There are four options available to you when you move yourself. Some involve driving or not driving a truck. However, no matter what option you choose, you'll have to decide on who will help you to load and unload that truck or moving pod.

You can save a great deal of money and have more control over your goods and furnishings if you move yourself. There are four options available to you: Rent a Truck, do a U Pack Truck Rental, use Moving Pods, and use an Unpacking Service.

What you end up choosing depends on the quality, quantity and kinds of goods and furniture that you have to move, the timing, and just how much effort you want to put into the move. For example, a do it yourself move may be out of the question if you have a grand piano, expensive works of art, and other large furniture pieces to move. You'll have a better idea of what is right for you after reading this article. Just keep in mind that there is no ideal solution.

1) Moving Pods
You see moving pods these days in a variety of colors all over the country. They are especially popular with college students. The pods come in various sizes; the most common being about 5 feet x 7 feet. That is about the size of a bathroom with a tub in it.

The most popular moving pods we see in the Washington DC area are 1-800-PACK-RAT, PODS and Door to Door. We don't have experience using them, so drop us a line if you do. All the companies offer free quotes for moving only, storage only, or both moving and storage. If you are moving, the scenario plays out like this:

A large truck will deliver the pod(s) to your home and place them in your driveway, parking lot, etc. Make sure you have permission to place the pods in these places before you order them. Then you move your stuff and pack it in the pods. Once completed, the company picks up the pods and delivers them to their final destination at a specified date. You then unload it. You can also have your moving pod company store your stuff and get it later.

The nice thing about moving pods is that you don't have to rush the move and don't have to drive a large truck. Also you don't have to carry your stuff up a ramp. The downside is that moving pods can't remain outdoors too long. They weather resistant and not weather proof.

2) U Pack Truck Rental
Just as the name implies, you pack your things and get them into a truck trailer. When you are done, the company picks up the trailer and takes it to your new home. The truck trailer is left at you new residence and you unload it.



We have never used this type of service, but it might be right for you if you have a lot of things and don't want any part of driving a truck. You only pay for the space you use on the truck trailer. We discovered this company when we reviewed ApartmentRatings.com in our Millennial Time Savers Blog.

You still may need some help on either end loading and unloading the truck. However, you'll avoid the hassle of driving a truck and potential breakdowns on the road. Plus, the move should be less hectic because you won't under pressure to return the moving truck as you would in the first option.

3) Rent a Truck
Renting a truck is pretty straight forward. Popular moving truck rental companies like U-Haul, Ryder and Budget Trucks are available at many locations. You either rent them for a local move or a one-way move. The latter means you are not returning the truck back to its original location. The truck rental companies also can provide furniture pads, hand truck to move boxes and refrigerators, and rope to tie everything down. The cost of the truck rental is based on the size of the truck, the number of days you rent it, whether it's week day or weekend, and the number of miles you drive.

In the Washington DC area the mileage charge is $0.75 per mile. The rates on weekends are also higher. Try to avoid moving at the end or beginning of a school year. Also prices may vary by season. Reserve your truck at least a week in advance.

The truck rental companies will help you determine what size truck you need. If you have tall pieces of furniture make sure that you get the truck with the greatest vertical door clearance. That's probably going to mean a 24 foot truck which is a pretty big rig. A bigger truck means you can get more in it and don't have to make so many trips.

Also make sure you or someone else is comfortable driving the truck. Check with your automobile insurance agent to see if you are covered. If not, you will have to get insurance coverage from the truck rental company, which can be pretty expensive.

We have done some local moves this way on weekends using Budget Truck and U-Haul Truck Rental. For two days, it costs about $350 and that includes furniture pads, refrigerator hand truck to move heavy furniture, fuel and boxes. It does not include medicine or doctor's fees for back aches or bruises incurred.

The biggest issue with renting a moving truck is getting your stuff into the truck and then back out. You either need some very strong family members and/or friends or you'll have to hire people. Most of the truck rental companies have people who will actually help you move. We have not used their services though. Finally, move money, jewelry, valuables and fragile items separately.

4) Unpacking Services
One thing that you might consider to reduce the stress of moving is an unpacking service. Lets face it, many of us could use some help to sought things out and get them into their proper places. The goal of any unpacking service is to restore a degree of sanity to your upside downed life as fast as possible. Unpacking services send people to your house and they unpack and assemble a room. They can work independently or with you.

We have never used an unpacking service, but some friends did. In fact, the unpacking service was actually a gift of the our friend's mother. Unfortunately, we don't know the name of the company. Nevertheless, we are providing the names of two unpacking firms- Busy Buddies, which serves the Washington DC area and At Home Unpacking Service which serves Los Angeles County California.