Moving cross-country with not much stuff, but something heavy?

February 7, 2021 4:06 PM

I am interested in hearing suggestions and experiences related to a long-distance move, particularly when I don't have that much stuff I really need to move, but one big-ticket item I'd like to move. Details below.

I want to move from the Pacific Northwest to Pennsylvania and I don't care about keeping most of my stuff as I'll be moving into a furnished place. The difficult thing I'm interested in keeping is a gym-quality elliptical machine that I paid $700 for used. Normally, I'd sell it and then buy another one after I move, but the prices I see on Craigslist are into the thousands of dollars - I suspect gyms being closed has put home workout equipment at a premium. In that case, if I end up spending like $1000 or whatever to move the elliptical, it would actually be cheaper than buying a new one after I arrive. I looked at a freight shipping option, and it would cost about $1000 from UPS.

But I wonder if I should just spend a bit more and keep stuff I planned to get rid of, like my bed and my TV and all my dishes. I'd also then have a way to move the stuff I 100% must keep: my desktop computer and two monitors and all my clothing. I only live in a small studio, so if I hire a moving company, I think it would be the minimum weight/volume either way. (I still wouldn't bring my desk and dressers even if I could, so it won't be much stuff.)

Any thoughts on what my best options are or other angles I should consider? Anyone make moves like this and have recommendations or can give me an idea of a "good" price?

In anticipation of any questions: No, this move isn't being covered/reimbursed by an employer. No, I don't have a budget but if it's much over $2,000, it probably doesn't make sense, right? No, I don't own a car, so I can't transport stuff myself.

I did research some options, and one full-service moving company quoted me $2100. Other companies were only like $1000, but they drop off a unit and expect you to load/unload yourself, which won't work for me because 1) I live alone and can't lift a 200-lb elliptical myself and am not gonna ask anyone I know to do that 2) I live in a downtown metro and I don't think they can leave the crate without me paying for permits. I also looked at renting a van/truck to drive myself, but the base price to rent and drop-off is already $2,000, not even factoring in hiring movers to load the truck and the overnight hotel stays that would be necessary for that long drive, so that's too much, plus it's the biggest hassle option.

Thanks in advance!

posted by AppleTurnover to Work & Money (27 answers total)

Sell it. If it's worth a premium, you should be able to get close to that, and have the cash to replace it.
posted by theora55 at 4:08 PM on February 7, 2021 [3 favorites]

Sell the machine at current market rates. Buy one at the other end at current market rates.
posted by aniola at 4:09 PM on February 7, 2021 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: >Sell it.

I should've addressed this in my post: I don't really want to sell it. I am worried about selling it in time before I plan to move, which is soon. But also, I have watched my target city, and not only were the prices very high, but the availability has been really scarce. There is a good chance none will be available when I arrive and they may not become available for a while. A new one of these machines is insanely expensive, so I'd be relying on the secondary market.

I'm interested in moving advice and moving thoughts. Selling everything I own and re-buying what I need is an option I am aware of, and in fact it's what I've always done in the past.
posted by AppleTurnover at 4:18 PM on February 7, 2021 [2 favorites]

I vote spending a bit more and moving the things you love. A close relative always thought it was cheaper to sell/leave most everything and buy whatever at the next location. That's a great way to wind up with crappy things that you don't love forever.
posted by cyndigo at 4:31 PM on February 7, 2021 [14 favorites]

If you buy a used elliptical once you get to Pennsylvania you’d still have to find and pay someone to transport it (which will probably be expensive and/or difficult, if it’s heavy and big.)

Have you priced out options for moving the other things you have to move? And...do you particularly like the bed (and other stuff) you’d bring with you, or is it just decent/OK? I think right now (pandemic, so slower mail/delivery + disincentive to shop in person or shop around), there’s some value in just having the things you like and will need and already have (which could even be something like...a vegetable peeler, depending on how furnished your new place is.)
posted by needs more cowbell at 4:32 PM on February 7, 2021 [2 favorites]

Also, I used ... u-ship? something like that? to transport my King bed frame a few years ago. It took a while, but it was much cheaper than other options.
posted by cyndigo at 4:33 PM on February 7, 2021

If your break-even point is around $2000, then why not look into what permits would actually be needed for the drop-off crate thing, and to hire two people for an hour to get it into the box for you? That can't possibly be $1000.
posted by teremala at 4:36 PM on February 7, 2021 [2 favorites]

A question: What’s your current plan for transporting your desktop computer, monitors, and clothing to your new home? You make it sound like a bonus, but if you’re not driving, you need movers to ship them anyway, right?

I moved from California to New Jersey ten years ago, and I believe the cost for a 1 bedroom apartment’s worth of stuff was sub $2K, not counting a few months of storage fees to hold onto it while I found a new home. The $2100 price doesn’t sound super outrageous to me, but maybe some more research for a full-service mover will get you a better price. The company I used was Northstar.
posted by ejs at 4:38 PM on February 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

If you hire movers, even "full service" movers, you will still need probably need permits for their truck, or you will have to pay them extra to load into a van and ferry it to their cross-country truck.

I've done two full service cross country moves, the first one was a pretty small amount of stuff, the equivalent of a one bedroom apartment, and it was about $5k. I would not trust a price quoted over the phone unless they're offering you a firm commitment.
posted by muddgirl at 4:39 PM on February 7, 2021 [2 favorites]

why not look into what permits would actually be needed for the drop-off crate thing, and to hire two people for an hour to get it into the box for you? That can't possibly be $1000.

Remember to double that, because you’ll need people to unload it for you in Pennsylvania.
posted by ejs at 4:40 PM on February 7, 2021 [2 favorites]

I made a smaller (in distance) but much larger (4 room flat and we wanted ALL OUR STUFF) move about 7 years ago. I hired a moving company that is based in the town I was moving to. I helped them fill the truck. It took hours. Then we moved, and the truck showed up at our new place a day after we moved in with minimal stuff.

I can't remember what we paid but it was around 2 grand, but by helping myself (and my SO and a volunteer pal) we reduced the hourly wages of the two mover guys the company had on the job so we saved money there, but that might be unique to the firm we used.

If you do use movers, be sure to tip big after they pack up your stuff and make sure the whole team knows you'll tip big again when you see them for the unloading.
posted by vrakatar at 5:05 PM on February 7, 2021

I moved cross-country twice in the last few years and for about $2,000 I paid for a couple of guys off Task Rabbit to help load a pod (we used Ubox from Uhaul). The parking permit for the pod to be deposited in a downtown city wasn’t bad, like $60. Then I hired a another couple of guys off Task Rabbit to unload the pod. I got all my furniture disassembled and packed all the boxes myself and paid for two hours of moving on each end for a one bedroom apartment (tipped generously in cash).
posted by forkisbetter at 5:09 PM on February 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: >A question: What’s your current plan for transporting your desktop computer, monitors, and clothing to your new home? You make it sound like a bonus, but if you’re not driving, you need movers to ship them anyway, right?

Great question. I'd probably fly with as many clothes as I could and get rid of a bunch or ship them. I once flew with enough stuff during a move that I paid $300 just in extra baggage. And my computer I'd probably dismantle and fly with carefully packed with anti-static bags. The monitors I'd have no choice but to sell and get new ones or ship them, whichever is cheaper.

Certainly, just hiring movers to handle *everything* is the easiest option and the more I think this through, the more attractive it becomes if it doesn't cost a fortune, but I am appreciating everyone's responses so far. Gives me good stuff to think through!
posted by AppleTurnover at 5:13 PM on February 7, 2021

Another thing I just remembered with cross-state movers - you will want to pay extra for replacement value insurance. Otherwise the base insured rate for your goods in transit is very low, like cents on the pound.
posted by muddgirl at 5:23 PM on February 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

You could do a one-way rental of a truck. I just priced out a one-way rental of a small Penske box truck. Looks like that would be about $2200, plus gas/food/lodgings along the way. There may be better deals--the box truck is bigger than you need.
posted by adamrice at 5:38 PM on February 7, 2021

If you can disassemble the elliptical into small enough parts, Amtrak and Greyhound offer shipping services.
posted by oceano at 5:42 PM on February 7, 2021

I've paid someone else who was moving cross country to take one item along in their truck (you'd still need to figure out loading and unloading, though). I've seen people offering to share space on Craigslist's rideshare section and on Nextdoor. Obviously a certain amount of risk involved with this option...
posted by pinochiette at 5:57 PM on February 7, 2021

My only advice is to be sure to factor in tips when calculating costs. And I guess another thing: read up on scams and questionable tactics that some movers use to charge higher prices than what they quote, after they've got your things loaded in their van and can hold them hostage.
posted by trig at 6:25 PM on February 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

Have you called Fedex or UPS and asked them how they'd handle it?

I needed to ship a big, heavy duffel bag from Boston to Seattle at the end of December. It weighed maybe 55 lbs and cost a little less than $200 to ship. If you can crate up the elliptical, they can send it by ground transport.
posted by Sublimity at 6:39 PM on February 7, 2021

Have you looked at ABF Upack? Your stuff goes in a semi closest to the cab, you install a bulkhead, other freight headed the same direction gets loaded in behind it, you get your stuff around two weeks later. Still have the parking permit or paying to shuttle stuff to the depot issue, still need to hire help, but the moving itself is pretty cheap and you pay by the foot of trailer space.

I have also moved via FedEx palletizing my stuff, and IIRC it was around 2K. They picked up packed boxes from my apartment and wrapped the pallet themselves. Worth a call to see if it would work.
posted by momus_window at 7:26 PM on February 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

Would it fit in a minivan? You could rent a minivan for a one-way move for a fraction of the price of a truck.
posted by GuyZero at 8:26 PM on February 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

Mini Moves..

I have used them twice. One to move 4 what my mother called antiques but what really were just old pieces of furniture she had and liked and once I moved a one bedroom apartment, sparsely furnished about 386 miles. Very good experience both times. YMMV
posted by AugustWest at 9:01 PM on February 7, 2021 [4 favorites]

I just want to mention that moving companies as an Industry is at or near the top of consumer complaints. I almost fell for a shady company when I was planning a transatlantic move. So be sure to check for complaints about any given company before you sign a contract. Apologies for the unsolicited advice. I think if you love it and you may not be able to replace it, you should totally keep your machine and transport it. There are too many uncertainties and too little joy in the world right now. If this is important to you, don’t let go of it. Good luck with your move!
posted by Bella Donna at 3:27 AM on February 8, 2021 [3 favorites]

Can you disassemble it to fit into smaller boxes for shipping?
posted by Theiform at 12:51 PM on February 8, 2021

This might sound crazy but hear me out (ha!) -- when I moved from Portland to Philadelphia, I purchased a used shuttle bus much like this one. I bought it for $3,000 and sold it for $4,500 when I got there because it was a cheap used vehicle w/ no east coast rust. Obviously, there's a chance you could have mechanical issues, but those things usually have big massive engines that are designed to roll forever, so if you have a mechanic give it a once-over before you buy, you'll likely be okay.
posted by nosila at 2:20 PM on February 8, 2021 [1 favorite]

Can you break down the elliptical into smaller parts, and if so, can you move/ lift those part by yourself?

As a broke graduate moving back home from Iowa to the PNW, I loaded up a lot of books into a beater rustbucket 1990 Cavalier with engine issues. Made it over the Rockies ok, learned quickly to build up momentum before big inclines before moving over to the right hand lane. It was a manual though, and had to downshift to 2 a lot and near-redline it.

It ended up being a interesting/ enjoyable trip. Took my time about it, though.
posted by porpoise at 4:13 PM on February 8, 2021

Oh yeah. Moving companies are notorious for lowball bidding. On moving day, they show up and say "Oh no, it's going to be much more expensive." They know they have you over a barrel.
posted by adamrice at 5:56 PM on February 8, 2021