So I’ve volunteered to help my niece move her stuff to NYC. She already has an apartment in Manhattan and it has a doorman. She says she doesn’t have much stuff but I suspect she has more than she thinks. If it fits, she’d like to bring her twin mattress. Other than that, she has clothes, a small dresser, a tv, toiletries. Her last apartment was furnished and her roommates had kitchen stuff so nothing of that sort.
I feel like we are such country bumpkins so bear with me. We have a Subaru Outback. My H’s first suggestion was to rent a trailer. My D says there is no way we should drive a trailer into NYC. She thinks it’s a really bad idea. I don’t think all of neices stuff will fit in our car without a trailer as there are 3 of us plus my H and I’s bag. Plus a blow up bed so we can stay with her.
Options I’ve brainstormed. One, is that 2 people drive the car and 1 (probably me) will take the train. That would open up room in the car plus I can take our bag on the train. Two, rent a U-Haul truck that fits 3, drive that. Our D will drive our car to her town and h and I will take a bus to her house. Three, is to rent the trailer and drive it. And park our car somewhere in NYC. Niece will figure out the parking.
I’m sure people move to NYC every day, I think we are over complicating this. Poor niece was going to have to move herself and I didn’t want that to happen.
Any advice on how to work this out? And if you have any encouragement, most appreciated
Renting a U Haul sounds like the best idea to me, although how difficult will it be to find a vehicle that seats three? Not sure about that. Were you planning on leaving the U Haul in NYC or driving it home? You may find parking difficulties but that is going to be the case with a car that has a trailer. I imagine she knows this but it might be worth reminding her to speak to the building management at the new place about moving in and what, if any, restrictions/reservations/deposits are necessary.
How nice of your and your H. Both of my kids live in NYC. I would think that the Outback would be easier to maneuver in NYC and would pose less of a problem if you have to double park while unloading (have one person stay in the car if you double park in case you have to move the car). And it would be much easier to park a car (either on the street or in a lot) it if you stay to get things settled in the apartment after things are unloaded.
If your niece is new to NYC she should be aware that many buildings (especially the nicer doorman buildings) have certain times for move in that must be pre-arranged with the building so they can make the freight elevator available and some buildings even charge a move-in fee so I would try to politely check that she has made any necessary arrangements with the building (or will before you move). Some buildings have a dolly or something that they will let you use for unloading as well.
We’ve found that renting a minivan worked well – unfortunately, ours died halfway through college! The minivan should let you put down seats and will give you unfettered space. Just a warning – it may be cheaper to do a round trip vs. one-way drop off fees, esp in NYC.
I looked up a one way rental for a minivan. $189, 79 for the rental 93 for the one way drop off. We’ll be in the city for a couple of days, getting her settled. I wonder if renting one way would be cheaper than paying to park our car?
Niece was having trouble renting a car as she’s under 25. She could but it was going to be double of what I was quoted for a much smaller car.
Parking is expensive in the city but you can check lots in your niece’s area and get an idea of the charges. One thing to check with a mini-van rental is how the seats work re: folding down, etc. Not all mini-vans allow for the middle seats to be folded down, some have to have the seat totally removed from the vehicle. Just thinking about this since you have three people to transport as well. Depending how much room you need. Have your niece measure the mattress and the dresser she’s moving to make sure that they will fit, along with everything else that is going. Good luck!
Enterprise has reasonable rates for <25 yo drivers. You should confirm a move-in time before you make too many plans for a one day trip. The car rental office may be closed.
After clothes she needs to prioritize what needs to be moved. She may be able to buy a reasonably priced dresser from Wayfair.
In NYC it is much easier to get street parking on Sun, otherwise you could run into problem of getting a ticket while unloading if your car is not a commercial vehicle. One other thing to be careful of is you should always have one person staying with the car while you are running stuff up to the apartment or you risk someone taking your stuff. Depending on the apartment building, if it is a white glove building then you would not be able to move in on weekends. I have moved D2 to college on weekends by being very nice (tip) my doorman and super. Your niece’s building may also charge her a move in fee. You may be better off in renting an Uhaul one way and taking a train back. I just looked up a rate from NJ with a one way drop off and it is 110.
It is very nice of you to help your niece with this. I have helped my daughter move a few times in Manhattan and there are definitely some unique complexities so you are smart to think through the details. The first time we rented some kind of van/SUV from Enterprise so we could fit everything in one trip. Personally I would find a UHaul or trailer very difficult to manage. We were able to park right in front of the building but still had to keep one of us with the car at all times. Once the unloading was complete we parked the car nearby. Be aware that most parking garages charge a surcharge for oversized cars.
She definitely needs to speak with building management and get all the details. At one building we had to reserve the elevator way in advance and also provide a security deposit to bldg management for potential damage to the elevator and hallways. I seem to remember it was in the $2000 range and they wouldn’t schedule the elevator until they had the check. We purchased a mattress in the city and arranged for delivery. The building required the mattress store to provide proof of a $1million liability policy in order to use the freight elevator. The delivery companies are very used to this requirement but you do have to factor in extra time to complete the paperwork. For some reason the first couple of insurance certificates were rejected by the building for some small technicality. Thankfully all buildings are not this strict so my daughter’s last move was much easier.
Yes, the advice in the post above is helpful. If she is moving into a doorman building the freight elevator is going to have to be reserved and she is going to have to clear the move in with the doormen or concierge. There are rules regarding hours for move ins and the number of move ins permitted in one day. Most buildings have a move in fee which can run $500-$750. Depending on where the building is located parking can be problematic. Your niece should talk to the doormen or concierge and figure out how the building manages move ins. Many buildings require a certificate of insurance from the movers or you if you are handling the move yourself.
As far as the vehicle is concerned I would recommend the SUV – in Manhattan it will likely be problematic parking anything larger for any length of time. Again your building staff can be helpful here – they have been through this hundreds of time and they will know the routine in that particular building.
Communication with the building staff before the move is critical. Have some readily available $20’s to tip the building super and doormen who will coordinate the move.
Leave the mattress at home (a twin mattress probably doesn’t cost that much??) and after you leave, leave your air mattress with her to use until she gets her mattress delivered. Could you fit all her stuff in the Outback with the 3 of you if you don’t take the mattress? Maybe while you’re there you can drive to a Costco or something and get the mattress and bring it to the house - then you don’t have to leave the air mattress!
DD moved to Manhattan for grad school. My small SUV is about an Outback size. We brought down unassembled desk and dresser from IKEA, flat in boxes, as well as needed items. She ordered bed in Manhattan; they delivered and assembled. Since it was a 4th floor walk-up, she hired movers who met us there, hauled up her stuff and boxes. Two men; two hour minimum. They got everything up in 15 minutes and spent remainder of time assembling all the furniture. They were very reasonably priced and perfectionists.
Next day we went to a nearby BB and B that delivered. She purchased necessary items and they arrived as scheduled same evening. Loved not having large vehicles. We moved the stuff early Sunday morning; excellent plan for minimizing hassles.
If unaccustomed to urban moves, remember to check with building re: their regs; some stagger times, only allow certain days to move, etc. (opps-apologies for my redundancy)
In a doorman building, more than likely there are rules to be followed. Probably move -ins are only allowed at certain specified times. Certificate of insurance, etc. may be required. We did not have to pay any move-in fees, but we did have to do it at certain times and arrange for proof of insurance for any furniture deliveries.
Unless you’re very used to driving with a trailer, I wouldn’t recommend that option. Heck, it may not even be an option at all since the Outback’s tow rating is pretty low - think it was something like 1500 pounds if you have the standard engine and 2500 pounds if you have the 6 cyl + tow package. You’ll be surprised how much even an empty trailer weighs.
Pulling a trailer in a straight line is simple, but if you need to do anything other than that like maneuvering into tight turns or backing it up, you’ll find it takes some practice. Sounds like a recipe for disaster in an unknown situation like a highly populated urban area. I once had to tow my racing sailboat through NYC and even though I’m comfortable trailering it and it was 4 in the morning so relatively little traffic, it wasn’t fun. The idea of having to find a place to park it sounds next to impossible.
Thanks so much for all of the great advice. I love this place. Where else could I find people who have done this? I didn’t have any clue about having a time to move in. Makes a lot of sense though, my D moved into a condo complex once years ago and now I remember that there were rules.
Ok, not one person thinks the trailer is a good idea, I will tell them that is off the list.
I am feeling so much better, if you couldn’t tell, this move had me a bit stressed. My kids are old enough now that we haven’t done this in a while.
U-Haul rents a cargo van. Just moved FIL to assisted living. Was able to fit 2 reclining chairs ,2 end tables, a fold up manual treadmill, clothes, lamps, and various odds and ends. Easy to drive , but only seats 2. Oh and a dresser. No bed. Picked up sat returned Monday ,drove round trip 160 mi, for $238.00.