How much should I pay for 1/2 day unskilled labor?

In My Humble Opinion
1

How much should I offer to pay, to hire one or two starving college students to help me move?

A bit more detail:
[ul][li] New location = about 1 hour drive (each way) from old location.[/li][li] I’m just a bit too creaky now to lift or carry all my heavier items (like furniture), of which I only have a small number of pieces.[/li][li] So I need one or maybe two people to help me move the items that I can’t move myself.[/li][li] Items consist of various medium-size-and-weight items: Microwave oven; a few folding tables; coffee table; smallish bookshelves; arm-chair; stuff like that. No bed, sofa, huge bookshelf, anything really big. [/li][li] I also need someone with a cargo van, or mini-van with seats than can fold down for cargo; or, if necessary, I can rent one for a day.[/li][li] I estimate everything that I can’t carry myself in my car, can thus be moved in one trip. Maybe two trips.[/li][li] Estimated time: Probably 1/2 hr to load stuff; 1 hr drive there; 1/2 hr to unload stuff; 1 hr drive back = 3 hours; maybe up to 4 depending of traffic or other delays (assuming all done in one trip).[/li][li] This work is too hard for me (due to bad back; arthritis; misc. other poor-me minor health-related sob stories). But probably easy for most others. Evidence: I have a massage table I can barely lift (35 lb); but last time I asked a neighbor for help, he single-handedly picked it up and slung it over his shoulder, Paul Bunyan style.[/ul][/li](ETA: No, I’m not considering offering a full-body massage in return for help with moving, although it’s probably about a $60 value and I could do a near-professional quality job. But I’m just not into doing massages any more.)

My first choice would have been to ask some friends or acquaintances for help, but I don’t think this option is immediately available this time. So I’m thinking of maybe posting a note at the local community college asking for help. (Actually, come to think of it, not even sure if there’s anybody to be found at the community college, this time of year. Where else might I look?)

I’ve never made a move quite this way before, and I’ve never worked (nor hired) in this sort of market. I have utterly no clue what is a fair price to offer. Before I go and offer waaaaaaay too much, or make an ass of myself with an idiotically low-ball offer, I suppose I’ll just make an anonymous ass of myself here on the SDMB by asking this here first. I’m on a tight budget, so I want to be sure not to offer too extravagantly much, but I’m not exactly facing immediate bankruptcy yet either, and I’m not looking to stiff anybody.

What’s a fair price to offer for something like this? (This is in northern California, San Joaquin Valley area.)

2

Fifty bucks a person and a six-pack, plus a cheapish lunch.

ETA: if you’re using their vehicle, make it $75 and the gas, plus above.

3

I pay $10/hour cash for unskilled labor in rural Pennsylvania.

4

The last time I hired college movers I think I paid $20/hr/man. This was also from a 3rd floor walk-up so that adds to it. I found them on craigslist, they were not licensed but they advertised moving services and had an intelligent sounding ad, so I assumed they had some experience with getting furniture down stairs, not banging up the hallways, etc. They did not have a truck, I’d expect to pay more if they did.

They were good movers, we tipped them each an extra twenty and bought lunch.

That said, this is me replying to an ad. If I were putting up my own ad offering $10 or $15 I’m sure I’d get replies, but I found it faster to call people advertising their services. If it’s not the end of the month then someone will be free.

5

Seconded.

6

Thanks for these suggestions, folks. I’m totally utterly clueless about stuff like this.

I’m moving out of a 2nd floor walk-up, into a one-story bungalow. No really large or really heavy items, like large solid oak furniture. Things like a microwave oven, a 35-lb padded folding table, a coffee table; some smallish bookshelves. Stuff like that.

Mostly, stuff that a lot of people could carry single-handedly, but I can’t (or can’t easily) due to bad back; or stuff that’s awkward to handle or can’t fit in my car (like an armchair; not really very heavy).

Last time I did this, I wrestled all that stuff out of the old apartment myself (at some painful expense to my bad back), and then at the destination place I just sat on the front lawn until some unsuspecting neighbor walked by (total strangers to me in my then-new neighborhood), whom I then snagged into helping.

7

The last time I moved, I used U-haul. I found them to be very reasonable.

I think I set it all up online. One set of movers loaded up at the house and then another set of movers met me at the new place.
A lot of them have reviews too, which I appreciated.

8

You’re in “Sunny California,” right? I’ll move you plus do whatever else for the price of a plane ticket.

Tapu strong, like bull.

:cool:

9

Just as a data point, a friend of mine moved into a new house a few miles from her apartment last weekend. She paid a company called Two Men and a Truck $350 for three hours just to move her big stuff. That’s in Flint Michigan, which is a pretty cheap market overall.

For one or two college students, I’d agree with post #2, at minimum.