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I know exactly where Carrabelle is, and you're right...it's nowhere near a train, or a decent sized city with a goodwill. It's a pretty rural area once you are more than 5 miles from the "town".
You forgot to mention that Carrabelle is right on the gulf, and only about 5 miles from the bridge to St. George Island!! There are lots of people who stay in those nice beach houses on St. George, and the weather there in the fall is spectacular. People come from all over to go there; I've seen entries from NC in the rental house guest books. They might not mind at all getting their drive down and a couple of nights paid for, in return for helping you out.
If you have the $1000 to commit to the move, I'd suggest that you inquire locally with churches for a couple of reliable strong backed guys who wouldn't mind loading your stuff and then getting paid for a drive plus a couple of nights at the beach. You might even find someone with a trailer they could pull, relieving you of the cost for a uhaul truck. Lots of guys have trailers, or know someone who has one.
PS...please don't try to get this done thru Craig's List. It's just too risky.
Be prepared to sell anything that doesn't fit in you car before you begin the move. Once you are in the new place get an air mattress at Walmart to sleep on temporarily. Check out used stuff in FL, wherever you need to go to get it. Then ask at the thrift shops if they know people you can hire for delivery. They will know someone. This will save you A LOT of money and a lot of aggravation, unless you meet someone now who you trust and is also moving to FL from your location and will allow you to piggyback.
Second, post notices for colleges, especially grad students, at both ends, seeing if you could finding someone going your way, back to school or on vacation.
Don't be so quick to dismiss Craigslist. It's a huge online forum, and you might find someone who, when you check him out, is perfect.
I've been obsessing all day on this, and looking at the stuff I have and I'm realizing selling here and re-buying there won't work: buying a new mattress/boxspring/bedframe even in twin like I now have will be several hundred dollars and can't get at at thrift store, my Dyson vacuum is new and won't fit in car if I take electronics/clothes in car and it was $500 so that's what, say $800 to replace those two things.
Add shipping the books, prob 10 boxes weighing 35-50lbs each.
Pillows, linens, I forgot about framed photographs of the kids all over the walls, can't fit all that in the car plus the electronics and clothes.
dlking58, that sounds like what it's going to have to be: two fellows willing to drive round trip. I'm going to start by asking my daughter to ask at her church.
Now what do you think would be a fair amount to offer for the job? I have no clue what to offer to pay them.
Maybe you don't need a full U-Haul truck - how about pulling a small U-Haul trailer behind your car? You only will have to get gas a couple times...probably very little maneuvering or backing up required if you just grab fast food at a drive-thru and don't actually park. And someone said "two guys and a truck" - they are pretty cheap and even cheaper if they are only loading your own/rented trailer - they might even be able to go get it and hitch it up for you - worth checking into.
I've been obsessing all day on this, and looking at the stuff I have and I'm realizing selling here and re-buying there won't work: buying a new mattress/boxspring/bedframe even in twin like I now have will be several hundred dollars and can't get at at thrift store, my Dyson vacuum is new and won't fit in car if I take electronics/clothes in car and it was $500 so that's what, say $800 to replace those two things.
Add shipping the books, prob 10 boxes weighing 35-50lbs each.
Pillows, linens, I forgot about framed photographs of the kids all over the walls, can't fit all that in the car plus the electronics and clothes.
dlking58, that sounds like what it's going to have to be: two fellows willing to drive round trip. I'm going to start by asking my daughter to ask at her church.
Now what do you think would be a fair amount to offer for the job? I have no clue what to offer to pay them.
Well, naturally you'd need to cover the gas and meals, and be willing to pay for a place to stay for a couple of nights. It's about a 9 hour drive, (642 miles) so they would need a place to sleep that night, then if they help you unload and set up the beds, etc that might run into a second night, especially if you entice them with the toes-in-the-sand side of it. Help you unload, get a little beach time, and head out the next morning.
You probably know some little hotels down there...it's a pretty small place. No luxury accomodations anywhere I know of!!! Depending on the size of the truck - let's assume a pickup,or SUV pulling a trailer - I'm thinking around $200 or a little more for gas round trip (at 15 mpg, but actual mileage will probably be less) plus a hotel for two nights at around $100 per night brings it up to $400. Then you add meals for two at about $75 per day minimum, probably more. So you're up to around $500 now.
IF you can get two guys who will do it out of the goodness of their hearts if you cover the meals and hotel, you will still not get out for less than $500. If you want to offer them $100 each for their time (which is cheap, but you're asking for a favor) then you are up to $700. I'd say wait and see what they say. Some people would do it just for a quick trip and change of scenery.
If you have to pay for a uhaul and their gas-guzzling engine, it will cost way more for gas.
By the way....if you know someone in Carrabelle who could pull a trailer up there and get you, that would be great too.
I did "PODS" and I think it was less than $300 for their smallest one. They didn't have to move it far (about 2 mi) but they took it away for storage in the meantime. Might be less than $1000
How about posting your move on uSHip https://www.uship.com/ and see what comes of it? It's a real company, not just that hokey TV show Shipping Wars. You tell them what you have, how it has to be handled, when and where, and they bid to make your move for you.
HI OP - I'm in exactly the same position as you, and I have my long distance move set up for next week.
Here's what I did:
I put an on-line help wanted ad on 2 facesbook sites that have classifieds in my area.
I got a response from a nearby college's wrestling team. They train in the summer and do odd jobs for money. They quoted me a really cheap price. So they are going to be driving the UHaul for me and loading and unloading it. One of the guys is going to drive his own car behind the UHaul, and will drive the others back after they're done helping me (I'm going to reimburse them for that).
I think my move will go well, and hope that yours does too.
This sounds like an invitation to a midnight rape! Are you sure this is really a good idea
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! Are you sure this is really a good idea 
