Last move you made, did you move yourself or hire a moving company?

We bought the retirement place 4 years before we fully moved in. We would go there every 3 weeks or so, and each time we would bring a few things to leave there. When we finally made the big move, I rented a 17 foot truck, and filled it with our stuff. It took 2 trips to get it all.
The new place was 225 miles away. Both houses were ground level.

Major move in 2001 and it was over 250miles and we did it ourselves with the help of a few friends.

I am currently engaged in my last move and it is my dusty little butt doing all the work.

My last move was a statistical nightmare…my next move will be to the morgue. Easy peasy.

My last move had to be done quick, because I had just gotten custody of my daughter an she needed a room. So even though we only moved around the corner, I hired some movers because I needed help plus I didn’t have a truck nor the time to get one. I found a place on a Tuesday, we moved on Saturday.

Last move was part corporate move from storage, and part us paying for a local mover.

When you have a corporate move they cover your floors in carpet with some sort of runner to protect, and use tons of packing materials when they wrap everything up for you. There is a supervisor and usually at least one additional person who works directly for him. Then, if you have a ton of stuff, that also use local people. The local people often suck. This last time some of my stuff arrived a little banged up.

By contrast, the movers that just pick up your goods that you have packed, and do a quick local move, they can be more likely to not protect your wood floors and carpet. It’s really hit or miss on what the movers will be like. I’ve had good experiences and bad, and the most bothersome is when the truck doesn’t seem to be clean. This last time the initial company I hired didn’t show up
on time. When I called they didn’t know what time they’d get to my place. I called other places and got a last minute mover and cancelled the other company.

I’ve moved myself four times in the past 2 years. Gypsy moving all the way with a little help from my dad and a cousin for a few pieces. (I was renting bedrooms in various houses while waiting for my tenants to buy a house and move.)

I’ve only used professional movers for one move (but we packed everything ourselves). What a treat! My last move was just me and three guys, all of us driving pickup trucks or vans. If I could afford to pay professionals every time, I’d never do it myself again.

I had to leave my house and move back to hometown. I was caring for a sibling. So for three months, every couple of days, I drove my van 120 miles to house. Packed containers, boxes, bags, etc. Then load van up to top, drive back home, and then unload. The containers were 30–40 pounds. Stairs were involved. I went through jars of Mineral Ice pain relef gel and Alleve. By the end, I asked my brother and nephew to help with the big things in a U-Haul truck. They spent all day screaming at each other, and I had to leave some items there. It was then I started to believe I was not related to these people. I was over ½ done with mortgage- high rate, upside down. Got a ‘deed in lieu’, but my body just gave out. I couldn’t finish all. I had to walk away. Two pets passed away in the next three weeks after. I cried for months. My body can’t take it again, but I’m gonna have to do it again this time next year. I need Minions. Or a lobotomy….

Moved a distance of about 40 miles – did it myself with Nissan Xterra and had friends hire a U-Haul and move the furniture. Also, another friend had a van and did some stuff with that. Luckily I had time to move into the present house so I did it over a few weeks.

We’ve moved twice in some 32 years and did our own packing. But the schlepping is for movers. I feel badly for those compelled to relocate without the means to hire movers, and will advise anyone hesitating over the expense that it is money well spent. There’s “wise counsel” in the words from the venerable Auggie above

Our last move was this July 1st. We had the evening of June 29, all day June 30 and all day July 1. My husband, sons and grandfather of our daughter’s best friend moved all of the large items with a trailer the grandfather owned. They made five trips. Three on the 30th and two on the 1st. I packed up all of the small items and my children helped me load and unload our Ford Explorer. We only moved 3 miles from where we were living, but I made so many trips I can’t remember how many times it took for us to move everything.

I pulled an all-nighter on the 1st to move the last of our items. I put 200 miles on my vehicle that last day and my final trip between houses was over at 5:30 am on the 2nd. I don’t know how I was able to pull that last night off all by myself. The last several loads were items from the basement, so I had a lot of heavy lifting walking up and down those stairs. I kept repeating in my head “you can do this, you can do this, you HAVE to do this!”

Have moved more times than I care to remember. We’ve hired self drive vans for all apart from one where we had to be out and in on the same day and had a six month old baby. It was no easier that time so we’ve never used movers again. I just worked out that I bought my first property in 1997 and have moved 10 times since then.

We’ve always done our own. In 1996 we moved from Atlanta here to the Denver area, driving a rental truck and an Escort cross-country. When we moved into our house (in 2001) we used a rental pickup for the appliances and large furniture, but had time to get smaller things by auto.

I don’t want to move, ever again!

I have always moved without professional help. If I/we were to move again, I would want professionals. And a magic wand to help me sort and pack everything.
The last time I had to pack, the books kept multiplying.

^ The last time I had to pack, the books kept multiplying.
Not just that, everything does, when you have to pull out junk you have not seen since the Taft administration you see just how much junk stuff you have. It is one thing in the attic, another thing having to box it up and put in on a truck smaller than the attic.

I have found that paper boxes (boxes that 10 reams of paper come in) are the best size for books. So far I am up to 30, still have not finished the first side of the room and have not started on the other side yet. I figure somewhere between 60 – 70 boxes of books.

@rojo they are ok but can be a bit flimsy. If you can get hold of boxes that books are transported in, you are on to a winner there. We often get requests for boxes in my library and I have also been given boxes from a local bookshop too.

Liquor store boxes work well also!
And you can pick up a little something to make you not care how exhausted you really are about moving your life!