c/moving-and-storage

The mover who sorted my books by color instead of size

I hired a two-man crew to help me move out of my second floor walkup in Pittsburgh last month. One of the guys, maybe 50 years old, spent a solid 20 minutes rearranging all my boxes of books before they left. I walked in and saw him pulling out each book, holding it up, and putting it in a new box based on the spine color. He told me he 'couldn't stand looking at a rainbow with no order.' I was trying to get out by noon and he's over there making a gradient from navy to teal. When I asked him to just pack them by size instead, he gave me a long sigh and said I was missing out on 'visual peace.' I ended up tipping him anyway because he didn't complain about the stairs. Has anyone else had a mover do something weirdly personal with their stuff?

2 comments

clairer79•1mo ago

Debate: should you hire movers or DIY when stairs are involved in Boston

I was moving from a third floor walkup in Somerville last month and my friend said to just rent a truck and do it ourselves. We got half the furniture down before my couch got stuck on the landing and we were stuck for 45 minutes. I ended up calling Two Men and a Truck at the last minute for $380 to finish the job. So what do you think, is it worth paying extra for pros when there are narrow stairs or tight turns, or do you just muscle through it yourself?

2 comments

aliceg61•1mo ago

PSA: those plastic moving bins from U-Haul near Portland can turn into a nightmare in the rain

I rented 40 of them for a cross-town move last Saturday and the tops popped off when a light drizzle hit, soaking my couch cushions before I could even get them in the truck; has anyone else had them fail in wet weather or was I just unlucky?

2 comments

wright.kevin•1mo ago

Wasted $300 on those snap-together modular storage cubes that looked great in the showroom

Bought a set of those fabric and particleboard cube shelves from a big box store for my new apartment in Columbus, and the dividers started sagging after 3 months under the weight of a few blankets. Has anyone found a budget storage system that actually holds up for more than a year?

3 comments

diana_black22•2mo ago

Rant: Why I stopped using bubble wrap for everything

I used to wrap every single dish and glass in layers of bubble wrap when I moved. Spent like $60 on two big rolls for my last move from Austin to Dallas. Then I realized the stuff takes up so much space in the box you can barely fit anything. Last year I switched to using old t-shirts and towels from my closet instead. Saves money and I don't have to deal with popping bubble wrap or recycling it later. Plus the clothes cushion just as well for plates and mugs if you pack tight. Am I the only one who thinks bubble wrap is overhyped for household moves?

2 comments

theawest•4mo ago

College Hunks vs Junk Removal SCV for a garage cleanout?

I need to clear out my parents' garage this week. There's a mix of heavy boxes, old tools, and random garbage. I'm torn between College Hunks Hauling Junk and Junk Removal SCV. Who has better rates and service?

3 comments