We’re using Penske and doing it ourselves. My initial rate was about $460, but I found a better deal on their website, so they changed it for me to $430ish. We’ll have the truck the 17th (loading), 18th (driving/unloading), 19th (finish unloading/purchase any urgently needed furniture), and 20th (return it) along with the dolly and Limited Damage Waiver and unlimited mileage for that much.
Holy crap that’s cheap! I’m expecting somewhere between $5-10K. We have 3 bedrooms or so, plus a lot of other heavy furniture. I’d be delighted with anything under three grand. Are you also required to pack sofas and the like? How does that work, exactly? And how far are you moving? Penske wanted about $800 just to move my office.
When we moved, my husband and I listed all our books in an Excel spreadsheet as we packed them in boxes, numbered each box, and put most of the boxes in storage while we got settled in our new house. (We have maybe too many books.) The spreadsheet was backed up (good!) onto a CD before the old computer hard drive crashed, and it’s in some UNnumbered box somewhere (one of three places probably), and I have never bothered to dig it up when I’ve wanted to find a book.I’ve actually bought new copies of books I know I already own when I wanted to read them again. So the lesson here is, use descriptive labels on your boxes (“Sci-Fi paperbacks mostly”), instead of a letter and number (“box #B67”). Or something. Is this the forum for mindless pointless stuff? <checks> Oops–never mind.
We did almost that when we moved. We numbered each box, and then in Excel wrote what was in each box number, as well as writing, say, “kitchen”. On the box we also wrote the level of the house the box was to go to, e.g. L2, L3, L1. It was really good being so organised. The number system was good for us rather than just writing where it was supposed to go because we were moving two houses into one, and lots of stuff had to stay stored in boxes for a while. (Therefore, there were a lot of boxes that you just couldn’t write “kitchen” on.)
So, yeah, it does work, we’ve done it, and it’s very handy. 
I believe he means that he’s merely renting a truck from Penske, and doing all the packing, lifting, carrying, etc., himself. You don’t get moving men for that kind of money.
I live with one of these. My mother, although she won’t come close to admitting it. She, my brother, and I just moved, so we got a close look at exactly how much stuff she had (and still has).
All of my belongings, including my new, flat-packed furniture: one pickup truck bed, plus my mattress and boxspring. One passenger seat for clothing and monitor.
All of my brother’s belongings: similar.
All of my mother’s belongings: 40 trips back and forth from old to new. Thank Og it’s only 3 miles. You see, it was absolutely essential we bring all three closets’ worth of her clothes that haven’t seen the light of day in the past decade. Furthermore, it was also essential that we bring all of her magazines, although I’m not sure what to do with the last 5 years worth of the APICS Journal. And heaven forbid we throw away or donate any of it. When she finally kicks it, we’re going to have to hire a junk company to come and take all of her stuff.
Like someone else said, we’re just getting the truck and doing all the loading, driving, and unloading ourselves. Though I may recruit some of my friends for beer and pizza money. 15’ truck, moving about 400-500 miles, the dolly, and the Damage Waiver for that $436. And we don’t have a whole lot of big, nasty furniture, just the bed and a beast of an entertainment center. Penske gives unlimited mileage on their trucks, so we’ll be able to drive around and pick up furniture if we have money left over/need anything.
Honestly, I’ve heard so many horror stories about moving companies that if I had a whole lotta stuff to move, I’d just rent a big truck and hire a bunch of college students for beer and pizza and maybe $30-40, then drive it myself.
We’ve got lots of big ass, heavy furniture. Three different teak beds, some other bedroom furniture including some antiques, teak furniture in both our living and family rooms, a leather sofa and a two piece cloth sofa, rosewood dining room furniture including sideboard and chairs for 10, gold inlaid china, various toys and other kids’ stuff, etc. It will be a good half of a normal sized moving truck, I’d suppose. And it’s a journey of a thousand miles that begins with but one step.
We’ve used movers many times with nary a hair-raising tale to tell, including moves to Europe and Asia and back. It’s just been a while since I had to pay for it myself, and money is a bit tight.
I’ll be renting a truck from Budget. 6 day rental, unlimited miles, one-way trip, $1300. That’s with picking it up on the last Friday of May.
BEGIN TRANSMISSION
…books have multiplied…think I’ve found their nest…hey…what the…everyone FALL BACK NOW!..Oh, god! They’re coming again!..<gunfire and screams>…<static>…
END TRANSMISSION
Captain: Okay, let’s cut moorings and prepare to depart.
First Officer: We can’t just leave them their, sir!
Captain: There’s no way they could have survived that.
First Officer: You don’t know that, sir!
Captain: That’s an order, Commander!
First Officer (pulls his p.a. weapon): I’m sorry, sir, there’s no way I can let you depart orbit when there’s a chance, no matter how small, that they may have survived…
While I’m taking a break (stirring up dust/pollen + No Clairitin = coughcoughwheeze), I’d just like to give props to Penske. I check the rate for the truck every day and I just got them to change it again, saving me close to
$90. No muss, no fuss, no crap. Definitely give them a try if you need a truck. Old Rate: $468.42, then $431.27, and now it’s $381.99. And I plan to keep checking, right up until the day I move. They have some kinda Low Price Guarantee.
While I’m taking a break (stirring up dust/pollen + No Clairitin = coughcoughwheeze), I’d just like to give props to Penske. I check the rate for the truck every day and I just got them to change it again, saving me close to
$90. No muss, no fuss, no crap. Definitely give them a try if you need a truck. Old Rate: $468.42, then $431.27, and now it’s $381.99. And I plan to keep checking, right up until the day I move. They have some kinda Low Price Guarantee and there’s no problem getting them to change it.
Penske=Awesome.
That’s nice, dear: double props to Penske. Well, then.
How many boxes of books do you folks think GMRyujin and family have? And how much are you willing to bet?
I offer this: one homemade pie to the person who comes closer than the number 67.
So what have you you got?
you you know what I meant. :smack:
Bahaha. To be fair, we have many different sizes of boxes. Here’s the count now:
4 crates and 2 good sized boxes being given away/sold, 1 good sized box and 2 small boxes packed.
Bahaha. To be fair, we have many different sizes of boxes. Here’s the count now:
4 crates and 2 good sized boxes being given away/sold, 1 good sized box and 2 small boxes packed. I stuff books in until they’re up to “Have to use the dolly to move it” heavy.