When moving locally for the first time, the first thing that comes to our mind is to save costs with a DIY move and do it with a couple of friends, and the last thing to do is to search and hire for “professional movers near me”.
Sure, friends can help you move and pay them with a couple of cases of beer. But most of the time, they’re either occupied with something else on your moving day or have a bad back that can’t handle all the packing and heavy lifting.
But once you get to planning your move, you’ll find yourself overwhelmed with how much stuff and all the work you have to do. You have to disassemble, pack, and load every single one of your belongings in your truck and on your own.
So, in a last-minute effort, you decide to hire a local moving company to provide you with moving labor, but by the time the movers arrive, it’s too late.
However, you can completely avoid this rookie mistake by immediately employing the right moving service fit for your moving needs.
In this article, we’ll walk you through how professional movers can move your belongings to your new location safely and efficiently as possible, as well as give you some helpful tips for your moving day.
Why hire a professional mover?
Professional movers are constantly in demand because of two reasons; each one is particularly tailored to reduce your stress by doing all the work for you:
- they do an efficient and excellent job relocating your belongings
- you’re paying for convenience; some movers offer tailor-made services
Efficiency
Compared to friends and family, professional movers are more efficient at doing the heavy lifting. They are properly trained and knowledgeable at packing, unpacking, loading, and unloading your stuff from your old house to your new home.
Your movers can also double as professional packers. Experienced movers are convenient and safer in the long run since they also minimize the damage to your stuff while moving or driving to your new city.
If you have items that need professional care, like fragile antiques or specialty items like a grand piano, movers have the necessary training and expertise to safely move that for you.
If you need to maximize space in your truck by shrinking down items as compact as possible, movers are also efficient in disassembling and reassembling the furniture that would otherwise take a long time and give you a headache if done by yourself.
Plus, as a trademark of their professional courtesy, most moving companies will be able to give you a time estimate on when your possessions will arrive at your new location.
Convenience
The most desirable feature in hiring professional movers is the convenience it brings to the table.
While a DIY move may help keep costs low, lifting heavy items such as a piano or a pool table may lead you to develop a bad back and other health-related issues down the line.
However, by hiring movers to do all the heavy lifting for you, you can completely avoid this dilemma and you can just sit back and relax to reduce stress.
Another feature you can look forward to is that if you need to move ASAP but can’t plan ahead and schedule your move due to your busy office hours, movers can solve that problem for you. There are also movers that you can hire on the same day of your move.
You can save time that’s otherwise spent on more important things, like planning what you have to do once you’re in your new home because movers allow you to have a flexible option and schedule.
If you value time more than money, then a professional moving company who will handle it for you is a great bargain!
How does it work when hiring movers?
Depending on the type of service you availed, your entire move may consist of these moving services:
- Packing Services
- Loading and Unloading Services
- Furniture Disassembly and Reassembly
- Junk Removal
Packing and Unpacking
One of the most stressful things in your moving experience is packing and unpacking your stuff.
If you opted to skip out on the additional cost of packing and doing it yourself, you have to plan in advance and ensure you have the correct packing materials as well as correctly labeling it for your movers, then the daunting task of packing your furniture individually – which can take hours, days, or even weeks.
Loading and Unloading
Lifting stuff is very hard work. When planning your move, an extra helping hand or two that can lift your belongings can mean a world of difference as well as avoiding the possibility of breaking a few of your furniture along the way.
Furniture Assembly and Disassembly
Sometimes, heavy items such as beds, shelves, and closets can’t fit in your doorway, and some things can’t fit in the truck.
To maximize space on your rental truck, we then disassemble bulky furniture such as bed frames, shelves, and tables when loading them up.
Junk Removal
A finished move can leave you with cardboard boxes, bubble wraps, and packing peanuts that are now extra-added junk to your new house. Some moving companies take care of that problem by disposing of the packing waste that comes with your moving service.
How much does it cost to hire moving companies?
Moving companies go with two rates: an hourly rate and a flat rate.
Hourly rate means you’ll hire movers that charge by the hour and pay accordingly how much time your move lasted. Your service will usually start once the movers leave the office or arrive at your house.
Hourly help is budget-friendly and ideal for local moves from suburb to suburb or just around the city limits.
On average local movers charge for $25 to $50 per mover, per hour. This price can increase depending on the size of your residence, volume of your belongings, and how many professionals you’ll need to do the job.
Flat rate means once the moving company provides you with an estimate, you can hire their movers for a fixed price with no cap on time.
Flat rates are ideal for long-distance moves since it’s cheaper down the line because moves can take between 2-4 weeks to complete.
A full-service moving company at the helm will cost you an average of $800-$2000 for short-distance moves and $2,000-$5,700 for long-distance moves. Specialized movers such as car shippers, will typically charge between $500-$3,000 for their services.
How can you help professional movers?
Movers can be burdened with several factors that can slow down the moving process. Here are a few our tips that can definitely lend your movers a hand:
Get Rid of Restricted Items
Most moving companies will usually have a list of restricted items that must be disposed of before the moving process can begin. These items are not only a threat to the customer, mover, and moving trucks, but also to the people around them while in transit.
The following items need to be removed before the moving date:
- hazardous acids
- flammable household goods
- gunpowder
- perishable items like farm produce or frozen food
Moving companies also recommend keeping personal items out of harm’s way to avoid getting packed together with large items that can damage or even destroy them.
The following items can be kept safe in the comforts of your car instead:
- jewelry
- sensitive documents
- small electronics
These are just some of the commonly restricted items movers won’t load onto most moving trucks. We recommend speaking with your chosen moving company to plan ahead for a stress-free move.
Provide Easy Access
This is already given, but to get a seamless move, you can help by removing factors that can potentially delay your movers.
Before the movers arrive, you can plan in advance and label out your stuff to help your movers sort out fragile and specialty items to avoid potential damage. If you hired hourly movers, you could also schedule your pickup and transport outside of rush hours to avoid those extra fees.
If you live in a building like an apartment or condominium, you can assist your movers by guiding them through your unit or where they should park the moving truck that has easy access to your apartment.
While inside, you can offer refreshments to make sure your movers are in tip-top shape. Another great idea is to keep your bathroom open so your movers can easily relieve themselves.
Stay Out of Harm’s Way
While you may be tempted to instruct your movers on how to handle your belongings, you have to understand that your movers are trained to know what they are doing.
Your movers are not only quick and reliable at packing and loading your fragile stuff, but they also know how to best protect them.
That’s why the best thing to do in this situation is to let the movers have their way since they know what’s best and what’s not. If you have kids or pets, relocate them somewhere else for the time being so as not to slow down the moving process.
Ready to Hire Movers?
It can be very challenging to schedule a move on your own; that’s why choosing the right moving services can determine whether you will have a successful move.
But sometimes, the moving companies in your area can be on the pricier side, and there are not a lot of decent options that you can afford without breaking the bank too much. By the tips and recommendations mentioned in this article, you are ready to start your search for affordable yet reliable movers near you.
