Re:Ask HN: How do you move across the country [US]?
by toast0 on Friday May 28, 2021 @01:07AM
(#27311913)
For a long distance move, I would probably only trust movers that are hired by an established company to relocate employees.
Does your new company do relocation for some people, but not you for some reason? Maybe they could book it at your expense? Your current company won't relocate you to get rid of you (probably), but if they do relocation, it's worth figuring out who they use and see if it might work. Of course, if you book it, the moving company may subcontract the job in ways they wouldn't if it were the employer booking.
I did a similar distance move, but from a two bedroom silicon valley house. If you have time, see if any of the pod companies support your new and old locations; we packed two (maybe three) pods, and then got the rest of the stuff in a Penske truck. My parents and brother flew to our old place and then drove with us to the new place (two vehicles + the moving truck) and stayed for a few days to help unload the truck (and I think the pods managed to come in time that we got help unloading those too).
For pods, if possible use a vendor that has rails so you can actually tie things down. Anyway, you want to really pack your stuff in tightly. Anything that can move, will move and break itself and whatever it moves into. I think we used u-haul's pods which are basically plywood boxes with one or two ring on the wall (which does just about nothing afaik). For load-out, you could get extra pods dropped off and if you end up not filling them, they don't charge for the empties (or didn't). Really, as much as you can get in those, the easier, because they're out of your hands.
Also, this should be earlier, but sell or otherwise get rid of as much as you can at the old place, rather than move things to the new place. IKEA furniture you put together isn't going to move well, so why pay to move it. Lots of things may be easier to replace than to move. And maybe some things you really just don't need. Couches and bedframes and matresses are a pain to move, and if you can avoid it, great.
Does your new company do relocation for some people, but not you for some reason? Maybe they could book it at your expense? Your current company won't relocate you to get rid of you (probably), but if they do relocation, it's worth figuring out who they use and see if it might work. Of course, if you book it, the moving company may subcontract the job in ways they wouldn't if it were the employer booking.
I did a similar distance move, but from a two bedroom silicon valley house. If you have time, see if any of the pod companies support your new and old locations; we packed two (maybe three) pods, and then got the rest of the stuff in a Penske truck. My parents and brother flew to our old place and then drove with us to the new place (two vehicles + the moving truck) and stayed for a few days to help unload the truck (and I think the pods managed to come in time that we got help unloading those too).
For pods, if possible use a vendor that has rails so you can actually tie things down. Anyway, you want to really pack your stuff in tightly. Anything that can move, will move and break itself and whatever it moves into. I think we used u-haul's pods which are basically plywood boxes with one or two ring on the wall (which does just about nothing afaik). For load-out, you could get extra pods dropped off and if you end up not filling them, they don't charge for the empties (or didn't). Really, as much as you can get in those, the easier, because they're out of your hands.
Also, this should be earlier, but sell or otherwise get rid of as much as you can at the old place, rather than move things to the new place. IKEA furniture you put together isn't going to move well, so why pay to move it. Lots of things may be easier to replace than to move. And maybe some things you really just don't need. Couches and bedframes and matresses are a pain to move, and if you can avoid it, great.