Moving across country: Sell everything or pay movers?

[Anonymous]

We’re heading back to the DC area from California soon. We got a moving quote from the company that moved us here and they want $20k for packing, shipping, and unpacking. Other places are quoting similar for the same service that isn’t as good. Moving rates are thru the roof lately. This is a self-assisted move, no relocation help from my company since its my choice to move. We have a 4 bedroom 2400 square foot home and some things I’m ok with parting with. Should I pay the 20k or just start anew at the next house?

[Anonymous]

Really depends on how much you like your stuff and how nice it is. It may not be worth moving it, especially if you figure in that you can probably make a couple thousand selling what you have before moving. You'll still probably need a partial move, though, unless you can rent a uhaul, just to move all your personal items like clothes, books, files, momentos. Unless you're a really disciplined person that can get it all into what can fit into your car or be checked as luggage for a flight.

[Anonymous]

Start anew with furniture and then drive the boxes cross country in a moving truck yourself

[Anonymous]

I’d look into a pod move, if you’re open to getting rid of a lot of furniture. There will still be a lot of stuff you’ll want to bring with you.

[Anonymous]

Are we talking about Ikea furniture or nice stuff?

Consider hiring Task Rabbit or even local high school kids to help unpack in DC. Why hire movers to unpack for you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’d look into a pod move, if you’re open to getting rid of a lot of furniture. There will still be a lot of stuff you’ll want to bring with you.

This is what I did-moved 1200 miles. Got rid of a lot of stuff like older sofa, outgrown kids' beds, stuff that was used to begin with-I donated so much to a place that resettles refugees.

Moved some stuff, my bedroom set (newer), dining table and chairs (dh insisted) plus kitchen stuff and dh's garage stuff. So we didn't get rid of everything, but enough to fit in 2 pod type things and it was about $4500, 4 years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are we talking about Ikea furniture or nice stuff?

Consider hiring Task Rabbit or even local high school kids to help unpack in DC. Why hire movers to unpack for you?

Haverty’s furniture. Had it 12 years. Task rabbit is a good idea.

[Anonymous]

I think you'd break even either way.

If you like your stuff, pay the movers.

If you want to start fresh and buy lots of new stuff during a pandemic where it's harder to go in person to buy things and there are shortages of things like common household appliances, then do that.

[Anonymous]

I agree with not paying for unpacking services. Everytime I move I have had to clean the new house which best occurs prior to unpacking.

[Anonymous]

Toss junk, sell some, and pack/unpack yourself. Then do a pod.

[Anonymous]

Get rid of anything you don't think you'll need or want. Be ruthless. Then get new quotes for packing, shipping and unloading. No unpacking.

There are fees associated with interstate moving and distance that you'll have no matter what. The variable is how much stuff you have to pack.

We just moved 2 bedrooms/2 baths/LR/DR/Kitchen + a Storage pick up 2200 miles for 10K. They packed us, but did not unpack. One day for packing, one day for loading.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with not paying for unpacking services. Everytime I move I have had to clean the new house which best occurs prior to unpacking.

Yeah, good point. I guess I’m just used to company-paid and military moves where they do everything for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you'd break even either way.

If you like your stuff, pay the movers.

If you want to start fresh and buy lots of new stuff during a pandemic where it's harder to go in person to buy things and there are shortages of things like common household appliances, then do that.

This is true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get rid of anything you don't think you'll need or want. Be ruthless. Then get new quotes for packing, shipping and unloading. No unpacking.

There are fees associated with interstate moving and distance that you'll have no matter what. The variable is how much stuff you have to pack.

We just moved 2 bedrooms/2 baths/LR/DR/Kitchen + a Storage pick up 2200 miles for 10K. They packed us, but did not unpack. One day for packing, one day for loading.

I like your price much better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get rid of anything you don't think you'll need or want. Be ruthless. Then get new quotes for packing, shipping and unloading. No unpacking.

There are fees associated with interstate moving and distance that you'll have no matter what. The variable is how much stuff you have to pack.

We just moved 2 bedrooms/2 baths/LR/DR/Kitchen + a Storage pick up 2200 miles for 10K. They packed us, but did not unpack. One day for packing, one day for loading.

I like your price much better.

We used United, though it's always dependent on the local carrier. Like you, we've had a bunch of corporate moves so we know the drill. We've just never had to pay ourselves.

One thing that we didn't have to deal with is that I think starting end of April, rates go up due to moving/busy season. We moved just before the end of the year when no one was moving. The difference would have been about 1K to 1.5K if we had moved in busy season.