<p>I am looking for ideas on the best way to get D’s stuff out of Chicago! She put her belongings into a storage unit a few months ago while she completed a couple clinical rotations out of state. She has since graduated, has since determined she will not be staying in Chicago, and we’re trying to figure out the best (cheapest) way to get a storage unit full of stuff back to the Atlanta area. </p>
<p>We are all too familiar with the typical fly/rent a truck/move yourself scenario. However, I recall others mentioned different options. Sometimes, by the time you calculate all the costs, perhaps the do-it-yourself method isn’t always the best?</p>
<p>I was hoping any folks familiar with the area might have specific recommendations for companies they used, to pack/ship, help with moving if H can’t be along, or any other creative ideas. </p>
<p>Midwesterner, she has a storage room which holds slightly less than a 1 bedroom apartment (no sofa). Her stuff fills to the gills the small truck size that Uhaul has.
But it’s enough that it’s more than a few boxes, ie kitchen table chairs, bed, large desk/hutch, occasional chairs and a few small tables, TONS of clothes, and pretty much enough to stock a full kitchen.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure the storage unit is either right in or adjacent to Wrigleyville. </p>
<p>Looking forward to any suggestions you (or anyone!) may have.</p>
<p>I don’t really know anything about costs, just know that they exist, but Google for “moving Pods” - they need specifics for quotes. You could add “Chicago to Atlanta” for more specifics. There’s one called SmartBox that looks interesting and got mostly top reviews on Yelp.</p>
<p>A million years ago, fighting off the dinos, in 1982 I called NorthAmerican Vanlines and for less money that the UHaul truck rental, they moved my 1 BR apartment full of stuff from Chicago to Connecticut.</p>
<p>A mere 7 years ago, I called NorthAmerican and they sent an estimator to my mom’s old house to look at the furniture and boxes of stuff that I’d inherited, and they gave me an estimate for shipping everything from Iowa to Maryland. It was considerably less than a UHaul rental, and the final price on delivery was even less. My small move was “consolidated” with several other small moves headed in the same direction. If your daughter doesn’t need her things at a specific date (just within a one month window or so), this is probably the least expensive way to do it.</p>
<p>Many thanks for these suggestions. After so many do-it-yourself moves, the thought of a moving company doing it is appealing–I always thought it would be way more expensive! By the time you add up the cost of flying one way, the move itself, one night (or more) hotel, the truck, the gas, and all the work, well, who WOULDN’T want to do it this way? And yes, because she’s still looking for work and hanging with us, she’s not in a huge hurry to get the stuff. </p>
<p>I guess the trick is how to get the stuff out of storage without her having to be there?
I’ll start looking into it.</p>
<p>If anybody out there is aware of any smaller companies that also do this sort of thing, would love names/recommendations.</p>
<p>Thanks to all who’ve replied so far. It’s always amazing to me how much help CC is, on ANY subject.</p>