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Which is Better: Hiring Small Load Movers or DIY Moving?

Many people claim that renting a truck is cheaper than hiring movers. However, rental companies do not cover other costs. You will have to calculate these costs separately. These expenses include tolls, meals, hotels, insurance, fuel and mileage, risks of breakdown, truck insurance, and insurance rider. And while shorter trips and smaller loads certainly cost less for rental companies, there are still other factors to consider before committing to do-it-yourself moving.

Efficiency

Time

Since you are not a professional, assuming you do not work for a moving company yourself, you will inevitably spend more time packing, moving, and unpacking if you rent a truck than if you hire professional movers. You could instead be using this time to get acclimated to your new job, tour your new city, or figure out how you want your furniture to be arranged when you get to your new place. If you are moving a family or an emergency situation, you do not want to spend too much time planning and packing things.

Energy

Would you rather spend your energy dealing with the planning required to rent a truck and pack it yourself, or do you want to relax before your move? If you do everything yourself, you will have to rent tools and calculate other costs the rental company does not cover. You will need to plan how to pack your boxes, plan how to pack your truck or U-Haul or trailer, and plan how to unpack everything. Some of your goods may require custom-made crates. Moving furniture down stairwells, out of windows, and through doorways may require more lifting power or a rope-and-pulley system. Unloading and reloading your rental truck may also be necessary if you find you do not have room for everything in the truck.

Moving everything yourself can cause loads of stress.

Safety

Moving is already stressful enough. It should not also jeopardize your safety. This can happen, though, if you can not handle the lifting required to remove furniture and household items and hoist them into a rental truck. Driving the truck is also a safety hazard if you do not know how to operate a vehicle that big. The safety of your cargo is also important. While you may want your belongings compartmentalized in a certain way, professional movers will know how to pack boxes and the moving truck so that all items are safe. They will be able to pack twice as much as you can as they have the materials necessary to safely move your goods, including dollies, furniture pads, styrofoam peanuts, bubble wrap, and new boxes, among other tools.

Reliability

The most reliable option, even for moving small loads, is to get a quote from a moving company. This way, you know what you owe upfront and are not liable for a company’s property. Instead, the moving company is responsible for your possessions. If you read reviews of companies or are referred to one by a friend, there is little to worry about.

Get quotes from moving companies and rental truck companies to better compare costs.

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How to Plan a Successful Cross-Country Move to the East Coast

A successful move to the east coast requires a lot of planning to make sure the transition goes smoothly. However, the task of planning can be difficult if this is something you’ve never done before. If you’re looking for a resource to help make planning lighter, then the tips below can help. These can ensure you avoid frequent hiccups that tend to occur with these longer moves.

1. Hire a Moving Company

Hiring interstate movers and packers is something you’ll never regret when having a move across the country. Although this service will cost you a little bit more money, it’s well worth it for the help that they offer. It begins with movers coming to your home and moving all furniture and boxes into the moving truck. Once finished, they’ll drive it across the country to your new home on the East Coast. They’ll even unload the boxes once there, which can save you time and minimize your risk of injury.

2. Plan Your Travel

If you do hire a moving company, then you’ll have to plan your travel for moving day. In most cases, it’s best to fly out the day after the moving trucks are scheduled to pick up and leave. Ensure you have ample time to cover any delays or interruptions in your schedule, which can be familiar with long-distance moves.

Tip: If you’re flying with pets, make sure the airline has special accommodations available. Also, it’s recommended to book in advance to ensure you get the best price.

3. Clear Your Pantry

When moving across the country, you can’t save food that you otherwise would be able to salvage during a short move. It’s important to eat or donate anything perishable in your fridge, freezer, and pantry. It’s also better to consume beer and wine beforehand if you don’t have a moving truck with the refrigeration.

4. Plan for Special Items

If you have high-end artwork, a wine collection, expensive jewelry, or anything worth a lot of money, you’ll want to move them separately from the moving truck. You want to ensure you handle your items with great care and that they are appropriately insured just in case something goes wrong.

5. Pack Your Bag

A cross-country move takes weeks typically, especially if you’re hiring a moving company to transport your belongings. You won’t have your things for a while, so you’ll need to pack accordingly. Keep a bag with you that contains clothes, toiletries, electronics/chargers, snacks, baby/pet items, and shoes. Pack the things that you use every day so you can avoid having to go out and re-purchase until your belongings arrive.

6. Keep Contact with Contractors

Any contractors you’re hiring, especially movers and packers, should be kept in contact with from time to time. By confirming appointments and days or times they should arrive, you can potentially avoid scheduling conflicts or mistakes. It is especially crucial before moving day to make sure everyone is on the same page with arrival and departure.

A Less Stressful Move

With a cross-country move to the East Coast, nothing is more important than planning. A good plan will provide you with a road map of what you need to prioritize while also helping you avoid potential problems along the way. Preparation can reduce your stress, save you time, and even save you money so you can enjoy the excitement of what’s to come.

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5 Great Ideas to Achieve Smooth Preparation and Packing For Moving

As we are all well aware, moving can be an extraordinarily stressful endeavor, especially if you go into it under-prepared or in a disorganized manner. Thankfully, there are many ways that you can prepare to move that help you take away most of the stress involved with the task. The golden rule is the more prepared and organized you are, the easier your move and packing experience will be.

5 Great Tips to Make Your Packing and Move Easier

1. Get a Head Start

The worst mistake that most movers make is that they wait until the last minute to start packing and organizing their move. Be sure not to fall into this trap, as this is the number one cause of stress for movers. Most experts in the field of moving recommend that you start planning and packing for your move at least 3 weeks prior to the day in which you actually plan to move. Planning ahead to move can also help you to more easily navigate through any unforeseen delays or problems that movers often experience while carrying out the task.

2. Secure the Right Size Moving Truck

You would be shocked at how many movers rent moving trucks that are too small to get the job done in one go. This can be a hugely stressful mistake if you originally planned on only making one moving trip to your destination. The best way to avoid this mistake is to supply the moving truck company with accurate information about what you intend to move. They can help provide you with a rented moving truck that is guaranteed to fit all of your possessions.

3. Strategize While Packing

Never make the mistake of just randomly stuffing boxes full of your stuff. Instead, organize your boxes by home section. For example, pack all of your kitchen possessions away in specific boxes. Organizing your packing will make it so much easier to unpack when you get to your moving destination. With each box marked by category, you can be sure that you’ll be placing it in the correct location or area at your new residence. Be sure to use a thick and bold marker pen when labeling the boxes so that you don’t have to strain to read the writing.

4. Supply Yourself With Used Boxes

According to these moving services in Kansas City, MO, you can save yourself a tremendous amount of money and hassle if you opt to go with used boxes instead of brand new ones. To find these visit the loading docks or supply rooms of your local grocery store chains. They usually have loads of boxes that they are willing to give away to anyone that politely asks. Often times you can also get much stronger boxes this way, as grocery store chains typically use much sturdier boxes than what you might be able to purchase at your local box supply store.

5. Clean and Dust Before Packing

It’s never pleasant to move dust and grime from your old residence into your new place. Before you pack away your belongings make sure that you thoroughly clean and dust them. This will make unpacking them a much more pleasurable experience as it will allow you to just put the unpacked objects straight where they belong, as opposed to cleaning them at your moving destination.

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Why Should You Hire Professionals To Move Your Piano? Here are 5 Reasons!

Owning a piano is a source of great joy for virtually every piano enthusiast. However, moving your piano to a new location or home is not as easy as you might think. Due to their large size and weight, pianos can be difficult to move, more so when you lack the necessary experience. When moving pianos, a large number of self-proclaimed “experts” and volunteers often end up sustaining serious injuries while damaging the pianos. Therefore, to avoid damaging your piano or inflicting injuries to yourself and others, here are 5 reasons why you should hire professional local or long distance moving services when planning a move.

1. Injury

When moving a piano, it is important to note that the risk of sustaining serious injuries is high. Therefore, it is important to ensure that you hire professionals with the required skills and experience in moving pianos. Moving to a new location is costly enough on its own. Therefore, it is vital to ensure that you avoid incurring additional treatment or legal costs by securing the services of professional piano movers. Moving without hiring expert piano movers might appear cheap at first, however, in the event of injury, chances are you will end up spending a lot more than initially expected.

2. Damage

Of course, moving the piano yourself will help lower the overall costs of moving out. However, without necessary experience on handling the device, the chances of damaging your precious piano increase exponentially. Since pianos are expensive, it is advisable to hire experts who know how to safely move pianos to new locations.

3. Special equipment

Unlike moving other household items, a piano requires adequate care due to its heavy weight and delicate nature. Professional piano movers rely on specifically designed equipment to move pianos of different sizes. Moving your piano with other household items not only increases the chances of property damage but also injury as a result of reduced packing space. On the other hand, expert piano movers usually have unique trucks designed to move the heavy musical instruments to new locations.

4. Insurance

By virtue of being certified experts, professional piano movers provide a safe delivery guarantee. In the event of damage or injury, while moving the piano, the contracted company will be held liable, and will, therefore, be required to compensate you for unforeseeable losses. Moving a piano on your own not only increases the chances of injury to yourself but also to others. However, hiring professionals will ensure that your piano reaches home in the best possible condition.

5. Cheaper in the long run

At first, moving a piano by yourself or with the assistance of your friends might appear logical. However, the costs associated with repairing your broken piano or treating injured individuals can prove too costly. As such, it is important to include the cost of moving a piano in your moving budget. Although hiring experienced movers might cost you some extra dollars, the expense is well worth it as it will guarantee the safe delivery of your precious piano.