A Comprehensive, Step-By-Step Moving Guide
A full-service move is an ideal option for people who aren’t capable of handling the responsibilities or are too busy to deal with packing and moving their stuff.
Moving companies are incredibly worth the price. They pack your stuff, load it into their trucks, drive it to the new place, and unload it. A moving company will do most of the work, but it won’t leave you empty-handed.
This article explains everything you need to know for a smooth and laid-back moving experience.
Why Should You Hire Professional Movers?
Moving from one house to another is a strenuous and exhausting task. There’s no end to little details that need to be taken care of and decisions to be made.
One of those decisions is if you should hire movers or not. The answer is yes, and here’s why.
Saves Time
Scheduling when to move and knowing how long it will take is very difficult, and various problems can arise along the way. Professional movers have plenty of experience and can tell you the exact date and time to expect all your possessions to arrive in your new home.
Moving companies can also pack and unpack your items more efficiently and quickly. Let them do the job if you can’t afford delays or inconveniences through the process.
Relieves Stress
Moving by yourself isn’t just physically taxing; it can also have a mental toll on you. Not to mention all of the tedious decisions you have to worry about. Asking friends and family for help isn’t ideal either.
Professional movers don’t need to waste time on decision-making. They already have strategies and techniques to follow. They know how to pack your items with labels so that it’s easier to unpack them.
Helps Avoid Injuries
An injury is the last thing you want happening when moving your belongings. Moving big boxes or heavy furniture like beds and sofas is awkward and often requires multiple people or some kind of equipment.
Hiring a moving company completely eliminates the risk of getting injured. They are equipped with the right tools and experience to move heavy objects. Getting them into a moving truck isn’t the only difficult part. Getting them out of it and into your home is just as challenging.
Keeps Valuables Safe
If you accidentally drop or damage one of your valuables while moving, you will be the only one suffering from it. Items getting damaged is a common and inevitable occurrence if you move them at your own pace without much consideration.
Licensed moving companies have the solution for this. They offer various insurance and coverage options to ensure you don’t lose any money in case of damages. When looking for professional movers, checking their options beforehand is always good.
Choose the Right Moving Service Type
There are plenty of different services that are available to you from a professional moving company that you can decide on the basis of frequently asked questions of movers. Some options might be more pricey, and the features will vary.
Think about the features you’re looking for and pick accordingly. These are the most common options you will have.
- Local Moving Companies: For moves within a 100-mile radius
- Long Distance Moving Companies: For moves that exceed a 100-mile distance
- International Moving Companies: For moving internationally or sending your belongings to a different country.
- Commercial Moving Companies: For moving office supplies and equipment.
- You-Pack-They-Drive or Moving Container Companies: For providing a container for you to fill up, which they deliver and move to your new home.
- Auto-Transport Companies: For moving your vehicles to your new location.
- Small Moves Moving Companies: For shipping a few items from one place to another.
Focus On Planning and Preparations
Now that you know what type of move is right for you, and you’ve picked a good moving company accordingly, it’s time to begin the preparations. Here’s a basic checklist of everything you need to be aware of.
Create a Schedule
There are countless moving parts to a move, so to maintain your sanity and ensure nothing gets left behind, make a schedule. The schedule should contain a timeline of events, including paperwork deadlines, the movers’ arrival, transporting the items, etc.
A schedule is going to keep you organized and relatively stress-free. You’ve got to ensure everything is properly handled, including important paperwork like forwarding mail to the new address, transferring utilities, and changing medical providers.
Determine What to Pack
Most people don’t go through their belongings until they need to or have to find something important. Moving is a great opportunity to start over with a clean slate and throw away everything you don’t use.
Acknowledge everything you own and decide what to keep, what to give away to friends or family, what to donate, and what to simply throw away. Remember, the fewer items you have, the easier it will be to pack and unpack.
Get Rid of Unwanted Items
Now, you’ve set aside all the items and belongings you don’t need. It’s time to figure out how to dispose of them. If the items are still functioning, you could set up a yard sale or list them on an online marketplace.
If it’s not salvageable, sell it for scraps or talk with the local garbage management to set a date and pick the items up. You could also leave this task to the moving company to dispose of properly.
Figure Out a Storage Option
In many instances, you might need a storage space to temporarily hold your belongings until you decide to move, especially if the new house isn’t ready or you don’t have a plan for certain items.
Some moving companies might have their own storage facilities, while most are partnered with storage providers to arrange storage space for you at a lower price.
Get Your Vehicle Transported
After you’ve completely emptied out your old house, the last thing to move should be your vehicle or vehicles, if you have multiple. Many people don’t have the time, or if it’s a long-distance move, then the capacity to drive their vehicle there themselves.
In that case, you can talk to the moving company to arrange an auto-transport solution. If they can’t do it themselves, they’ll help you find a suitable service to do so.