Cross country moving options (fit in, rent, how much)

[BG79]

There have been a lot of people who have moved across the country to CDA so I'd like to tap into that resource to see what you all have done to move your stuff.

We're going to be undertaking that move from CT in the late spring and right now I am trying to get some prices on what it will take to move a roughly 3 bedroom house worth of stuff.

One thing I do not want to do is drive a Uhaul or something similar. We're going to drive one of our vehicles for the trip as it is and I don't want to have to do that drive with a large truck getting horrible gas mileage making for a lot of logistical issues along the way. I was going to pay to ship one car, rough estimate was 1000 dollars and we were going to drive the other one. The question is how to get the household items across the cheapest and easiest way possible.

I got a quick estimate from Upack for around 5600.00. I almost spit out my coffee when I saw that price, figuring that would likely be the cheapest option it is scaring me. It just seems a tad steep when I can ship a freaking car for almost 1/6th of that price and it's roughly the same process as all they're doing is dropping off a cube and I am doing the work and they're just picking it up and shipping it with a bunch of other cubes from other people.

So what other options are there, what did you all do?

[KurtAngleDoesn'tSuck]

Originally Posted by BG79

The question is how to get the household items across the cheapest and easiest way possible.

Sell them and buy new ones when you get here.

The stuff you absolutely don't want to sell,
buy yourself a little enclosed trailer ($2000 or less?)
and pull it out here behind your vehicle if it will tow,
then sell the trailer when you get here.

Otherwise, come to grips with the fact that it costs a lot of
money to move one state over, let alone across the country.

[notoriouskelly]

I was also shocked at those pod prices.

Towing sucks in a big truck but that's how I moved, then sold the trailer.

I haven't seen a better option other than what Kurt mentioned to ditch everything you can and rent a smaller vehicle.

[Publius4]

We in the same boat right now and decided to go with PODS. The price is very similar to the upack price you quoted. Whatever doesn't fit in it is being left behind. A second POD is twice the cost yet is on the same truck as the first POD. That doesnt make sense so we are sticking with one. In most cases, it really is cheaper to buy new furniture than ship current furniture

[Para]

I'm curious, how much was a moving company's quote for what would cost $5600 with Upack?

[AlwaysLooking]

We used PODS to move from CA. Our primary reasons were their size options and long term storage- we had our stuffed stored for a few months- their warehouse is in Spokane Valley.
Stuff to know that might apply to your situation: PODS and/or moving trucks may have limits on where they'll deliver because of weather and/or road conditions. We actually passed on buying a particular house because the driveway was too hard the PODS truck to turn around on.
Good luck!

[BG79]

Originally Posted by Para

I'm curious, how much was a moving company's quote for what would cost $5600 with Upack?

I havent contacted an actual moving company due to a more involved process to get a quote and the likelihood of being more expensive than these do-it-yourself types.

I did notice though with the more informative email quote that upack gave me that this was for door to door service with a 17 foot trailer which is roughly equivalent to 3 of their cube containers.

[Para]

Originally Posted by BG79

I havent contacted an actual moving company due to a more involved process to get a quote and the likelihood of being more expensive than these do-it-yourself types.

I did notice though with the more informative email quote that upack gave me that this was for door to door service with a 17 foot trailer which is roughly equivalent to 3 of their cube containers.

Thanks, I appreciate the response.

I expect it to be more but no idea how much more. My company moved me 14 months ago from the midwest to Colorado Springs so I have no idea how much it cost (I don't really want to ask either, because then they'll know I'm looking to bail on them ).

I have no problem with renting a truck and using a tow trailer for my 2005 Tundra but the car haulers Uhaul has supposedly aren't large enough for my truck. Which is weird because I think of the first generation Tundras as mid-size trucks, not like the full size trucks of today.

When the time comes I'll get some quotes and see how it shakes out.

Good luck with your move.

[fleeNY]

PODS are almost as much as a full service move. Upack is a little cheaper but if you figure in moving supplies and stuff breaking cause you and your buddies loaded it yourself you might as well do the full service move. I've always gone with united and they always have a fair price and they take good care of your stuff AND you don't have to life a finger or drive a truck

[movingagain2012]

Originally Posted by BG79

There have been a lot of people who have moved across the country to CDA so I'd like to tap into that resource to see what you all have done to move your stuff.

We're going to be undertaking that move from CT in the late spring and right now I am trying to get some prices on what it will take to move a roughly 3 bedroom house worth of stuff.

One thing I do not want to do is drive a Uhaul or something similar. We're going to drive one of our vehicles for the trip as it is and I don't want to have to do that drive with a large truck getting horrible gas mileage making for a lot of logistical issues along the way. I was going to pay to ship one car, rough estimate was 1000 dollars and we were going to drive the other one. The question is how to get the household items across the cheapest and easiest way possible.

I got a quick estimate from Upack for around 5600.00. I almost spit out my coffee when I saw that price, figuring that would likely be the cheapest option it is scaring me. It just seems a tad steep when I can ship a freaking car for almost 1/6th of that price and it's roughly the same process as all they're doing is dropping off a cube and I am doing the work and they're just picking it up and shipping it with a bunch of other cubes from other people.

So what other options are there, what did you all do?

Wow - only 1000 dollars to ship your car? That's still steep but I was quoted 1500-2000...

We are moving to ID as well, and in our case - after much research - we have decided it is cheaper and easier for us to sell basically almost everything and start over. This may be too extreme for some people, but if you have a lot of furniture that is readily available on Craigslist or at stores online or in your new location - and your furniture doesn't have sentimental value or isn't antique expensive stuff - it is generally cheaper to sell it and buy when you get to your new place. Much of what I have read from people who have used trucks and other similar ways to move is statements that the old furniture just doesn't work in the new place. In our case, we sold all our stuff before that was worth more, and now we are using junk from CL so it's easy for us to ditch it for this (hopefully our last major) move. If you do decide to sell your stuff, make sure you start listing as soon as possible so you give yourself time to get a decent price for it.

As far as books/CDs/videos, USPS Media Mail is great, and you can rent a P.O. box online in your new area. They will even hold your mail for you up to 30 days. I've read that UPS will hold boxes in their warehouse for you in the new place for a certain time as well, but I am not sure on that. Sometimes, depending upon how much you have, if you pack both cars with stuff you can transport easily and ship the rest it ends up being cheaper than dealing with the headache of a truck. I've driven moving vans in the past - even with car trailers - and it is not fun. I was always so stressed out about where to park, dealing with high gas consumption, as as a previous poster mentioned, the general logistics involved.

That said, if you do rent a truck, just remind yourself that this is a (hopefully) one-time long distance move, and that it will all be over with in a few days.

I wish you a safe and happy move to Idaho - our soon-to-be new home as well