I'm moving this year from SC to Las Vegas, and this will be my first civilian move. Anyone have any moving companies that they have used in the past, that you would recommend?
Moving companies
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Lanx
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i don't have recommendations, i can just list out stuff i learned since i moved recently
there are two types of movers local vs. national. local guys will be good for a 1hr to 8hr move, while national guys are good for "long" moves.
sc to las vegas i'm sure is considered a long move (31hours by google maps) so you're probably looking for national.
they'll charge by 3 ways
time
volume
weight
charging by time of course depends on the total move usually pick up/travel (to your destination and from is counted) and delivery. this is probably not for you
volume (i still don't understand how they measure this) the amount of "stuff" you have
weight usually you're stuff will get weighed at every weight station.
your situation seems to be good for "weight"
moving companies are beyond booked in the summertime and rates are almost tripled, that is when most everyone moves and i've been told ppl even book 6months in advance just because of it. i moved in the winter (the deadest time) and everyone wanted my business.
if you need boxes, make weekly trips to your local walmart/target/supermarket and talk to the manager and ask for boxes. there will usually be stacks of boxes (cut so that they can be folded) just sitting out there.
otherwise you can buy boxes, uhaul.com is a good place, buy over 50bucks and they ship for free, also you can "over"buy from uhaul and any extra boxes you have left over (that aren't used/touched) they'll buy back from you.
if you need bubblewrap (you will for mirrors/tvs) goto furniture stores, they'll usually have tons of it waiting near their trash
or you can buy 100ft for like 20bucks
Amazon.com: Duck Brand Bubble Wrap, Large Extra Cushioning Bubbles, 12 Inches x 100 Feet (1061909): Office Products
i like duck brand stuff
just stuff i learned from my recent move, hope it helps.
there are two types of movers local vs. national. local guys will be good for a 1hr to 8hr move, while national guys are good for "long" moves.
sc to las vegas i'm sure is considered a long move (31hours by google maps) so you're probably looking for national.
they'll charge by 3 ways
time
volume
weight
charging by time of course depends on the total move usually pick up/travel (to your destination and from is counted) and delivery. this is probably not for you
volume (i still don't understand how they measure this) the amount of "stuff" you have
weight usually you're stuff will get weighed at every weight station.
your situation seems to be good for "weight"
moving companies are beyond booked in the summertime and rates are almost tripled, that is when most everyone moves and i've been told ppl even book 6months in advance just because of it. i moved in the winter (the deadest time) and everyone wanted my business.
if you need boxes, make weekly trips to your local walmart/target/supermarket and talk to the manager and ask for boxes. there will usually be stacks of boxes (cut so that they can be folded) just sitting out there.
otherwise you can buy boxes, uhaul.com is a good place, buy over 50bucks and they ship for free, also you can "over"buy from uhaul and any extra boxes you have left over (that aren't used/touched) they'll buy back from you.
if you need bubblewrap (you will for mirrors/tvs) goto furniture stores, they'll usually have tons of it waiting near their trash
or you can buy 100ft for like 20bucks
Amazon.com: Duck Brand Bubble Wrap, Large Extra Cushioning Bubbles, 12 Inches x 100 Feet (1061909): Office Products
i like duck brand stuff
just stuff i learned from my recent move, hope it helps.
Falstaff
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Whatever you do, don't use a moving company "broker". My wife's cousins did this when moving from Florida to Chicago and it was literally the worst experience of their life. The person basically shops around and negotiates on your behalf and gets you the cheapest possible rate... but also the shittiest moving company possible. No one showed up the day they were supposed to move so one of them had to cancel a flight and stay behind, then once the truck got on the road, no one from the moving company was answering their phone so they had no idea where there stuff was and when it would show up. They showed up at some random time 2 days late with no explanation.
So yeah... do your homework. The post above seems to be good avice.
So yeah... do your homework. The post above seems to be good avice.
Eomer
Trakanon Raider
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heh, the moving business is one of the most fraudulent and sketchy around. It's chock full of extortionists and outright criminals that will quote you one price, then once they have your shit will try to double what they're charging you and hold all your worldly possessions hostage until you pay up. Absolutely do not go with the cheapest price, and make sure you do a ton of background checking on whoever you do go with.
It's a big problem in Canada right now:Moving company complaints on the rise - Canada - CBC News
Moving industry calls for crackdown on 'criminal' movers - Edmonton - CBC News
It's a big problem in Canada right now:Moving company complaints on the rise - Canada - CBC News
Moving industry calls for crackdown on 'criminal' movers - Edmonton - CBC News
Lanx
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man those horror stories...
i did a move back in 07 with PODS, i forget how much it was but i did the whole move myself only needed a hand truck and two moving dollies
(if you're gonna buy a hand truck, just buy an all steel non folding one, you don't want it to buckle under the weight)
Search results for: 'hand truck'
yea a read one of those stories some woman was dumb enough to put her jewlery along with the move, all the jewlery (wifes) important docs, computers, hard drives i put in my car and drove with em.
i mean i had 3 burley russians come in move my stuff, and i drove up with them and they unloaded all in 8hrs, paid off the balance with a credit card (they wanted some cash up front, i said no, only credit card), and gave them tips cuz i had no headaches. i think i probably found them after like 20 quotes from places like moving.com or whatever. have them send all their quotes to your email so you can review later, a lot of ppl wanted my ok, on the spot, i just said, well the wife and i have to talk it over (a lie), and if someone strongarms you after that, you know they're shady.
oh and like the article said, watch out for charges like walking up stairs or extra floors.
oh and they might do "packing" charges which might include (moving) blankets (they should be free and provided) just some odds and ends i forgot to say.
i did a move back in 07 with PODS, i forget how much it was but i did the whole move myself only needed a hand truck and two moving dollies
(if you're gonna buy a hand truck, just buy an all steel non folding one, you don't want it to buckle under the weight)
Search results for: 'hand truck'
yea a read one of those stories some woman was dumb enough to put her jewlery along with the move, all the jewlery (wifes) important docs, computers, hard drives i put in my car and drove with em.
i mean i had 3 burley russians come in move my stuff, and i drove up with them and they unloaded all in 8hrs, paid off the balance with a credit card (they wanted some cash up front, i said no, only credit card), and gave them tips cuz i had no headaches. i think i probably found them after like 20 quotes from places like moving.com or whatever. have them send all their quotes to your email so you can review later, a lot of ppl wanted my ok, on the spot, i just said, well the wife and i have to talk it over (a lie), and if someone strongarms you after that, you know they're shady.
oh and like the article said, watch out for charges like walking up stairs or extra floors.
oh and they might do "packing" charges which might include (moving) blankets (they should be free and provided) just some odds and ends i forgot to say.
I don't like Yelp, but it helps a lot with movers. I've moved like 10 times and from experience, most moving companies are scams in one way or another, always trying to sneak charges in. Yelp at least weeds those companies out.
My brother in law did this and it was relatively expensive but also painless. They had them hold it for 6 months though which drove up the cost a bit.
As a comparison to the prices you get look up the cost for a one way Uhaul with you driving / moving your own shit. Most likely you'll be packing anyway which is really the biggest PIA.
Agenor
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In the process of moving the GF from San Diego, to New Jersey. ( I know, who moves from SD willingly to NJ) The cost for the largest POD (which is 18'x8'x8') is 3k shipped to driveway.
You can do it a bit cheaper if you were to rent a truck yourself, but as Kedwyn points out it's really quite painless with a POD. Fuel alone is 1200.00 for my trip. Add in a minimum of 3 nights at a hotel, cost of the rental truck itself, and that long ass drive ( Which I wouldn't mind if it were a leisure trip) I'd rather put out the extra cash, and have it delivered.
Beauty of the POD is not having to worry as much of theft from strangers loading, and unloading your stuff. Throw your own lock on the POD. ( Which isn't a total guarantee it won't be broken into, but I like my chances)
You can do it a bit cheaper if you were to rent a truck yourself, but as Kedwyn points out it's really quite painless with a POD. Fuel alone is 1200.00 for my trip. Add in a minimum of 3 nights at a hotel, cost of the rental truck itself, and that long ass drive ( Which I wouldn't mind if it were a leisure trip) I'd rather put out the extra cash, and have it delivered.
Beauty of the POD is not having to worry as much of theft from strangers loading, and unloading your stuff. Throw your own lock on the POD. ( Which isn't a total guarantee it won't be broken into, but I like my chances)
Lanx
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yea in reality, the POD is really just a big wooden box, if i remember it's also cheap wood, cuz the first time i got into the POD (to you know, get familiar with it) it had a strong pine smell. It's not like the criminal could get in there easily, they'd need at least a sledgehammer. you have use your own lock (just any keyed lock will do), cuz the PODS come without a lock (you can buy one from PODS, i didn't know it was just a regular keylock they sold you).
3k For that kind of POD sounds like a good deal, also factor in that when you call for a POD you get storage as well, since you have to store your POD for a minimum of days (i think 2) before you can move it. So it's like you pack up, you call PODS and they pick up your POD, and after you've moved to your new place call PODS and they'll deliver, while in this transition time, they're storing your stuff in their own storage facilities.
moving companies will charge you for storage if it is a long move. (this is also where stuff get's "lost")
3k For that kind of POD sounds like a good deal, also factor in that when you call for a POD you get storage as well, since you have to store your POD for a minimum of days (i think 2) before you can move it. So it's like you pack up, you call PODS and they pick up your POD, and after you've moved to your new place call PODS and they'll deliver, while in this transition time, they're storing your stuff in their own storage facilities.
moving companies will charge you for storage if it is a long move. (this is also where stuff get's "lost")
I recently moved from Central Illinois to Des Moines for work. We used United and the semi driver was my main point of contact. He contracted the guys to pack, load and unload. Overall they did a good job and took care of our stuff. I had a few hundred pounds of packing paper after we unpacked everything.... Worked paid for the move but it was around $3500
I used to work for a PODS franchise. It's not a bad way to go, especially if you'll need a bit of storage time before delivering to your new home.Just make sure you have enough room at both locations to accommodate their equipment!You don't want to get stuck renting a truck at location B and emptying your stuff at their warehouse because the PODS is undeliverable at your new home - it happens. Also, customers used to do this all the time; rent a pod and hire a moving company to pack and load/unload it.
Couple things to clear up;
The largest container is actually 16'x8'x8'. The only other option you have as a cross country move is a 7 footer which is essentially a closet.
You'll most likely get a wooden container (skinned in aluminum on the outside) though there's a chance you'll get a plastic 'foldable' container. There isn't much difference, though I think the wooden containers are nicer.
In 6.5 torturous years working for them, we never once had a break-in on a residential property that wasn't a bullshit, made-up story, extortion scheme. Go ahead and call '5 on Your Side', bitch. It's impossible to break in without waking you and half your fucking neighborhood. No shit. All of our break-ins were commercial job sites with no one around at night. If you're that worried, buy one of those heavy duty circular style locks from the hardware store. They're damn near impossible to cut without fire.
Any questions, feel free.
Couple things to clear up;
The largest container is actually 16'x8'x8'. The only other option you have as a cross country move is a 7 footer which is essentially a closet.
You'll most likely get a wooden container (skinned in aluminum on the outside) though there's a chance you'll get a plastic 'foldable' container. There isn't much difference, though I think the wooden containers are nicer.
In 6.5 torturous years working for them, we never once had a break-in on a residential property that wasn't a bullshit, made-up story, extortion scheme. Go ahead and call '5 on Your Side', bitch. It's impossible to break in without waking you and half your fucking neighborhood. No shit. All of our break-ins were commercial job sites with no one around at night. If you're that worried, buy one of those heavy duty circular style locks from the hardware store. They're damn near impossible to cut without fire.
Any questions, feel free.
Alasliasolonik
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I worked for Nelson Westerberg (Atlas) for far too long doing long hauls for corporate moving. All the normal big named moving companies are all about the same, there's a driver, helper, hired help at point A-B, insurance, broken items and stolen items. Being on the best truck for corporate moves, didn't mean we didn't break or steal shit when people were fucking assholes. Sooo, Be nice to whoever moves your shit and tip the driver and find out if he has a main helper. The rest of the guys are just drunks and meth heads they pick up at a street corner for 100 bucks a day and have no idea who they fuck they are most the time. The drunk, methhead, outstanding warrant day workers will steal shit from you no matter what and they will without a doubt break your shit.
Just be nice to whoever is touching your stuff... obviously... I highly suggest packing everything yourself. Label everything and if you have some expensive stuff, leave it out and let them see it and let it get written down and take pictures.
If you live in Aiken, I can help you move your stuff or pack or whatever.
I should write a fucking book, ohhhhh the stories...
Just be nice to whoever is touching your stuff... obviously... I highly suggest packing everything yourself. Label everything and if you have some expensive stuff, leave it out and let them see it and let it get written down and take pictures.
If you live in Aiken, I can help you move your stuff or pack or whatever.
I should write a fucking book, ohhhhh the stories...
BrutulTM
Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.
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I wish some of these companies would give you the option to just take the money and move yourself vs. hiring movers for you. When I got out of college all of my possessions were worth about $2500 max and the company that hired me paid like $12K to move it. If they had been willing to give me even half of what they gave the moving company I would have thrown most of my shit away, rented a small u haul trailer to carry the rest, and came out ahead several grand.
Good info, thanks guys. probably end up doing a partial ditty move. But I live on the 3rd floor and have no desire trying to move all my heavy shit myself, so at least the furniture and my Hog will get shipped
That's what I did. I went with U-Box (Pods-equivalent from U-Haul, I guess?) and hired movers in both cities to load/unload it. I really didn't deal with the box myself at all and I spent about $600 compared to the $3,000+ that the national moving companies wanted to charge me. I also didn't have any problems: the box even arrived ahead of schedule. Aside from a small tear to my mattress (which makes no difference once a sheet is on top anyway), nothing was damaged. Heck, with the money I saved, I could have replaced a few small things anyway. I'd just budget that into the cost of moving... but depending on the value of your stuff, a lot would have to break to make up the difference in cost.
Joeboo
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Seriously, I'd rather throw something away than move it, if it's even questionable that I'll ever need to use it again or not. At least if you throw it away/donate it you don't have to UNpack it on the other end of the move. Last time I moved 3 years ago, I ended up taking several carloads of crap to goodwill to drop off, clothes, electronics, small furniture, etc. I think I dropped off 7 DVD players on one of the trips. Why the fuck did I have 7 DVD players in my home? No idea, but I don't have a single one now.