Thanks all for the great advice. For sure we're going to pare down to essentials. We're going to spend the next month or two photographing all kinds of furniture and selling on CL or other. We've also begun packing our "valuables"...i.e. model cars and stuff. :p Kinda sad to see it all put away, but we know it will be safe if we pack them the way we want. (We're using plastic containers with handles in case we have to a) leave them somewhere "damp" and b) have to move them ourselves...amazing what a difference handles make!) I hate moving heavy things, so most likely there will be some level of movers involved, but our goal is to have very little for the movers to do.

I think the plan now is to have Julie move out first (she is the most employable of the two of us), which we'll do via PODS or other, then once the house sells here, I'll follow with a big move via moving company. Of course, this is a very loose plan at this point. But it looks the direction we're headed.

Kevin thanks for the offer to chat. I may be in touch with you come late Spring / early Summer.

Cheers all!

So...three years later...and we're finally moving. Re-bumping this thread for any other advice. Most likely I'll be calling three of the larger van lines (Mayflower, Planes, Bekins) and getting quotes, etc. We've gotten rid of a lot of stuff over the past few years, and we're leaving some behind (for the new, first time home owners).

FWIW if all goes well we close Aug 30th. A couple days after that...we'll be PNWers! :D

NY to Texas.

Family of 4.

We packed all the boxes.

Mayflower

$7 k 7 years ago.

Hardest part was drinking the liquor cabinet dry cause they can't ship booze.

Wow. I thought you had just gotten back with Ford in the last year or so. No longer?

We just moved across town last month and used Bekins. We had two months between houses though and had them put our stuff in their storage warehouse until our new house was ready. About 2800 sq ft and 7 mile move. They damaged literally EVERYTHING they touched. Scratched furniture, broken glass and they lost the hardware that assembles our king size bed.
The insurance was ridiculously expensive and thinking we probably didn't need it anyway for such a short move. WRONG!

I would never ever use bekins again for any reason.

No problems with United or Allied in past moves.

I looked at U-Haul One-way at first, and was quite disappointed.
$4500 for a 3-day truck rental?
"Oh. you'll have to confirm the quoted reservation a week before".
'Confirm'...?
Maybe it will be there.
Maybe it won't.
A week before major plans happen which are set in stone.
???
FU: U-Haul.
And your crap vehicles.

I bought a van instead, and could have sold it for more than the original price and gas.

Mill Valley, CA to Richmond, VA in 2011, $16k plus $3.6k for 2 cars in enclosed transport

If you hire movers check the contract carefully. I was in Small Claims court once and two cases before me were about movers. One had signed a standard contract that gave something like $0.10/pound of haulage. He got like $10 on a totally smashed grandfather clock. the other had some declared value thingie and got about $3,000 on a smashed Armoire.

Me thinks you have me confused with another... :confused: I'm not at Ford. Sadly, I'm not with anyone right now. :(

Thanks all again for the suggestions. I've heard mostly great things about Mayflower, so that's probably no.1 on our list. But a friend of Julie's just moved with Planes / United and said they were terrific as well, so they're no.2. I read good things about Bekins, so I thought I'd try them. But now maybe not...

We have $17k stashed away for this move. Julie thinks it will be less, I'm not so sure (as I want a full service job done). Maybe I can pay my nephews to help pack and save a bit. :p

I agree with a lot of the folks. Sell of or get rid of ANYTHING that is not special to you, real special. If it is just stuff like average furniture, sell it.

I grew up in the Air Force. When I moved away from home it was my 17th move.

I may never be able to move again, I have too much old stuff.

I have thought of jumping in my Miata with a suitcase and just never coming back... and I ain't kidding.

On a brighter note... just moved wife from Portland OR. to Lost Angeles, used the pod thing (one large container) was under 2K$, probably ended spending close to $3K moving the car and all, but that was just a two bedroom apartment.

First quote in from Planes...full service from Cinci to PDX (but not the cars) for $12,600 (not to exceed). Getting a second tomorrow....

So today we booked DAS to ship the cars...this will run $3,500 for all three (terminal to terminal).

Working on getting my employer to pay for it...

Second quote in...just $100 more than the first. But I hear better things about Planes, so I think we'll go with them...

Get rid of almost everything and buy new stuff. Moved cross-country in 2011 and kept everything. Did it all myself with 4 large Pods. With boxes, tape and wrapping paper plus car shipment (2 at $800 each)...cost $15K. Most of the crap is still in the boxes because I am in a smaller house and no place to put the junk (so obviously didnt need the stuff). At least it was a tax writeoff.

So just a quick follow up...by parring down we saved about $600 on our shipment, so that actually came in under $12k. Cars shipping cost $3,500 plus the cost of the loss of value on my 2013 BRZ that DAS damaged...don't EVER use Dependable Auto Shippers. We had to stay in two different hotels for a week and a half and rent a car for just over two weeks (..again, don't EVER use DAS). Plus all the eating out and other "little" things that added up. I'd say we easily spent over $20,000 on this move.

But we're happy to be here! :D