Best way to move smaller furniture? (mattress, home, buying)

[bizchick86]

So yesterday was the first day out of two months since moving to NYC that the city annoyed the hell out of me. I've been loving everything except how inconvenient it is just to move minor things!

I've already become accustomed to the native ways of finding treasures on the curb :-). But how do you actually get that stuff to where you actually live? My story:

After buying a chair from this lady, I commenced to return home and found a lovely arm chair on the curb that was *exactly* what I needed for my apt. I walked to various blocks trying to predict where I could most likely find the big SUV/van cabs. After having to turn down a number of the small cabs, I finally managed (after over a tedious hour, I was not going to let this free arm chair slip from my reach) to hail down a van cab. He was very reluctant to have the cargo in his cab, but I told him he could just take a look and decide if he could or not. Lo and behold, after an hour of hauling the chair I did have whilst flagging for cabs for an inordinate amount of time, he agrees. We drive to the curb with the arm chair, and the curb's been wiped clean; like a figment of my imagination. Apparently, others were anxious to get the arm chair as well.

So, all of this tragic story just to ask, how the hell do people move stuff in this city? Back home in the ATL, I just have to borrow my mom's SUV and it's a wrap. Now, I have to do zipcar applications, hail cabs for hours for them to tell me no, consider hitching rides (yes, a cab driver actually suggested this petite female do that), or pay U-HAUL the cost of the damn furniture just to move it.

Any suggestions for a cost-conscious (that's why I get furniture on the curb people) grad student?

[Henna]

Are you crazy? Have you not read anything about the bedbug epidemic? IMO, it's reckless to pick furniture from the curb. I would hate to be your neighbor. If it looks like a perfectly good piece of furniture, did you wonder why someone is throwing it away? Sure, in the old days, pre-bedbugs, you could do this and not worry too much what the furniture had been through. These days, you should operate under the assumption that if someone is throwing away nice looking furniture, it's because it's infested. If you think you are poor now, try looking at your finances after paying to get rid of a bedbug infestation.

And no, I've never been infested but they seem to be closing in from all sides of me -- my workplace has them, my co-worker has them at home, and some of my neighbors have them (judging from the wrapped mattresses that keep ending up in the trash).



Just please do yourself and your neighbors a favor and educate yourself about them at least. You can do that at bedbugger.com. And if you still choose to trash-pick after that, then, well I guess that is your choice.

[bizchick86]

I am very aware of the bed bug situation. The furniture was actually worn and aged. Now, if anyone has any suggestions for moving things as per my actual post...

[vantastic10]

Originally Posted by bizchick86

I am very aware of the bed bug situation. The furniture was actually worn and aged. Now, if anyone has any suggestions for moving things as per my actual post...

Although I wouldn't go around and pick up stuff off the curb and bring it
home many people do just that.

You look on Craigslist under labor/move and contact a man with a van, but
there are people with smaller vehicles such as an suv, station wagon or a minivan.
Spend a little money especially since the item is free as it is.

Laughs at Henna's "assumption" that just because people put stuff out
on the curb that it's bed bug infested, that is ridiculous. This is America
where people like to change furniture as often as changing a pair of socks.

Or since you like everything to be free or almost free, steal a dolly off from a moving truck
when they have their backs turned away, after all since you are a grad student it's ok(rolls eyes)

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y28/newyorkcityal/41iMAObn59L_SL500_AA300_.jpg (broken link)

[LizfromtheBronx]

It's now a NYC law that if you throw a mattress out, whether it is infested or not, it must be encased in plastic. So if you're seeing a lot of those, it doesn't mean your neighbors have bedbugs. (doesn't mean they don't either..)

[Mr. Klato]

Originally Posted by bizchick86

. Any suggestions for a cost-conscious (that's why I get furniture on the curb people) grad student?

Have you gone to Ikea? They have furniture for really cheap.

If you have cooking and eating utensils, a bed, bathroom supplies, a couch, a couple of chairs, a dresser then you should be done with your apt if you're a cost conscious grad student.

[Kefir King]

Without a car, moving ANYTHING, bought new or a found treasure is tedious beyond belief. I used to live almost next door to a Mall with a Sears, a BJ's, a Target etc. and I borrowed the buildings hand truck and I rolled home 2 big-screen tv's, 3 dresser/chests, a chest FREEZER, etc.

Now I am floundering. I will eventually do a Craig's-list "man-with-van" atttempt but I'm nervous because friends had some unsavory tales to tell when they picked a name out of a hat.

Any good recommendations?

If I had space I'd buy:



I found that Costco has a guy name BENNIE who dispatches cars, vans, and SUV's to get stuff home at a reasonably price...so he will be my next try, (for a 125 pound carpet.)

[bizchick86]

Originally Posted by Sir Klato

Have you gone to Ikea? They have furniture for really cheap.

If you have cooking and eating utensils, a bed, bathroom supplies, a couch, a couple of chairs, a dresser then you should be done with your apt if you're a cost conscious grad student.

Well, my biggest issue isn't so much finding furniture as much as moving it. I'm pretty much set with my furniture cept for a couple items. And IKEA's delivery is expensive

[bizchick86]

Hmmm, which Costco??

Originally Posted by Kefir King

Without a car, moving ANYTHING, bought new or a found treasure is tedious beyond belief. I used to live almost next door to a Mall with a Sears, a BJ's, a Target etc. and I borrowed the buildings hand truck and I rolled home 2 big-screen tv's, 3 dresser/chests, a chest FREEZER, etc.

Now I am floundering. I will eventually do a Craig's-list "man-with-van" atttempt but I'm nervous because friends had some unsavory tales to tell when they picked a name out of a hat.

Any good recommendations?

If I had space I'd buy:



I found that Costco has a guy name BENNIE who dispatches cars, vans, and SUV's to get stuff home at a reasonably price...so he will be my next try, (for a 125 pound carpet.)

[Kefir King]

Hmmm, which Costco??

I use the one on 117th and Pleasant Ave (Manhattan)...that's the short street to the East of First Avenue up in Spanish Harlem.

It's an easy zip up and down on the M15 bus (and 116th is a Select stop.)