I Got $500 to Share My Experience Moving from California to Minnesota
As told to moveBuddha
- Matt moved from Berkeley, California to St. Paul, Minnesota in June 2022, a 2,000-mile family move.
- After comparing four quotes, he hired MovingPlace, and his California to Minnesota move cost $3,218, coming in $311 under his original quote.
- This is Matt’s story, shared as part of moveBuddha’s Better Moves Project.
This account is based on a conversation with Matt, who moved from Berkeley, California to St. Paul, Minnesota in June 2022 using MovingPlace. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
We were excited to move our family into our new home in St. Paul, but I knew a 2,000-mile move from Berkeley, California was going to take serious planning.
I started researching movers about ten days before I needed to decide. I used moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator to compare service providers and request quotes, and I read several of the site’s guides on interstate and container moving options.
My MovingPlace experience at a glance
rating
4.0 / 5
- Communication: MovingPlace called five days before my scheduled pickup to say the trailer wouldn’t be dropped at my home. I’d have to load at a freight terminal 15 miles away instead, which meant renting a U-Haul and doing far more work than I’d planned for.
- Pricing accuracy and transparency: I ended up paying $3,218, which was less than my $3,529 quote. That said, the last-minute logistics change meant my actual workload was much higher than expected.
- Timeliness: My household goods arrived in Minnesota on the scheduled delivery date, which was a genuine relief after everything that had gone sideways on the California end.
- Loss and damage: Nothing was lost or damaged during the move. Some settling happened in transit, but everything arrived intact.
- Would I use MovingPlace again? Yes. Despite the pickup change, MovingPlace delivered everything on time and came in significantly cheaper than any other option I considered.
My move at a glance
| Moving from | Berkeley, California |
|---|---|
| Moving to | St. Paul, Minnesota |
| Distance | 2,000 miles |
| Moving company | MovingPlace |
| Moving quote | $3,529 (based on linear feet of trailer space) |
| Actual cost | $3,218 |
Why I chose MovingPlace
My family was excited about the move, but I had two real concerns: whether there would be enough space on the trailer, and whether everything would arrive on time. Fortunately, I had about ten days to sort it out.
I did Google searches and used moveBuddha to compare providers and request quotes. During the vetting process, I also read:
I got quotes from PODS, Zippy Shell, and U-Pack, but MovingPlace came in with the lowest price. The quote included fuel, transportation, door-to-door delivery, and basic insurance. My representative answered my questions and gave me helpful loading tips and important trailer parking information.
I spent time before the move decluttering, packing, and wrapping our bicycles in moving blankets and stretch wrap. The plan was for MovingPlace to drop the trailer at my home in California, but that changed in a big and unwelcome way just days before my move date.
Pickup day
Five days before the move, MovingPlace called with news I wasn’t expecting. Due to logistical issues on their end, the trailer wouldn’t be coming to my home. I’d have to haul everything to a freight terminal 15 miles away and load it there instead.
That meant renting a U-Haul and doing a full extra round of loading and unloading that I hadn’t planned for. Getting an early start wasn’t an option either, because the trailer wouldn’t be available until the afternoon.
In the end, loading and unloading the U-Haul and moving everything onto the freight trailer took more than 20 hours. It would have taken even longer if not for the go-getter in the blue hat (below).
Delivery day
Our household goods arrived in Minnesota 17 days after leaving California. I was told to expect the trailer at around 7:30 AM on the scheduled delivery day, and the driver showed up as expected.
After the driver dropped the trailer on the street, we:
- Set up the ramp
- Removed the bulkhead
- Started moving everything into our new home
Some settling had occurred during transit, but nothing was damaged or missing. MovingPlace didn’t follow up after the move to check in, but everything had arrived intact.
What could have gone differently
My biggest issue with MovingPlace was that the trailer wasn’t dropped at my home in California as promised. Not only did I have to scramble to rent a U-Haul, but the loading process took twice as long as it should have.
We got everything done, but our move would have been a disaster if we’d been elderly, disabled, or unwilling to put in the extra work ourselves.
MovingPlace subcontracted my move to a national LTL (less-than-truckload) freight carrier called Estes Express Lines. Nothing got damaged, but I later learned that the trailer was likely designed for hauling general freight, not household goods.
rating
4.0 / 5
Final thoughts
Despite the last-minute change, I’d use MovingPlace again. The company delivered everything on time, and my total cost of $3,218 was far less than what I was quoted elsewhere. The next cheapest option would have cost nearly 50% more and required me to do the driving.
That said, I wish MovingPlace had honored its original commitment to bring the trailer to my home in California. Moving in mid-June put us squarely in peak season.
Planning a long-distance move? Use moveBuddha’s moving cost calculator to compare quotes from top-rated movers and find the best option for your budget.
Tips for future movers
These are the practical steps we recommend based on Matt’s experience:
- Start packing earlier than you think you need to. Packing always takes longer than expected, and rushing in the final days adds stress you don’t need on top of an already demanding move.
- Use standard-size moving boxes whenever possible. Uniform boxes stack more easily and load onto a trailer far more efficiently than a mix of irregular sizes and shapes.
- Come up with a loading plan before move day. Knowing what goes in first and how to organize the space saves time and reduces the chance of poor weight distribution.
- Load carefully and fill gaps to prevent shifting. Items packed tightly with holes filled will travel much better and arrive in better shape than loosely stacked loads.
- Consider timing. About 45% of annual U.S. moves take place between May and August, so some delays and communication gaps are common, especially if you move in peak season.
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