Like having a tooth pulled or driving a long way through a boring place, moving is one of those unpleasant things practically everyone must go through at some point. However, occasionally uncomfortable and never quite enjoyable, it typically has a favorable consequence. Planning and avoiding common mistakes are essential to the success of any undertaking, but this is especially true with relocating.
Fortunately, much tried-and-true moving advice is available to make the entire process smoother. This is probably because almost everyone ends up moving at some point. For example, you can ensure that everything is in order before, during, and after the move by using a moving checklist; another helpful moving tip is to commit to maintaining a positive outlook despite all the upcoming changes.
Some moving advice focuses on the best ways to pack a moving truck, while others provide reminders to cancel various services or make plans for things to be ready at the new home. Still, a lot of moving advice is about small items, such as what to do if the movers are running late or how to handle pets throughout the transfer. However, the most crucial moving advice might be the actual transfer.
Although it can be an exciting time in your life, it can also be stressful. Moving involves a lot of labor to pack up your possessions, transport them, and haul them to your new house, whether you’re moving across the nation or just across town. Professional movers are useful because they handle all the labor-intensive lifting on your behalf. For an extra fee, they will even pack and unpack your things.
The only way to prevent your relocation from taking longer than necessary, being more unpleasant, or costing more money is to plan (most of these guys are paid by the hour, after all).
The following moving company hints and recommendations will help you make the most of your experience.
- Strategize More, Stress Less
A four-star general’s planning and strategic thinking are often required for a successful moving day. The most meticulous planning must go into packing, and getting aid with any relocation component might make things more difficult. Decide in advance if you or the movers will be in charge of packing and unpacking your possessions. Use plenty of newspaper, bubble wrap, or blankets for padding if you’re packing. This is crucial since the movers might not be held responsible if the items you pack are damaged while transported. To make it simpler to track where everything has to go in your new location, make sure you have enough boxes available and label them with your name, the destination room, and the contents. To make loading easier for the movers, try to group the packages by weight once everything has been packed. Keep boxes stacked away from entrances so people may move around easily. The heavier furniture that will be carried into the van first shouldn’t have items piled.
- Don’t bring everything along.
Professional movers are frequently surprised by the number of items that clients want to be packed but aren’t necessary. These include outdated furnishings, knick-knacks, and bottles of shampoo or spices that are only partially consumed. Take stock of everything you own instead, and determine what you need versus what is merely taking up room. Hold a yard sale and utilize the money raised to cover your relocation costs rather than packing that box of turtlenecks or a bin of Beanie Babies. Alternately, give lightly worn scraps to friends or charities.
- Place important papers in a separate or transparent bin.
Packing important documents in a cardboard box that can be difficult to locate in a sea of boxes is risky. Instead, invest in a plastic, water-resistant container to store your passport, will, tax records, insurance policies, and other important papers. If you need to access certain objects immediately after the relocation, they will be quicker to find, safer, and less likely to get damaged.
- Time everything.
Don’t wait until the last minute to get assistance if you plan to. Moving firms are extremely busy at the end of the month, so putting off packing your boxes and truck will force you to do it yourself. Instead, call to set up a moving date as soon as you know when your new home will be ready. Then, to relieve yourself of the majority of the effort, reserve a truck and a few movers two to four weeks in advance.
- Separately hire workers and rent a truck.
By taking on some of the strain yourself, you can reduce the cost of hiring help. For example, moving companies might charge an additional $1600 to drive the truck and unload it, even though hiring a crew to assist with the move could cost as much as $800. Hire help for loading, but handle the driving and unloading yourself to save a bundle.
- Before you unplug, take a photo.
Electronics should be unplugged before being handled by movers, and they don’t connect them once they’ve finished unloading. So before you unhook your TV, DVR, and gaming system, snap a picture of each back to prevent the hassle. You’ll know more about reconnecting them once you’ve moved into your new house.
- Pack your bag with the necessities and carry it with you.
Before packing everything into a moving truck, gather the necessities that will keep you alive if things don’t go as planned. Snacks, drink, a change of clothes, prescriptions, children’s toys, pet supplies (though ideally, you’d arrange for pets to remain with a friend or kennel on moving day), and anything else you might need should be brought. Then, if the moving truck is delayed, you’ll be able to rough it for a night with this by your side.
- Stop by the liquor store.
No, stress management is not the topic here. Instead, ask your local liquor store management for any boxes they’re ready to throw out. These shipping boxes are often strong and frequently of higher quality than those you could purchase from a professional moving firm because alcohol bottles can be weighty. To avoid disassembling the boxes, liquor merchants happily give them away. Choose your packages carefully to prevent spills and stains.
- Sort, pack, and load boxes according to rooms.
This is a significant time- and stress-saving strategy. Moving firms advise marking, packing, and loading your boxes according to the rooms they are going to. Then, once you arrive at your new residence, you can take the boxes straight to the designated space. This lessens the stress of moving day and makes unpacking and settling in easier.
- Take care when packing.
Pack carefully because moving firms won’t transport boxes that seem top-heavy, imbalanced, or loosely packed. Put larger containers for lighter items and smaller ones for heavier ones—store heavier items at the bottom to prevent a top-heavy box that is difficult to carry. Avoid leaving empty spaces to prevent breaking or destroying a box’s contents. Instead, fill empty containers with delicate items like cushions, towels, T-shirts, or newspapers. A skilled mover will ask you to repack the box if it rattles before loading it.
- Fill a waterproof tote with cleaning supplies.
Moving liquid objects is generally frowned upon by movers, especially those that include cleaning agents like ammonia and bleach. Leaving is the best thing to do these things at home and buy what you need when you get there. Any cleaning supplies you must bring on your trip should be packed in a plastic tote so that if they leak, they won’t destroy your other possessions.
- Doors and drawers for plastic wrap.
When moving larger pieces of furniture, plastic wrap the drawers and doors to prevent them from swinging open or shutting on your fingers. Additionally, you can keep all their contents inside to reduce the amount of packing required. They are effectively kept closed with plastic wrap without any sticky residue. Additionally, it can lessen the possibility of chipping and scratching while moving.
- Securely load the truck.
The heaviest items are packed first and pushed to the front of the cargo box when expert movers load a truck. Heavy cardboard boxes, appliances, furniture, and toolboxes fall under this category. Theoretically, this evenly distributes the truck’s weight, making it safer and simpler to operate. However, while it can seem easier to load large items last, doing so can alter the truck’s suspension characteristics and cause an erratic ride.
- Take advice from experts.
Check out these pro-recommended tips before you move to make the process simpler and less stressful for the whole family.
- Recognize what can be moved and what cannot.
For obvious reasons, most moving firms won’t move cash and other valuables for you. However, not simply anything will be driven by professional movers. For safety reasons, many movers have lists of things they won’t move, including liquids, home chemicals, and paints. Additionally, they can have a list of things like money, vital documents, pictures, pets, food, and medications that they won’t transport due to liability concerns. Therefore, you must pack and transport these items yourself if you intend to bring them.
- Having Insurance
Make sure your possessions are financially secure whether or not you decide to employ the moving company’s insurance services. Accidents can and do occur, so it’s better to have a backup item in case something breaks or goes missing when traveling. The insurance coverage offered by moving companies varies. By the pound and comprehensive are two well-liked alternatives. Although cheaper, insurance sold by the pound provides a limited range. For instance, depending on how much the antique dining table weighs, this coverage will only pay a specific amount if it needs to be repaired after being scratched during the transfer. It might not pay for all or even most of the repair costs. Although comprehensive insurance is more expensive, it will pay for losses and damages.
- Enjoy refreshments and food
Schedules for professional movers are frequently full. Since many individuals relocate throughout the summer, this is particularly true. Be sure to have refreshments available because movers often don’t have much time to stop for lunch or run to the convenience shop for a drink. Choose portable snack options like energy bars, and keep a selection of drinks on hand to satisfy thirsty workers. Give each employee a few water bottles or sports drinks if the weather is hot because they will undoubtedly need the extra hydration.
- Prepare Money for Tips
The movers have moved your belongings all day, and if you are driving a considerable distance, the process is just getting started. For example, they might need to load the contents of multiple homes onto a big semi-trailer and make several stops on a cross-country trip, or they might have a long drive to your new home. Moving is a challenging undertaking, no matter how you pack stuff, so be prepared with some cash to express your appreciation for their efforts, especially if they take good care of your possessions quickly and thoroughly.
How Much Should You Tip?
It would help if you tipped your movers $20 or more per person for a full day’s worth of effort. Pay at least $100 per person if the same team transports your belongings over a long distance with no breaks.
Why Should You Hire A Moving Company?
Several considerations will determine whether you hire movers or do it yourself, including the cost, the distance to the new home, the difficulty of the move, and your general health. While hiring professional movers will greatly lessen your stress and work during your relocation, DIY moving also has its benefits (for starters, it’s less expensive). Think about it: You’ll hand off all the labor-intensive duties to professionals. That matters a lot. Additionally, the contract requires the moving company to offer its services quickly and effectively. As a result, they can’t be as unpredictable as your loved ones. Finally, working with a moving company will spare you many of the usual moving-day concerns.
Conclusion
For long-distance moves, a moving estimate will take into account the weight of your household items, the travel time to the new location, the cost of labor, the cost of packing (if the movers will be packing your belongings), liability and valuation coverage, as well as the moving date and time of year.
Additional costs may be associated with moving bulky or specialized objects, using stairs, and anything else that makes a move more difficult or necessitates more time and effort. In addition, additional fees will apply if you need the moving company to store your belongings temporarily.
