Moving is not high on anyone’s list of preferred activities, but the average American moves around 12 times in their lives. Luckily, there are ways to make your move easier, less stressful, and less physically taxing. What’s the answer, you might ask? Hiring a moving service, of course! Local movers and moving services are professionals, cutting down on your overall move time, maneuvering big pieces of furniture out the door and into your new home safely and expertly, and saving your back (and knees and arms…) by doing the labor themselves. Though hiring a moving service can be more expensive than doing it yourself, most people would agree that the expense is well worth the stress, hassle, and time it takes to do it yourself. Let’s discuss tips and tricks to get the most out of your moving experience, what you should look for in a moving service, and why you should consider a moving company in the first place.
Why Hire Movers?
Almost 65% of adults have moved to a new area at least once and most can attest that it’s incredibly stressful. If your moving service also offers packing services, you could save space and money — professional movers will be able to pack your things more tightly (and keep delicate or valuable items safer) — and they’ll likely be able to do it much faster. They’ll bring in the right equipment to get the job done (which you may not have) and are trained to lift properly, to avoid injury (training you may not have).
Professional movers also insure your belongings, so if an accident happens over the course of the move, you’ll see some recompense for it. You can also focus on other tasks during moving day, like setting up Internet, utilities, and cleaning (both the old and the new place!).
How Can I Find a Moving Company Easily?
Moving companies are generally fairly easy to find — from flyers in your neighborhood, to trusted local movers that can be found through your community’s network, to ads in the paper or on online.
Personal recommendations from family, friends, and colleagues can be especially helpful when looking for a quality mover, as the person recommending will have had good success with that mover. However, checking advertisements and seeing what you can dig up online is also a good way to find a mover, especially if you’re going to a new community where you don’t know anyone. There are plenty of consumer sites that review moving companies — and you can often narrow it down by your location — and offer a spot for customers to leave reviews, which is useful if you’re researching movers.
You should always get a few quotes from different movers so you can compare services versus price and make sure they come take a look at what they’ll be moving beforehand, so they can offer you an accurate quote.
What Should I Look For in a Moving Company?
If you’re not so keen on packing, looking for a moving service that also offers packing services can be a great thing. However, if you’re looking to save some money and mostly just need help lifting heavy or bulky things, just movers might work fine for you.
You will want to check and make sure that the moving company you’re looking at has the right license and insurance in order to move you and be sure to get everything in writing. Review the contract before signing and keep a close eye out for any extra fees. You should also be wary of any company that asks for a big deposit upfront — that could be a bad sign.
Local movers are usually best — they know the area, have ideally been in the area for awhile, and you’ll be able to verify their existence by visiting their physical offices.
Save yourself another moving headache and consider hiring moving services for your next relocation. Whether you’re moving states away or just down the street, they can make the whole experience much easier.
