https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:23:29 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516703 Wed, 06 Apr 2016 06:29:09 +0000 lamariniere 2516703@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: agree, the biggest benefit of unpackers was not the actual unpacking, but they got rid of all the boxes and wrappings! Since we are in an apartment, I would have felt extremely guilty stuffing the trash room with our boxes and paper waste. On a separate in-town move, the moving company sold us the packing boxes and then bought them back at half price when they picked them up, so that was a pretty sweet deal too! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516700 Wed, 06 Apr 2016 06:25:22 +0000 looch 2516700@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lamariniere: Agree on the unpacking service...the bonus to that is they also take all the packing material, so you don't have to have a ton of boxes and packing paper to deal with.</p> <p>I also moved stuff via container ship and not a thing was damaged. They packed the boxes inside a crate and that whole thing was loaded into the container. Cost wise, it was about $9000, which I think is on the low end of things, we only moved equivalent to a one bedroom apartment. On the way back, it was even less furniture, but more personal effects. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516664 Wed, 06 Apr 2016 02:25:29 +0000 lamariniere 2516664@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: that IS a gigantic living room! :silly: A piece like that sofa probably needs to be sold before you move. Also, just wanted to add that with the two big moves we did, not a single thing was broken, damaged, moldy or lost (and one of the moves went in a container by boat). We used the packing and unpacking services both times, which is obviously an added expense but a HUGE time saver. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516459 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 18:48:35 +0000 Pancakes 2516459@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: DH's work moves us every few years so we don't have to worry about paying for movers, but I will say, if you're not terribly attached to the furniture, you may want to consider selling it anyway...Even with pro movers, things can get damaged and it can be such a hassle to file a claim with them and you might not get back the full value of what it costs to replace the item. Not saying it will definitely happen, but it's worth considering. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516365 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 16:39:05 +0000 MamaBear87 2516365@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't read everything above as lo is due to wake soon but had input on both pod and pro movers. </p> <p>Dh's work paid for movers from ca to az and we shopped around. It ended up being about 7k. When we move back were just renting a uhaul, taking what will fit and selling furniture. 7k buys pretty much all new furniture. </p> <p>My mom used a pod. They moved her stuff from so cal to northern ca for around 3k, they also stored it for 3 months for her. When we moved if we had been paying for it and had a driveway I would have considered this. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516350 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 16:15:02 +0000 Mrs. D 2516350@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We drove from NS to SK over two years ago, and then back this summer. We sold or put into storage most of our furniture but only because the place we were moving too provided the major furniture. We used a uhaul both times, but a larger one on the way back because we'd acumulated stuff we didn't want to sell again. Including gas, food, hotels, the uhaul and the installation of the ball t our suv to attach the uhaul to, the ten day trip two years ago cost about $2000. It took less time on the way back because dd could handle slightly longer days. Plus we bought a dvd player for the car so she could watch her disney movies non-stop, lol. It would definitely be cheaper for you to do uhaul, even if you're hauling everything in a bigger truck! (or the big van hailing your car, depending on how much stuff you're bringing. I think uhaul can give you an estimate of which size you need. I recommend selling stuff you won't be using when you arrive, but if you love it, it's cheaper to bring it if you're going DIY like we did. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516313 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 15:34:44 +0000 skipra 2516313@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: Have you looked into ABF or similar type? Basically you fill up a shipping container and they load it up with other containers to move. I only had about a studio's apartment worth of stuff but moved from CA to MA and it was about $2k (but this was 10 years ago). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516288 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 15:16:33 +0000 looch 2516288@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: I think that's a good way to approach it, we did the exact same thing. I would break it down even further, look at your pots and pans, your small kitchen appliances. Also don't forget things like your outdoor equipment, are you considering moving outdoor tables, umbrellas, lawn tractor, etc.</p> <p>I made a really detailed spreadsheet and when I totaled it up I was kind of shocked at the replacement value. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516243 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 14:31:51 +0000 ShootingStar 2516243@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: The stuff we would move is nice. Not Ikea but not Ethan Allen, either. DS's bedroom is PBK, ours is from a local chain, cost maybe $3k for 2 dressers and the bed. Dining room set is Pier1, maybe about $1500 for the table and chairs. Office furniture came with the house but it's really nice stuff, probably $3k+ to replace it. So if I add all that up, it's inline with my online quote of starting at $7500.</p> <p>@lamariniere: I think the house will be roughly the same square footage, but the rooms may be different sizes. We have a gigantic living room (like 500 sq feet) and I got this massive sectional couch to go in it. I'm going to assume the couch probably won't fit wherever we move to and we'll get new furniture for the living room. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516216 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 14:21:39 +0000 MamaG 2516216@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I've moved cross country three times, each time with a professional mover and only once did I rid myself of a few things. Each time I used their packing services, but not the unpacking services. You are paying for weight in the truck and distance. The controllable factor is weight. I unloaded my big box tvs (those are heavy). I also unloaded some outdoor things that it would be more expensive to store than buy new.</p> <p>Also, fully furnished apartments are expensive. If you consider the cost you are paying to "rent furniture" plus the cost to store your things it will get pricey. Even if you are fully funding the move, I'd probably move the things you like, use them in your rental and then move them again when you land in your more permanent situation. Local movers are cheap, cheap, cheap.</p> <p>That being said, all of my moves were funded by my employers. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516178 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 14:03:42 +0000 lamariniere 2516178@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've made 2 big international moves. Luckily, moving costs were fully covered by my husband's company. We had a 2 bedroom NYC apartment moved to France and we took everything but the queen bed. </p> <p>Would your potential new home be about the same size as what you are living in now? Or would there be a significant change in size? (We went from 900 sq ft to about 1700 when we finally moved our stuff in, so HUGE change, the place felt empty). My best advice is to get rid of as much as possible and start anew, especially if your new place will be smaller. Also, definitely get multiple quotes from companies that actually come to see your stuff. When we were in NY, I had 4 different moving companies come to our apartment and price it out and the range was between $4000 and $10,000 for an oversees move. Someday we will make another international move (on the company's dime again, I hope!), and I would probably get rid of almost all of the furniture and start over. I'm not sentimental about things like furniture though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516163 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 13:57:39 +0000 looch 2516163@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it depends on the value of what you have to move. When we relocated, we left behind a ton of stuff, but then again, we bought IKEA with the idea that we wouldn't bring it back with us on a long distance move.</p> <p>Now, if I had to move, the value of the contents of my house would be more than the cost to move it, so it would come with. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516142 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 13:45:06 +0000 mand4 2516142@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We moved from MA to CA and then back to the east coast. When we moved MA to CA we were newly married with not much of value. We sold/donated everything with the exception of some sentimental stuff we left with family to be obtained when we had the $$, desire, or time. We packed up one vehicle and drove it cross country. Didn't regret the loss. </p> <p>When we moved from CA back to the east coast, the relocation was covered, so we brought everything. If it had not been covered, we would've sold everything again, despite having nicer stuff. There isn't much that's worth moving if you're the one paying for it... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516095 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 13:06:28 +0000 travelgirl1 2516095@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just moved from Canada to the UK. We had a shipping company come round to see what we had and quote us. He was very, very blunt about what we should take and leave. He said kids' clothes and toys (with the exception of Lego) were not worth the shipping cost. Since you pay per sq ft, a lot of cheap furniture wasn't either. We sold, gave away and donated a lot. It had to be very important to us or have been expensive for us to take it. For example, we shipped our bed, crib (sentimental), chests of drawers and sofa, but no other furniture made the cut.<br /> Our moving costs (door to door, they packed) were $4500 CD. I would have preferred to have taken a lot more than we did, but often times it is cheaper to buy again. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516089 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 13:03:31 +0000 Mrs D 2516089@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: we moved a while bedroom, complete kitchen, kitchen table and other smaller furniture pieces. I'm a but if a pack rat and not minimalist so we had a lot if "stuff".</p> <p>We moved using a major van line...essentially you rent a portion of a semi truck. The website I used to find movers (for both our cross country moves) was movingscam.com. The moving company you find sends someone to your home and you show them your stuff...they give you an estimate (some are binding meaning that is what you pay if you use them ) and some are not (you pay based on actual weight).</p> <p>In Boston we went with rainbow movers (just invase you are near Boston). It's affiliated w North American van lines. They loaded the truck in 3 hours - the semi took 8 days to get to miami. We paid $3500 which included a shuttle fee (to send a smaller truck to loaded from our apartment bc the semi could not fit on our street) and a special fee for moving a fancy tv.</p> <p>We did the same thing when we left miami - using mayflower Van line. We moved a 3 bedroom apartment that time for about $4700.</p> <p>For me it was easier to take my stuff...we purchased a couch in Miami and a king mattress...much easier than doing it all new for me! Each time I got 3 quotes before picking a company... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516085 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 13:01:35 +0000 psw27 2516085@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: Hmm I can ask my parents, they have done it a few times because they are basically pro movers who have moved 30 times... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516081 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 13:00:35 +0000 ShootingStar 2516081@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@psw27: That's a really good idea. I can't get an online quote easily though :bummed: . </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516069 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 12:54:55 +0000 psw27 2516069@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you are planning to put everything in storage for a while you might want to consider a POD. They basically bring it to your house and you load it and then they will store it and move it for you when you are ready. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516063 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 12:50:06 +0000 raspberries 2516063@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We moved from PA to MA a few years ago, and basically only kept the stuff that was "forever" furniture. We bought new couches, an Ikea dining table, etc. once we got settled in, but kept our guest bedroom set and a couple wingback chairs that I loved. We still paid professional movers to do it, but it ended up costing around $1500 for a roughly 500 mile move instead of the $4000 we were originally quoted. And as a side note, if you/your DH has or will be getting a job in Florida, you might also be able to get a relocation bonus to help cover the cost. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516055 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 12:47:48 +0000 Mrs D 2516055@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@ShootingStar: we did this exact move Boston ti miami)... We paid $3500 for a 1.5 bd apartment...I'll write more when I am done nursing and can type better!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516051 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 12:46:16 +0000 ShootingStar 2516051@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T.H.O.U.: If we didn't take the furniture we'd get a smaller u-haul and bring all the other household stuff - clothes, kitchen items, etc. DH's not comfortable driving or towing anything too big, especially for that distance. </p> <p>We may end up actually doing that anyways - we're thinking right now we'll rent somewhere furnished and put furniture and other big stuff in storage. Once we buy a new house we'll move stuff then, assuming it fits in the new space. But again, there's a huge cost associated with that, and I'm not sure it's worth it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516032 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 12:38:08 +0000 T.H.O.U. 2516032@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What are your options for DIY moving? I know thats still a long drive but we once helped my SIL move from Canada to FL and they fit their main furniture in a U-Haul that the guys drove home. The u_haul had a trailer that pulled their smaller car back to FL and SIL and I drove the kids in the minivan. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/long-distance-moving#post-2516023 Tue, 05 Apr 2016 12:34:43 +0000 ShootingStar 2516023@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH and I are hoping to move in a couple years to move from MA to FL. But the logistics of a move like this are hard to figure out. We have a large house with a lot of stuff. I would try to get rid of as much as possible, but I'm not sure what the break even point is, when it becomes cheaper to buy new vs move long distance.</p> <p>If we were to move our furniture, we would move 3 bedrooms worth, plus dining room table and chairs, and office furniture (big desk and 2 bookcases). I did some online estimates and it looks like the move will cost somewhere from $7500-$10,000. </p> <p>So if you've moved long distance, how did you handle it? And in this case, would you pay for movers or just buy new stuff? I hate to get rid of something that we really like, but part of me says $10k would buy a lot of stuff... </p>