Moving from NY to CA

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souljah420

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I was wondering if anyone has had any experience moving across country or even moving state to state. I have been trying to get quotes and so far they have been well above what I am trying to spend. I have yet to look into a Uhaul, b/c my friend said with gas prices the way they are it would be even more expensive.. I am on the brink of selling all my stuff, and just trying to rebuy them after I move. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks alot
 
[quote name='souljah420']I was wondering if anyone has had any experience moving across country or even moving state to state. I have been trying to get quotes and so far they have been well above what I am trying to spend. I have yet to look into a Uhaul, b/c my friend said with gas prices the way they are it would be even more expensive.. I am on the brink of selling all my stuff, and just trying to rebuy them after I move. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks alot[/QUOTE]

I would PM cheapy he moved from country to country. However I have helped my sister move a few times. Few rules to follow. Sale all old junk, If it does not have any special meaning its junk or for sale, Do you really need 7 years of backlogged playboys? Also DVD's sale all unless you absolute favorites or a rare or collectable. You Don't need to keep the Chris Farley and old 80's action movies. Just buy them again later if you really have to. You don't need to keep that box of AC power adapters half that stuff you don't have and they won't work on anything else.

I was the biggest pack rat for about 10 years then I got rid of everything that followed those rules and it was great to get rid of stuff. My sister was moving so much in one year it got to the point when she moved the only thing we were moving was furniture, electronics, cloths, and photos.

So get some boxes a friend with a large truck and whatever you can't fit in the truck is for sale or junk. Not counting necessities.
 
I moved across the country, but I never had to move any large pieces of furniture. I think the largest thing I kept was a 20" TV, so I didn't deal with moving companies and stuff. If you're willing to rebuy your larger items, then you might want to consider shipping things instead of a moving company. But yeah, I think the prices of renting your own U-haul is not much cheaper then getting a moving company. There are also companies that are "do-it-yourself" moving companies, where they leave a giant crate near your place, you move stuff into it, they pick it up, ship it to whereever you're moving to, leave it there, and you unpack it yourself. Some of those places may be cheaper.
 
Actually, it might cost less renting an Uhaul to move to CA. Since a lot of people are moving out, they need trucks and trailers. If you need help in any way, just ask. I've done the whole moving across country thing and I will gladly give you any advice.
 
what about shipping my stuff from ny to cali by mail? If this is even an option do you think there would be much difference in the prices between usps, fedex, ups, or rival companies?
 
[quote name='souljah420']what about shipping my stuff from ny to cali by mail? If this is even an option do you think there would be much difference in the prices between usps, fedex, ups, or rival companies?[/QUOTE]

I guess it depends on how much stuff you are shipping. Also mailing it or shipping it any method you risk losing it forever. If you are going to ship them do it Ups or fedex. They have insurance built the cost of shipping. Also photograph what you put into the boxes for insurance.
 
I moved from CA to DC almost 3 years ago. I also helped my mom move from CA to NY and back to CA. I chose to sell most of my stuff and drive cross country in my truck. Mom's went the Uhaul route on the way to NY and shipped her stuff though another company back to CA.

It cost me less than $500 to drive cross country in my ford ranger with the few possessions I kept. That INCLUDES gas, hotel, and food for two people. My mother, on the other hand, spent over 2K to drive a Uhaul from CA to NY and then another 3.5K to ship it back. These were thoroughly researched prices too not just the first thing we could find.

Bottom line, sell your shit. It can be replaced. Moving large distances is more hassle (and money) than it is worth.
 
Can you tow a trailer? You can pack tons of stuff into a 5x8. You can buy one for around $400, then sell it when you get to CA.
 
talk to atlas van lines or bekins affiliate

U-haul costs as much or more than hiring a mover, when you're talking about a long distance move. Let the movers take your stuff and you can drive, if you want to save money.

dont the uhaul drivers steal your stuff?
Click to expand...

The U in U-Haul means you drive the truck yourself.
 
I've moved a bunch (and I'm about to again in a few weeks.) I've always sold most of my unnecessary stuff (games I'll never play and DVDs I've already watched, mostly), and stored the stuff I want to keep but can't bring at the parents house or at a storage place. U-haul is way expensive! you are better off shipping things. and if you have furniture and stuff, think about selling it or storing it.

I just bring the essentials with me-- clothes, some books I haven't read, music, sheets and as much money as possible-- but not much else. all the extra stuff, I have shipped, and then hit up a goodwill/pawnshop in town for furnishings.

guess it depends on how you are travelling, how much stuff you have, how long you plan to stay where you're going, how much money you have etc.

feel free to drop me a pm if you have any questions.
 
thanks for the help - right now I am looking into renting a trailer - but I may as well buy one if it is around 400 then sell it off when I get to CA. BigNick, where would be a good place to look into purchasing a trailer? Not necessarily a store name, but what type of business may have them available for sale?
 
Just take a look in the yellow pages, there are many stand alone trailer stores. Some Home Depot and those type of places sell them. You could even check the classifieds for a used one. You will need to get it registered, but I just took the plate from the front of my truck and screwed it on there........
 
Bignick's right. A trailer is the way to go. Do you know which route you're going on? If so, then go to each state's visitor/travel website you'll be driving through and request a travel kit or whatever they call it. It's a cheap way to get an official state road map. Plus, sometimes they'll include coupons or info on where to stay and/or eat. You'll be on the road for about 4 days so remember that rest stops are your best friend. They're good for a quick nap in the middle of the night. I would recommend using a truck stop (like TA) restroom over a gas station, because they're so much cleaner.
 
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