Recommendations for professional movers?

[collectquotidn]

We are moving from SC to Chicago in a few months and are trying to decide if it's worth it to hire professional movers or do it ourselves. My family has always done it ourselves, but I have a ten month old and just don't know if I can manage it.

For those of you who've used professional movers, was it worth it? What company would you recommend? I don't want to get caught in a scam....

[rivermom]

I would be interested in this also as we are moving from So Ca to Texas.  Hopefully someone will respond.  We just moved from Az to So Ca for my dd medical needs. But thinking Texas is a better place.

[Peony]

You can get free quotes from companies, I'd stick with national companies to avoid scams, ones like Atlas, Mayflower. You don't want to go with a local, small budget company or pay independent people to move. You want a well known company to handle liability, worker's comp, any of the those potential moving problems.   Summer is prime moving time and sometimes the larger companies will book up in advance and stop taking reservations. I've heard that you can cancel the reservation later with no little hassle but trying to get one later if you decide to go that route can prove troublesome. Taking in account the way gas prices are these days, the DIY version can look less and less appealing. With the Uhaul and Budget trucks, they do overbook their reservations and a truck may or may not actually on there on the day you need it. We've encouraged that ourselves a couple times. I haven't moved cross country myself, just know many that have. 

[zebra15]

I am moving about 2200 miles in the next month and its just not cost effective to 'move' much. Roughly its $2/mile for either professional movers OR something like 'pack rat'.  I won't even price U-haul with gas over $4/gallon.

I am selling most of my furniture, most of my other 'stuff' and either shipping boxes via USPS media mail for books and fed-ex for other stuff or I need to still price a pallet through fed-ex for the boxes.  The clothes and few very important personal items will go in the car with us.

Honestly the boxes that ship are mainly going to have DS lego collection, books, and things like that. 

Most everything else can be replaced cheaper than shipping.

[mnnice]

I did a coorporate relocation in 2001 and it cost about 10K to move a large two bedroom townhouse full of stuff approximately 300 miles.  It was great everything was packed for use and then the big stuff was placed in the right rooms and we unpacked ourselves. DH still had to move his boat himself.

I am in the midst of another less generous corporate relocation right now where we get 3K of expenses reimbursed.  I think we are going to just end up using a U-haul.  My quote on the truck was about $400 for a one way rental (approximately 450 miles) plus the fuel.  We already took one load with our truck and a 6 by 12 foot trailer.

Pods are another choice.  I would use them in an instant if we where moving to a situation that was more temporary or where I didn't have a bunch of outbuilding to store stuff in.

Anyway I think it is generally an area where DYI is worth it especially if you are moving one your own dime.  It is less stressful to move professionally, but IMO not that much less.