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Old 10-12-2010, 09:42 AM
 
Location: Dallas, TX
131 posts, read 307,446 times
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Hi all,

My husband and I and our 3 cats may be making the move to Phoenix from South Carolina. For those who have made the cross country move, what is the most cost effective way to do this?

We have 2 SUVs, is it cheaper to ship or to drive?

Should we sell most of our furniture and buy new later?

I noticed most airlines don't allow pets in the cargo bc Phoenix is so hot...how did you transport your pets?

Is it cheaper to fedex our personal belongings or pay a trucking company to transport?

Any feedback would be great, this would be our first big move and we have noone to give us any advice. Thanks!!!
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Old 10-12-2010, 09:53 AM
 
Location: Full Time: N.NJ Part Time: S.CA, ID
6,116 posts, read 12,595,322 times
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For those who have made the cross country move, what is the most cost effective way to do this?

This will depend on the amount of stuff that you've got.

We have 2 SUVs, is it cheaper to ship or to drive?


Shipping 2 cars will not be inexpensive. See above. If you've got a small amount of stuff, I would recommend loading them with your stuff, and making the drive. Even better, since they're SUVs, tow one of them with the other.

Should we sell most of our furniture and buy new later?


Do you like your furniture? If it was me, and I wasn't very attached to my stuff, I would buy new when I got there.

I noticed most airlines don't allow pets in the cargo bc Phoenix is so hot...how did you transport your pets?


I'm far from an expert here .... but i think small animals (such as your cats) can be transported "under seat" with you guys on the plane.

Is it cheaper to fedex our personal belongings or pay a trucking company to transport?


Depends on the amount of stuff .....
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Old 10-12-2010, 07:31 PM
 
Location: Rural Michigan
6,343 posts, read 14,683,204 times
Reputation: 10550
We moved from Michigan, towing a car with the biggest diesel Penske truck available - it was uncomfortable (the truck was brand new, but noisy and underpowered) Running the numbers, the rental truck was less than hiring full-service movers, but if I had it to do over, I'd use "ABF U-pack". They drop a semi trailer in front of your house, give you a couple of days to load it, then deliver it to your new place. You can hire a crew to load and unload the trailer on both ends if you're like me, and hate moving.

I also helped move my brother from Michigan, using one the smaller "Cube vans" from U-Haul, also towing a car - it was easy as heck and way more comfortable - it drove like a car and had no troubles, even on those monster hills south of Flagstaff.

Moral of the story - if you've only got a little bit of stuff, consider doing it yourself. If you need a 26' truck and a trailer for your stuff... hire it done..

Gas from the east coast will cost nearly as much as shipping the vehicles - if you want your cars delivered pronto, look into fedex vehicle shipping - it's pricey but fast.

If your furniture isn't top notch, consider selling or donating it - There's a furniture auction in Mesa every friday with decent deals on like-new furniture, and Craigslist also works well here , in addition, we have lots of Goodwill stores and several Re-Stores that have decent used furniture cheap.

Just look over any used furniture you buy carefully, there have been some recent outbreaks of bedbugs in the area.

Not only that... but we have an Ikea <---- great for lamps/dishes & basic furnishings.

Good luck...
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Old 10-12-2010, 07:41 PM
 
8,263 posts, read 12,196,218 times
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We did it with two cats in a car. Gave them the back seat, one small litter box on the floor on one side, water dish on the other.

Also gave one drugs from vet por mas tranquilo. We originally weren't going to use drugs but after one decided to make the exact same howl ever 20 seconds for about seven hours we caved and doped him. It was neato his eyes went anti-cross eyed.
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Old 10-12-2010, 07:58 PM
 
Location: Rural Michigan
6,343 posts, read 14,683,204 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slackjaw View Post
We did it with two cats in a car. Gave them the back seat, one small litter box on the floor on one side, water dish on the other.

Also gave one drugs from vet por mas tranquilo. We originally weren't going to use drugs but after one decided to make the exact same howl ever 20 seconds for about seven hours we caved and doped him. It was neato his eyes went anti-cross eyed.
Our cat had a bit of a "breakdown" on day three in the truck... She yowled incessantly for a couple of hours, then kinda gave up and slept under the seat for the last few hundred miles... In retrospect, drugs might have helped...
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Old 10-12-2010, 08:02 PM
 
Location: Bordentown
1,705 posts, read 1,600,360 times
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crmorgan, I'm planning on selling as much as I can. I am just shipping my mattress and box spring (Queen size) through either Fed ex or Amtrak. If either of those don't work out, I will get one of those PODS. Now, since you have 2 SUVs, couldn't you and your husband rent two trailers, hitch them on your SUVs and both of you drive x-country? That might be the cheapest option.
I would _NOT_ go with professional movers as they will hold your belongings "hostage" until you give them what they want in cash.
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Old 10-12-2010, 08:32 PM
 
Location: Rural Michigan
6,343 posts, read 14,683,204 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by caizlurol View Post
crmorgan, I'm planning on selling as much as I can. I am just shipping my mattress and box spring (Queen size) through either Fed ex or Amtrak. If either of those don't work out, I will get one of those PODS. Now, since you have 2 SUVs, couldn't you and your husband rent two trailers, hitch them on your SUVs and both of you drive x-country? That might be the cheapest option.
I would _NOT_ go with professional movers as they will hold your belongings "hostage" until you give them what they want in cash.
If all you're taking is a mattress, you should know there's a place downtown that sells really premium name-brand new mattresses for very reasonable prices. My little bro got a cal-king pillowtop Sealy for $500 - he googled it and the MSRP was around $1600. I don't know about Amtrak shipping, but I know renting & moving a pod across country will cost more than $500.

Here's the link for Upack.
http://www.upack.com/
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Old 10-12-2010, 08:38 PM
 
3,391 posts, read 7,160,625 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Zippyman View Post
If all you're taking is a mattress, you should know there's a place downtown that sells really premium name-brand new mattresses for very reasonable prices. My little bro got a cal-king pillowtop Sealy for $500 - he googled it and the MSRP was around $1600.
Zippy, sorry to hijack the thread, but where's the mattress place you mentioned, please? Thanks.
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Old 10-12-2010, 08:56 PM
 
3,886 posts, read 10,080,399 times
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I know why you're shipping your mattress, I would too! My sister did something interesting on her move to Washington, she ground shipped most of her stuff in boxes, big stuff too like dressers and beds. It was a fraction of the price and she just drove her car to Washington with a couple of suit cases.
Of course, she stayed in a hotel for a until she had all her stuff in place, then she moved in. I imagine you could ship your cars and fly the same way. Might save you some exhaustion. lol
Look into ground shipping, it is really cheap. It's not the same as the post office or Fed X.
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Old 10-12-2010, 09:08 PM
 
Location: Rural Michigan
6,343 posts, read 14,683,204 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Kimballette View Post
Zippy, sorry to hijack the thread, but where's the mattress place you mentioned, please? Thanks.
I'm pretty sure this is the place... Looks like they moved the downtown store. - there's a couple of dealers on craigslist that sell overstocks though..

Arizona Mattress Stores | AZ Mattress Overstock | AZ Discount Mattress Stores
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