I know many HAMBers have moved from one state to another. Any suggestions as to what anyone has found to be the cheapest route to take or company you used for moving your household goods, shop equipment and cars? This is of course not moving it by yourself or bothering your buddies. Thanks for any advice!
We have done the big move more times than I want to count - usually job related. Over the years we did it all ways, from call the big moving company, to do it yourself. Each has up and down sides. The big movers are usually big money, sometimes a lot of hassle, and not very friendly when it comes to "shop" stuff. Doing it all yourself is for the the young. I'm too old, lazy, arthritic to do all that these days. What works for us is the little of both method. Pack the house / shop yourself. It's a pain, but you know and care about your stuff. And it's a good time to weed out and toss a lot of stuff, and organized what is left. Once it is packed - time to rent the truck. Always get a bigger truck(s) than you need. You'll use it. Then arrange to pay the loaders from a local mover to come and load for you. They can do in three hours what you can do in two days. Finally, drive the truck to the new city/house and reverse the process. I actually considered using a mover for the last one (SE Florida to Middle Tennessee) until I got the estimate. $7400 for a 3/3/2 house, along with extensive tools, one non-driver rolling project car. I did it as detailed above with two 24' Penske trucks and one car trailer. Paid loaders / unloaders, and I was done somewhere in the neighborhood of $3500 even if I include hotel rooms / fuel, and a lot of boxes and misc. unaccounted for expenses. For almost $4k I will drive the truck! No way to get around the fact that moving is a big royal pain in the butt. But we have lived some cool places and experienced different things, and that's cool too. I grew up in a military family though, so seeing and exploring someplace new is in my DNA. Good luck.
Thanks for your input and suggestions. I'm trying to get away from doing manual labor as I'm in my late 60's and have some issues with joints, etc. Plus I'm getting lazy in my old age... Any other suggestions?
I don't know the cost, but the "PODS" (self contained storage containers) that they drop off at your house and load at your leisure would seem to be the least stressing. When it is full they pick it up and deliver it anywhere. Then you unload it in your own time. A word of warning though, ask about all cost before hand, delivery to your house, pick up, delivery to destination, storage time and re-pick up charge if any.
You can try this http://www.upack.com/ As far as the "pods" go I was told they are more for storage than moving, like a remodel job where you just store your stuff in the pod then put it back when you are done, or for them to store it at the pod facility till you are ready for it
Have a sale. A HUGE sale. Seriously. Get rid of everything you aren't emotionally invested in, and/or KNOW you will not use. I gave away a low-mile 401 Nailhead and the "good" trans... I also gave away a '57 Chevy frame, and scrapped a hell of a lot of stuff. Look at everything in your basement and shop, and ask yourself if you have it because you need it, or you have it because it's too good to throw away. If it's too good to throw away, but not good enough to keep, then throw it away. If you're like most of us, you have a hell of a lot of stuff in your shop that's not good enough to keep, but too good to throw away. Throw it away. Actually, scrap it--there's a reason meth addicts like scrap metal! There's decent money in it. What's scrap? Small-outlet Rams Horn manifolds, finned buick drums with broken fins, stock 2bbl Nailhead intake, worn out distributors, small block Chevy factory manifolds (that aren't the High Perf ones), '80s alternator brackets, etc. etc. etc. Take everything that fits this category and set it out on the front lawn, and advertise a car-guy garage sale on Craigslist. Whatever doesn't sell, scrap and pocket the money. Do the same in your house. We did this when we moved up from Florida. And then, as someone else has said, get one of those PODS, and hire some locals to help you pack it up. Then when you get to your destination, hire some high school kids to help you unpack the boxes. ROTC programs all over the country had their funding cut--talk to the local high school and ask the ROTC director if they could come out one Saturday morning and help you unload your PODS in return for a donation to their program. Adult supervision, efficient, and they're usually pretty responsible kids. -Brad
We used Pods, hired some local labor to load for us. Took what we needed in a small trailer then had Pods deliver when we were ready for the rest. Cost about half what a mover would be.
Cheapest? I wouldn't let anybody touch my stuff based on that alone...there are many many horror stories out there about cheap cross country movers. Doing it yourself would be the cheapest way, otherwise stick with one of the big names. I've done a couple of corporate relocations. Both were pretty smooth. The first one from FL to AR cost about $15k. The second from AR to MO was about $6k and we had a 60' trailer loaded to the hilt. I still had to move all of my shop stuff and project vehicles. American Van Lines did the second one and they were good. Couple of tips: -Something WILL get broken, count on it. File a claim if needed. -Handle your own most valuable stuff -They won't handle anything chemical or liquid -Tip your crew well. Tip the crew leader/driver the best. I'm talking for an out-of-state/overnight move like $100+ each. Buy them lunch. Make them your friends. They have ALL of your stuff! -Give them a good naming/labeling system by room and make sure you are efficient directing them to unload where you want it. They are FAST on unloading. Otherwise your entire house will end up in the garage.
Thanks for the tips guys! I think the POD idea is good so may go that route... pending how my body feels. Any other ideas?
Funny but true addition to my prior post. Driving on an errand yesterday with my now 79 year old Mom - Stopped at a little store in a small town near here to get a soda. Sitting across the parking lot was about a 24ft truck of the generic moving van type. Big For-Sale sign across the windshield. Mom looks at the truck and starts to laugh. "Between us, and you three kids, we should have just bought one of those forty years ago and kept it. Has to be less than what we have spent on movers and rental trucks over the years!" She's probably right. (Can she still call me a kid? I'm almost 50!)
I have relocated many times over the years Every time I had the same big company move me. I had them move all the household stuff except the overnight essentials and some delicate stuff and I had a heavy machinery mover move the shop equipment and tractors. I never had anything broken or lost. Worked for me.
Also, what kind of shop equipment are you talking about? Just home style stuff that the average joe has or mills and lathes? I agree with Brad54 on hanging on to crap you will never use. Its one thing to keep the "Im going to use it someday" parts where you live, its another thing to pack up and move a bunch of parts and pay more to move them, than what they are probably worth.
After living in the same garage-house for 25 years in the city, we moved to a small town in the country, it was mentally draining. We moved ourselves with borrowed equipment, had lots of help at both ends, but wouldn't do it myself again. I split my shop down the middle, one side, must haves, the other side, like to haves, called my buddies, they loaded up my give away side. I parted with a lot of stuff I wish I had now, but three years later I have more shit than I did then, even with a smaller shop. My wife the same, closets full of stuff gone, it was refreshing to get back to basics, but we won't be moving again. My advice, call around, get someone you can trust, pay them, its way simpler.
I worked for North American for 7 years......All major inter-state companies are under PUC guidelines for rates and proceedures.....they provide expertise and insurance...and....can.....if you want it done right....DO IT ALL... From packing, inventory, loading, safe, timely transport, insurance and vehicle transport.....the only way to go if you can afford it.....!!!!!
"Also, what kind of shop equipment are you talking about? Just home style stuff that the average joe has or mills and lathes?" Fairly big stuff. 18 inch lathe, 14 inch lathe, Cam grinder, surface grinder, 3 monster welders, 2 milling machines, a jig borer and a radial drill.
How would you get a quote for the move - just call them? Now that I'm in my late 60's, having someone else do the work sounds more like my cup o tea... providing I can afford it. I do have a mill, sheetmetal shear and break, tool boxes, engine stands, extra engine, large compressor, bead blasting cabinet, metal cabinets, metal work table, you know, your average garage stuff, but selling the lathe. Thanks for everyone's input!
Good advice .... BUT If you go the container or pod route - you are looking at bulk transport with the probability of multiple transfers I would sell off all equipment that you can replace after moving Then line up a custom hauler to do a direct shipment from pick up to drop off Jim
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