[NicknRo]

Finally! We are planning on moving from Central Massachusetts to TV this May. We have been interviewing various movers and the bids are all over the place.
Looking from some advice from other folks that have recently moved.....suggestions for movers....what should we be expecting for cost? Has anyone used the POD method? If so, which one? We are boxing our own items and will have 2 bedrooms, kitchen set and some end tables.
Thanks for all of your help and we can't wait!!!

[Count'n the days]

We used Allied Van Lines. We received bids which were all very close. We had used Allied before with a corporate move and had already had a good experience so when their bid was also the lowest it was a no brainer for us. I am sure your price will be based on how much and how far you move. We moved 1,100 miles and it cost around $4,500. We moved enough to fill a 1950 sf house. With the price of fuel down I would think if we moved today it may be less. But who knows how it would compare after three years. BTW we did our own packing. The local Allied affiliate gave us as many used boxes we wanted. The boxes you buy at Lowes and Home Depot are not nearly the quality as what they use.

I suggest you get rid of everything you're not 100% sure you want because once you get here you won't even want some of the things you thought you did. The move itself will be physically hard and once you get here you'll be anxious to get settled and into your new lifestyle.

There are several consignment stores in the area that will help you sell things you find you don't want after you arrive as well as be a resource for purchasing "new to you" items.

Good luck. Hope this helps.

[OldManTime]

Just think about what you really need here in Florida, the florida decor (look) is different, that old wooden furniture i had in Ma. trashed here in fla.

[Sandtrap328]

Start going through things NOW to get rid of many years of "stuff". Remember, no basements here to store that stuff.

Buying Florida style furniture is a great idea instead of the darker New England furniture - and it will be new for your new life!

For packing, we used the plastic bins as much as possible. We had The Villages help coordinate in finding realtor and mover. Very helpful!

[graciegirl]

The first home here we decorated Florida style...loved it.


The second home here we brought our old furniture.... love it.


Bring what you love. It costs the same to bring or buy new.


We will verse you on how to pahk your cah.


Welcome home, hope you love it like I do.

[asianthree]

Our up north furniture is real wood. Better than anything I have found here. It breaks down to the same cost if not more to buy. And I find that the Florida furniture contains as much dark wood as anywhere else

[HoosierPa]

I would give the same advice as previous posts. We sold EVERYTHING up North and bought everything new in our new home in The Villages. So glad we did. Fresh Start, Fresh Décor. Good Luck

[MikeV]

We got rid of or sold almost everything before moving here. What was left fit in a POD. We loaded it ourselves and it was delivered on time in our driveway. We hired two young men to help us unload it and it was picked up two days later. We were very happy with POD and would use it again.

We used a company called Pack & Ride.They drop off a trailer in your yard.,you pack it and only pay for the space you need in the trailer.They then pack the rest of the trailer with dry goods for Walmmart or someone like that drive it down . You then call them when you arrive here . They drive to your house and drop the trailer in your driveway. You unpack it and the come back to pick up the empty trailer.We absolutely loved doing this because we couldn't be in Florida for 3 weeks and they stored the trailer in Ocala and waited for our call to deliver, Great company. Their toll free number is 1-866-550-7225 their website is packandride.com. Good luck and if you have any questions give me a call at 508-868-7237...My name is Mark

[villagetinker]

We used United Van lines, as they were the only one that stated the truck would not go to a transfer station, meaning the truck that was packed in PA was the same truck that would be unloaded in FL. I had heard horror stories about the use of transfer stations. WE TOOK WAY TOO MUCH SOUTH!!!! 2 years later still getting rid of stuff.
The above comments are all very good.

[duhbear]

If I had it to do again, I would sell everything; buy new here in Florida and save a ton of money and aggravation.

[JoelJohnson]

From Attleboro we used ABF. They dropped the trailer off in our driveway, we hired some local movers to load the trailer (used 7 feet, which included a master bedroom set and two love seats and two chairs). Used the Village Movers to unload it.
Only word of advice --- Cover everything incase the trailer leaks, our's did, but only one small throw rug got ruined.
As they say, get rid of everything you can live without.

[HoosierPa]

Originally Posted by Bosoxfan

We used a company called Pack & Ride.They drop off a trailer in your yard.,you pack it and only pay for the space you need in the trailer.They then pack the rest of the trailer with dry goods for Walmmart or someone like that drive it down . You then call them when you arrive here . They drive to your house and drop the trailer in your driveway. You unpack it and the come back to pick up the empty trailer.We absolutely loved doing this because we couldn't be in Florida for 3 weeks and they stored the trailer in Ocala and waited for our call to deliver, Great company. Their toll free number is 1-866-550-7225 their website is packandride.com. Good luck and if you have any questions give me a call at 508-868-7237...My name is Mark

this phone number is not pack and ride - it is a commercial

[NicknRo]

Thanks. Was it hard to find labor to offload?

[justjim]

It is a personal decision but I have talked with several couples who said "I wish we had just brought our personal must have stuff and purchased new furniture when we got here because it cost so much to transport our furniture to Florida". We didn't have that problem because we downsized up north and moved most of our "stuff" into a condo and sold/gave away the rest. After we got here we bought new furniture.

Everybody's situation is different but think carefully before you decide. Happy travels.