It depends on how much stuff you have.
I'm facing the same decisions, moving from Boston to Cali.
If you are single, have just a room or two full of stuff, and own a car, then selling everything and driving cross-country is cheapest.
You could have a hitch installed on your car, then rent a U-Haul trailer (~$1000) and haul all of your stuff that way. This is good if you have just a roomful of stuff.
If you do a self-move - where you rent trailer space in a commercial truck, the minimum cost for ~7 ft of trailer space is ~$1300, using a service like ABF U-Pack. This is good if you have more than a roomful of stuff, but can't afford a commercial mover.
Renting and driving a U-Haul while towing your car is still less expensive than a commercial mover, but more expensive than self-packing and driving your car cross-country, factoring in the cost of the U-Haul and towing your car (~$500 for the tow, ~$1500 for the U-Haul).
Be warned, however, that a big moving van with car in tow is a perfect target for thieves. Good friends of mine had their entire moving van stolen when they stopped at a motel for the night.
I have two cars, two dogs, a wife and baby on the way.
I'm selling one car, plan on using a self-mover, then driving myself and the dogs cross-country, with my wife flying out with the baby later.
So, it depends on how much stuff you have.
If the value of the stuff you want to bring with you is less than $1000, then sell the stuff, and drive yourself cross-country. Otherwise, you will have paid more money to haul your stuff than the stuff is worth.
- Tae
