Moving cost (appointed, movers, how much)

[watchtube60]

How much would it cost to move my stuff ( 1 house worth of goods + 2 cars) to CO from NY
I am looking to get a rough estimate...I am thinking it is like $8000...
I want a professional company to pack my stuff in NY and then ship it and unpack it in CO. I have 4 bedroom house ...just trying to get a rough estimate

Any guesses?

[Mike from back east]

If you hire a mover you really need to insist on a BINDING estimate, that way you know exactly what the move will cost, up front, with no surprises at delivery time. IMO you're looking at about $10k for the move.

There are plenty of horror stories about people who hired a low-bid mover, without getting a binding estimate, and at delivery time they're told they need to pay thousands more or else their goods will not be delivered, i.e., you have to pay ransom to get your stuff delivered. Stick to the major van lines like Bekins, United, etc, and get a binding estimate.

I'd also insure everything for full value; it only costs a bit more. Otherwise the industry standard is to pay about $1.25 per pound for damaged goods and I suspect your goods are worth a lot more than $1.25 a pound.

I was in the business of moving the household goods of military personnel on a worldwide basis; we spent well over $1B year to do so, and that was back in the 1970s when $1B was real money. I've a ton of horror stories about bad moves by low-bid movers. Having moved a few times myself I will never hire a no-name, low-bid mover. IMO if you hire a reputable mover you will be neither disappointed nor pay an exorbitant amount.

If you have the luxury of time and want to pack your personal items you can indeed do that and get a fat discount on the cost. I did that, over 300 large moving cartons, and IIRC they gave me a 65% discount. Be sure to get good moving boxes; I ordered mine from U-Line and they were top grade, real deal van line cartons. They have every sort you need, for dishes, glasses, wine stems, etc. I had a lot of fragile railroad lanterns, I packed them well, with lots of bubble wrap, and all made it fine. But I spent at least six weeks packing it all up, making detailed lists of what's in each box, etc. I also gave tons of stuff to Goodwill, had yard sales, donated books and magazines to the library. If you've a lot of stuff, be ruthless and get rid of what you don't really use.

Edit to add useful threads:
- Should I hire a long distance mover, or buy new furniture after moving?
- Cleaning out the house before moving.

[watchtube60]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

If you hire a mover you really need to insist on a BINDING estimate, that way you know exactly what the move will cost, up front, with no surprises at delivery time. IMO you're looking at about $10k for the move.

There are plenty of horror stories about people who hired a low-bid mover, without getting a binding estimate, and at delivery time they're told they need to pay thousands more or else their goods will not be delivered, i.e., you have to pay ransom to get your stuff delivered. Stick to the major van lines like Bekins, United, etc, and get a binding estimate.

I'd also insure everything for full value; it only costs a bit more. Otherwise the industry standard is to pay about $1.25 per pound for damaged goods and I suspect your goods are worth a lot more than $1.25 a pound.

I was in the business of moving the household goods of military personnel on a worldwide basis; we spent well over $1B year to do so, and that was back in the 1970s when $1B was real money. I've a ton of horror stories about bad moves by low-bid movers. Having moved a few times myself I will never hire a no-name, low-bid mover. IMO if you hire a reputable mover you will be neither disappointed nor pay an exorbitant amount.

If you have the luxury of time and want to pack your personal items you can indeed do that and get a fat discount on the cost. I did that, over 300 large moving cartons, and IIRC they gave me a 65% discount. Be sure to get good moving boxes; I ordered mine from U-Line and they were top grade, real deal van line cartons. They have every sort you need, for dishes, glasses, wine stems, etc. I had a lot of fragile railroad lanterns, I packed them well, with lots of bubble wrap, and all made it fine. But I spent at least six weeks packing it all up, making detailed lists of what's in each box, etc. I also gave tons of stuff to Goodwill, had yard sales, donated books and magazines to the library. If you've a lot of stuff, be ruthless and get rid of what you don't really use.

Edit to add useful threads:
- Should I hire a long distance mover, or buy new furniture after moving?
- Cleaning out the house before moving.

Thank you for this detailed answer. Really appreciate it. I have time. I have to move in the summer '21.
However, I those kind of people who you can say are not non-lazy. I want to hire a company who can do everything for me and not bother me with anything. I want to move my family. Rest they need to take care of. I also need to make sure they unpack my stuff.

I am guessing based on your back of the envelope estimate, it is north of $10K. Right? Good thing is that my company will reimburse me, so I want to get the best possible movers with a great reputation.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by watchtube60

Thank you for this detailed answer. Really appreciate it. I have time. I have to move in the summer '21.
However, I those kind of people who you can say are not non-lazy. I want to hire a company who can do everything for me and not bother me with anything. I want to move my family. Rest they need to take care of. I also need to make sure they unpack my stuff.

I am guessing based on your back of the envelope estimate, it is north of $10K. Right? Good thing is that my company will reimburse me, so I want to get the best possible movers with a great reputation.

Yes, every bit of $10K. Some of the bigger companies have relo staffers in their HR departments who will make all these arrangements for you, some won't. I'm not sure they will unpack your dishes for you, so be sure to ask. Not sure if they take away all the empty moving boxes so check on that; I see them offered for free on craigslist all the time by new arrivals. I'm almost certain they won't hang your wall art for you but in some cases there are folks in major cities who'll help with that.