an all-in rate for a full-service move from a local moving co that was a fraction of the high bidder. I think basically the co. wasn't getting much business right then and wanted to keep their guys working. The egregious bid came from a big-name moving co referred by our employer.

I looked at everything but the ABF trailer approach - I-drive truck + hiring a quality loader/packer crew at both ends, a couple pod companies and three full-service companies. The pods were pretty expensive for I do all the load/pack and they simply pick-up/transport. If I went semi-DIY, I think the ABF trailer or renting a truck would be my choice. Finding and employing experienced and trustworthy packers/loaders at each end would also seem to be a bit of a c***shoot. I liked hiring one long-estabilished "family" company with long-time employees. It was a great experience.

I will say that the insurance moving companies have doesn't cover much. If you have valuable stuff, it might pay to up the insurance and maybe pay for some professional crating of specific things
DFrank
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by DFrank »

We're in the early stages of planning our long distance move next year (CA to ID), and a hybrid DIY is one of the alternatives we are considering. I am more interested in something like ABF-UPack or PODS rather than renting a truck and driving ourselves. We'll have three vehicles to move, and I'm expecting we'll ship one and drive the other two with our dogs. We also have a fair amount of stuff that can't be shipped with the mover (firearms & ammunition).

I've run across a website that is sort of a clearing house for hiring labor to load/unload you stuff at either end: http://www.movinghelp.com/. You can get reviews there, some idea about whether they handle things like a piano, and an estimate of what it would cost to hire a crew based on the size of your house. Might be something for the OP to check out.

While I'm sure PODS is available in most metro areas, I was a little surprised to learn that they don't serve the Spokane area, so they aren't an option for us.
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Bengineer
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by Bengineer »

If you're thinking of going with moving containers, there are many choices. PODs might be considered the kleenex of this category.

Here's one blather^tm on the subject.
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Watty
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by Watty »

A few tips;

If you need boxes check Craigslist for someone that is selling them after a move.

Make your best guess as to the cost per pound to move stuff, like a dollar per pound and anything that does not fit that gets tossed.

Books are heavy which makes them expensive to move if you have lots of them. They can likely be mailed using the "media mail" rate for a lot less. Read the rules for media mail and follow the rules closely.

One problems with using a full service mover is that their actual price might be much higher than their "estimate". By the time you find out that actual price you stuff is already on the truck and you have little choice other than to pay what they want.

If you are going to rent a truck and drive it yourself, then check to see if your insurance and umbrella policy will cover you for liability in trucks over a certain weight. The insurance you can buy through the rental company is just likely for damage to the truck with minimal liability if you hurt someone in an accident.

One problem with rental truck is that the when they are parked thieves sometimes steal the truck and then unload it at their leisure. This was a long time ago so it might not work with modern trucks but one time when I was doing move where I had to stop at a hotel at night. I took the main wire off of the distributor cap into the hotel room at night so that it could not be started.

If you need to lock something up, then buy a heavy duty lock, not a three dollar gym lock.

Backup your computers well and move the backup seperately. Sometimes all the moving will cause a problem.

Take anything irreplaceable like family photos in your car.
LeeMKE
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by LeeMKE »

Here are my best tips when moving:

It costs $6 per POUND to move stuff. When packing, if the item ain't worth $6/lb. leave it behind. You'll be amazed at how little you actually replace once you reach your destination.

Use real moving boxes. They are designed to fit together for a snug pack in the truck and will drastically reduce your damage. The boxes ain't cheap, but the alternative is way more expensive. I often can buy used boxes from our movers.
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Bacchus01
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by Bacchus01 »

LeeMKE wrote:Here are my best tips when moving:

It costs $6 per POUND to move stuff. When packing, if the item ain't worth $6/lb. leave it behind. You'll be amazed at how little you actually replace once you reach your destination.

Use real moving boxes. They are designed to fit together for a snug pack in the truck and will drastically reduce your damage. The boxes ain't cheap, but the alternative is way more expensive. I often can buy used boxes from our movers.
I'm not sure where you got $6/lb. I moved in 2004, 2006, and again in 2010. Nearly 1K miles on each move. The quotes then were roughly $1/lb. We tried to toss or donate anything not worth $1/lb. $6/lb would have seen us getting rid of virtually everything!

I do know that a full semi trailer of goods for a 4K-5K sq ft house cost us about $10K for each of those moves. We didn't pay for it, my company did.

No way would I move a house that big for that kind of money. I'd spend it again in a heartbeat.
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lthenderson
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by lthenderson »

retire14 wrote:We will pack ourselves.
I've hired it out completely and gone the DIY route. One thing to note is that if you pack if yourselves and have someone else, load it, ship it and unload it, you will be responsible for any damages that occur. If you hire someone to do everything, they will cover the damages to anything along the way. I have collected on this more than once.
tbradnc
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by tbradnc »

I didn't read the entire thread but I've told many people that the best money I've ever spent was to hire movers to take our stuff from North Carolina to Tennessee when we moved. They set up the beds, put the furniture where we wanted it and sorted boxes into the proper rooms.

Self-moving is for 20 somethings without a lifetime of accumulated stuff.

Whenever I see a U-Haul I think, "Yep, U-go-right-ahead".... :)
jpelder
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by jpelder »

Just did the across-the-country move (Toledo, OH to Charlotte, NC) last summer, and it cost us around $1500. We went with Penske (AA discount) and a car trailer for wife's car (I got a job offer, we found an apartment, flew back to Toledo, loaded the truck, drove down, unpacked, flew back to Toledo, got married, drove back to Charlotte). We're both new college/grad school grads (I was 25, her 23 at the time), so it worked for us with a couple of friends to help tote things in and out. That said, we're probably going to hire movers to load and unload when we move across town this summer. You get what you pay for with movers, but you have to decide how much your time is worth
DFrank
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by DFrank »

lthenderson wrote:I've hired it out completely and gone the DIY route. One thing to note is that if you pack if yourselves and have someone else, load it, ship it and unload it, you will be responsible for any damages that occur. If you hire someone to do everything, they will cover the damages to anything along the way. I have collected on this more than once.
^^Very true, and I think this will be an important consideration for us as we weigh the alternatives.
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bardenay
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by bardenay »

In the past we have used "POD"-type systems and they have worked wonderfully as you can take your time packing and unpacking.

Additionally, the moving company can store the PODs near your destination. This gives you time to paint, replace carpets, make improvements, etc in your new place before taking delivery of your belongings. (On one move we left our PODs in storage for a month and went on vacation.)
DoubleClick
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by DoubleClick »

Just FYI, but the two times I used them, ABF UPack was way cheaper than PODS for a number of scenarios. And as I mentioned earlier, my customer service experience with ABF was out-of-the-world excellent. No phone hold times, intelligent and helpful agents, and prompt, efficient service as promised (I have no affiliation with them or any other moving company. Just stating my experiences).
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Stirlingsean2
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by Stirlingsean2 »

DIY distance moving is a good idea. Only you need to make sure that you have help available at both end if requires.
usaa13
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by usaa13 »

I don't see it mentioned in the pod-style companies listed above, so I will throw in a rec to check door 2 door. That was by far the cheapest option when I moved for my cross country try move a few years back. Believe it was 1250 for a single unit, which was perhaps 10-12x6x8?

Think they held it for a month or so with out charge, then delivered and left it curbside for two days or so. We just shed unnecessary things, made it fit, and packed a car with the rest. Was considerably cheaper and easier and more flexible than other options we found, though obviously that was for an apartment and we were aggressive with selling off old furniture.

If you need significantly more space, it may or may not work, but it is worth a look.
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Re: DIY distance moving

Post by 2tall4economy »

I'm cheap. A skinflint. A tightwad.

However, I pay for door to door moving services ever since college and I've moved over a dozen times in as many years, mostly international by not always.

Not sure if the quantity of moves affects my philosophy or not, but this is definitely one of a handful of the things on my list of "always outsource it regardless of cost".

Also, I always take advantage of the unpacking process to review every possession and donate/toss everything I don't need to keep. Unpacking day usually cuts a good bit of clutter out of my life. I look forward to it.

I will say constantly moving house with a family of 4 really gets your mind in the right place in terms of what to own and what to rent and the relative value of decoration vs function. Helps get your brain right to cut costs.
You can do anything you want in life. The rub is that there are consequences.
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