Do we need professional help, or can we solve this with pizza and beer?
March 1, 2011 3:28 PM Subscribe
Mrs Monkey and I are moving across town sometime this month. We're okay with moving the carload stuff ourselves, and we'll pay off some friends to help us shift the furniture in and out of a uhaul for us, but how should we move the giant chest freezer and the washer/dryer set?
We're moving approximately 6.5 miles, from one side of Pittsburgh to the other, so it's not, in general, worth it to hire ourselves some movers (even though we did once swear to ourselves we would never move by uHaul again... ah well)---we figure that, in general, we could buy a lesser or equivalent amount in beer and pizza and do it ourselves with some friends.
However, we have a great big (3x5x4, maybe? er, that's in feet) chest freezer in the kitchen, and a clotheswasher and dryer besides, that we also need to move. Is this the sort of thing we can do as amateurs, or should we call some professionals to handle these three items? (and maybe a futon or two and a mattress, if it's necessary to make it worth their time)
BONUS QUESTION: The dryer is not currently hooked up. (It's a gas dryer.) If we were to hire professionals, would they be able to hook it up in the new place for us, or would we have to hire separate professionals to do that for us?
EXTRA-BONUS QUESTION: If you think it's worth it to hire a pro for this sort of cross-town move, can you recommend someone who can do this for us? (We are, as I said, in Pittsburgh.) How much should we expect this to cost?
We're moving approximately 6.5 miles, from one side of Pittsburgh to the other, so it's not, in general, worth it to hire ourselves some movers (even though we did once swear to ourselves we would never move by uHaul again... ah well)---we figure that, in general, we could buy a lesser or equivalent amount in beer and pizza and do it ourselves with some friends.
However, we have a great big (3x5x4, maybe? er, that's in feet) chest freezer in the kitchen, and a clotheswasher and dryer besides, that we also need to move. Is this the sort of thing we can do as amateurs, or should we call some professionals to handle these three items? (and maybe a futon or two and a mattress, if it's necessary to make it worth their time)
BONUS QUESTION: The dryer is not currently hooked up. (It's a gas dryer.) If we were to hire professionals, would they be able to hook it up in the new place for us, or would we have to hire separate professionals to do that for us?
EXTRA-BONUS QUESTION: If you think it's worth it to hire a pro for this sort of cross-town move, can you recommend someone who can do this for us? (We are, as I said, in Pittsburgh.) How much should we expect this to cost?
When you rent the UHaul, rent an appliance dolly as well. I think it's only $10 extra, and will make quick work of moving the heavier items. Getting that, and a stack of the blanket pads for wrapping the appliances and furniture in, makes all the difference between an all-day project and a quick, painless move.
posted by dorey_oh at 3:39 PM on March 1, 2011
posted by dorey_oh at 3:39 PM on March 1, 2011
None of the items you are listing are all that heavy, so two people of reasonable fitness with a dolly/hand truck (as mentioned) would be able to move this easily. If you get a U-haul truck with a tail lift or a trailer with a ramp, it's pretty easy. The key is the dolly.
Then you can get it installed professionally when you get to the far end - even if the same person would do it, it'd be cheaper for install versus install+removal+ moving it.
posted by Brockles at 3:40 PM on March 1, 2011
Then you can get it installed professionally when you get to the far end - even if the same person would do it, it'd be cheaper for install versus install+removal+ moving it.
posted by Brockles at 3:40 PM on March 1, 2011
Best answer: Chest freezers are normally super light (assuming it is unloaded, of course). So are dryers. The only heavy item is the washing machine, and unless you have to carry it a long distance you can manage it fine with a few strong friends. An appliance dolly might help, or might not, depending on the specifics (stairs? tight bends?), but are usually cheap enough to rent that you may as well get one and see if you need it.
posted by Forktine at 4:57 PM on March 1, 2011
posted by Forktine at 4:57 PM on March 1, 2011
You should be fine. As one of a pair of relatively small people who have moved far more very heavy items than I try to think about, the key is to lever everything. Tilt and then stick some blocking in if you have to. You don't need to brute-force much. Appliance dollies are great for stairs. Get some straps so it stays put on the dolly.
posted by sepviva at 5:06 PM on March 1, 2011
posted by sepviva at 5:06 PM on March 1, 2011
Best answer: My wife and I are in our seventies and not exactly athletic. The last time I moved a large refrigerator (up and down several steps and a washer (up and down those steps and up onto a platform) was about six months ago. This is not a difficult task. Rent the appliance dolly and empty the freezer. You and a helper can move any of the three items (almost) with ease.
As to the gas dryer, I would hook it up myself because I do know what I am doing. If you are not sure, call the gas company that serves your new place and ask if they do dryer hook-ups. Often, they would rather come out and make sure it is done right instead of having to shut off the gas after that huge fire. If they don't do this service in your area, ask them to recommend a plumber that will make the hook-up. It is a five minute job and should cost you around $50.00.
posted by Old Geezer at 7:34 PM on March 1, 2011
As to the gas dryer, I would hook it up myself because I do know what I am doing. If you are not sure, call the gas company that serves your new place and ask if they do dryer hook-ups. Often, they would rather come out and make sure it is done right instead of having to shut off the gas after that huge fire. If they don't do this service in your area, ask them to recommend a plumber that will make the hook-up. It is a five minute job and should cost you around $50.00.
posted by Old Geezer at 7:34 PM on March 1, 2011
If there's any icing inside in the freezer, get that out first. It can be a huge pain in the ass, especially with chest freezers, if you've been letting the ice accumulate. If defrosting it overnight doesn't do the trick, you may need to take it outside, put it on its side, and hose it out with the hose nozzle set to jet and "cutting" around the edges of the ice with the jet of water. It is amazing how long it takes to get ice out of a chest freezer. Sigh.
posted by intermod at 8:21 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by intermod at 8:21 PM on March 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
If you have any issues with getting the dryer hooked up, memail me. We bought a new gas dryer from the Lowes in the Waterfront last year, and they told us new on delivery, they won't install. We have a plumber we like who did it lickety split. I don't know how much he charged me off of the top of my head, but I can check with my husband when I get the plumber info, since he paid that bill.
(And good luck with the move!)
posted by librarianamy at 6:36 AM on March 2, 2011
(And good luck with the move!)
posted by librarianamy at 6:36 AM on March 2, 2011
In October we moved two miles. We filled a 26-foot U-Haul truck (by pre-packing, and then hiring a local kid to help load the truck), and stashed that overnight. The next day we had a "real" moving company show up and collect our really heavy stuff. They took the bedroom sets, the queen-size hide-a-bed, the big rocking/recliner chair, the freezer, etc.
The people who helped pack & unpack the U-Haul were happy not to move the truly heavy stuff. The movers were happy not to have to deal with a million cardboard boxes, so they charged us a flat rate plus very minimal hourly.
It saved us a bundle, though I was profoundly sore for several days.
posted by wenestvedt at 7:20 AM on March 2, 2011
The people who helped pack & unpack the U-Haul were happy not to move the truly heavy stuff. The movers were happy not to have to deal with a million cardboard boxes, so they charged us a flat rate plus very minimal hourly.
It saved us a bundle, though I was profoundly sore for several days.
posted by wenestvedt at 7:20 AM on March 2, 2011
We also sold our appliances to the first-time-buyers who bought the old house.
posted by wenestvedt at 7:20 AM on March 2, 2011
posted by wenestvedt at 7:20 AM on March 2, 2011
Response by poster: Followup: The freezer got moved in the uHaul with the rest of the furniture. The washer and dryer got left due to the basement door being too small to get them out--getting them up the narrow staircase, through the house, and out the front was deemed more work than they were worth. (The fact that a wrench would've been necessary to get disconnect the washer's supply hoses and was apparently not available may have been a contributing factor, but I wasn't around for that part...)
posted by FlyingMonkey at 1:23 PM on April 3, 2011
posted by FlyingMonkey at 1:23 PM on April 3, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by headnsouth at 3:36 PM on March 1, 2011