Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi,
I am considering moving out west (Spokane, WA) from the Charlotte area and wanted to know if it would be more benficial to sale everything and fly or try to make the drive in a UHaul. I have a very small apartment and don't mind driving. The major factor I'm looking at is cost. Any info provided would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
(Uhaul rental + gas + food + lodging) - (profits from selling belongings - price of airplane ticket - price of buying new things) = X
if X > 0 then sell all and buy new, if X < 0 then pack everything up and move.
Or if (Uhaul rental + gas + food + lodging) > (profits from selling belongings - price of airplane ticket - price of buying new things) then sell and start over.
If (Uhaul rental + gas + food + lodging) < (profits from selling belongings - price of airplane ticket - price of buying new things) then happy driving.
I hope my equations are correct.
Last edited by Sepulgeek; 08-10-2009 at 03:24 PM..
One thing to consider is relative climates. Will you need more cold-weather things and less hot-weather things? Do you care about style of furnishings fitting a new place? More likely to be Craftsman or rustic out West, less likely to be tradional style houses. What about things for recreation? will you be able to do the same type of thins or will you have to learn new ones?
If the cost to replace the essential items you have exceeds the cost to move said items, you should probably consider keeping them.
If the cost to move items far exceeds the replacement cost and you don't have a lot of sentimental investment, then consider starting fresh.
I did a mix... some items I kept, some I got rid of. What I kept would've cost me a lot more to replace then what I spent to move everything kept (the new queen memory foam mattress/box purchase was greater than the overall expense to move the entirety of the household items moved, and I would not have been able to sell the set I had for the cost of replacing it. YES it was worth it!). My move was 600 miles.
(Please don't take this wrongly) When I lived in apartments, my furniture/household items weren't worth hauling across the continent. So my suggestion is to pack as much stuff into your car as possible, and then sell or donate the rest. Another thing: Driving a moving truck across is not fun, and not cheap. Those things guzzle fuel! (And U-Haul is notorious for unreliable trucks that leave you stranded.) When you arrive in Spokane, find cheap furnishings on Craigslist or Target.
Good luck with your move. It sounds exciting. Ahh . . . to be young, mobile, and carefree!
UHaul trucks even the small ones absolutely love swallowing gas. When I drove from Charlotte to New Orleans straight out of college pre-Katrina I spent at least 400 dollars on gas and the darn thing even had a tire blowout in Tuscaloosa. It was a couple of hours before someone showed up to get me out of the mud. Then I had to pay and later be refunded for the changed tire. Trust me unless you have some real furnishings and expensive belongings you are better off selling ot shipping them before driving yourself. Especially if this trip is going to be a one man or woman rodeo.
A good way to calculate fuel is just approximate that a Uhaul will see about 10 miles to the gallon average. Take the total distance divided by 10, you have how many gallons you'll need. Multiple that by the average price per gallon of fuel. I personally have never been stranded by Uhaul, but I've only used them for local moves up to about 2hrs away.
Thanks guys. I think I have all I need to make a decision. Much appreciated.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
No car?
