Moving.....

[meri222]

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I have seen many threads concerning the buying of houses and the finding of mortgages, but I haven't come across too much about the moving process.

My boyfriend and I will be moving from CT to MN for residency, and we could use some tips. Thankfully, we don't have many things.....we are going to move two mattresses, two smaller tables, a futon, clothes, and a few pots and pans, and maybe a couple of other small things.

Any suggestions regarding u-hauls to which we can attach one car....or unpackers to help once we arrive in MN? Suggestions on good prices, etc?

Anything is appreciated!

Thanks.....

 

[f_w]

-- 16ft penske with car-carrier (don't get the dolly, it is hard to maneuver) It will cost you abot $1400 one-way for that trip.

-- Don't hit the curb in the NYS throughway toll-plazas (straight in, straight out)

-- Don't take Uhaul. They might be cheaper, but if you break down, their service sucks. Also, they will renege on reservations if they overbooked.

-- It really sounds like you have very little stuff. Do you have a hitch on your car (getting one installed can be as little as $200). The Uhaul one-way trailers are cheap compared to a truck.

 

[Poety]

I liked uhaul and they gave me a new truck - 700 bucks, used emove to unload AND unpack me for 290 bucks - they were here from 2-10pm and worth every penny, they put my clothes away and set up all my furniture!

Good luck, moving SUCKED - I would pay unpackers anyday after seeing how easy it was iwth them around.

 

[Plastikos]

i always use uhaul, just make sure you grab a new truck. Always take the dolly, that thing is a god send. That said it doesnt sound like you need it, moving should be a breeze for you.

I on the other hand have a ton of stuff (married, two kids). I absolutely loathe moving, it sucks. Thanks for the emove advice, im going to check that out.

 

[Poety]

i always use uhaul, just make sure you grab a new truck. Always take the dolly, that thing is a god send. That said it doesnt sound like you need it, moving should be a breeze for you.

I on the other hand have a ton of stuff (married, two kids). I absolutely loathe moving, it sucks. Thanks for the emove advice, im going to check that out.

yes, the child factor is what made the unpackers a GODSEND Good luck!

 

[drPLUM]

yes, the child factor is what made the unpackers a GODSEND Good luck!

Paying folks to move you is money well spent.

Trust me.

 

[TCOM-2006]

if you have more stuff - www.pods.com might be worth looking into. the price is somewhere between a moving company and u-haul setup, and you don't have to drive a big truck across the country and you can also get your stuff stored for up to a month (and more months for around 200 / mo). so - i'm planning to move out - take a vacation - and then come back and drive up from tx to ohio, where my stuff will be waiting.

 

[Embryo2006]

Uhaul does not guarantee your reservation. They overbook and don't care if they can't get you a truck when you need it. I'll never use them again. Budget or Penske for me!

 

[coogmed]

even if you don't use uhaul- they have a great link on their website to emove.com - a service that locates local movers for you. I'm using this to help find movers to pack my stuff in my renal van, and another set of movers to help unpack- site comes complete with customer reviews.

 

[KidDr]

even if you don't use uhaul- they have a great link on their website to emove.com - a service that locates local movers for you. I'm using this to help find movers to pack my stuff in my renal van, and another set of movers to help unpack- site comes complete with customer reviews.

I would just always reference everything by http://www.movingscam.com before deciding on anything.

 

[ORBITAL BEBOP]

even if you don't use uhaul- they have a great link on their website to emove.com - a service that locates local movers for you. I'm using this to help find movers to pack my stuff in my renal van, and another set of movers to help unpack- site comes complete with customer reviews.

How much did they charge for these guys? And they helped you move the stuff from the truck to the house AND opened the boxes?

Thankx

 

[mackie]

We rented a truck from Budget for around $1100 for 5 days, total miles traveled ~ 1300. There was a 10% off coupon in the change of address packet from the post office. We loaded and unloaded ourselves, and were totally exhausted afterwards! I recommend paying for help, and we will definitely do so with any future moves.

 

[Plastikos]

We rented a truck from Budget for around $1100 for 5 days, total miles traveled ~ 1300. There was a 10% off coupon in the change of address packet from the post office. We loaded and unloaded ourselves, and were totally exhausted afterwards! I recommend paying for help, and we will definitely do so with any future moves.

Holy crap! thats a total rip, we only payed like 250 for a uhaul from washington to LA, it was about 3 days.

 

[f_w]

Holy crap! thats a total rip, we only payed like 250 for a uhaul from washington to LA, it was about 3 days.

Moving date: 4/20/2006

Your move from WASHINGTON, DC to LOS ANGELES, CA
Preferred location:
U STREET RENTALS
919 U STREET NW WASHINGTON, DC


Quantity Due today Due at pickup
10' Truck(includes 9 days of use and 2976 miles free; additional miles $.40): 1
Furniture Pads 1 dozen $10.00
Utility Dolly 1 $10.00
Total (all rates are in US dollars. Rental equipment rates do not include tax): $0.00

Grand total (Tax not included) $1,386.00

 

[ajimd]

Moving date: 4/20/2006

Your move from WASHINGTON, DC to LOS ANGELES, CA
Preferred location:
U STREET RENTALS
919 U STREET NW WASHINGTON, DC


Quantity Due today Due at pickup
10' Truck(includes 9 days of use and 2976 miles free; additional miles $.40): 1
Furniture Pads 1 dozen $10.00
Utility Dolly 1 $10.00
Total (all rates are in US dollars. Rental equipment rates do not include tax): $0.00

Grand total (Tax not included) $1,386.00

Budget is somewhere around $1200 from MN to SC
Yep. It's expensive and it sucks....it's still cheaper than the moving companies, and while my back is still young and useful, I'll put it to work.
Moving company quotes averaged around $2,100. There are some pretty shady moving companies out there, so beware.

 

[wook]

I would just always reference everything by http://www.movingscam.com before deciding on anything.

Agreed. If looking at moving company get DOT number and look this number up on the DOT website. Also checkout http://www.protectyourmove.gov/

Wook

 

[pruritis_ani]

Check out uship.com, it is the ebay version of movers. Just be very careful of who you accept the bid from....

Full service move, CA to the East Coast, for a pretty small load (1 bed apt), $1000. Cheaper than a rental truck, and I can just drive my car out there, and not worry about loading and unloading

 

[wook]

Agreed. If looking at moving company get DOT number and look this number up on the DOT website. Also checkout http://www.protectyourmove.gov/

Wook

Website to look up companies by DOT number....

http://www.safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/CompanySnapshot.aspx

http://ai.volpe.dot.gov/hhg/search.asp


Wook

 

[Tinsley]

One good thing about moving: It's tax deductible. Keep those receipts!

 

[medgator]

Budget is somewhere around $1200 from MN to SC
Yep. It's expensive and it sucks....it's still cheaper than the moving companies, and while my back is still young and useful, I'll put it to work.
Moving company quotes averaged around $2,100. There are some pretty shady moving companies out there, so beware.

When I looked around for my move for internship, I noted Penske to be significantly cheaper than either Budget or Uhaul.

 

[captaincrunch]

Hello,

I am moving from New York to California and am using a company called California-New York Express, a company that specializes in moves between the two states. Their price is considerably cheaper than what other companies have quoted, and a couple of friends have told me that they were reliable/professional. I haven't moved yet, so I can't comment on my own experience, but their website might be worth checking out.

To the original poster, it sounds like you don't have that much stuff. It might be better just to sell some the furniture (on ebay or someting) and move what you can in your car. Buying some new stuff at Ikea might actually be cheaper than moving your old stuff.

Cheers!

 

[Solideliquid]

Hello,

I am moving from New York to California and am using a company called California-New York Express, a company that specializes in moves between the two states. Their price is considerably cheaper than what other companies have quoted, and a couple of friends have told me that they were reliable/professional. I haven't moved yet, so I can't comment on my own experience, but their website might be worth checking out.

To the original poster, it sounds like you don't have that much stuff. It might be better just to sell some the furniture (on ebay or someting) and move what you can in your car. Buying some new stuff at Ikea might actually be cheaper than moving your old stuff.

Cheers!

Anyone use rent-a-center to get new furniture?

 

[maddog75]

Rent a center to purchase or to rent furniture? All I know is that it is NOT a good idea to rent from these establishments unless you are really tight on cash. I believe that this organization was sued by the federal government because of unfair trade practices (it could be the other company that has a similar business model, regardless, these companies charge an exorbitant amount in interest). I plan on selling everything here and moving 1200 miles with just the essentials. I am moving to a college town so I figure I can buy used stuff for cheap.

 

[Solideliquid]

Rent a center to purchase or to rent furniture? All I know is that it is NOT a good idea to rent from these establishments unless you are really tight on cash. I believe that this organization was sued by the federal government because of unfair trade practices (it could be the other company that has a similar business model, regardless, these companies charge an exorbitant amount in interest). I plan on selling everything here and moving 1200 miles with just the essentials. I am moving to a college town so I figure I can buy used stuff for cheap.

More like use the rent-to-own option. We are moving approx. 2500 miles from CA to GA. Very expensive to move a bunch of stuff and even MORE to use a moving company. It's probably less expensive/same amount to buy new/used furniture instead of moving the stuff we have now.

 

[kbrown]

Rent a center to purchase or to rent furniture? All I know is that it is NOT a good idea to rent from these establishments unless you are really tight on cash. I believe that this organization was sued by the federal government because of unfair trade practices (it could be the other company that has a similar business model, regardless, these companies charge an exorbitant amount in interest). I plan on selling everything here and moving 1200 miles with just the essentials. I am moving to a college town so I figure I can buy used stuff for cheap.

When you move I would recommend finding a local or chain furniture store that is offering the no money down, 0% interest until 200X option. That way you can get new furniture, put nothing down, and pay it off slowly before the interest starts to add in. Best of both worlds.

 

[KidDr]

hey, just wanted to add that some of my friends moved recently, and they used Craig's List to sell a bunch of their furniture and got tons of responses to their ad...ended up selling everything really quickly.

 

[f_w]

One good thing about moving: It's tax deductible. Keep those receipts!

Don't ask me why tax law is that way, but a move after medschool for residency is not deductible. Moving during residency is. (has something to do with the fact tha medschool is not a 'job' and hence your move is not 'job related')

 

[Solideliquid]

Don't ask me why tax law is that way, but a move after medschool for residency is not deductible. Moving during residency is. (has something to do with the fact tha medschool is not a 'job' and hence your move is not 'job related')

What if...your wife/husband is working and is moving with you? (shes going to get a new job and I will start residency)

 

[f_w]

What if...your wife/husband is working and is moving with you? (shes going to get a new job and I will start residency)

An accountant would probably be able to tell you that. I think it should work if you file jointly. Your spouse might be able to deduct job-search expenses (unreimbursed interview trips).

 

[psych2b]

When I looked around for my move for internship, I noted Penske to be significantly cheaper than either Budget or Uhaul.

👍

used emove to unload AND unpack

👍

Thanks you 2 - I had moving companies come and give estimates for our move from NC to MA, and everyone said $3000 min, for no packing/unpacking help... Then, I went to emove and Penske, and got everything for $1300! Thanks medgator & Poety!
😍

 

[Poety]

👍

👍

Thanks you 2 - I had moving companies come and give estimates for our move from NC to MA, and everyone said $3000 min, for no packing/unpacking help... Then, I went to emove and Penske, and got everything for $1300! Thanks medgator & Poety!
😍

anytime hon! 🙂


good luck in the move, adn residency!

 

[pruritis_ani]

👍

👍

Thanks you 2 - I had moving companies come and give estimates for our move from NC to MA, and everyone said $3000 min, for no packing/unpacking help... Then, I went to emove and Penske, and got everything for $1300! Thanks medgator & Poety!
😍

I am telling you, go to uship.com, put a description of the move and a target price of $1000....when you get the bids, check out who they are coming from and the references. After you accept the bid, do all the research you can on the company. I got a GREAT company, highly recommended, move from CA to the east coast, full service (loading and unloading) for $1000. I had to be a little flexible with the time, but I got a 7 day delivery...

I looked into the truck rental, the u-pack deals and the full service movers. When all was said and done, I got the full service for FAR less than any of the other options, and I didn't have to move a damn thing.

Again, just be very thorough with the checking out of who you accept the bid from. DOT, insurance, movingscam.com, BBB, and anything else you can think of.

Best of luck!

 

[doctorsquared]

I always had a good experience with Penske. The trucks are always nice and always available when you reserve them. The price varies depending on availability but it is frequently similar to Uhaul and other companies that overbook and have poorly maintained equipment.

 

[TysonCook]

I used ABF UPack, it is basically like renting out the extra space on semi's that are driving from destination to destination. You pack your own stuff into thier trailers at the shipping yard, then drive your own car across country. When you arrive at your destination you go to the shipping yard in the new part of the country, and unpack your stuff there.

Works great for those of us that want to save $, and don't care about physical labor. Or you can pay a little more and have UPack bring the trailer to your house, and hire on some local frat boys for $20/hr to pack it for you.

The one caveat, cover your items with a tarp on top, and boxes on the bottom, as road dust etc tends to creep up inside.

I paid $380 to go from Utah to Cincinnati (2000 miles).
www.upack.com

 

[f_w]

Oh, one more thing with UHaul. They have two truck fleets. The long-haul interstate one-way trucks that are owned by Uhaul and the local mules that are owned by the franchise holders. The local mules are often in an atrocious condition, the one-way fleet tends to be newer. So if you experienced them for a local move, it might not be representative of what you can expect for a one-way (still leaves you with overbooking and the 'high and dry stranded for 48hours' service plan).

Penske is mainly in the business of renting tractors to long-distance trucking companies. As a result, they have a service point or contractor in the dinkiest of villages. I blew out a tire on a Penske and within 5 min their contractor was out on the interstate working on the problem. That contrasts with family left stranded by Uhaul for days.

 

[ajimd]

What's the deal with budget. When you reserve with them, does that guarantee you a truck come pick up day? I've heard different things. Would rather go with a sure bet in Penske, if that's the case.

 

[penguins]

AAA covers any vehicle you are driving, including UHAUL trucks. We blew a tire on the trailer we were hauling and just called them because it was quicker.
Once we found when we unhitched that there were no threads on the connection. One big bumped and my grandmother's china would have been history. The local UHAUL place was a bunch of idiots apparantly. So check the hitch yourself.
That said, our family has always used UHAUL and that was the only bad experience - although it could have been pretty bad.

 

[beriberi]

Don't ask me why tax law is that way, but a move after medschool for residency is not deductible. Moving during residency is. (has something to do with the fact tha medschool is not a 'job' and hence your move is not 'job related')

This is one of the great residency urban legends. Moving expenses deductible. Interview expenses not. IRS.gov actually publishes this in very easy to understand language.

From their website:

You can generally consider moving expenses incurred within one year from the date you first reported to work at the new location as closely related in time to the start of work. It is not necessary that you arrange to work before moving to a new location, as long as you actually do go to work.

You can generally consider your move closely related in place to the start of work at your new job location if the distance from your new home to the new job location is not more than the distance from your former home to the new job location.

Is your new job at least 50 miles farther from your former home than your old job was from your former home? Or, if you had no former job for a substantial period, is your new job at least 50 miles from your former home?
Did you or will you work full time as an employee for at least 39 weeks in the 1st 12 months after you arrived in the new area?

If you answer yes:

You can deduct the reasonable expenses of:
1. Moving your household goods and personal effects (including up to 30 consecutive days of in-transit storage expenses), and
2. Traveling (including lodging but not meals) to your new home.
You do not have to itemize deductions to deduct moving expenses. Complete and attach Form 3903, Moving Expenses to Form 1040.

http://www.irs.gov/publications/p521/ar02.html#d0e222 for very detailed information.



f_w: it is not too late to amend your return!! It could be worth hundreds of dollars!

 

[f_w]

Glad you proved me wrong.

It has been many years since that situation came up. And as I paid close to no taxes the first year out and my move was dirt cheap, the total amout would probably not be worth the 'hour of my life I can't get back' that this would entail. Back then, the information I got was that you can't deduct it, but I guess that was either incorrect, or it has changed in the meantime.

 

[jigga_what]

Anyone have info re: rening a cargo van one-way from coast to coast? Hoping to sell/scrap my possessions down to very little.

 

[tridoc13]

Thanks so much for the uship tip! I put in a bid to move from Kansas to Colorado and seem to have found a reputable company to do it for $1000 less than the other place I was going to go with. Treat you to a beer with the savings if you're ever out my way! 🙂

 

[pruritis_ani]

Thanks so much for the uship tip! I put in a bid to move from Kansas to Colorado and seem to have found a reputable company to do it for $1000 less than the other place I was going to go with. Treat you to a beer with the savings if you're ever out my way! 🙂

I am telling you, that site rocks. The ebay of moving (literally).

I was blown away, the cost of the move was less than renting a truck, using a pod, etc...and they pack, load and unload, which is huge!

Just check the company out carefully after you accept the bid, before you commit or pay anything.

Maybe we should just use uship to get me that beer???

 

[tridoc13]

I am telling you, that site rocks. The ebay of moving (literally).

I was blown away, the cost of the move was less than renting a truck, using a pod, etc...and they pack, load and unload, which is huge!

Just check the company out carefully after you accept the bid, before you commit or pay anything.

Maybe we should just use uship to get me that beer???

Wow! You got a great deal! I'm going to pack, they're going to load and unload, but considering the fact that they're driving through the Rocky Mountains with a big ole truck (which I wasn't willing to do myself, pulling my car behind), and that I'm moving a piano, etc., I was initially happy with the quote ($1500). Do you think I'm paying too much? I haven't committed to anything yet, and I put my max price in at $1500, which is what this company is charging. Any advice would be appreciated. I can always redo my info and put in a lower price, but I didn't want to scare anyone away. As for the beer, just send me your address. 😉

 

[pruritis_ani]

Wow! You got a great deal! I'm going to pack, they're going to load and unload, but considering the fact that they're driving through the Rocky Mountains with a big ole truck (which I wasn't willing to do myself, pulling my car behind), and that I'm moving a piano, etc., I was initially happy with the quote ($1500). Do you think I'm paying too much? I haven't committed to anything yet, and I put my max price in at $1500, which is what this company is charging. Any advice would be appreciated. I can always redo my info and put in a lower price, but I didn't want to scare anyone away. As for the beer, just send me your address. 😉

I think that you are prob getting a good deal, at least based on the other quotes you seem to have recieved. I got the max that I put in as a bid too, I think that is pretty typical.

I am not moving all that much stuff (a VERY small one bedroom apt worth of stuff), so I think that the movers are getting a pretty good deal too.

Good luck with the move!

 

[tridoc13]

I think that you are prob getting a good deal, at least based on the other quotes you seem to have recieved. I got the max that I put in as a bid too, I think that is pretty typical.

I am not moving all that much stuff (a VERY small one bedroom apt worth of stuff), so I think that the movers are getting a pretty good deal too.

Good luck with the move!

Great! Thanks again. 🙂

 

[pruritis_ani]

By the way, if anybody is interested in using my movers, send me a PM. They offered me a credit for any referals I send them.....

They were cheap, effecient and reliable. Send me a pm for details!

 

[ORBITAL BEBOP]

anyone use PODS successfully? Any experiences??

 

[Annette]

I was going to use UHAUL until they showed me the truck I was getting. Nightmare! I ended up renting a minivan, and having the company store the back seats. My family helped me pack, and I hired movers when I got to my new apartment. (Two men and a truck. Great service!) The minivan was less than half of what the UHAUL would have been.

 

[ORBITAL BEBOP]

I am telling you, go to uship.com, put a description of the move and a target price of $1000....when you get the bids, check out who they are coming from and the references. After you accept the bid, do all the research you can on the company. I got a GREAT company, highly recommended, move from CA to the east coast, full service (loading and unloading) for $1000. I had to be a little flexible with the time, but I got a 7 day delivery...
Best of luck!

Hello,
I checked out this site but I couldnt list everything I had b/c my husband and I have so much stuff. Maybe this site isnt so great for ppl with lots of stuff?

 

[psych2b]

emove.com for the loading/packing/unloading/unpacking & penske for the van to drive yourself has been our cheapest option, by far - as recommended earlier by poety & medgator. we have a 3br 1400+sq home with 2 adults + 1 toddler to move...