State-to-state moving help/suggestions/tips?

[Shoppingbear]

OK, I'm so frustrated right now, I'm just about wanting to scream, but I'm at work, so I can't.

I moved from Seattle to L.A. in February, which at the time meant loading up my car with everything it could carry (mostly clothes, personal items I didn't feel safe storing, and the cat) and driving down on my own. I didn't have time or money then for a moving company, U-Haul, etc, especially as I would be staying with others and didn't know how soon I'd have an apartment, room for stuff, etc.

As it turned out, it was longer than I expected, because I was run over by a taxi cab in late Feb. I couldn't work for some time and ended up having to quit my new job here and then job hunt again after recovering a bit. I'm still not 100% (leg still injured), and I've only been at this new job 3 months.

So today, I get a call from the friend in the Seattle area who had OFFERED to let me store most of my stuff with her "for as long as you need", before I moved here. She has been aware of all that's happened (taxi-cab accident, lost job, jobhunting, new job, etc), but she would like her storage room back, within the next couple of months. I won't get into all the reasons as I know she was very nice to offer the space in the first place, but I'm SO freaked about trying to coordinate this in the next couple of months. I've never moved my stuff out-of-state.

So I have a few problems and I'm hoping for help!

1) There's almost no point in me going back up and packing up a trailer, as I can neither move stuff myself with my injured leg, nor can I drive the trailer. Thus, I have the option of asking again for help from friends back in Seattle to pack up my stuff into a moving trailer (like one of those U-Pack or container moving places, where they would then deliver it here), or getting a moving company to pack AND move everything here. Any suggestions?? I keep hearing horror stories about moving companies, how do I pick one??

2) I have too much stuff. I'm debating asking one of my friends to have a moving sale for me, in Seattle? I don't have a lot of furniture, but the furniture I do have, maybe I should sell it?

3) I don't have my own place here yet, I'm still staying with someone, so it'll all have to go in storage here, when it gets here. Anything I should know/look for/avoid in a storage unit company?

This is one of those times where life didn't go according to plan: I was SUPPOSED to move here, get a place within a few months, move my stuff before anyone asked me to... gahhhh... instead, I'm feeling pressured to get my stuff out while I'm still coming out of a hole created by not having a job for 4-5 months.

Any help you can offer, I would SO appreciate it! Thanks!

[clara]

Re: State-to-state moving help/suggestions/tips?

DO NOT use a moving company

I posted about my experience of the moving company I used to move from California to Washington here: http://www.micechat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37677&highlight=anger
Other's also posted their stories there to. It would be better to do it yourself or try and find help. Better than having your expensive items stolen.

If you are going to sell stuff, try craigslist.com I sold alot of furniture on there.

Good luck!

[Shoppingbear]

Re: State-to-state moving help/suggestions/tips?

Thanks Claribella, I read your thread and was freaked by some of the stories. I am HOPING the containers are safer, especially the ones who say you have the only key? Plus, it's cheaper. It's just weird not being there at the origin of the move, you know? Thanks for your thread, though, as it was VERY helpful.

[clara]

Re: State-to-state moving help/suggestions/tips?

Thanks Claribella, I read your thread and was freaked by some of the stories. I am HOPING the containers are safer, especially the ones who say you have the only key? Plus, it's cheaper. It's just weird not being there at the origin of the move, you know? Thanks for your thread, though, as it was VERY helpful.

Sure. And it says you are in pasadena? I'm moving 50 miles from there next weekend. I grew up in Pasadena. Great little city. I was even in the Rose Parade held there one year. To bad you have to leave.

[Shoppingbear]

Re: State-to-state moving help/suggestions/tips?

Oh no, I don't have to leave, I moved here FROM Seattle. I just had to leave most of my stuff behind (see first post, sorry it's REALLY long! ) and now I'm getting to where I need to get my stuff down here. I really like it here!

[CrystalCastle]

Re: State-to-state moving help/suggestions/tips?

We moved in April from Seattle to So. Cal. Check this site for the bad moving companies. Before we decided to do it ourselves, we looked into Pods. They seemed okay but you need space to put them to load them up and on the other end to empty them. We lived in a townhouse and couldn't secure the space, so Pods were out for us.

I agree with Craigslist to sell your stuff. I sold a TON on the Seattle Craigslist before our move. I couldn't believe the stuff people would buy that I would have just tossed out.

On storage units, find one that has inside/climate controlled storage. We were going to use this place but we lucked out and found a house right away and didn't need it. We did look at the spaces though and they were well secured and kept at a decent temp.

Good luck on your move!!!