Moving can be an extremely stressful experience. How are you going to relocate everything from point A to B? Lucky for you, there are many different options available. The type of mover you decide to use will depend on exactly what you need to move, how far you are moving, how involved you want to be in the move, and your budget.
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- Moving can be less stressful but our professional moving team will help you to relocate!
- Woman carrying a moving box.
There are many different moving companies available so shop around for the 10 best long distance moving companies.
If you’re on a low budget you may decide to give DIY moving a chance, while if you are pressed for time or don’t like packing boxes, then a full-service mover may be a better option. Let’s take a deeper look at the different moving options available.
Contents:
Hire a Moving Truck
If you enjoy being in the driver’s seat, literally, then why not hire a DIY moving truck. This will allow you to completely control the move from the start till the end. This is probably the most cost-effective option, but it’s important to remember that you will be responsible for the entire move. For the move to run efficiently, it’s advisable to draw up a general household guide.
Moving long-distance can sometimes mean driving for three or four days to get to your new location. Request quotes from several truck rental companies to secure the best day.
Moving truck rental will cost you about $1,000 depending on how far you are moving and how big the truck is that you require. A cross-country move will be more expensive than moving locally. The time of year and availability may also play a role in the cost.
It’s important to hire a one-way truck so you won’t need to return the vehicle where you hired it from. Look into tips on packing the truck more efficiently.
Who Should Consider This Option?
This option is perfect for those that are on a tight budget and like to get their hands dirty with DIY. You are in control of the moving process, including packing the boxes, loading them onto the truck, driving to your new destination, and unloading once you arrive.
What’s Included And What Isn’t?
- When renting a truck, only the truck is included
- You will need to do everything yourself
A Full-service Moving Company
As the name suggests, a full-service moving company does everything on your behalf. Professional movers will pack your goods into boxes and load the truck. The main benefit of using professional movers is that they know what they are doing, they are highly skilled at moving and they have special tools to move unusual items or bulky furniture.
This service, unfortunately, doesn’t come cheap. To save as much as possible request quotes and moving cost estimates from several different moving companies to find one that suits your budget. Hiring professionals is a very hands-off approach so you can expect to pay a few thousand dollars for this service. This approach will help protect you from moving scams and fly-by-night operations.
Moving during covid-19 comes with its own set of challenges, rules, and regulations.
Consider This Option:
This option would be best suited to someone with a high budget, who wants to get on with the move without being involved. They would rather pay extra and know that the move is covered and will run smoothly. If you don’t have time or the patience, then you should consider hiring a professional moving company. This option won’t be acceptable for last minute moving.
What’s Included And What Isn’t?
The company will take care of your every need, this includes:
- In-house inspection and quote
- Advice on moving furniture, usual objects, and specialized tools
- Packing your boxes. This includes labor and all packing materials
- Loading the truck
- Moving insurance
- Unloading the truck at the new destination
- Unpacking your boxes
- Reassembling furniture
- This service may not include moving items such as hot tubs, or fine arts. These items require professionals from that field to move them. This cost can often be added to your invoice and arranged by the full-service moving company.
Moving Pods Or Containers
If you have a very large house to pack, chances are that you may need to store some of your items while you get to packing the rest. This will increase moving costs. Hiring a moving pod gives you a temporary storage solution. Pods are weather-resistant and waterproof. They can easily hold furniture and other items for larger-sized homes.
Moving pods may seem a bit futuristic but moving using PODS is simple and cost-effective.
Although less expensive than hiring full-service movers, renting a moving truck would still be your most cost-effective option. The company will physically drop off the container at your location. Clients are then given a certain period to load the container. The container will be your responsibility to pack.
Once it’s full, simply phone the company to collect. The pod will be collected and delivered to your new destination. Once it arrives, you will have the responsibility of unpacking it.
Rent a Moving POD
- Check our simple PODS guidance for better understanding of this moving option!
- PODS checklist made by My Moving Estimates
Another option to consider is renting a moving POD. These are portable containers that can be used cross-country. They cost anywhere between $349 – $549. Long-distance moving will set you back between $999 – $2,999 depending on which moving package you select.
A standard POD can comfortably hold standard furniture from an average two-bedroom house or up to 1,200sq.ft. PODS can store your items which makes them a convenient alternative to self-storage.
Advantages of PODS include:
- Complete control of your relocation timeline. This allows you to develop a packing schedule
- Keeps your items safe while you decide what to pack or donate
- The moving company will drive the POD to your new home
- Design your move to include the cost of bulky items and unique furniture requirements
Moving Containers
Consider hiring a moving container if you have a lot of furniture to move that may require storage while you pack. The company will drop off the container at your location and then you will need to pack it yourself. The container can be hired for a certain time period. Once you are happy that it’s packed to capacity, simply call the moving company to come and collect it.
Advantages of Moving Containers include:
- Pack at your own pace
- No specialized equipment required
- The container can be used as storage while you are packing
- The cost of renting the container is calculated monthly
The one disadvantage is that you need to hire high-quality containers that won’t leak, and this can be very expensive.
Who should consider this option?
This option is ideal for those that have large homes that will take time to pack your moving boxes. The items will need to be stored safely until the entire container has been packed. If you have a flexible budget and don’t mind a bit of DIY then this option could be your solution.
What’s included and what isn’t?
• The company will drop off the pod or container
• The client will be responsible for packing during a certain time period
• Once the packing is complete the company will deliver the pod to your new home
• This service doesn’t include packing or unpacking
• Complete control of your relocation timeline. This allows you to develop a packing schedule
• Keeps your items safe while you decide what to pack or donate
• The moving company will drive the pod to your new home
• Design your move to include the cost of bulky items and unique furniture requirements
Moving with Children
- Moving with children might be tricky but our guide will make things a little easier on you and the little ones.
- Family packing moving boxes and child sitting in a box.
How to move with kids, you may ask? The focus should be on planning. Make them feel included and if they are old enough let them pack their own rooms and help with other areas of the house.
Other tips include:
- Prepare the children and clarify that you are moving. Give them a list of age-appropriate expectations and let them know what they will be responsible to do
- Make the move more exciting by giving them their own special boxes. This should help them feel more comfortable. The boxes should include their favorite items, such as a stuffed animal, favorite blanket, and other familiar items
- Try to follow your normal routine as much as possible
Tips for moving with plants
Relocating your plants to your new home will save you money and allow you to take something familiar from your old home with you. Follow these simple tips:
- Repot plants into shatter-proof plastic pots to keep them safe during transit
- Prune plants that are large or overgrown. This will make it much easier to move them
- Make sure you aren’t bringing unwanted visitors in the form of bugs that may be living on the plants. Spray them to get rid of any pests
- Cover larger plants in a bed sheet or piece of fabric, this will help prevent the branches from breaking as they are being moved
- Don’t forget to make air holes in the box so the plants can breathe
Tips for moving with pets
There is no doubt that your fur kids are part of the family. They are also affected by the stress of moving. Just as you should prepare your children, you should prepare your pets and take special precautions to keep them safe.
Pets can become anxious when they start to notice you start to pack.
Tips and tricks for moving with animals include:
- Pack them in their special overnight box. Included in the box should be your pet’s food, litter box, favorite toys, and grooming items.
- Copies of your pets’ medical history. This is especially important if you are moving long-distance or cross-country.
- If possible, send your pets to a kennel or friend on the day that you move. If this isn’t possible, keep them in the bathroom or other quiet room where they won’t be disturbed by the movers.
- Allow your pet to travel with you to your new house in your car. This will help reduce your pet’s stress levels. Keep reassuring them that everything will be ok and give them extra love and snuggles.
- Get them used to the house before you allow them to go outside.
- Reassure your pets that they are safe and give them a lot of attention. They may feel as they are being abandoned and may take a while to settle into their new space.
- If you have a cat, put butter on its paws so it doesn’t try to find its way back to your old house.
- Animals are very clever and have the instinct to find their way home. Therefore your pet may try to run away if you let them out before they are completely settled.
Pack Like A Pro
If you can’t afford to hire a professional to pack on your behalf. You can still implement a few of their tips and tricks to have your packing like a pro in no time. Limit your stress by planning ahead.
- Create a packing checklist
- Find out what supplies you will need to purchase
- Ensure to get a variety of sized boxes and box tapes
- Pack your fragile items in bubble wrap and add packing peanuts to the boxes. Make sure they are packed so they have no chance of breaking
- Keep your boxes for large appliances then move them in the original box
- Shoes and toys should be placed in their original boxes
- Label and number all boxes
- If you only have a few items, it may be more cost-effective to mail them using UPS or FedEx
Moving Using The Mail
If you only have a small apartment you may want to look at using the mail or services such as UPS or FedEx to help you relocate. This option could be more cost-effective, depending on the weight of the items and how far you need to send them.
Consider this option:
This option can become costly if you send too many items. It’s best suited for smaller homes and apartments that have a limited amount of furniture. You will need to abide by the rules of the service and find out what you are allowed, and not allowed to transport.
All packages will be inspected before being sent. Heavy items are not permitted and there are special weight restrictions in place. It’s even possible to track your packages while they are in transit.
What’s included and what isn’t?
- You will be required to pack your own boxes
- Free pick-up of the boxes
- The company will transport your boxes to the destination address
- Once delivered you will need to unpack the boxes
Don’t pack any restricted items and keep to the weight limit.
Moving Stress
Stress and moving go together like salt and pepper. Moving is considered to be as stressful as a death in the family and is very overwhelming to many people. An excellent way to limit your stress is to be as prepared as you can be. Tips include:
- Donate or throw away broken items and things you no longer want. Donate anything that can be saved
- Pack as soon as possible. Don’t rush the packing process as this will make it even more stressful
- Ask for the day off work so you can concentrate on moving
- Mark your boxes and create a content list. As each box arrives it can be marked off the list. This method will help you quickly identify if something is missing.
- Host a moving party, offer family and friends pizza and drinks if they help you pack and move. The supplies will cost less than hiring professional movers and you’ll have people you can trust helping you move
Full-service moving, moving bulky items, moving art pieces, moving a piano
- Moving a piano is a specialized service that is best left to a professional moving company.
- Ginger cat sitting on a piano.
When moving you should make special arrangements to move items that are not a uniform shape and size. These items are known as non-traditional or unusual items. Items such as:
- instruments,
- breakable items,
- bulky pieces of furniture,
- large appliances.
If you have ever tried to move a piano before, then you know the task is not for the faint-hearted. Certain items such as these should only be moved by experts in the field. A piano, for example, needs specialized transport to protect the delicate pieces.
The same goes for priceless artwork and antiques. You need to make sure the company that you decide to use, knows what they are doing and has a good reputation. Always ask for quotes from several different moving companies. They require art and antique movers that specialize in moving these items. They take on the responsibility of making sure that your valuables arrive at their new destination without being damaged or broken.
Most companies will require a walk-through analysis before you receive a quote. Weigh up your options and decide which moving service fits your budget.
Other items such as your hot tub will require specialized movers that are skilled at performing this type of relocation. Moving items such as a pool table aren’t as moving as you may think. A pool table needs to be treated sensibly and stay flawlessly stable.
Questions and answers
Moving unusual items can sometimes be tricky but there are special services that are skilled at providing this service. If you need to move any of the following items, take a look at this handy moving guide.
Moving A Pool Table
A pool table may seem like an easy item to move, but looks can be deceiving. There are parts inside the pool table that can break very easily. You should hire pool table movers to ensure that it isn’t damaged during transportation.
The professionals have done this move hundreds of times and know exactly what needs to be done. In most cases, they use specialized equipment to disassemble the table. This protects its internal parts. Another important reason to call in the experts is that they offer valuation, this is a type of insurance. This means your pool table will be completely covered should it by chance get damaged during transit.
Other advantages include:
- They will have the correct sized vehicle to accommodate the load
- The restraints and furniture protectants are included in the service
- Reassemble the pool table correctly at your new destination
- Peace of mind that your pool table is in good hands
Remember to always read the online reviews for the company before hiring them, also make sure they have the appropriate licenses necessary.
Moving A Hot Tub
- Moving a hot tub is no easy task. Professional hot tub movers ensure you move your hot tub with ease and without damage.
- An outdoor hot tub with flowers on the background.
Hot tubs are extremely large and heavy. They require a lot of effort to be moved. The tub needs to be disconnected from the plumbing and then relocated without damaging it. Hot tubs are as long as six feet and as wide as thirty inches. Even the smaller versions are extremely heavy.
You will need to measure your hot tub to arrange the correct sized transport to move it. This is a job best left to the professionals. Most companies offer insurance for added peace of mind.
Other advantages include:
- They will have the correct sized vehicle to accommodate the load
- Specialized tools to complete the service
- Reassemble the hot tub correctly at your new destination
- Peace of mind that your hot tub arrives at your new home in one piece
Moving A Piano
Our piano may be your most prized possession and it should be handled very carefully. Moving a piano on your own involves a lot of risks. It’s much safer to hire professional movers. Relocating a piano is very delicate work that requires special tools and knowledge about the inner workings of the piano.
Pianos are bulky and difficult to maneuver down narrow hallways or stairs.
Other advantages include:
- They will have the correct sized vehicle to accommodate the load
- Many workers are required to lift and move a piano. It’s not a one-man job
- Reassemble the piano correctly at your new destination
- Peace of mind that your piano will be handled with care by skilled professionals
Bulky Items
Bulky items are often difficult to move, these items include beds, couches, cupboards, and more. They usually require more than one person to move them. If you don’t move them correctly, they can be damaged. A bonus of hiring professionals is that they will wrap the furniture for you and make sure it arrives at your new home safely.
If your budget won’t allow you to hire a professional, you could attempt DIY moving.
Tips for DIY moving include:
- Ask people for help. The more the merrier
- Measure everything three times
- Remember to remove the doors in your home for extra space
- Rotate furniture as you move it to find the easiest angle
- Although it takes time and may seem like a big job, wrap everything
Fine Art
Does your world revolve around art? There is no denying that art can be very expensive. Some artwork is even priceless! To ensure that your artwork is protected, it’s vital to contact a professional that specializes in moving arts and antiques. These experts have many years of experience moving fine art, from one museum to another.
They are exceptionally skilled at keeping your precious pieces of art safe and making sure they arrive in perfect condition at your new home. Moving artwork should be reserved for the experts. You shouldn’t attempt to move it yourself.
Conclusion
Now that you know the different moving options available, you can make an informed decision about which would best suit your needs. The option you chose will depend on your budget, how far you are relocating, how willing you are to try DIY. Other factors to consider include the size of the house you are moving to and how much time you have available.
Summary
- Use professional movers to move specialty items such as hot tubs, pool tables, bulky furniture, and antiques
- If you are on a tight budget consider a DIY move
- Pack using a system and label all your boxes for easy unpacking
- The size of your house will depend on which moving option will suit you best
- Consider all the moving options and find the one that suits your requirements the best
- Plan, plan, plan
- Don’t leave everything to the last minute to limit the stress of moving
If you have the money to hire a professional then you should, it will make the move less stressful and you and your family can concentrate on making your new house a home.