Suggestions for moving a small amount of stuff to Kansas City, MO....

[Restless]

Hello! I'm hoping someone may have a suggestion for me. Our daughter is moving to Kansas City, MO soon. She just graduated college so she doesn't have a ton of stuff to move; however, she has bedroom furniture and a few kitchen and bathroom items. We looked into getting a POD, as well as some of the other "boxes" for you to fill, they pick it up, and move to your new location. Man, it is expensive! The cheapest one I could find was around $1,000. Is there any cheaper way of doing this? We would drive out there with the stuff ourselves but our biggest vehicle is a mini-van with over 145,000 miles on it. I'm afraid it wouldn't make it. The queen-size bed wouldn't fit in it anyway. I hate to see her having to buy all new stuff when she already has it here.

Suggestions? Thanks!

 

[vraiblonde]

It would be cheaper for you to rent a van or UHaul and drive her and her stuff out there.

If she has a vehicle, she can even just tow a little UHaul and return it to a local location.

 

[vince77]

Sell or donate furniture (get tax receipt). Drive out with personal items, go to Ikea when you arrive. Problem solved, difference in cost would be negligible.

 

[nutz]

Hello! I'm hoping someone may have a suggestion for me. Our daughter is moving to Kansas City, MO soon. She just graduated college so she doesn't have a ton of stuff to move; however, she has bedroom furniture and a few kitchen and bathroom items. We looked into getting a POD, as well as some of the other "boxes" for you to fill, they pick it up, and move to your new location. Man, it is expensive! The cheapest one I could find was around $1,000. Is there any cheaper way of doing this? We would drive out there with the stuff ourselves but our biggest vehicle is a mini-van with over 145,000 miles on it. I'm afraid it wouldn't make it. The queen-size bed wouldn't fit in it anyway. I hate to see her having to buy all new stuff when she already has it here.

Suggestions? Thanks!

Take a look at ushhip.com but she may be better off selling/leaving the bedroom furniture and replace it when she gets settled.

 

[GWguy]

Vrai and Monello are heading cross country. Maybe they can make a detour?

 

[BernieP]

Take a look at ushhip.com but she may be better off selling/leaving the bedroom furniture and replace it when she gets settled.

LOL - Uship,com was featured on the A&E show Shipping Wars. I'm not sure it was a positive representation of the haulers that bid on the jobs.

Unless the furniture is sentimental, the suggestion to just take what you can fit in the car and pick up what you need out there might be worth doing the math on.
One way rentals can be expensive, even for small trailers.
Do the math.

 

[officeguy]

Penske 16ft box truck. The one-way is going to be about $1000+fuel. But then, you also get there so you dont have to buy a plane ticket.

 

[rhenderson]

Office Guy's estimate includes fuel and one-way drop off. It will be at least two days driving time and she needs to consider how she gets the truck unloaded and the furniture moved in after arrival in KC. Who would drive the truck? Would they need to return to SoMD? Does your daughter have a car she needs to get there as well?

Keep it simple. Sell the non-sentimental stuff here and start over in KC. If she has more than fits in here car, consider adding a trailer hitch and renting a small enclosed trailer. To get started in KC an inflatable bed from Target/WalMart will get here started until she finds what she wants and can have it delivered in KC. Thrift stores, local private sales can lead to inexpensive temporary furnishings.

Your daughter is just starting out - if she's going to be moving around in her career she should take that into consideration as she acquires stuff.

 

[BOP]

Hello! I'm hoping someone may have a suggestion for me. Our daughter is moving to Kansas City, MO soon. She just graduated college so she doesn't have a ton of stuff to move; however, she has bedroom furniture and a few kitchen and bathroom items. We looked into getting a POD, as well as some of the other "boxes" for you to fill, they pick it up, and move to your new location. Man, it is expensive! The cheapest one I could find was around $1,000. Is there any cheaper way of doing this? We would drive out there with the stuff ourselves but our biggest vehicle is a mini-van with over 145,000 miles on it. I'm afraid it wouldn't make it. The queen-size bed wouldn't fit in it anyway. I hate to see her having to buy all new stuff when she already has it here.

Suggestions? Thanks!

I have friends who used PODs to move cross country from California to here. Trust me when I say this: if there were a less expensive option, they would have gone with it. These are people who can squeeze a dollar until the eagle squawks.

At the time, there were no POD type outfits down here; they had to store theirs up in DC and go visit their stuff when they really needed something. I only wish there were such a thing the times I was moving cross country, and it's probably going to be the choice when I retire and move out of this state.

 

[lucky_bee]

I was in your daughter's same shoes 4 years ago. A lot of my belongings were sentimental as they'd been passed down to me. Plus they were free! I was lucky enough that a family member owned a pick up and let us borrow it to hitch a covered trailer we rented from U-Haul (about $175) that was towed one way from Connecticut to Calvert County. It was fairly inexpensive. Depending on her vehicle situation, you might be able to tow something similar.

Starting over and buying everything at IKEA sounds ideal but that always ends up being way more expensive than one anticipates, every time. I never spend what I intended to when I go there lol. I've slowly built up my apartment over the few years and I'm very thankful for my few free starter pieces. Everything from kitchen gadgets to furniture. I'm glad I hung on to it.

Good luck to your daughter!

 

[vraiblonde]

When I was young and starting out, I left everything - including sentimental items - at my mom's. When I was older and bought a house, she made me come get my crap out of her life.

 

[Hodr]

U-Haul will install a hitch to any car (I got one on a 3 cylinder Geo Metro), and just about any car can reasonably tow their small trailers. Just make sure they install to the frame and not the sheet metal body of the car.

 

[vince77]

I was in your daughter's same shoes 4 years ago. A lot of my belongings were sentimental as they'd been passed down to me. Plus they were free! I was lucky enough that a family member owned a pick up and let us borrow it to hitch a covered trailer we rented from U-Haul (about $175) that was towed one way from Connecticut to Calvert County. It was fairly inexpensive. Depending on her vehicle situation, you might be able to tow something similar.

Starting over and buying everything at IKEA sounds ideal but that always ends up being way more expensive than one anticipates, every time. I never spend what I intended to when I go there lol. I've slowly built up my apartment over the few years and I'm very thankful for my few free starter pieces. Everything from kitchen gadgets to furniture. I'm glad I hung on to it.

Good luck to your daughter!

IMO a 5 hour day trip to Connecticut versus a 20 hour trip to KC is apples and oranges (hotels, meals, 2 vehicles to fuel, etc., etc. If you spend $1000-1500 to move items, they are no longer free starter pieces. If you're talking about moving year old Pottery Barn or Natuzzi sofas that's one thing, but 6 year old Value City sofas and bedroom sets which is what most college kids have, not worth it in my view.

 

[lucky_bee]

IMO a 5 hour day trip to Connecticut versus a 20 hour trip to KC is apples and oranges (hotels, meals, 2 vehicles to fuel, etc., etc. If you spend $1000-1500 to move items, they are no longer free starter pieces. If you're talking about moving year old Pottery Barn or Natuzzi sofas that's one thing, but 6 year old Value City sofas and bedroom sets which is what most college kids have, not worth it in my view.

CT is 7-8 hours away, more with towing.

They have to drive out there regardless, most likely with two vehicles if they don't want to fly back. Also, U-Haul trailers are usually a flat rate, no matter how many miles you need them for. They just charge more if you're only towing one way. And all of my furniture is from various family members. Unique pieces from over several decades, some I'd already taken the time to restore as a personal hobby. Only thing I bought myself was my couch from big lots. I don't know any kids with VCF sofas and bedroom sets nowadays that's for after you've held down a grown-up job for a couple years I guess my furniture situation was unique, but I offered my experience bc I understand how some might not want to just buy all new cheap things once she gets there.

 

[officeguy]

Office Guy's estimate includes fuel and one-way drop off. It will be at least two days driving time and she needs to consider how she gets the truck unloaded and the furniture moved in after arrival in KC. Who would drive the truck? Would they need to return to SoMD? Does your daughter have a car she needs to get there as well?

The 16ft box truck drives just like a big van. Unless you tow a car with it, it is really something that requires no particular training. The nature of a one-way rental is that, well it is one-way. You pick up the car at your local Penske outfit, and you drop it in KC.

I would not recommend using U-haul for a one-way rental to my worst enemy.

 

[rhenderson]

As noted in my previous post, if there is not significant value or attachment to whatever goods are to be moved, my suggestion is to re-supply at the new destination. Calculate the total financial costs of moving and transporting the goods - including helpers, return trips, etc., plus the time and labor required of yourself/family to move the goods. Then decide if you would pay that amount and put that kind time and effort to acquire the exact same goods if you did not already have them.

I have seen and helped family/friends move short and long distances including across country. Dispose of and re-buy is the simplest and least stressful approach - but no one solution is best for everyone. Each person and move gets its own solution. Often a compromise where a few items are moved but others are disposed of and replaced at destination is best.

 

[vince77]

CT is 7-8 hours away, more with towing.

They have to drive out there regardless, most likely with two vehicles if they don't want to fly back. Also, U-Haul trailers are usually a flat rate, no matter how many miles you need them for. They just charge more if you're only towing one way. And all of my furniture is from various family members. Unique pieces from over several decades, some I'd already taken the time to restore as a personal hobby. Only thing I bought myself was my couch from big lots. I don't know any kids with VCF sofas and bedroom sets nowadays that's for after you've held down a grown-up job for a couple years I guess my furniture situation was unique, but I offered my experience bc I understand how some might not want to just buy all new cheap things once she gets there.

Well it was certainly the right decision for you. .... I go to Boston regularly, 8 hours to Connecticut? You must be using the shoulder of the road through NJ / NY.