Moving Expenses: California to Colorado

[vfrpilot]

We moved from San Marcos(San Diego) to Monument in 2004. The large U-Haul cost us $2697 back then. Must've been lots of folks leaving. Add on top of that fuel, food, and hotels. Oh yeah, the truck broke in Barstow, Needles, and Williams. Had to get towed into Flagstaff after the tranny finally blew and had to unload/reload into another truck. A total nightmare. Their on-road customer service was terrible. They refunded all hotel fees and 20% of the rental. I hope they're better now. I would use Penske next time.

[Amery523]

Back in 2002 we also moved from the Pasadena (So Cal) area, 2 bdrm apt, to Colorado Springs. We rented the largest UHAUL they had and it was PACKED full. I think it was $1200 but that was 7 years ago!

My father in law drove the UHAUL, my husband drove his car, and I drove my car. We did a total caravan with a 4 year old and also 3 cats in the cars. Same issue as previous posters - minor oil leaks in the truck but thankfully my father in law is very car-savvy and kept several quarts of oil in the cabin with him and he would just pour the quarts in every now and then. Coming over Vail Pass in that behemoth truck was an experience in itself. I think he was going maybe 30 mph!

Doing it all yourself will undoubtedly be the cheapest method. There is a company advertising on TV right now - you pack it all up, you load it, but then THEY drive it out for you. I can't remember the name. It might have been mentioned in one of the previous posts on this thread.

Also - MOVING EXPENSES ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE - just FYI. I remember my accountant specifically asking me about that and telling me this.

[zenkonami]

I've looked at some moving costs and there are movers out there that are pretty good deals, even when compared to U-Haul, Ryder, etc...don't be afraid to try a little haggling, either. Don't forget to factor in fuel and mileage costs when considering a DIY move in addition to the rental fees. It's over 1000 miles to Denver and those costs add up quickly. Also take into account (as the above poster mentions) if you have multiple cars to take with you as well.

[Mike from back east]

There are a lot of scammers out there, beware.

Reputable movers will give you a BINDING written estimate, get one of these guys, or someone recommended by people you know and have been in the business in that area for years. For sure, BEWARE of very LOW estimates.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by mrlucero2002

Thanks for your input folks. Forgot to mention we are renters and will be moving from a 2 bedroom apartment. Thank God we don't own a home right now.

We moved from OC to Denver in '05. I packed it up (1000 sq. ft. condo, 2 bdrms) and I believe it was around $1200.

I interviewed 5 different moving companies. They're all regulated and had the same per pound and mileage rates. The difference was all in the estimate of total pounds. Each company sent a rep to our condo, and the reps would go around our condo and do their best to estimate the total weight. Their estimates varied widely. And the deal was that they would weigh it all for the actual amount once your junk is on the truck. If the total weight is less than the estimate, then they reduce the price to reflect that. If the total weight is more, then you win. They can only charge you what their estimate was, and no more. So we went with the one that estimated the lowest. When the driver dropped everything off in Denver, he showed me the weight, and the estimate was way lower than the actual weight. The driver commented that they probably lost money on our move!

[denverian]

Originally Posted by vfrpilot

We moved from San Marcos(San Diego) to Monument in 2004. The large U-Haul cost us $2697 back then. Must've been lots of folks leaving. Add on top of that fuel, food, and hotels. Oh yeah, the truck broke in Barstow, Needles, and Williams. Had to get towed into Flagstaff after the tranny finally blew and had to unload/reload into another truck. A total nightmare. Their on-road customer service was terrible. They refunded all hotel fees and 20% of the rental. I hope they're better now. I would use Penske next time.

In 2005, we couldn't even get a rental truck out of CA - too many trucks were leaving the state on not coming back!

Needles - what a lovely hamlet to break down in! It's like living on the moon, only hot as the sun

[Lindsay123]

Originally Posted by mrlucero2002

So... for those of you who have been lucky enough to escape California and move to Colorado, how much did it cost you to move?

My wife and I are planning to move this summer 2008 to Parker from Orange County. I were are not lucky enough to have a job with a company that will pay for moving expenses, I'd like to know how much I should budget for a professional moving company? I'm thinking $3 -5 thousand.

What did you pay on average? Any moving companies you'd recommend?

Hello,

I saw on an old posting that you were moving from OC to Parker, CO. How did the move go? How much was moving costs? I am from Pasadena and will also be moving from a 2 bedroom apartment to Parker, CO. My husband has family out there, and it seems like a better place to buy a house and raise a family. What has your experience been like? Are you happy that you moved? Any feedback would greatly be appreciated!

Thanks!

Lindsay

[fsck]

Originally Posted by Lindsay123

Hello,

I saw on an old posting that you were moving from OC to Parker, CO. How did the move go? How much was moving costs? I am from Pasadena and will also be moving from a 2 bedroom apartment to Parker, CO. My husband has family out there, and it seems like a better place to buy a house and raise a family. What has your experience been like? Are you happy that you moved? Any feedback would greatly be appreciated!

Thanks!

Lindsay

Hi Lindsay,

I'm not the same person who started this thread, but I just moved out here from LA last month. I went with Atlas on a 'PBO' move ("packed by owner", which means, you pack everything in boxes, and the movers wrap your furniture and load and unload the truck - they don't pack your stuff for you), and it cost me about $3600 for about 5300 pounds of stuff (two bedroom apartment). Right now I'm renting a nice, new two-bedroom condo in Parker for $1200/month, which is a third less than I was paying in LA for a much older, crappier place. I haven't been here very long, but it's been really nice here so far. If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to answer them if I can.