Arranging a Move from Afar Due to the Novel Coronavirus
Thoughtful BPN members,
I write from IL, where I've been since just before the pandemic struck. I need to move the contents of my apartment in the Bay Area to here, and I'm completely flummoxed over how to do it from afar. I have some friends in the Bay Area who have kindly offered to help with "whatever you need," but I don't know what to ask them to do, if anything. I hate to impose, and with moving, no less - it's an atrocious task in the best of circumstances. Does anyone have any ideas? Would you hire a moving company to pack and move your home, and if so, what company, or how would you evaluate prospective movers? What would you ask them? I don't know how to do this with any kind of confidence that I'll receive all of my apartment's contents or at the fee quoted in an estimate. I'm a little overwhelmed thinking "What if...' If you had to do this, how would you go about it to minimize the stress and maximize the chances that you'd receive all of your home's contents, intact, at a reasonable price, and in a reasonable amount of time? Thank you all very much, and I hope everyone is staying safe and sane.
Parent Replies
I understand your dilemma . I would hire West Coast movers to do a pack and move. I've used them several times and they are reputable and reasonably priced..
I’ve used ADHD Movers. (You can check them out on Yelp.) They are extremely well priced and they do pack and moves.
We used Flat Rate movers when we moved from
NYC. They’ll pack all your stuff or you can pack it yourself. They gave me an estimate and that’s what I paid. It took about 3 weeks to get my stuff (back in 2011).
I understand why this can feel overwhelming but luckily moving companies are totally set to handle it. I’ve used Mayflower for two cross country moves and my parents are about to use Allied for their cross country move. I would suggest asking a friend to be there while they do a walk through and give you an estimate. Be sure to specify that the moving company will be doing the packing (it’s only a few hundred dollars more and SO worth it!) Then once you decide on a company and book it, I would just ask a friend to be there to oversee. Not that the moving company will need anything but hopefully it will give you peace of mind. They’ll give you an itemized accounting of all the boxes and you can double check when it all arrives to you. Be sure to check on the company’s insurance and if you should get extra insurance though I never have.
Good luck!
Try Roadway Movers. We used them for a move from NYC to Oakland after they were referred to us, and I could not recommend them highly enough. They're super honest and reliable, and their price was the best. They also came to our apartment for an in-person quote. I would see if they'd be able to visit your apartment when a friend is there to give you a quote to pack everything for you and ship it.