Long-distance moving--tips?

[Veritaserum]

Dh and I are planning a move this summer (targeting June or July, depending on housing availability). We will be moving about 700 miles away to a different state. We've been married 18 years and have six kids. Our most recent move was three years ago, but that was only a distance of seven miles. I got rid of some stuff, but we brought a bunch of things over that we shouldn't have (new house was bigger than the old house). This time we are looking at a significant downsize (less than half the space we currently occupy).

 

If you've done a move like this, I have questions:

 

1) Did you hire movers, use portable storage containers, rent a truck, or something else? If you rented a truck, how did you get your passenger vehicle to the new location? Would you recommend the moving method you chose? Why or why not?

 

2) How did you plan and execute the Purging of Things? I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. We've already decided which furniture items are worth the hassle of moving. We will sell or give away other items. But there is still a lot of other stuff. Did you go room by room? Do a certain number of things each day? Something else? How did you pare down your kids' items? I'm thinking of giving them each a box and saying they can only take what fits inside.

 

3) I have a piano I'd like to move. If you've used a professional piano moving service across state lines, what company was it? Did they do a good job? How much did it cost?

 

I'm starting school (online) in April, so I'd like to be as move ready as possible before my program starts.

[hellen]

We're military so we've moved a lot.

 

My husband's favorite move was when we used ABF. We packed up our own stuff using boxes we found for free on Craigslist. ABF dropped off a semi. We hired some guys to load our stuff since we lived on the third floor. It was definitely worth it. ABF charged us by the amount of the truck we used. Our stuff was delivered a few days later at our new home.

 

If you have a Uhaul you can get a carrier and tow your vehicle. You can also hire a company that will carry your vehicle but that is expensive. A cheaper method would be driving the vehicle to the new state and then flying back to your old home to go with the other vehicle.

[OneStepAtATime]

Dh and I are planning a move this summer (targeting June or July, depending on housing availability). We will be moving about 700 miles away to a different state. We've been married 18 years and have six kids. Our most recent move was three years ago, but that was only a distance of seven miles. I got rid of some stuff, but we brought a bunch of things over that we shouldn't have (new house was bigger than the old house). This time we are looking at a significant downsize (less than half the space we currently occupy).

 

If you've done a move like this, I have questions:

 

1) Did you hire movers, use portable storage containers, rent a truck, or something else? If you rented a truck, how did you get your passenger vehicle to the new location? Would you recommend the moving method you chose? Why or why not?

 

2) How did you plan and execute the Purging of Things? I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. We've already decided which furniture items are worth the hassle of moving. We will sell or give away other items. But there is still a lot of other stuff. Did you go room by room? Do a certain number of things each day? Something else? How did you pare down your kids' items? I'm thinking of giving them each a box and saying they can only take what fits inside.

 

3) I have a piano I'd like to move. If you've used a professional piano moving service across state lines, what company was it? Did they do a good job? How much did it cost?

 

I'm starting school (online) in April, so I'd like to be as move ready as possible before my program starts.

1.  We have hired movers (company paid) and rented a truck.  With hiring movers, once they did the majority of the packing and with the other, we did the packing and they did the loading and hauling.  When we rented a truck, we did all the packing, loading and unloading.  DH drove the truck and I drove the car and kept our animals with me.  We stayed in touch by CB radio since we only had one cell phone.

 

Of each of those methods, it was much easier having a moving company do the bulk of the packing and the hauling, but pricey (wouldn't have done it if the company wasn't covering a lot of the cost since we couldn't have afforded it, but if you can, it can be MUCH easier).  However, you have to be VERY organized or it might take forever to find things you really need.  I packed things I knew we would need right away once we moved, as well as stuff I knew we were going to be using until we moved.  I put them into separate boxes with water proof packing lists attached (you can buy the packing list pounches at places like U-Haul.).  I also made a master list of what was in each of the boxes I packed so I had one location to go to for figuring out where the really needed stuff was after we moved.  The movers did the rest.

 

When we packed ourselves entirely, but hired a truck company to haul the stuff, it worked o.k. but it took a LOT longer to pack.  With the other way, they literally packed our entire house in a day and a half.  No sweat.  The fact that another company was hauling our stuff meant that we were on their schedule for when the stuff arrived but they were the ones that hauled everything into our home, so that was honestly quite a blessing.  The furniture and the heavy boxes were off loaded in record time and I was able to make sure that a lot of the smaller boxes actually got deposited into the correct rooms.  Insurance covered any damage but we only actually had one thing get damaged and they paid us for it.

 

When we packed and hauled our own stuff we had a lot more control over the schedule but more things got damaged in the move.  Plus, driving the truck could be scary at times, especially when we hit bad weather.  Packing took a lot of time.  I again tried to make sure there were packing lists attached to each box, and I have moved a lot so I know how to pack pretty quickly but it still took a lot of time and a lot of boxes.  Thankfully we were able to get help from friends to load the heavy stuff, but we had to work around their schedules for availability.  We didn't have friends at the new location to help with offloading and some of the stuff was really, really heavy.  DH hurt his back and I strained a shoulder trying to get everything unloaded and the truck returned.  Then we had to get everything into the proper room if it wasn't unloaded in the correct place and then we had to unpack when we were already exhausted.  Still, it worked and it was what we could afford.  I'd do it again if I had to.

 

Will post about the rest in a minute...

[indigomama]

Last year we moved from the middle to the West Coast. 

 

We did not have the funds to hire movers. We had friends help us pack a moving van. Behind the van, we rented a car carrier and pulled one of our vehicles. My husband and oldest drove the moving van. I followed with our other 4 kids in our family van.

 

Our van had 2 changes of clothes for everyone, pillows, and a bag of games/toys. We ate breakfast at a hotel, and then stopped at rest stops for lunch that we had packed, so the kids could run/play/ stretch legs mid day. We ate dinner at or near our hotel each night. 

 

We purged a lot of little stuff, but we knew we couldn't afford to get rid of or replace big furniture right away, so we kept most of those things. I had about 6 weeks before our move. I picked a room at a time, sold what I could, offered stuff to friends, and then dropped stuff off at the thrift store. I then boxed up as much of that room as possible, before the week of the move. 

 

We moved our piano with our friends. We've moved that poor piano many times and never hired piano movers. We do hire a tuner each time we move, and our last tuner said we are almost to pitch :) 

 

 

 

 

[Tess in the Burbs]

Dh and I are planning a move this summer (targeting June or July, depending on housing availability). We will be moving about 700 miles away to a different state. We've been married 18 years and have six kids. Our most recent move was three years ago, but that was only a distance of seven miles. I got rid of some stuff, but we brought a bunch of things over that we shouldn't have (new house was bigger than the old house). This time we are looking at a significant downsize (less than half the space we currently occupy).

 

If you've done a move like this, I have questions:

 

1) Did you hire movers, use portable storage containers, rent a truck, or something else? If you rented a truck, how did you get your passenger vehicle to the new location? Would you recommend the moving method you chose? Why or why not?

 

2) How did you plan and execute the Purging of Things? I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. We've already decided which furniture items are worth the hassle of moving. We will sell or give away other items. But there is still a lot of other stuff. Did you go room by room? Do a certain number of things each day? Something else? How did you pare down your kids' items? I'm thinking of giving them each a box and saying they can only take what fits inside.

 

3) I have a piano I'd like to move. If you've used a professional piano moving service across state lines, what company was it? Did they do a good job? How much did it cost?

 

I'm starting school (online) in April, so I'd like to be as move ready as possible before my program starts.

 

1)  We moved cross country 2 years ago and we did the ABF semi truck option.  You load it up and put up a bulk head wall.  They measure how much space you used and are charged on that.  So we went over our expected amount, but it wasn't crazy much.  It arrived faster than expected(we were several states away) but they didn't deliver until the date we had planned.  Everyone was nice at drop off, phone, and pick up.  Obviously a semi truck might not fit in every neighborhood.  Consider that.  Loading was no big deal, the truck was in the condo area 1 night. I think had we needed another night we might have had the HOA after us.  Unloading we had it for days.  In a driveway so no problems.   For the 4 hour move we had to go back and forth for the car situation.  I think DH went with his car full.  He worked a week.  I came up with more stuff in the van and picked him up for the drive back.  Rented a truck.  He drove it, I drove our van.  Friends also loaded up and followed.  It was a pain.  Paying for a vehicle to be moved is expensive.  When we moved cross country we sold DH's car.  Hated to do it, but it paid for the semi truck.  We just now replaced his car 2.5 years later...   Oh, movers.  Get a price quote.  I found they were too much money.  If you can get a corporate discount then you might find it a better deal than doing it yourself.  I couldn't get a corporate discount this big move so that is why we did the ABF.  

 

Previously we moved 4 hours away and just used Uhauls.  We ended up having to do 2-3 drives in that situation.  A full truck and loaded vehicles.  Then rent a small truck for the piano/workout stuff/patio furniture.  It was a pain to go back and forth multiple times.  We moved north 4 hours and a year later moved back those 4 hours and it took multiple trips both times.  So the ABF thing was a one and done.  

 

I think you have to price out truck/vehicle and other options.  Cost is part of it.  Your time and effort is the other.  

 

2) When we moved 4 hours away we took everything.  Even though it was a smaller space.  You had to replace things later right?  When we moved cross country we gave away so much stuff and sold other items.  Our furniture was damaged in the move and ended up buying new stuff when we arrived.  The damage was how we loaded something, not the truck issue.  HOWEVER, ABF is a semi truck.  If you go that route you MUST pack very well.  The constant bouncing will damage everything.  I had bookcases destroyed, a couch, and many things were rubbed way down b/c of the bouncing.  You have to wrap better, pack better to avoid damage.    I basically purged anything I didn't think we needed or hadn't used in the last year.  Other than the furniture replacement the only thing I wish we had kept was some yard tools.  Kids were asked to rid of 1/3 of their toys.  One did well, other didn't. I pack a little of everything at once.  Boxes open in every room.  So I can pack them tight I might move  items between rooms.  

 

3)  We have never used a piano service.  We moved our piano 4 times by ourselves.  We had enough guys to lift it and put a wooden furniture mover under it.  then it's just a matter of moving slowly with people on all sides to keep it stead.  IN the truck it needs a lot of tie downs.  The cross country move I just gave the piano away.  I couldn't sell it.  No buyers. 

 

It all comes down to money in most moves.  We have done the 5 mile away move, the 4 hour move, the cross country move.  They all suck, but it's just a short time in your life.  If I had the money I would pay for as much help as I could.  In fact, we unloaded this move for 2 days and then I finally called in help for the heavy stuff.  It was worth the $100 for these 2 to help me finish it all.  ;-)

 

Good luck!

[Lanny]

OP:   Read and heed what Tess wrote about things bouncing around.  If you do your own packing, the vehicle (truck or trailer) MUST be packed extremely tight. If things are not solid,       if there is a lot of extra room,  things will fly around and damage other things.   A couple of years ago, I was contemplating buying another Refurbished Dell Laptop from Blair Technology Group. It was Christmas time. I contacted their Support and was told that is the BEST time to ship fragile things, because the  trucks and airplanes are jammed full.    I think you will find other threads on WTM about moving and the ABF containers seem to have made a lot of people happy.  I used Graebel Van Lines in Dallas, because the moving company here in Cali, Colombia, which is excellent,  told me they normally worked with Graebel. My particular experience with Graebel was in  extremely polite language, extremely horrible. I hate them, based on that one horrible experience..  It depends on the crews that work with your stuff.  Check out the ABF containers and the other options. Be sure you have insurance coverage  on your belongings, in case anything is lost or damaged. Good luck!  

 

When we moved locally, in 2004, into this house, which we'd built, to my astonishment, we hired a man with a small stake truck, who we had occasionally hired to bring things home from the Super Store.  Many trips, but less stressful than trying to have everything ready to go, when the moving van arrives. In that move, we moved probably over a 2 week period of time.

[HollyDay]

Dh and I are planning a move this summer (targeting June or July, depending on housing availability). We will be moving about 700 miles away to a different state. We've been married 18 years and have six kids. Our most recent move was three years ago, but that was only a distance of seven miles. I got rid of some stuff, but we brought a bunch of things over that we shouldn't have (new house was bigger than the old house). This time we are looking at a significant downsize (less than half the space we currently occupy).

 

If you've done a move like this, I have questions:

 

1) Did you hire movers, use portable storage containers, rent a truck, or something else? If you rented a truck, how did you get your passenger vehicle to the new location? Would you recommend the moving method you chose? Why or why not?

 

2) How did you plan and execute the Purging of Things? I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. We've already decided which furniture items are worth the hassle of moving. We will sell or give away other items. But there is still a lot of other stuff. Did you go room by room? Do a certain number of things each day? Something else? How did you pare down your kids' items? I'm thinking of giving them each a box and saying they can only take what fits inside.

 

3) I have a piano I'd like to move. If you've used a professional piano moving service across state lines, what company was it? Did they do a good job? How much did it cost?

 

I'm starting school (online) in April, so I'd like to be as move ready as possible before my program starts.

 

1. We have done both, hire movers and rent a truck.  Dh drove the truck and towed 1 personal vehicle while I drove the other personal vehicle.  Finances usually make the decision for us as to whether or not we hire movers or if dh work pays for movers.

 

2. Depending upon the age of dc, we let them have a big part in deciding what will be moved and what will be sold or given away.  A wise woman once told me that if in doubt, take it.  You can always donate or sell at your new location.  But, if you don't have it anymore and want it, then you need to purchase again.  Some things were fairly easy.  If clothes are too small for everyone, then it goes.  If clothes are too far out of date, it goes.  If you are changing climates, that makes the decision for you too.  You said you are downsizing, so look at dc bedrooms....if they are going to be sharing rooms, then that makes it easier to decide what stays and what goes.  I do tend to go room by room, with the idea of the new house in mind.  If you have both a living room and a family room now, but will only have a family room there, then you need to pare down those items. 

 

3.  We opted not to move a piano. When I originally left my home of origin, other family members asked to keep and use the piano.  Fast forward 20+ years, the piano was not in good enough shape to warrant the expense of moving it.  We purchased an electronic piano several years ago and that is easy to move

 

other suggestions:

1. label, label, label.  Don't just write "girl's bedroom" on the box.  Get more detailed like "girl's bedding, stuffed animals, clothing, toys....."  Keep a master log if you don't want to write so much detail on the boxes

2. if you are hiring a moving company, be aware of what they will not move and what you don't want them to move.

3. no matter what, have a box that you want to open right away: towels, sheets, perhaps pantry items  so you can set up housekeeping pretty quickly. 

 

[prairiewindmomma]

Dh and I are planning a move this summer (targeting June or July, depending on housing availability). We will be moving about 700 miles away to a different state. We've been married 18 years and have six kids. Our most recent move was three years ago, but that was only a distance of seven miles. I got rid of some stuff, but we brought a bunch of things over that we shouldn't have (new house was bigger than the old house). This time we are looking at a significant downsize (less than half the space we currently occupy).

 

If you've done a move like this, I have questions:

 

1) Did you hire movers, use portable storage containers, rent a truck, or something else? If you rented a truck, how did you get your passenger vehicle to the new location? Would you recommend the moving method you chose? Why or why not? We packed, they moved.  They can pack a truck much tighter than we can, and space is money. Our move was combined in a semi with another load, and that brought the price down considerably. I had no desire to move via U-Haul and deal with a truck potentially being robbed in our hotel parking lot, breakdowns, shipping a car, etc.  We did look into shipping a car, and there were fairly reasonable rates for doing so.  A cheaper way to do it would be to pay a college student friend to drive for you, and you fly them home. They can also be a companion to your children while you do the initial unpack.

 

2) How did you plan and execute the Purging of Things? I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed. We've already decided which furniture items are worth the hassle of moving. We will sell or give away other items. But there is still a lot of other stuff. Did you go room by room? Do a certain number of things each day? Something else? How did you pare down your kids' items? I'm thinking of giving them each a box and saying they can only take what fits inside. This is the bigger thing, in our experience.  We sold a ton, we gave away a ton. We did a hard core purge. It took many, many months. (It wouldn't this next go-around!) I found it easiest to get rid of the stuff we knew we weren't taking and didn't need to use (home gym, etc.) and set up a place to store packed boxes. I kept a written, numbered box inventory.  All of the things I knew we were taking and not needing then got packed (heirloom china, photo albums, etc.).  As I went through the process, like with packing books, I would gather everything together and then pick and choose from there. Books, towels, kitchen pans, etc. Towards the end, we were living very lightly in the house (essential bedding, towels, etc.) and that emboldened me to do a second purge once we moved in to our new house and I had a sense of what would fit nicely into the house and what would not.  I had salvation army come and pick up probably 10 tubs of stuff post-move.

 

If we were to move again, I could pack and go in a week, no problem.  My relationship with our stuff changed, and for the better. I'm buying very little now, but what I am buying, I'm buying high quality.

 

3) I have a piano I'd like to move. If you've used a professional piano moving service across state lines, what company was it? Did they do a good job? How much did it cost?

 

I'm starting school (online) in April, so I'd like to be as move ready as possible before my program starts.

 

Somehow my red line text disappeared. Sorry. My reply is still in there.

Edited January 27, 2017 by kbeal

[gingersmom]

I moved 2000 miles.

 

I used movers. Be prepared for your stuff not to be delivered on time (mine was 2 weeks late)

 

I started several months in advance and was ruthless in my purging. We had so much stuff from when my kids were younger nobody cared about.

 

I went to town dump everyday and free cycled like crazy.

[Veritaserum]

These are helpful, thanks. Our current home is very large (multiple living spaces, lots of bedrooms). The rental homes I've seen in the new area often only have one eating area and one living room area. Our formal dining set has seen better days, so that's on the list to sell or give away since we are unlikely to have a formal dining area unless/until we purchase a home with a formal dining room. If we end up with a formal dining room in the future, we can buy a new set. (Our plan is to rent in the new area while we sell our current house. Showing a home while living in it with six kids is not something we care to do again. We also want time to be sure we like the new neighborhood enough to buy there.)

 

Our current bedrooms are large and only the two youngest girls share. Everyone will get a roommate in the rental house, but we currently only own one set of bunk beds. The other twin beds aren't anything special, so I think we'd get rid of those and buy bunks in the new city. Some of the furniture choices can't be made until we know the details of the new property, so I'll wait to get rid of big items that we might want to keep.

 

I do want to keep my piano. It's a nice instrument, and it also holds sentimental value. An electric piano that can be used with headphones would be far more practical for a smaller home with multiple people who play, but the thought of selling my piano makes me cry. Dh bought it for me when we were newlyweds. I don't like the idea of packing the piano with our other items. Even if we rented a truck and drove it ourselves, I'd be nervous about damage. There are some twisty stretches of road and major elevation changes between here and the new city. We can drive the distance in one long day (I've done it that way many times but dh hates it and prefers to stop at a hotel halfway). I'm also nervous about parking a moving truck in a hotel lot. I've seen news stories about people being robbed.

 

Dh and I watched a documentary on minimalism last week. Excess stuff really does stress me out. I hate picking it up and trying to organize it, etc. I've been trying to convince the kids that less stuff will be a nicer living experience. :)

 

I have a large closet that I can empty out and use for storing packed boxes. If we could limit our boxes to fitting in that closet, I'd feel really good about that.

[prairiewindmomma]

Laura, it has been lovely for me living with so much less stuff. I feel like my brain has room to breathe now.  It was also so very freeing to break free of a past as all of those visual reminders of things left with the stuff.