I moved things around when I was younger and regret it.
Let it go. Haul what you can to a consignment store, walk away and start over.
I don't even really bother with selling things on CL anymore as people seem like they won't pay more $20 bucks for anything and you've got to compete with dealers who want to buy things for $20 bucks and resell it for $2000. Not to mention the vast amounts of fraud, flakes, and the endless hassle.
Gifts are the worst as when people give you things you feel like you can't get rid of them. I stopped that mentality. If I get a gift I didn't want it immediately goes back out the door. I don't let it take up my mental space anymore. Sounds harsh, but I've just learned to value space and clarity over clutter.

I also moved around a lot of stuff when I was younger and I regret the money and effort I put in to it all. Keep the things that really mean something to you, get rid of the rest and replace if and when needed. One of the biggest hassles and expense was moving books. When I think about how I shipped boxes of books around the world and dragged them from space to space vs how many times I actually opened them to read again ...

It's taken me many years to let go of gifts, it's a very recent thing for me. I've been de-cluttering over the years and reached a point where the vast majority of things I had left were gifts from people, things I didn't really like. It was a real "a-ha moment"

It sounds like you need to also transport yourself, so if you rent a car, you can probably fit a bunch of stuff into the car. Then send a few other boxes by mail. It would be sad, I think, to give up everything you own.

When you have homeowners insurance you have to make a record of your possessions in order to insure them for fire/theft. I took pictures of each room and listed items, with close ups of serial numbers if needed. Then I searched eBay among other sources to get a sense of what stuff was worth. A few items were a big surprise. The Baughman recliner we rescued from a dumpster is now worth $3000 - nice! The photograph I bought from that talented young photographer 12 years ago? Now worth a whopping $80k! The grand total ended up being about 10x what we thought but we certainly didn't pay that kind of money, and we aren't selling any of it either.

My sister spent years traveling the world as a dancer/singer on cruise ships and a European Hollywood-style musical review. At one point she broke her foot on stage in Germany and after considerable surgery had to fly home after a more than a year abroad. She ended up dumping all her possessions in a post office in Paris and literally having to decide at that moment what she would keep and give up. I always thought that must have been an agonizing decision both literally and figuratively.

A decent bed and sofa ( things I'm squimish about buying used) would cost you that much. If you're happy with the things you have, why wouldn't you want to keep them? Eliminate stuff you don't care about but definitely move the stuff you love.

Also look at Greyhound, they have a package service.

I did 5 major moves in the space of 10 yrs- we've finally settled here in CA, not far from SF. Like you I'm a major sentimentalist & have a hard time parting with things. With every move I did a fair amount of paring & yet it still ended up being a major pain. The Amtrak option is one that a friend recommends and I've heard that Greyhound & other major bus lines also take parcels,furniture,etc. You'll just need a vehicle to go & pick everything up which shouldn't be too cost prohibitive.
I sometimes wish I could jettison everything & start fresh but at this stage in my life I finally have some nice things that are actually worth something besides the sentimental aspect. If I absolutely had to choose what to keep it would be my books and my various collections. I like my furniture but I could replace almost all of it. Keep the most important things that speak to you and forget about the things that can be easily replaced. Good luck!

My husband and I had to move cross country and it was a real eye opener. We actually (because we were moving studio as well) ended up getting a semi to take it accross for us.
But what you should look into is putting your things on a palette. In SF you can easily score one for free, box your items well and plastic wrap them to the pallet. Contact Unishippers They are a great company and I still use them when I need to ship a big order cheaply. You can choose the level of insurance you want for your things. This should be 1/4 the price of your truck. You will need the truck delivering this to have a "tommy lift" to offload your goods. Look into it, and Good Luck!

When I last moved across the country, I moved my entire 750 sq ft apartment with me...
It cost a hell of a lot of money, I have boxes, 3 years later, that I have never unpacked, and furniture I don't have a place or space for...not worth it. Take only what is important. Consider renting a small van and doing it yourself too, or look for small independent movers sometimes they are cheaper, also when you move if you don't need your stuff by a certain date, the price can drop as well.

We moved cross-country 2 years ago. We drove the car packed with the heavy, breakable things we couldn't live without, mailed books media rate and some other stuff ground rate (not priority!), and bought a new mattress. I'm pretty sure we came out ahead, but it's worth running around with a measuring tape and seeing if a treasured piece or two are easily shippable. You may decide not to take them, but at least it'll be an informed decision.

I just went thru the thinking this thru part of your puzzle. I haven't actually acted on the sorting. I made a list of things I felt I couldn't replace (some antique furniture, some artwork) and then kept winnowing till I reached a standstill. I still haven't made any final decisions. There are obvious things you can replace, it's the emotional and expense driven decisions that are the tricky ones. I guess my first suggestion is to list everything you think you want to take and then start subtracting. I found that some items I subtracted gave me serious pause and some I just felt relief when I considered giving them away or selling them. Maybe start with a list and work from there. You might find you have a manageable amount to send. It's does feel nice to have some pieces of your life come along with you.

Definitely downsize on books and music unless you have a strong sentimental connection to your collection. Larger pieces of furniture, like a mattress, couch, etc. are probably worth paying to move if you like them. You might save some change on the move by dumping them, but you'll pay to replace those items. Same with those gift items that are probably decorating your apartment and making it feel like home. You'll want to buy new things to make you feel at home.

Look into doing long haul container shipping. Uhaul will even transport your container for you.

Your last line is probably more important to consider: what would it cost you to replace everything? Could you refurnish your new place for $2400? If you think that's realistic, then it could help you purge some items that you might not be so emotionally attached to.

But I buy things used too, and sometimes it can take a long time to find a piece of furniture that fits the bill. I've been through several incarnations of Craigslist desks and am still working on it (each one has been better than the last, but none has been perfect!). I suggest weighing the hassle/expense-to-replace factor agains the lump moving sum you are faced with.

Then again, starting fresh and hunting for great thrift finds is a fun adventure. (Clearly I'm as undecided as you.)

I moved 5 times in 5 years, including moving halfway across the country and back. Now 5 years later, I'm moving again. I realized I never unboxed some items in those 5 years...most of which I am purging. However, I will save a few sentimental items but not nearly as many as I did 10 years ago.

That being said, I don't think you could replace your items for less than $3000, even buying used, if you are furnishing anything more than a tiny studio. I would purge some items, or place them in storage (you can have a friend clean it out months from now) and see if you miss them.

I moved from Chicago to LA a few years ago and I used freightcenter.com- and now I tell everyone who needs a cheap move because it was an awesome experience! I moved about 40 boxes (of all sizes) and a hope chest (boxed in a u-haul wardrobe box tipped on it's side). It only cost $540 and it was door to door service. They picked everything up, put it on a pallet and then shipped it for me. It did take a few weeks, but at that price I just lived out of a suitcase waiting for my possessions!! I highly recommend it- everything arrived intact and just as I packed it in Chicago.

Good luck!!

You might consider a different shipping option. When I first moved from Texas to the East Coast, I had put my stuff into storage and packed my station wagon to the roof (and put the bike on the roof). Once I had a place and time to get back to Big D, I investigated all different ways to ship from independent one-offs, the big guys and U-hauling it myself. I ended up using ABF's U-Pack service.

Yes, I did end up donating stuff and sharing with friends, but replacing all the furniture, etc. would cost way too much. You pack the shipping box yourself, and they ship it to your destination city. I saved money by packing at their facility, and unpacking at their facility on this end, but they will drop off and pick up for additional fee. I believe the total cost was around $1100, plus a $19.95/day charge for a small u-Haul at this end.

I bribed some friends with Starbucks to help me pack in Dallas, my sister's family required breakfast for the unpacking. :) The $1100 was for a single container, ABF estimates a studio fits in that. They have a space estimator to help you determine how many containers you need. The best part for me, is that I originally thought I would need two, and I was able to reserve both; but when I only needed one, there was no charge for canceling the second.

Take pictures.

Hear me out - take pictures of the things you don't love, but love the person. Then you can use the photos as a mural on your wall of your new apartment. You still have the love, but not the cost.

3 years ago I moved 600 miles. I used ABF u-pack. It cost about 700 dollars. They dropped off a container in my driveway, I packed it, they picked it up and dropped it off at my new place a couple days later. I had 2 issues: some things ended getting scratched because they weren't secure enough (my fault, lesson learned) and I had expected when the trailer was dropped at my destination it would only take an hour or two for it to be dropped off once I was ready and called for it. WRONG, stuff was put on the trailer after my stuff so I had to wait 8+ hours for it which might not be a deal for some people but I didn't have anything to sit on or eat off of or anything to clean with after my cat walked through fireplace soot. It was terrible day to say the least since I drove through the night so I could sign my lease during business hours and move boxes in during daylight hours.

Great tips! Thanks! I've bookmarked ABF for future reference.

Is it possible to rent a U Haul and drive cross country with your stuff in tow? That way, you are only paying for gas and the rental.

My move last year cost $800; I would do it again in a heartbeat. Honestly, the thought of starting completely from scratch would have been so expensive; even if I bought used.

Anyway, you can write off the cost of the move on your taxes (if you meet certain qualifications).

i moved a 450 sq ft apartment across the country. it ended up costing WAY more than i was quoted. because the movers had to go up and down stairs, they charged me extra and would not unload the truck unless i paid. they damaged most of my furniture while moving it. they withheld some rather valuable items that i didn't notice were missing until they'd left. it took months to recover these items, and that only happened because the moving company had stopped paying rent on the warehouse space where they stashed the stuff they "lost." oh, and this moving all took over 6 weeks, even though the company had guaranteed that it would only be 5 days. the quote was $1600 but i ended up paying closer to $4000. i tried to sue the company and i lost because as shady as all the shit they did was, none of it was technically illegal.

rent a uhaul and move your furniture yourself OR just get rid of it and start over. anything else is a MUCH larger headache than simply paying the moving costs.

I used ABF a few years ago and will probably be using them again in a few months. I had three days after they dropped off the "ReLoCube" (I kept calling it a pod and they kept telling me that was another company) to load it. The apartment complex to which I was moving would not allow it to sit on their property (I made the mistake of asking when I should have just had it dropped off) so ABF kept it at their location and I loaded my belongings onto a rental truck. I think they gave me three days to unload it as well. They use a little forklift to put it wherever you wish when they drop it off at your location.

I guess I'm getting older and just don't have the patience to move a lot of stuff again, so I am ruthlessly weeding through my belongings. Even if it has sentimental value, if it was sitting in a closet or a box for the last few years, it isn't going. If it isn't something that I treasured enough to look at or use often, I don't need it.

There are some things I have that I really like that I don't think I could necessarily get something v similar of. So I would want to keep it, even if it cost more to move them than it would to just buy everything new. Assuming I had the money to throw away on this, I probably would. ^^;

Did you ask the cost of getting one of those large storage pods that you pack yourself and then gets shipped/transported across the country? UHaul's does it too, they call theirs a Ubox. For a move from Philly to LA with a pickup date 2 weeks from now on a Friday... 1 Ubox is ~$1500 and will get there in ~12 business days. That would be worth it to me (I live in a small studio, so I could definitely fit all my things in there.)

Have you tried Uship.com?

Unfortunately, the writer is rather vague on how much actual furniture and how much 'boxed' stuff; sentimental or other. For myself, any family is 1700 miles away. I believe I could be pretty harsh in culling 'box' stuff; including the Fiesta, but there's one unusual large piece of furniture and several more smaller 'interesting' pieces of furniture that I'd hate to abandon. Since it's been a while, I'm not sure if commercial movers go solely by weight or also include how much space someone's load will take on a truck.

I've moved 16 times in the last 10 years, no joke. Some of these moves were short down-the-hall of the dorm moves, but the later ones were halfway across the country. I've done the 2 suitcases thing and I've done the professional movers thing. Most recently, after spending 2 years in a 750 sq ft suburban apt, I moved halfway across the country into a tiny 1 BR in a shared urban 3BR. Like you, the value of my stuff was about the same as the cost of moving it and I was on a tight budget.

When I found out I was being transferred back to a "real city" I thought it would be difficult to part with my carefully curated furniture and beloved souvenirs. In fact, the minute I began selling this stuff I began to feel free! I sold, donated, gave away, and junked most of my stuff. I shipped some books and moved everything else in two car loads. I have no regrets. My whole life feels leaner.

It's just stuff! You can get new stuff in your new city that suits your new place! Think of it as an opportunity to redecorate! Beds are expensive, but mattresses only last 5-10 years, so consider how soon you'd have to replace it anyway. Anything IKEA doesn't last that long either and probably isn't worth moving. I would suggest to identify the few most prized items, and consider photographs of the people you love, spending time with them, or other ways to remember them that don't need to be hauled around the country in big boxes.

I'd say you are lucky to not have much stuff of value. I intentionally try NOT to acquire things of value. It's very liberating.. You can just leave everything if you want to. You can donate things without feeling like you should try to sell them to get some of that money back. If you are driving yourself there, you can pack your car full.

One year ago I had the same problem. Not enough stuff to need a truck, too much stuff to leave it all and replace it after moving, and 3,000 miles is too far to make multiple trips. Here's what I found to be the most cost-effective and stress free way to move: I mailed EVERYTHING. Check the USPS website and you can find things are easier to mail then it seems. Snow tires? Just tape a label on them. $26 per tire. My few pieces of furniture? Brought them to the UPS store for careful packaging. $135 for a drop leaf family heirloom table. You can use the websites, and I found the price estimators to be very accurate. I found packing like things together, figuring out the cost to ship a box and then seeing if the contents were worth that to replace made it much easier to eliminate things. If it wasn't, the whole box went to the thrift store. Total cost to ship everything was around $1,200. Worst part? Waiting in line at the Post Office. I broke it up over two weeks, and called the arrival post office to give them a head's up. Regrets? A few things I left behind I have found would have been worth the expense to ship as the cost of replacing them is larger then anticipated. Do I loose sleep over this? Nope. Good luck!

Factor in the time involved in replacing everything after you are at your destination and the price tag may go up.

One of THE nicest things about getting older is NOT having to buy anything anymore (other than food and occasional articles of clothing). Not because of the money angle but because of the time angle. I can read, cook, watch movies, talk to friends, go for a walk, play with my nieces and nephews, travel, just have fun with the time I used to have to spend getting things I did really need to make a home.

Consider the following: a air bed type mattress that deflates and packs into a box (not a camping mattress) and is used on a platform bed which also disassembles; one item/gift from the treasured friend - take a picture of all others; edit art down to those that give you a spark of pleasure each time you view/touch them; take only the books that you will REALLY read again; use vacuum bags to pack bed pillows/comforter.

The dresser versus boxes in a closet is your call. Upholstered sofa/chairs - if you can buy new, consider looking into very light weight/compact (LL Bean used to have some wonderful options).

I'm assuming that you have already done major editing.

Take it from an older person. Let go of your books. Give them away, don't sell them. Just let go. We have maybe 10 books between us that we really will re-read, and then we have the most recent 15 or 20 books we've read, waiting to be given away. And for heaven's sake, don't ship them.

As for the rest, I would advise fitting what you can in your car and starting over at your new place. It's very liberating.

My sister moved some of her larger items across the country with the help of someone she found through Craigs list. He drove some of her things in his half empty pick up in exchange for gas money. They actually kept in touch after the move.

Here's the trick I use. I sit in a room and catalog all the things in it and imagine what would happen if there were a flood/fire/natural disaster that swept them all away. What would I not miss? What would I replace because I need it to live comfortably? What are the irreplaceable things that I would grieve for?

Get rid of anything you wouldn't miss, obviously. Move the things you would grieve for. And for the things that are just useful or necessary for life, those are the things to think about. Some might be worth moving, some might be better replaced.

About books - the above applies to books, too. Get rid of the easily replaceable ones. Use the money you save on an ebook reader, if you don't already have one. Only move the ones that you really either refer to a lot, or just love for some reason [and I say this as a real bookaholic].

I'll be moving in a couple of month and I am selling all my furniture. The only thing I'm moving is books, clothing and some personal effects.

My grandparents used a POD a few years ago & loved it. I've moved cities a few times now and rented a truck (less than a days driving each time) or trailer and done the hard stuff ourselves. Our next move- probably next summer will have us taking less stuff than either of the previous trips. For sure. I've become much more of a minimalist than ever before in my life despite growing up with hoarding parents puppeting the scarcity their war era parents experienced. You'll be a better person for it without so much stuff. It's quite freeing <3 good luck!

I am interested to see and maybe buy some stuffs for my daughter's apartment in Boston. Where can I find those stores or online shopping for these?

I just moved cross country towing a trailer with a toyota celica. I took my time, listened to a lot of books on tape, downloaded loads of new music, and stopped and visited friends and family. Somehow, I got a stellar deal on the trailer (I think because I reserved very far in advance.) $90 from LA to NYC. Gas was a considerable chunk, but I'm happy to have my car. Probably not the method for everyone, but I was able to fit everything I really wanted and got rid of the rest. I've previously shipped, hired moving companies, and gotten rid of everything on distance moves. This has been the most economical and you can pack a lot of stuff in there. It's true you really do have to factor in the cost and time involved in replacing all those little things that you need for daily living despite their lack of sentimental value.

We just moved from Berkeley to Central Massachusetts a few months ago. We sold or gave away our furniture, dishes, pans. All had been Ikea or hand me downs. The new renters who took over our apt were overjoyed to take big furniture, which saved us the hassle of moving. That is something to be truly grateful for!

We shipped our minivan via American Auto in Canton, MA. You can only put up to 100lbs in the vehicle, so we put snowshoes, BOB stroller, blankets. Worked out great. Was here in 10 days in fine shape.

We shipped 5 large-jam packed duffle bags and 7 Medium (Uhaul brand) moving boxes via Amtrak for $200!! I dropped the items off in Emeryville on a Wednesday and they were in Worcester the following Wednesday all in great shape. Highly recommend this method of shipping. We explored all other options and it made the most sense as we too did not have any furniture, china, etc.

We also shipped 4 boxes of books via Media Mail (USPS). By far the best deal.

Personally, I say thin it out as much as possible, ship only what you can't replace or what is light! We've been amazed by the generosity of friends and family who have basically replaced everything we left behind with their hand me downs.

For items of sentimental value: consider giving them to your friends/family with a "I've really enjoyed this item and thought it fit your style too, I'd like you to have it." That way you can pass on the sentimentalism of the item without just tossing it. And if the giver ever asks about it, you can say that you just couldn't bring it with you, but you know that the person you gave it to is enjoying it as much as you did.

Also, I love the mirror and desk in the picture. Mmm.

Honestly, I have never though about the total worth of my possessions, but maybe it is high time to do so. I am planning a long-distance move in about three months, and I would really need to figure this out. Thank you for sharing!

You can replace everything. Photographs, people and old items aren't easy to replace.. Actually people cannot be replaced! ;)

All the "stuff" we fill our houses with is just that, stuff. It can be replaced.

Anything with true sentimental value - the necklace you wear all-the-time from your long dead great, great grandmother? Don't throw/ sell it, keep it.

Your bed, couch, kitchen gear? All can be replaced.

Portlandrules,

I completely agree with you about gifts I don't want going immediately out the door without any guilt. It was given to me and now it is mine to do whatever I wish with it, even donating it to my local Salvation Army or giving that gift certificate I will never use to someone else because I know they will use it. My family at first found this scandalous but they have gotten used to it and jokingly say "now don't donate this."

I have moved a lot but not cross country usually renting a U-haul and driving it myself. I would say to keep the essentials that you use every week for cooking,bedding, linens, clothing,computer, some lamps and a carton of sentimental things. Keep only the good quality furniture but donate the rest. Decorative but not essential items that don't fit in the box donate, give or sell. The books donate them all except the ones that are out of print, you can always buy them again. Get rid of any furniture that is not of good quality you can always buy furniture in your new city. A new mattress and metal bed frame from a local mattress maker for less than $600 including delivery (avoid the national chains), a card table and folding chair with a lamp can do in a pinch for furniture.

Try Eddie's furniture, Sunshine Lucy's and Metamorphosis.

First off let me say that things are just things. They don't contain the persons essence even if by looking at them the moment or the person comes to mind. I like the commenter who said to take photos of everything and create a mural.

That said however - I've done the starting over from scratch bit and it blows.

You need to have the foundation of your home to not get home sick. A new apartment is not your home and you don't want to feel disconnected from yourself because none of the things in your sanctuary aren't really yours yet...even if you paid for them and like them. They aren't home.

In 2009, I moved to NY. I sold everything but my car and my cloths and moved. I started over from scratch. It was economical (all but the beds - because they don't let you buy a used bed there - bed bugs are rampant - gross) HOWEVER it left this big gapping hole in my home looks. It never quite felt like home. I bought stuff and tried to get the home feel back, and eventually it worked.

Cut to 2011, I moved the 1700 miles back home and this time I brought my stuff. No not everything...actually my friends in NY ended up with some pretty awesome new stuff. But I shipped all my sentimental stuff and my son's toys and the things that I couldn't part with for whatever reason. I ended up with 11 boxes measuring 16 x 16 x 16 each and only spent around $300 on freight through UPS. By the time we have made the journey home our things were here waiting for us. It was easier this time around because it wasn't a total do over...it was more like home at the end of each day.

I don't know how much I would pay to keep my stuff. We have a lot of vintage furniture that would probably be difficult to replace in an affordable and timely manner, but at the same time, it's just stuff. If we had a house fire and lost everything, the only things that are truly irreplaceable, that I would genuinely mourn, are my pets.

It's not necessarily just how much your stuff is worth, but also if it's cheaper to replace it or to keep it. When my mother moved cross country, she paid for her furniture to be shipped because it was all brand--new.

I recently moved from Baltimore to Seattle and had this same issue. I was able to fit almost all of my clothing, vintage Pyrex, and sentimental goodies in my Honda Civic and spent under $300 on gas. I also shipped a lot of clothing and media items. All of my antique and valuable furniture is in storage at my brother's home until I can someday afford to get it out here (or move back.) With the help of Ikea, Craigslist and an on-loan couch, we were able to furnish our new apartment for less than $500. I highly encourage this route. You won't have to feel guilty about giving these items up the next time you move.