How do people do tiny inter-city moves?
January 19, 2018 10:05 AM Subscribe
I need to move from Portland, OR to the Bay Area. I'm moving from a houseshare to a houseshare, and have only one small bedroom's worth of stuff (it'll fit in a U-Haul cargo van). At the same time, I also have a car to move, and as a nervous driver, I don't relish driving a rental van all the way down there. I'm considering hiring someone to help. This can't be that unusual of a situation -- how do people handle this?
My new job isn't giving me money to move. Let's say I have a budget of $1000 at the outside.
I've thought of ditching my furniture, moving the rest in the car, and replacing the furniture down there, but the stuff I have is painstakingly collected vintage and I don't really want to do that. The only exception is my cheap Amazon bed, in case the bed is the sticking point in your cunning scheme. Thanks! Signed, a brand-new archivist who just got their first professional job that requires moving, and is a little bit lost.
My new job isn't giving me money to move. Let's say I have a budget of $1000 at the outside.
I've thought of ditching my furniture, moving the rest in the car, and replacing the furniture down there, but the stuff I have is painstakingly collected vintage and I don't really want to do that. The only exception is my cheap Amazon bed, in case the bed is the sticking point in your cunning scheme. Thanks! Signed, a brand-new archivist who just got their first professional job that requires moving, and is a little bit lost.
Most people I know in this situation use a company like PODS, where you pack your items into a shipping container, then they pick it up and deliver it to your destination for you. Here's a writeup I found on how it works.
posted by capricorn at 10:13 AM on January 19, 2018 [5 favorites]
posted by capricorn at 10:13 AM on January 19, 2018 [5 favorites]
We moved cross-country and used ABF U-Pack (and be "we" I mean my husband, because I have a neck injury). However, I think he had to rent a truck/van to get the stuff to U-Pack, and then rent one in our destination to pick it up. But at least we didn't have to drive it across the country! You could do that and also hire a Task Rabbit to help you with the heavy lifting. Or maybe you could hire a "guy with a van" to combine the two.
I think we didn't go with PODS because it was much more expensive. But it would have been a lot more straightforward, I imagine.
posted by radioamy at 10:26 AM on January 19, 2018 [2 favorites]
I think we didn't go with PODS because it was much more expensive. But it would have been a lot more straightforward, I imagine.
posted by radioamy at 10:26 AM on January 19, 2018 [2 favorites]
I did ABF U-Pack and they dropped off & picked up the container at both ends, just like PODS does, and it was still way cheaper than pods (and the delivery dudes were great).
posted by brainmouse at 10:36 AM on January 19, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by brainmouse at 10:36 AM on January 19, 2018 [2 favorites]
Response by poster: I don't know if it's my location or what, but U-Pack is quoting me only $100 less than pods. It is to weep. ;.;
$100, though.
posted by thesmallmachine at 10:37 AM on January 19, 2018
$100, though.
posted by thesmallmachine at 10:37 AM on January 19, 2018
I'd first look for friends who could drive either the car or the U-Haul for me, and offering to pay in pizza, as is tradition.
Alternately, I'd consider getting a round-trip rental for the U-Haul, driving it to the new place, unloading (ugh, alone... maybe you can find friends for this?), driving back, and picking up the car. There's also an option for driving one vehicle down and flying back to get the other one; Alaska has deals for as little as $65 for SFO to Portland, which is cheaper than gas for the U-Haul.
Wait, you said nervous driver don't want to actually drive the van. Eep. Another option is renting a storage unit for a couple of months while you scrounge up friends/acquaintances to do the furniture-moving that won't fit in your normal car. There are plenty of people who would happily drive a vehicle between those two spots - the problem is finding one or two that you trust.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 10:55 AM on January 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
Alternately, I'd consider getting a round-trip rental for the U-Haul, driving it to the new place, unloading (ugh, alone... maybe you can find friends for this?), driving back, and picking up the car. There's also an option for driving one vehicle down and flying back to get the other one; Alaska has deals for as little as $65 for SFO to Portland, which is cheaper than gas for the U-Haul.
Wait, you said nervous driver don't want to actually drive the van. Eep. Another option is renting a storage unit for a couple of months while you scrounge up friends/acquaintances to do the furniture-moving that won't fit in your normal car. There are plenty of people who would happily drive a vehicle between those two spots - the problem is finding one or two that you trust.
posted by ErisLordFreedom at 10:55 AM on January 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
We also did U-Pack. I think it sounds about right for your amount of stuff, but may be more than $1000 (our move was for more miles than yours, so I'm not sure). Definitely super convenient though -- and ours did deliver right to the apartment building. May depend on the availability of street parking/street permits whether you have to take your stuff there versus they'll bring you the pod.
posted by rainbowbrite at 10:55 AM on January 19, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by rainbowbrite at 10:55 AM on January 19, 2018 [2 favorites]
What kind of car do you have? If you have a trailer hitch, U-haul rents trailers too.
posted by cosmicbandito at 10:59 AM on January 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by cosmicbandito at 10:59 AM on January 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
When I moved to SF, my mom and I took her SUV with a U-Haul trailer. (I sold my car to a friend on the way out of town). She also felt very uncomfortable driving in the city. So we parked the U-Haul down in San Mateo at a friend's house. And when I found a place, I got movers to pick it up from the U-Haul to the house. Even with the longer travel, I think it was only about 200 bucks since it wasn't a lot of stuff.
So if you feel comfortable/have a friend who feels comfortable driving on the longer stretches, you could let the pros handle it on either end, and DIY the middle easier but more expensive part.
posted by politikitty at 11:02 AM on January 19, 2018
So if you feel comfortable/have a friend who feels comfortable driving on the longer stretches, you could let the pros handle it on either end, and DIY the middle easier but more expensive part.
posted by politikitty at 11:02 AM on January 19, 2018
Response by poster: A very elderly Mazda wagon. I don't think it could haul my stuff over the pass; it can barely haul itself.
posted by thesmallmachine at 11:02 AM on January 19, 2018
posted by thesmallmachine at 11:02 AM on January 19, 2018
I've done this a few times here in Toronto using a guy with a van I found on Craigslist. He charged a reasonable hourly rate which he told me up front. I got lucky with him, though; it seems like there are a lot of scummy scammers in the moving business. But a few good ones are out there.
posted by clawsoon at 11:03 AM on January 19, 2018
posted by clawsoon at 11:03 AM on January 19, 2018
You could try listing your freight on Uship.com , it works kind of like ebay, carriers bid on shipping jobs. I used them to ship a motorcycle across the country.
posted by rodlymight at 11:13 AM on January 19, 2018
posted by rodlymight at 11:13 AM on January 19, 2018
Also - when we priced it out, shipping on Amtrack was the cheapest. But, I'm not sure if I would trust them with fragile stuff, which it sounds like is maybe the case if you have nice vintage furniture.
posted by rainbowbrite at 11:20 AM on January 19, 2018
posted by rainbowbrite at 11:20 AM on January 19, 2018
If it was me I'd think about selling the elderly car, driving the U-haul (it's totally not that bad, especially if everything will fit in a cargo van), and buying another [less elderly] car back in the bay area.
posted by homesickness at 11:34 AM on January 19, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by homesickness at 11:34 AM on January 19, 2018 [3 favorites]
Can you persuade a friend or relative to drive the cargo van while you drive your car? Then pay for their flight home afterward. Would that cost less than U-Pack?
posted by beandip at 11:59 AM on January 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by beandip at 11:59 AM on January 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
I moved a houseshare amount of stuff from Davis to Seattle by Amtrak shipping. Wouldn't work for your bed -- as package shipping, there's a 3' cube limit -- but it was the inexpensive approach for books and pans.
posted by clew at 12:51 PM on January 19, 2018
posted by clew at 12:51 PM on January 19, 2018
I did Minnesota to Maine, and then Maine to Massachusetts.
Minnesota to Maine: Me, a friend, a folk harp, a cat, and all my worldly possessions minus the books (sent media-rate mail, which is very cheap: about $20 a box) in a rental car for two and a half days and two nights in hotels. No furniture, though.
(We rented a car because I was moving in August, and fixing the AC on my existing car was more expensive than it was worth, and doing it that way let me rent a car that worked for that, which was a Mazda 5, I think.)
I paid for my friend's travel home (they used frequent flyer miles to get out to me in the first place), and our expenses while in transit.
Maine to Massachusetts: I had acquired somewhat more furniture I didn't want to get rid of (a futon and frame, some shelves, etc.) Another friend (I am very lucky, here) drove the smallest UHaul truck and I drove my car. I paid students on the starting end to help me load, and hired people on the receiving end to unload, which was totally worth the money. (They did in 20 minutes what would have taken us hours).
I paid for all the gas and rental, fed my friend, etc. and for her train and bus home.
If you do not have a friend, this is the kind of thing that might be doable for someone who's a friend of friend who could use a bit of extra cash, so long as they're a reliable driver. In our case, the UHaul rental was in my friend's name (because rental she was driving). Some people, I have discovered, really really enjoy this kind of project and basically were overjoyed I was letting them help like that.
posted by modernhypatia at 1:12 PM on January 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
Minnesota to Maine: Me, a friend, a folk harp, a cat, and all my worldly possessions minus the books (sent media-rate mail, which is very cheap: about $20 a box) in a rental car for two and a half days and two nights in hotels. No furniture, though.
(We rented a car because I was moving in August, and fixing the AC on my existing car was more expensive than it was worth, and doing it that way let me rent a car that worked for that, which was a Mazda 5, I think.)
I paid for my friend's travel home (they used frequent flyer miles to get out to me in the first place), and our expenses while in transit.
Maine to Massachusetts: I had acquired somewhat more furniture I didn't want to get rid of (a futon and frame, some shelves, etc.) Another friend (I am very lucky, here) drove the smallest UHaul truck and I drove my car. I paid students on the starting end to help me load, and hired people on the receiving end to unload, which was totally worth the money. (They did in 20 minutes what would have taken us hours).
I paid for all the gas and rental, fed my friend, etc. and for her train and bus home.
If you do not have a friend, this is the kind of thing that might be doable for someone who's a friend of friend who could use a bit of extra cash, so long as they're a reliable driver. In our case, the UHaul rental was in my friend's name (because rental she was driving). Some people, I have discovered, really really enjoy this kind of project and basically were overjoyed I was letting them help like that.
posted by modernhypatia at 1:12 PM on January 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I actually will have my brother helping on the move, but we were relying on being able to road-trip in the same vehicle and switch off for sanity (our family is a nervous driver club). Otherwise, I'm astonishingly poor in friends who can drive. I might just have to resign myself to two vehicles, a tow, a Craigslist rando, or a POD, as I'm gathering that there really are no secret hacks here. (Neither my current nor my future job pays enough for me to contemplate buying a decent car as I begin to pay off my MLS loans).
posted by thesmallmachine at 2:11 PM on January 19, 2018
posted by thesmallmachine at 2:11 PM on January 19, 2018
Maybe you've got too much stuff for this, but could you buy a used high-capacity roof carrier or small trailer and then sell it at your destination?
posted by nordic_hammer at 3:06 PM on January 19, 2018
posted by nordic_hammer at 3:06 PM on January 19, 2018
I believe U-Haul allows you to rent tow dollies that you can use to tow your car behind a U-Haul truck. Maybe that'd be an option? You might have to pay for a truck with a beefier engine than a standard cargo van, but I suspect you'd still come out ahead of an option like PODS.
posted by Aleyn at 3:37 PM on January 19, 2018
posted by Aleyn at 3:37 PM on January 19, 2018
Ah, missed the nervous driver part of the question. Another option might be to have the car shipped instead of your stuff, and you'd go with the original renting of a U-Haul cargo van? Not sure how that'd stack up in terms of cost though, but probably worth pricing out.
posted by Aleyn at 3:41 PM on January 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Aleyn at 3:41 PM on January 19, 2018 [1 favorite]
If you drive your car and a uhaul down take your time. Don't do it in one day. I moved from Humboldt to Portland in one day and I will never do that again. I rented a uhaul truck, towed my vehicle, and rode up in a third vehicle. Two friends helped me and I paid all their expenses up and back. The whole thing cost about $900 bucks including the two guys I hired in Portland to unload. It was a brutal 12 hour drive due to towing my car. We should have done it in two days.
If you take your time and have help waiting in the city to unload you will just feel exhausted at the end like everyone feels when they move.
posted by cairnoflore at 3:55 PM on January 19, 2018
If you take your time and have help waiting in the city to unload you will just feel exhausted at the end like everyone feels when they move.
posted by cairnoflore at 3:55 PM on January 19, 2018
U Haul also has a PODS competitor- much smaller, but when you're only moving a room or two of stuff, it might be perfect. (If you wanted to move at the end of January- they're pricing out at ~$900!)
posted by aint broke at 7:01 PM on January 19, 2018
posted by aint broke at 7:01 PM on January 19, 2018
nthing U-Pack. I didn't drive when I moved from Chicago to Pittsburgh. My very wonderful sister rented a car to drive me, my dog, and two cats here, but all of my stuff went in two U-Packs. I hired movers on the Chicago side to put everything in and take it to the local facility (not really possible to just park it in the city) and then movers on the Pittsburgh side to pick it up and unload it at my new place. Good experience all around!
posted by anotheraccount at 8:00 PM on January 19, 2018
posted by anotheraccount at 8:00 PM on January 19, 2018
If it was me I'd think about selling the elderly car, driving the U-haul (it's totally not that bad, especially if everything will fit in a cargo van), and buying another [less elderly] car back in the bay area
Are you sure you need a car? There are definitely places in the Bay Area that are walkable/bikeable/close enough to public transit that it's actually easier not to have a car, and not have to deal with parking, etc. If you are a nervous driver, the traffic here probably won't be appealing. If there are enough seats in the U-haul, I bet you could find someone to drive on Craigslist rideshare who is just looking for a ride from PDX to the Bay Area and would be willing to drive for free (obviously you'd want to get them insured as needed for the rental).
posted by pinochiette at 5:42 AM on January 20, 2018
Are you sure you need a car? There are definitely places in the Bay Area that are walkable/bikeable/close enough to public transit that it's actually easier not to have a car, and not have to deal with parking, etc. If you are a nervous driver, the traffic here probably won't be appealing. If there are enough seats in the U-haul, I bet you could find someone to drive on Craigslist rideshare who is just looking for a ride from PDX to the Bay Area and would be willing to drive for free (obviously you'd want to get them insured as needed for the rental).
posted by pinochiette at 5:42 AM on January 20, 2018
How much furniture do you have? Car shipping is cheap; Chicago to Bay Area was just a couple hundred when we did it, from PDX it's probably cheaper. Then you could rent one of the smaller cargo vans (ie one of these, which is probably less scary to drive than the regular vans) for the furniture? The non-furniture you could ship Amtrak. We did ~15-20 medium to large boxes for maybe $150-200 that way. Amtrak doesn't take furniture, and while there's other stuff you aren't technically supposed to ship, they definitely don't check, both in my experience and that of many others online. I mention this only because I was nervous about that part and it was fine. Furniture I wouldn't try to get past them though.
posted by matildatakesovertheworld at 7:17 AM on January 20, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by matildatakesovertheworld at 7:17 AM on January 20, 2018 [1 favorite]
Nthing you could look into shipping your car; a few years ago I looked into doing so from Virginia to Cleveland and it was like $300. Fair warning, though - you have to give the companies an email address & other info to get a quote. And once I'd done so, clearly every car transport company in the Eastern half of the country buys lists of potential customers; my inbox was inundated for the next 3 months with offers from dozens of companies. I was still getting an occasional email 9 months later. So set up a "disposable" Gmail account or something just for car quotes.
If you're a nervous driver, definitely don't tow your car or anything else - towing is "expert level" driving, compared to just driving a van full of stuff.
posted by soundguy99 at 8:27 AM on January 20, 2018
If you're a nervous driver, definitely don't tow your car or anything else - towing is "expert level" driving, compared to just driving a van full of stuff.
posted by soundguy99 at 8:27 AM on January 20, 2018
Response by poster: Thanks, everybody, I went for the U-Pack. (And I'm afraid I do need a car; my job is in Sonoma County. The traffic definitely isn't appealing and I'll have to get used to those 146-lane California freeways again, but it's the only way I'll be able to get into the city in less than three hours.)
posted by thesmallmachine at 7:13 PM on January 20, 2018
posted by thesmallmachine at 7:13 PM on January 20, 2018
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by thesmallmachine at 10:07 AM on January 19, 2018 [1 favorite]