Moving expenses from CA to IL.
Question:
It seems that I may have to move from Southern California to Chicago in the near future, so I have a few questions regarding costs. First, I really don't have that much stuff, most of what I have is: a 25" tv, a queen size bed, a futon/couch, a desk and a computer, along with all the other small things like clothes, dishes, etc. How much would this cost to get it moved from SoCal to Chicago? Second, if I give only like 1 or 2 weeks notice, will that hike up the costs? Third, can somebody recommend a reliable moving company to go through? I don't have anything really valuable and fragile, so that's not a major concern, but price is a big concern.
Answer:
_Well....I moved three rooms of stuff (including two large garment boxes
and way too many boxes of books, an overlarge couch, four dressers, a
filing cabinet, a desk and maybe three bookshelves, not to mention
kitchen stuff) from Pittsburgh to Chicago. An eight-hour trip. It was a
small moving company. I paid about $2,000 and I think I got rooked.
Additional screwage ocurred when one of the THREE moving guys they sent
twisted his ankle and dropped my VCR. The guy was out of action, leaving
two guys to do most of the work, so it took about four times as long (I'm
sure there's an equation to explain THAT).
Luckily I love my apartment now...because I don't think I can afford to
move again for a long time.
My advice: Ditch as many books as you can...these companies charge by the
BOX and you can't put too many books in a single box. Trust me, we have
plenty of books in Chicago. Also, since this was my second bad experience
with a "no-name" moving company, I suggest going with one of the Big
Guys.
They are more likely to put your stuff in with a larger load all going to
Chicago, and since you're paying for distance, too, you might save some
this way.
In my opinion, nothing beats a U-Haul and all the friends that pizza will
buy. Hell, fly me to SoCal and I'll drive the U-Haul for you!
_Sorry to burst your bubble, but I grew up in Chicago. I guess I should
have been more specific, in that I'm moving *back* to Chicago, from SoCal.
It was nice to experience some of that wonderful Chicago sarcasm that I've
been missing for the last two years or so.
_If you know someone at the recieving end it always pays to move yourself.
If you don't unless you feel like bulkin up it is best to hire a mover. We
have moved quite a few times and we just do it ourselves, we get to meet
the neighbors as we shlep our stuff off the Ryder Truck into the house, it
is quite a bit cheaper than moving companies, and we treat our stuff a lot
better.
We normally know about 6 months or so before we are going to move so we
start giving stuff away, until this latest move we have run a really tight
ship. My wife has taken to collecting stuff lately, and I picked up an
aquarium hobby, which will make our next move a bit more of an adventure.
_Book rate is gawd awful cheap. Normally I box up my work books and mail
them to my new office a week or two before I leave, they normally arrive a
week or two after I get there. I don't have to keep track of them and the
PostOffice has yet to lose a box of books on the slow boat, although you
fear at times...
Last move from Arizona to here cost us just over 1,200 including meals and
hotel rooms. BTW if you do rent a truck reserve one two to three weeks in
advance, call two days and the day before to make sure they haven't a)
forgotten about it, b) promise it to another person, and then pick it up
the moment they open, the other "trick" we try is to find a feature that
is only on the newst trucks and demand your truck have that feature. With
the last move it was the extra big cab, it costs a bit more usually but
having a truck with < 100,000 miles on it is worth it IMHO, giving them
the extra time to find the truck really does pay off.
We also plot out our trip, we calculate 12 hour drive days, at a speed of
55 MPH. Which equates to approx 16 hours of elapsed time (lunch, traffic,
gas, and potty breaks) Make the reservations ahead of time, that nice warm
reserved room makes it easier to drive those last two hours, and if you
have pets make sure tell the hotels you have them, and if you don't smoke
make sure they don't put pets into smokers rooms.
AAA is a great resource for maps in that they also are able to give you a
heads up on most major construction between where you are going and where
you are leaving.
In all it takes a lot to plan a move, but since you really should do it
regardless may as well drive it yourself.
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