Nell Dwyer

All My Sons just moved us from Tennessee to Florida-The moving men said my quilt room stuff was 3/4 of the truck-I laughed till I got to Florida, and yes, it was at least 1/2 of the truck-I haven't quilted for 6 months, stuff was packed by me, and all made it okay, was kind of scared with my 4 sewing machines, packed in the trolley cases, all were fine-I did get rid of a lot of my stuff though through the Salvation Army-they appreciated all-and less cost to move it all the way here.

jbingwell

Two men and a truck has moved us a couple times. I have heard horror stories about movers, so I move my precious items, photos and jewelery myself. Good luck!

LilaKay

Our daughter recently moved 8 hours away. She also hired 2 men and a truck. She had to pack everything but didn't have to lift anything...they were wonderful..very accommodating and polite...

Sewnoma

I definitely think hiring people to do all the heavy lifting and trudging up and down stairs is the way to go.

I actually enjoy packing and I'm quite good at it, so I do that all myself. I like to buy most of my boxes so they're all the same sizes; I buy bundles in 3 sizes from Uline - I pick small, medium, and large size boxes and order bunches of each size. Small boxes are used for heavy things (books, rock collections) and really fragile things that I'll be carrying myself. Medium boxes for medium heavy stuff (kitchenware, general household stuff) and the big boxes are for lighter stuff and anything just too bulky to fit in a smaller box. I try to make each box similar in weight, to make life easier on the moving guys. I label boxes with the room location, and then in a corner I will scribble a short list of what's inside the box. I don't list everything, just a few things; I can usually remember what things are together in a box so that helps me find things very well.

I don't buy packing material; I use clothes and linens and fabric and batting to pad all my belongings instead. I end up with fewer boxes overall that way and no packing material waste to dispose of at the new house.

Some things, DH & I move ourselves - I pack a large box of things I will want immediately at the new house: stuff like toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, plastic utensils, some bottled water, some hand soap, some dish soap, some windex, a basic first-aid kit; also stuff like extra packing tape and a box cutter...things that myself or the movers might want to use during the moving-in process or right away on first day. DH & I each also pack a suitcase for personal/precious stuff - medications, toiletry kit, spare change of clothes, all our jewelry and watches; also stuff like photo albums & an external hard drive that holds all our photos, etc. Those go into our cars. Anything extra fragile goes into a car, my PC and my main sewing machine go into a car. The dogs, cats, fish & birds ride in the cars. Any leftover perishables go into coolers that ride in the cars as well. DH also usually does another trip and puts all of his music equipment and guitars in the car and transports those himself. (Some of it is not replaceable; either due to sentiment or because it's vintage stuff that just doesn't exist anymore)

At the new house, I put signs on each door so they know which boxes go where. My job, as they're moving stuff, is to flit around (out of their way) and smooth bumps and answer questions. DH focuses on getting the animals settled in somewhere safe and out of the way and also handles buying food & water.

We usually buy pizzas or sub sandwiches for ourselves & the movers when the work is done, and keep lots of cold water available for everyone throughout the process.

Good luck on your move!!

Wanabee Quiltin

In our area, there is a company called Three Men and a Truck. They do excellent work. They moved my daughter and also a good friend. Would definitely check into them if I move.

Jingle

We have the Two Men and a Truck in this area.
We have lived in the same house for 45 years and do not plan on ever moving.
I routinely donate things I no longer want so not as much stuff as you might think. The things I keep on small knick knack type things. A lot of them are put away as I got tired of dusting them years ago. I have lots of them in glass cases and they stay clean.
I would strongly suggest you donate stuff you no longer want.

suzy0879

I have moved 10 times in the last 40 years. Each move I add a few more garbage cans on wheels to my collection. The lids are taped shut. This has worked best for me. The garbage cans hold a ton of linens, pots, sewing, etc. I just number the cans in a spiral notebook and they are ready for moving. I can handle the cans because of the wheels and they can take the weight. You have to use the better cans because the wheels on the cheap ones will split. The cans go to the room they belong in and depending on the need determines the ones that are unpacked first. My family has made fun of me for years collecting bubble wrap, but once moved and unpacked the bubble goes back into the cans for storage. This last move was 10 miles and I moved 1 room at a time, leaving the furniture but moving every thing else in the room. It was the easiest yet. I may have one more move and then I can get rid of the cans hopefully.

mjhaess

I have moved so much I should be professional...I have had the best experience with Atlas. I have used them several times and thus far they have been the best..

sandybeach

Both of my sons worked for a moving company when in college. A couple notes - You can buy used boxes from the moving company for way less than buying new ones, and they only keep the good ones to resell. And you can hire their guys through the moving company for what they refer to as "side jobs" to do the packing and moving for you since it is only 1/2 hour away (probably only on Saturday or Sunday if the company is busy during the week). They usually charge about $15 per hour per person. You can even "rent" their truck for the day. Also, the Salvation Army will send a truck to pick up any donated items from your house so you don't have to move it yourself.

BETTY62

Before you rule out the college kids, a lot of these are insured and bonded. Just because they are college kids does not mean they aren't professional business owners.

Also, check with your local fire dept. In our area, the firemen work 24 hrs on and 24 hrs off so they often have a business like a moving company or a lawn care service they take turns working their days off.