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Considering using PODS instead of having to rent a truck and haul down my stuff. Has anybody had positive or negative experiences. The price is right for what they offer it seems but I would love any insight you all could provide.
I used them for the move from Wake Forest to Durham, and had a great experience... We had a huge problem with moving the two PODS from WF to Durham (totally NOT their fault, my driveway was not wide enough, the sod was brand new and they couldn't park on it). They were wonderful about coming back to collect the POD on the same day they dropped it off (not due to come back for two days and it was the day before a holiday), and moved the second one (which had already been delivered, wouldn't fit, and had to be moved to the street) back into the driveway.... They were awesome, I can't say enough wonderful things about the service!
We also used PODS when we moved here from RI last year. They were so accomodating! They delivered our POD about 3 days prior to our move to give us plenty of time to load it. We only used one as we got rid of a lot of furniture before our move. They picked it up when promised. We had the POD stored at their Raleigh facility (near the airport) for a few weeks until we moved into our home. We packed it with likely needed items towards the door - so we could call them a day ahead and gain access to our stuff as needed. Great overall experience!
From a convenience standpoint PODS is great. We used the large one to declutter the house before selling. It was packed 100% full.
From a cost standpoint, it's more expensive than I think it should be. For us, it was cheaper to have movers unload our PODS pod, move it, and unload it, than to have PODS transport it. Each situation is different, though - miles of travel, weight, etc.
Check into having a moving company pack and move things for you. It's not as much as you may think, and the time and effort savings is well worth the extra $$. But I would use PODS again.
We used PODS for our move from NJ to NC a few years ago. We also stored our unit for a few months while we rented a furnished apt and job hunted.
We used movinglaborbrokers.com to help us load/unload the heavy stuff (and some light stuff!) Their prices are reasonable and WORTH it. Both businesses were courteous, professional and also helped us out of a bind we were put in by another labor company that never showed up!
PODS is your best bet if you really need storage but it is so much more expensive than other methods of moving. so be prepared for huge price difference. That storage aspect is expensive.
PODS is your best bet if you really need storage but it is so much more expensive than other methods of moving. so be prepared for huge price difference. That storage aspect is expensive.
Well, the price quotes we were getting from movers was in the $7k to $10k range for a relocation from NJ to NC, depending upon who packed.
Pods cost us about $1400 not including the $200/month storage we used until we actually relocated (we sold our home, put all our stuff in storage while we job hunted in NC). And it cost us about $270 on each end for the loading/unloading...so add another $540 to that.
So maybe if you are moving from town to town something other than PODS is cheaper but relocating, for us....PODS was WAY more affordable.
Lauren
PS...this was 3 years ago so not sure if prices have changed.
I did not use PODS but a similar service. they were cheaper but the boxes were smaller so I needed more boxes (still ended up cheaper). I say do it. It's much easier.
I echo Bilirubin and No Kudzu...PODS are very expensive. Are you SURE you estimated the proper amount of PODS needed?
Likewise, how many moving quotes did you shop around?
I moved a 2/2, 1100 sq foot apartment from LA to NC, most decidedly not a "town-to-town" move, and the PODS quote was something like $3800, and full service movers quoted anything from $3200 to $7000 (no boxing). ABF, another "you-pack" service, was slightly less than PODS but not much...maybe $3200. In the end it was a no brainer to use a mover.
So I guess my question comes down to making sure the quote is right, because those two numbers, based on my personal experience, don't seem to agree with one another.
My only experience with PODS is requesting quotes for moving my kid's stuff from distant college campus apartments back to our home. They were about 3X the cost of renting a truck.
You need packing boxes with both scenarios. You need to pack and unpack with both scenarios, or hire someone to do it for you. You will need to buy the fuel for the rental truck and maybe rent a tow dolly for another vehicle, two costs not necessary with PODS.
The determining factor may be the amount of belongings you need to move. Rental truck costs for one-way trips of 700 to 1,000 miles (I have done this too many times!) for a 12 to 16 ft truck are usually in the $500 to $700 range. The direction of travel makes a huge difference for truck rental - MI to FL was significantly more expensive than FL to MI for example.
Temperature controlled storage units of a 5x10 size will run about $100 per month. You may need storage unit(s) if you rent a truck but cannot move your belongings directly into your new residence. This also will require a second truck rental, local only, and another packing/unpacking sequence. Potentially additional advantages for the PODS option.
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Definitely compare prices
