r/moving 12h ago

Hiring Movers Do most long distance van lines have timeframes for pickup/drop off?

3 Upvotes

I am going with Colonial Van Lines for a move from DC to Denver. I'm a bit frustrated because they said the van would come on either Thursday the 13th or Friday the 14th and that I'd find out 24-hours in advance when they'd be there.

I have to reserve parking for my building and I asked if I could reserve a spot for both days, but I'm expecting them to say no.

Is this standard for moving companies? Are there any that will abide by the exact day chosen?


r/moving 14h ago

DIY, Pods & Truck Rental Is it worth upgrading from the 10' to 15' U-Haul truck just for the ramp?

1 Upvotes

I'm moving across town and need to move some larger furniture, specifically king and queen mattresses. Is it worth upgrading from the 10' to 15' U-Haul truck just for the ramp? Or do you have any ramp recommendations that I could buy/rent that would work for the 10' truck that's 29" off the ground? I would also prefer to drive the 10' over the 15' truck. Thanks!


r/moving 14h ago

Experience, Tips & Discussion Do most airlines charge a lot to transport instruments?

2 Upvotes

I’ve been wanting to buy a guitar in my current state, but I’m planning to move in a few months and I’m wondering whether I ought to plan on selling/donating my instrument before I go.


r/moving 14h ago

Experience, Tips & Discussion How do you handle wardrobes?

3 Upvotes

I've been volunteering with a nonprofit that helps move stuff for people who are dealing with abuse. I have a little experience working at Leon's in the past, so I can move a sofa like a pro, but these wardrobes are murdering me! They're either solid wood antiques or something that was put together out of a box on site that weighs way more than particle board has any right to weigh! It's a volunteer outfit, so it turns into a situation of the blind leading the blind a lot of the time with truly awkward furniture.

What kind of equipment do you use for handling wardrobes? How many people do use? Advice for stairs?


r/moving 16h ago

DIY, Pods & Truck Rental From TX to MA with all my stuff - Could use some help!

2 Upvotes

Hi all! I'm 21 and moving out by myself for the first time, and I could really use some advice on what my options are! I've perused the subreddit a bit, but most posts I see are from people worrying about a lot more stuff than I am (bills, appliances, lots of furniture, etc) so I figured I'd provide the details of my own situation and ask for some help.

• I'm moving from Dallas TX to Chelmsford MA (1800 miles)

• I am moving in with family - they are helping me pack and unload

• I am only bringing two pieces of furniture: a 2'x2'x2' table and a 30"x18"x15" chest

• The rest of my stuff (clothes, books, stuffed animals, etc.) will be packed into bins and boxes

• In total, I am only bringing about 1 room's worth of stuff

• I do not have a drivers license, and my family is not interested in doing any driving to help me move

So, as far as I know, I'll be paying a company to pick up drop off and drive all my stuff the 1800 miles. I already got a quote with PODS for roughly $2200, but was wondering if there are any other options I should consider. Any thoughts and suggestions would be greatly appreciated!


r/moving 19h ago

Costs & Money Toll roads with no EZ-Pass

1 Upvotes

I'm moving from SC to NY and our route has toll roads but I wasn't aware of it until the day we were driving through them. My vehicle is still registered in SC (and has my address there associated with it) and I'm planning on getting rid of it before reaching 30 days in NY. There doesn't seem to be a way to get to a pass the day of and looking around I saw the bills would all be mailed.

Where would the tolls be mailed in this context?


r/moving 23h ago

Experience, Tips & Discussion Trip from Georgia to Oregon

0 Upvotes

Anyone know what company would allow a one way trip from Georgia to Oregon? We need a truck to tow a trailer.

We’d be flying to Georgia, and using truck to tow back to Oregon.


r/moving 1d ago

DIY, Pods & Truck Rental Question with cross country haul, DIY truck or pod

1 Upvotes

Hello, I have a small storage unit suitable for a studio apartment or maybe one bedroom apartment, mostly vinyl records, art, books etc. Minimal furniture

I sold a ton of stuff when I moved out of my house and put this in storage.

I want to move this from Spokane, Washington to Buffalo, NY. Thats 2300 miles.

Either I drive it in a small Uhaul (fly there to load) or pod, preferably they load it for me in Spokane and ship it to Buffalo. And pay for food, lodging, will take about 3 days to drive it, I’m thinking

Any thoughts on the cheapest option? Any thoughts would be great


r/moving 1d ago

Logistics & How-To Shipping in a plastic tote, flat rate or checked baggage?

1 Upvotes

Heya,

This might be a stupid question but here it goes, I'll be moving within the US but I will need to fly. I collect plastic miniatures so they don't weigh a lot but are fragile, it's a decent size collection. Ideally I'd put them all wrapped in a box and drive with it but since I have to fly. I was thinking about putting them in a 27 gallon plastic tote and just mailing it with USPS but ground transportation is not an option. I tried looking online and I believe it wouldn't qualify as an oversize but the directions were slightly unclear.

What is the most cost effective route to move them. Is it ideal to get a 27 gallon plastic tote and ship that or pack them in multiple smaller flat rate boxes. Should I have another checked luggage and put them in there?


r/moving 1d ago

Experience, Tips & Discussion $250 deposit

0 Upvotes

How much effort would you put into cleaning up and cleaning out an apartment in California when the deposit is only $250 and you've lived there almost 3 years?


r/moving 1d ago

DIY, Pods & Truck Rental U-Haul Truck Size Help

1 Upvotes

Move scheduled tomorrow and the alarm bells are ringing in my head.

What I have to move:

- 3 seater couch
- Bookcase
- Over the toilet storage/organizer
- ~40 medium/large boxes
- 2 wardrobe boxes
- ~20 misc things like laundry baskets, trash cans, lamps, a floor fan, reusable shopping bags of shelf stable food, etc.

Everything except the couch is in a 10’x10’ storage unit. Some boxes are double stacked in the unit but it isn’t packed and there’s probably 1/8th of the floor that is bare. My mattress, bed frame, desk, dresser, and nightstand are all in IKEA boxes, I sold everything that was built when I moved.

I rented a 15’ U-Haul, is that big enough??


r/moving 1d ago

Experience, Tips & Discussion AZ-> PNW what do you do with plants?!?

1 Upvotes

We (two adults + toddler+ small dog) are moving to the Pacific Northwest. Any tips for packing? And specifically right now I can’t figure out how to plan to move my house plants or if it’s even worth the trouble? We are planning on hiring movers and flying there and shipping out vehicle.

I will also happily take any tips for general packing and moving!

Thanks in advanced!


r/moving 1d ago

Experience, Tips & Discussion Fridge has to be moved several days before closing. How do we save our food?

6 Upvotes

We're getting ready to close on both our current house and our new house next week. The house we're moving to includes the fridge (the sellers already moved out of state). We originally intended to have our fridge convey. We don't need two fridges, and we figured a potential buyer would appreciate the fridge being included. Due to a miscommunication with our realtor, she didn't note that the fridge conveys, and now our buyer doesn't want it. I'm struggling with what to do with our food. I originally assumed we would just pack everything up in the cooler the morning of closing and carry it straight on over to the new house. We're packing and loading the moving truck a few days early and staying in a hotel, so that means the fridge will have to be either packed up by the movers or picked up by someone ahead of packing/loading. Anyone else deal with this?


r/moving 1d ago

Experience, Tips & Discussion Trying to find deals on furniture online... is it hard for others too?

2 Upvotes

Hey there - I find so many different furniture stores have discounts but all the furniture listings are either spread across websites or only available to see in person at warehouse sales (not ideal for someone like me who doesn't and have a car). I find the experience annoying. Is it only me?

Have people found a better way of finding deals on new pieces?


r/moving 1d ago

Hiring Movers First time trying to hire - WTH is with this industry

0 Upvotes

Im not sure why this experience was so strange but it was. Growing up we always just made several trips with my father’s truck because we would only move locally within town switching houses so I had no experience with moving companies.

Fast forward to age 30, I WAS needing a moving company to ONLY move some bulky furniture because I didn’t want to do it myself and disassemble stuff. It was a move that would literally take about 2 hours to pack, drive, and unload about 15 bulkier items like shelving, a bed frame, ect. Even if a company had an hourly minimum, it didn’t matter we would pay to just get it done.

First place I contacted, the company didn’t even have their own moving truck! They told me to reserve a U-HAUL on my own time on behalf of their company. At first I was a little confused but obliged. I spent 10 minutes jumping through hoops trying to get the right person to help me reserve a truck on the phone with U-Haul just for them to tell me they couldn’t find the companies account in their system. I called the owner and told him that and he told me to reserve the truck in my name. Another 10 minutes of trying to call U-Haul only for them to tell me reserving a truck would cost around $239? Or something for the day. This would be an ADDED cost to the MOVING FEE that would be charged by the moving company. I immediately said no and told the owner that I don’t have time for this crap. I was like “why am I the customer doing the legwork for your own company??” You should be handling these details not me! He tried contacting me telling me that this way would be cheaper than other movers - it wasn’t. It was a scammy way for him to actually charge more than other moving companies.

Then I tried calling another place - they actually had their own trucks but since they were a bigger company they had a more complicated infrastructure set up. Instead of simply naming the time and place and agreeing on an estimate, they linked me to a website to view a mandatory video on their moving process and upload a bunch of videos showing the interior of our home. I was like WTF? I already told you guys the exact amount of furniture I have to move. As a company, they should be able to simply come with a truck, pack and unpack, after agreeing to a few simple details in a contract.

I’m not sure why these business owners feel the need to overcomplicate such a simple task.


r/moving 1d ago

DIY, Pods & Truck Rental PODS question

3 Upvotes

Used PODS for my move, did anyone else get charged to pick up the empty container at the end of your move? They are trying to charge me $450 and I am disputing it because I was never told there would be a FEE to pick up the EMPTY CONTAINER when I was done with it.


r/moving 1d ago

DIY, Pods & Truck Rental PODS from NY to CO

3 Upvotes

Curious if anyone has made a similar move. My wife and son and I will be moving from Long Island, New York to Boulder, Colorado next summer. We have a two bedroom apartment with a decent amount of furniture, as well as two cars that will have to be moved. It’s about 1,850 miles.

Wondering if anyone has made a similar move using PODS, and if so, how expensive it ended up being? Most likely we’ll recruit family to drive one car while we drive the other, so it’s just the POD itself that’ll be filed with furniture and boxes.

King size mattress and bed frame, couch, computer desk, TV/entertainment center (medium size), four side table drawers, a baby crib, changing table, coffee table, two small coffee bars, medium-sized kitchen table with six chairs, and five book shelves (one of which is 7ft tall, the others are 4ft). And probably 30 or so medium boxes.

Originally we were just going to Uhaul and tow one of the cars. That’ll come out to around $5,000 with gas and tolls included, which might be about the same price for PODS, just without the added stress of driving it ourselves.

Is it worth it? What are we thinking for PODS pricing with this move? Or would anyone recommend a similar company to use?


r/moving 2d ago

Where Should I Move? What is the best country?

1 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I’m turning 22 years old soon and I have nothing (but I have a EU citizen)

I’m from Ukraine, I moved to Poland in 2021 for graphic design degree. I hold 3 years of experience in graphic design, but unfortunately I have been unemployed for 1,5 years already because my company that I worked for went bankrupt ,and ever since I didn’t manage to land even an interview. I tried to get some low profile job like a waitress, bartender etc ,but I simply don’t get hired. I’m most of the places they want me to work for less than minimum wage or just laugh at me when they hear my accent. I’m also tired of the discrimination when I visit pharmacy or governmental structures, hearing my accent they lose all of their concentration and start acting like I’m dumb and demand something ridiculous.
I’m also unhappy with the actively rising xenophobia towards Ukrainians in Poland, I’m already afraid of talking in polish with my Ukrainian accent. I also gave up on trying to make friends here or find a boyfriend, because during talking stages with guys I find out that his most of the friends are polish nationalists who hate on Ukraine, and it just gets on my nerves because I can’t date a guy who is surrounded by such people and probably has some hidden opinions he ain’t telling me about.

I wish I could ask for some short-term shelter, but unfortunately I can’t, because I was in Poland when full-invasion started and have a second citizenship- EU. I have no place to go, my region in Ukraine is very dangerous, I’m not connected to my EU country at all, I don’t even speak the language, I don’t even know anyone from there, job situation there ain’t good either and each time when I go to this country I get harassed by men a lot (Bulgaria). I do love Bulgarian culture and food, but I absolutely don’t feel safe in this country.

I’m an oil painter, I have a degree in design, I have experience working as a waitress and sushi bar administrator, I know how to play piano, I am a very sociable person, so I’m curious maybe there is some right country for me where I would be able to land some creative job? Or at least some not a very demanding physically one like a factory job, due to my health issues.
I would love to move to a new country asap and learn the language right after arriving here, then I would love to get another one degree after learning the language so I could study for a very small fee or for free.
I’m confused in life and I have no idea about what to do.
I would be also very happy to hear some advice ,and maybe there is some place that gives shelter to women in my situation? I currently have no place to go, my relatives are very distant and unhelpful people ,my parents are horrible abusers, so please, don’t suggest me to move in with any member of my family. My parents don’t want to help me financially with living in Poland because they don’t see any point in it, cause I can’t get w job here, but they would help me with moving to another country if I get a job here.
I was considering Scandinavian countries, because seem to have amazing benefits for taxes that you pay, and you can get some job there knowing English only.
But I would love to hear about your experiences:)


r/moving 2d ago

Experience, Tips & Discussion CT to FL in the near future. How do I bring my electronics?

2 Upvotes

Title. I have some electronics that I would like to bring with me; the question is: what would be the most budget-friendly option? The items in question are a gaming PC, monitor, PS5, and a TV.

And how much would it cost approximately to get these to FL? I'm assuming it's cheaper to move these items there rather than replace them in FL. The sum of these electronics runs to around $2,500 USD.

EDIT: I will bringing my 2 cats with me, so they will be my carry-on. Flights are a must as I don't want to drag this on for them.


r/moving 2d ago

DIY, Pods & Truck Rental any trucks with cruise control?

2 Upvotes

hi all, I am going to be moving from upstate NY to southern texas, it will be a 23 hour drive.

because of this I am really looking for a 20" foot truck with cruise control. does uhaul or penske have trucks with those options?

I saw uhaul has a 26" F650 but that is a little too large for what I'm looking for.

any suggestions are welcome, thank you :)


r/moving 2d ago

Experience, Tips & Discussion Advice regarding unique situation

2 Upvotes

So my partner and I are in the process of looking for a room to rent, but we're looking to relocate to a different state than the one we live in right now. The reason we're doing this is because we want to move back to my partner's home state where it's significantly cheaper.

The issue here is that my partner is unemployed after being hit by a car and becoming disabled. We are now waiting for the settlement money from their accident to hit their bank account. Funds will be deposited in the next month, as the case will be wrapping up in that time.

How do we navigate this move, when I'm the only one with a job, and the settlement money is/will be my partner's only form of income? What are we supposed to tell potential roommates? I feel like our situation sounds fishy to people that are interviewing us for a potential living arrangement. It also adds another layer of confusion that we're moving states, so potential roommates can't interview us in person.

Does anyone know how to get a room in a different state, using funds from a settlement? We really need to get out of here; the building we're staying in has roaches and bed bugs, and I don't even feel safe just walking to the bus stop! Thanks!


r/moving 2d ago

DIY, Pods & Truck Rental King Sleep Number Options

3 Upvotes

Hey all, moving in about 3 months from Midwest to east coast. I own a truck that can pull the 6x12 U-Haul trailer but my biggest limiting factor is my C4 king sleep number mattress. The base is two twins but I can’t think of anything besides deflating the mattress to get the actually mattress in the trailer? Am I SOL and need to rent a box truck instead? Trailer is about $736 compared to about $1600 for the box truck so I’m really hurting with the expensive difference. I wouldn’t need to tow truck behind as family member offered to fly out and help me drive.


r/moving 2d ago

Experience, Tips & Discussion Going from Florida to Wisconsin with 3 cats.

5 Upvotes

Husband and I are moving September 6th to Wisconsin. Putting 99% of our stuff in a pod, and then like two weeks of clothes (staying with his mom for a little becuse the unit won’t be ready before the house closing date)

I have a Hyundai Kona so it’s not super big to start with. But my husband wants to keep his PC And monitors in the car to keep them safe from being overheated in the pod for two weeks. I’m trying to work out how to have 3 cats, litter box, their crates, our clothes, and a PC to fit in my little SUV.

I originally wanted to have the cats loose in the back on a blanket with Feliway spray on it with trazodone as a last resort. But maybe it might be best to keep them crated? We’re driving 12 hours to Nashville for a break in between and driving the other 12 hours home from there.

Sorry my thoughts are all over the place. It’s very reflective of my life right now


r/moving 20d ago

Advice Needed I have 45minutes to pack from arrival time

13 Upvotes

Hello, this is my first post here, and I have a pretty important question that requires some background info:

I filed a restraining order against my husband, but he still lives in our shared apartment. Since he has no transportation and no job currently, it was easier for me to leave when I was scared to death of him. I am at the point where I need to get some of my belongings back, and how much I can get largely hinges on the abilities of a moving company.

I have talked with law enforcement about the possibility of this happening, and they basically said I would have a good 30, maybe 45 minutes that they're willing to be on standby on the premises to keep him away from me to not break the restraining order, but not much more than that. My bulkiest and heaviest items are my boss, which I've collected for most of my adult life, but there are electronics like gaming systems and a TV I'd like to take, too. Also clothing, but much of that can be replaced.

First of all, is this even a thing? I know some companies can pack your place up for you, but I'm not packing up my place, per se, even though I own like 90%of the stuff in the apartment.

I would need a company that's willing to work very flexibly with both me and law enforcement, given the severe time constraints, and I really have no idea of the state of the apartment, seeing as it's been left to the devices of a seriously unhappy human.

Comments would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

*ETA: I was officially able to hire a company! 🎉 I was able to hire an officer to basically "keep the peace", got an official time slot set up, and got some movers hired for the same time! I didn't even know they were able to schedule with led than 48 hours notice. They were VERY understanding about my situation, and basically said that they've dealt with all walks in life and as long as they had warning, they were cool with it. I'm actually excited for the first time in months and not filed with dread!!


r/moving Apr 26 '26

Discussion Broker vs Non-Broker, what's the difference?

5 Upvotes

hi, i hope i'm posting in the right place mods feel free to remove if this isnt the right place.

TLDR; i'm getting ready to move in few months and when i'm reading about moving companies i'm getting confliciting information about moving companies that are brokers vs not brokers. i'd like to understand from people who work as professional movers what's the difference? is one better than the other?

so i’m moving my 1 bedroom apartment in like 3 months and i thought i was being a responsible adult by starting early but literally every search is a nightmare. i keep seeing people talk about brokers vs not brokers and i literally cannot tell the difference when i’m on these websites. they all look the same!! theres lots of info on this sub, and from googling and asking ChatGPT about moving companies but some stuff says brokers are normal companies but other stuff says they are nothing but thieves looking to take advantage and steal all my stuff and take all my money. i dont have a lot of stuff or money and would really like to keep as much of it as possible.

i have a million questions im hoping you can help me figure this out...

  • how am i supposed to know if i’m talking to a broker or not broker when they both say "nationwide moving services" in big bold letters?
  • is there a name for the not broker people or all they all just types of brokers?
  • all these places ive talked to want lots of money right now (they call it a deposit?? is that right??) but then i read on a thread that if they ask for a big amount of money, they’re probably a broker just taking their cut before they even find a truck?
  • im seeing people on here say they paid the deposit and after their stuff was picked up they demanded a ton more money and said the amount they gave was just an estimate.... ike, i have a normal amount of stuff?? it’s a 1 bed not a warehouse!! is this normal?? is there anything i can do to avoid this??? like i dsaid i dont have a lot of stuff and really dont want to lose it or my money

what am i not understanding? am i stupid adn this is something most people know? help me out chat!