I have not moved in about 35 years. Then, it was a U-Haul from Washington DC to Washington State.

I have heard horror stories, but, like anything, you mostly hear about the bad experiences. Few people say "I hired a mover and everything went smoothly."

My mother-in-law's sister and her husband just moved from Boise to the Seattle area. Not a very long distance. They didn't get on the schedule with a big-name firm, and by the time they were ready to move, they got some sketchy outfit. The truck "disappeared" for about two weeks leaving the couple with just what they had in suitcases. Then, it suddenly showed up at the destination. The couple is in their late 70s and are not super-sharp, so they were not really sure if everything made it. That was last month and I never heard whether anything was missing.

Anyway, what SK said.


My mother hired movers for her last two moves. On the second to the last one, the guys picked up a 35-inch tube TV and plonked it down onto a dolly. It never worked right after that, but it was a couple months after the move that I got it plugged in and discovered it was on the fritz. Too late to make a claim. She never really watched TV anyway, so she never found out. (My friend and I moved that TV into her house when she bought it. We had a choice of carrying it up a full flight of stairs, or no stairs, but lift it over a washer and dryer. We opted for the latter. I think it weighed well over 100 pounds, but there was no way for more than the two of us plus the TV to squeeze through the back door and the laundry room.)


I moved my mother several times and oversaw those last two. I always had the "Number 1" box. A couple of them actually: Her bedroom/bathroom Number 1 box with clock, pills, and nightstand items; the kitchen Number 1 box with a coffee cup, coffee, some basic utensils, and stuff; and her office Number 1 with telephone, phone list, key documents (will, financial stuff), and pens, paper, a few hand tools, and stuff. The first box to go in my car-under the seat, then the last one to come in the new place once everything else was in was my dad's ashes.

The estimator for company #1 didn't show up for his appointment yesterday.

That makes us 0/4.

Steve, does that mean you've contacted 4 companies so far? Ugh! You have my sympathy!!

In a previous life I managed facilities (physical plant for the academics among us) for a long since defunct computer company. One of my jobs was moving things around. Building to building, out of state, back to CA, opening stores, closing stores, moving families around to various plants/stores. I dealt with a lot of movers, good and bad. Dozens of moves every year.

Tom LeFevre helped me do that; taught me how to make things go smoothly, get my money’s worth and minimize problems. He was working for a United Van Lines agent then, and in fact United moved us in this house in 1989. He bounced around after that and ended up with North American. I always figured he would handle our last move - the move to Ohio.

Tom died of Covid in January - 72 and dead in a week. He’d become a good friend and I miss him. I’m on my own as far as moving now, and it’s as ugly a business as it ever was.

The estimator who blew the appointment works for the company where Tom worked at the end. I’ve taken them off the list. Movers have a gawdawful reputation for a reason.

Three more quotes to go - Bekins, Mayflower, and Atlas. If they don’t come through I’ll find different agents for the same lines. I’m sure one will stand out.

Meanwhile, I have scrounged up about 100 moving boxes from various Facebook groups and packing commences tomorrow.

It really helps to have a good moving contact. When we moved from AZ to here, we went through the guy who had the moving contract with ASU. Turns out there is a LOT of moving involved with university athletics, as in multiple 18-wheelers every week during football season. Makes sense when you think about it.

Our move went off without a hitch. They were great. Hopefully you can get a good vibe from your movers, Steve.

Oy.

https://www.nbcchicago.com/new...to-be-found/2618616/

Guess you have to do your homework…..

This why I am getting four bids and only from from old line agents for national firms. Two of them were in business when I did a lot of moving stuff in the 80's, one has been in business continuously since 1924.

Even so it's going to be a challenge to figure out who to use. Two bids so far - 3500 pounds and some $8K apart.

I used a major national company to move from nyc to montana. The crew in NYC was a nightmare. Rude, disrespectful. Clogged the toilet!
Grabbed things that weren't supposed to go on the truck... Several boxes never arrived. Some things weren't replaceable. My car was badly scratched.

GET ALL THE INSURANCE. NEVER TRUST MOVERS WITH ANYTHING THAT IS IRREPLACEABLE.

The insurance company did take care of me.

I think the entire moving industry is corrupt. My short distance moves I rented a box truck and hired day laborers by putting an ad on craigslist in both locations. If i had to move long distance again I'd probably go UHaul. Once burned...

I left a lot of my furniture in NYC. Gave away just about everything. Bought good used pieces when i got to MT.

Dont miss a thing i left behind.

I will just say, the U-Haul (and any other rent-a-truck) option has it's pitfalls, too. I have heard of padlocks being cut off and the contents of the U-Haul disappearing. Motels won't let someone park the U-Haul just outside their room... it needs to go in back or at the empty lot down the street.

I've heard U-Haul trucks are easy to steal. I'd get some sort of GPS tracker and hide it in the cab. I'd guess that by now U-Haul already has GPS trackers built into their trucks.

I also heard a horror story where a couple got pulled over, a swarm of cops surrounded the truck with guns pointed at them, ordered out, lie face down in the dirt, tell them which pocket the keys are in, and have the first several feet of stuff thrown out of the truck... until the cops finally figured out this wasn't the stolen truck full of drugs or fugitives or whatever they were looking for... and the cops just walk away without apologizing or helping to put any of the (now broken) stuff back in the truck.

Maybe pique is on to something... sell EVERYTHING and start over at the new place. Okay, I couldn't do that, either.

Quotes are in. Four of them. $22K to $35K. 15,800 pounds to 21,000 pounds.

Dealing at retail makes me crazy.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve Miller:
$22K to $35K.

For $35k you can furnish a home very nicely from scratch. I'd sell everything that doesn't have sentimental value and ditch the moving company.

I'd say you haven't bought furniture in a while. Or clothes, tools, dishes, appliances, linens, electronics, etc.

Well, I have actually.

I think we may adopt a suggestion that Jodi made. This stuff is all based on weight.

I may well rent a covered trailer and haul a few thousand pounds myself. An whole lot of it is paper - photos, tax records, business records, etc. - critically important and mostly worthless. Might be able to justify moving some of the better furniture that way - my Steelcase desk and file cabinets (very heavy), my drafting table, various stationary tools, etc.

I actually own a 4K# capacity tandem axle open box trailer, but if the paper gets wet there will be hell to pay. Maybe I’ll rig a top for it or something.

[edit]. U haul’s biggest trailer is rated at 2,500 pounds. Hardly worth the trouble. Off to look at old horse trailers and such.

I would say put your personal papers, family heirloom photos etc. in your personal vehicle.

The other stuff can be replaced should things go south with a trailer..