Paying for movers is REALLY expensive but, if you have a lot of stuff, it's worth it in my opinion. I've done a few cross country moves and I did it as cheaply as I could. Here's my most recent experience:
1) My wife and I moved from MA to MI
2) Paid for a u-haul ($837.26), gas ($137), and 2.5 hours of labor from a dude on craigslist to help me move some heavy items into the truck ($80). We stayed with friends in PA and we paid $40 for an AirBnB near our new place in MI.
3) We had a 1 bedroom apartment. Everything except the couch fit into the elevator. We had enough to fill a 15' uhaul to the brim:
https://www.uhaul.com/Truck-Rentals/15ft-Moving-Truck/4) My wife and I plan to move back to the east coast in the next few years, at which point we will DEFINITELY hire movers. The whole ordeal is so stressful and exhausting that I'm willing to pay someone else to do it. Estimates I've seen are at least $3000
5) It took 2.5 days to move everything into the uhaul 2 days to drive to MI and 1 day to unload.
6) No car trouble. I was actually quite pleased with the uhaul both in terms of power and fuel efficiency. Nothing broke in the move but most of my house plants didn't survive the 2 days in the cargo hold.
When you consider the rental truck, gas, tolls, lodging, boxes, tape, etc. the move cost $1200 and 3 years off my total lifespan. Moving is stressful no matter what you do but it's SUPER stressful and tiring if you decide to move everything yourself.
A couple tips:
- Try to sell as much as possible on craigslist or facebook marketplace before you move. I managed to earn $500 selling miscellaneous stuff and furniture I no longer wanted.
- Get boxes for free on craigslist because paying for boxes is ridiculously expensive
- If possible, don't tow your car behind the uhaul. When you consider the cost of the hitch and extra gas, it's more cost-effective to have your partner drive the car separately. It's also safer and eases the stress of driving with a trailer.