Guest MikeD Posted June 7, 2005 Report Share Posted June 7, 2005 I'm wondering if I could get some feedback for a long distance move. I've done lots of coast to coast 4 month moves, but for those I'd just stuff what I can into a couple of bags. Now I probably have an apartment worth of furniture I'd like to bring. I plan on handing my dying car back to my parents and getting a new one in the next while, but maybe not before heading out. So I guess the common options are: 1. Rent a cube truck from U-Haul/Budget Pros: Cons: a. U-Haul has some of the most poorly maintained trucks I've ever seen or been in b. $1300 estimate + gas + extra mileage for a Southern Ontario - Halifax move 2. Buy a car here and rent a flatbead or something with a hitch Pros: a. Could be cheap Cons: a. Tough break in for a small new car with a decent load b. Don't want to be rushed into buying a car 3. Have a shipping company handle it and fly out Pros: a. Little work Cons: a. Expensive 4. Ship boxes via Greyhound or some other service Pros: Cons: 5. Fly out and buy new furniture Pros: a. brand new furniture Cons: Anybody have any pros/cons/prices they can add from personal experience? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tdoc Posted July 23, 2005 Report Share Posted July 23, 2005 I'd ship what you really want to keep by Canada Post, and buy new furniture, or second hand stuff, once you get where you're going. Flights are pretty cheap these days, and it even sounds like you're close enough to bus or train it if need be, so there's little point driving (esp. with today's gas prices). I found shipping with Canada Post was really pretty cheap, about $30 for as big and as heavy a box as they will accept. You can plug in the dimensions and weight of your packages online and get an estimate. It took about two weeks to arrive (Van. to Montreal) but if you plan ahead, this shouldn't be an issue. Good luck moving. I'm going through the same thing now too (again). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 007 Posted July 23, 2005 Report Share Posted July 23, 2005 Hey MikeD, I'm getting movers to move my stuff now and the estimate was $1800 (Kingston to Halifax). So I have that cost plus my flight out there (about $170). The movers gave me a 5 day window in which my stuff might arrive in Halifax. The nice thing is that the superintendant in Halifax will let them unload my stuff if it gets there before me (apparently they don't usually do that elsewhere in the country) as long as I send a fax giving the super permission to let them in. I'm leaving a couple of big things behind and will get new stuff once there. So yes, this option ended up being about the same cost as the Uhaul without any of the work or fear of breakdown. I think you've covered the pros and cons of it pretty well though. I guess it depends how attached to your furniture you are. If not really, it might be wise to go the route Tdoc suggested. Otherwise, I know I feel better sending my stuff with movers than using Uhaul. 007 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MikeD Posted July 25, 2005 Report Share Posted July 25, 2005 Thank you both for your replies...I totally forgot about this question I posted way back when. I ended up going with both of your pieces of advice. I'm having movers ship certain things that we thought we didn't want to buy again (with AMJ...you were right 007, they seemed the best in the end), and maybe sending some clothes via Canada Post (seems to be a bit cheaper than shipping with the moving company, but I think our price per pound goes up as our load goes down). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 007 Posted July 25, 2005 Report Share Posted July 25, 2005 Glad you got it all figured out. See you in a few weeks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pilotgrrl Posted July 30, 2005 Report Share Posted July 30, 2005 I like the idea of buying new furniture. At least when I go home for the weekend, I'll have a bed to sleep in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 007 Posted July 31, 2005 Report Share Posted July 31, 2005 Haha! You see, in my situation, I am being forced to take EVERYTHING I own with me. I will have a room at home no more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fizzicyst Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 Speaking of U-Haul... from today's National Post ...The blitz also inspected 15 U-Haul rental vehicles, 11 of which were not up to standard, Wooley said. "They continue to be over-represented (with safety violations) and we have no similar problems with any other rental companies,'' Wooley said. The Ontario government has promised to launch a provincewide investigation into the truck-rental industry after a Toronto newspaper investigation last month found half of U-Haul vehicles failed roadside safety inspections. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
webshy Posted January 5, 2008 Report Share Posted January 5, 2008 Has anyone else moved long distance? With lots of stuff? I'm wondering what moving costs are likely to be. I live in a 3-bedroom house, and have reasonably new furniture. As such, I will be taking most of my furniture with me (plus my old piano) if I am fortunate enough to get an offer to a medical school for the fall. Thanks for your help! Elaine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meredith Posted January 6, 2008 Report Share Posted January 6, 2008 Hi Elaine, I moved a piano from Halifax to Ontario a few years ago - Dr. Piano in Halifax arranged it for me and worked with a company in Ontario to deliver it to my apartment. If your piano is really old then you might not mind the risk of moving it with regular movers or in a U-Haul type vehicle (higher chance of the van contents shifting and hurting the piano, etc). However, if it is still very valuable (at least to you), professional piano movers guarantee their work and use special piano crates. It's expensive though ($800 in 2004, and I am sure I got a deal since I bought the piano new from him a few years before that). Also, when I moved to Ontario, I shared a U-Haul with a coworker who was also moving at the same time. He drove the truck that included his family's things and mine (a two-bedroom apartment's worth), and it came to $950 total including gas and insurance. Again, since 2004, that has probably gone up. When I inquired to a moving company who would drive my things here, I was quoted around $1,000. Good luck with interviews! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.