When it comes to moving, there is a scale of how much help you can get. You can get labor only, truck only, someone just to help you pack, someone just to help with the big items, or whatever else you may desire. Moving is something that most people don’t tend to do often, so not everyone knows what to expect. Here are some basic things you can expect from full-service movers.
In-home Survey
The first thing any mover will do upon arrival is understand the basic layout of your home. Sometimes, there are sharp corners and room sizes that will make some moves difficult. Specific pieces of furniture may need to be disassembled, more packaging may be needed, or more people may be necessary to move some items out.
These extra precautions and materials tend to cost extra money for the movers to obtain. Because of this, full-service movers may need to inspect your house before beginning the move. The estimate for how much full-service moving would cost for you would then depend on how difficult or not it is to move things around your space.
Disassembly of Furniture
Furniture movers are experienced in disassembling many different types of furniture. Yes, this even includes those crazy Ikea pieces that are sometimes hard to figure out. If you have a piece of furniture that is too big and heavy or would need to be disassembled to be moved for some reason, movers would disassemble this for you as a part of the full service.
Remember to think twice about what pieces you would want to keep or take with you, especially during this part of the process. Some pieces may be too big or too heavy and, it just wouldn’t make sense to take with you. Additionally, most movers charge by weight, so getting rid of a big, difficult piece you aren’t sure about is likely to make your move a whole lot cheaper.
Packing
Most movers will only pack large pieces of furniture that would be unreasonable for anyone to pack on their own or that would require a professional to pack safely. However, there are many factors going into a move that can lead a person to needing extra packing service. Sometimes there are time constraints on moving that make it difficult for someone, even multiple people, to pack an entire house quickly. Other times, there may be an illness or emotional attachments that make it difficult for certain people to move things out of a living space.
If you think you will need extra help with packing, some companies offer this with their full-service moves. Others will not– but there are many ways you can hire people to help you pack. Websites such as Task Rabbit or Care.com are places where you can easily hire someone to perform a small task and help out with some manual labor. Keep in mind though, that if you pack as much as you can yourself, this will definitely help to lower your moving cost.
Storage Services
If your move-in date doesn’t exactly coincide with your move-out date, full-service movers can usually help with that. Many people often have a small period of time, such as a week or two, when they need to be out of one place but can’t yet be in another. For this reason, movers can help with packing things up and keeping them in a storage space.
The logistics of how your things will get moved, where, and how much it will cost depends on the moving company. Sometimes, moving companies have their own storage units at their facilities. Alternatively, companies with no personal storage space handy will need to rent out storage spaces from local storage companies. Most companies will recommend a storage company for you to work with and will be happy to oblige with moving your things to the storage unit, and then eventually out of it to your new home.
Transportation
If anything, the main thing you should expect from full-service movers is that they will, in fact, move your things from one place to another. Full-service movers highly specialize in having the right transportation– usually, trucks– to move everything you have. These moving companies who are experienced have their own trucks, and it is usually this part of the job that takes up the bulk of the cost, since many people opt to only use transportation services.
It’s no secret that Texas is a big state. If you’re specifically using a full-service Texas mover, you may want to talk about exactly where you’re moving to and from, as sometimes a move across Texas can take up to 16 hours depending on location and weight.
Weight is another thing to consider with transportation. If you have too many small items that are weighing on the cost of your move, it is often advised that you move those little things yourself if it’s going to be a financial strain. Many people hire full-service movers but then use their own cars, trucks, a friend’s truck, or even rent some other type of transporting truck (such as a U-Haul) to help themselves out a little more.
But one thing is for sure– if you’re moving any big, or fragile items, chances are you will need a professional mover to help with transporting that all in one piece.
Unpacking + Reassembly of Furniture
Whatever movers break down for you, they will have to build right back up. This is a part of the unpacking process. Professional movers know how to work with all types of furniture so well that the reassembly will seem just as easy as the disassembly. Often, movers will also tend to carry around any spare parts or tools you may need such as nails or hammers if needed.
Similar to packing, full-service movers are usually not expected to help with smaller things. This can include things like clothes, toys, and kitchenware. If you’d like someone to help with every single aspect of unpacking, you’d have to double-check with the company to see what they offer. There are also services such as those mentioned in the “packing” section you can use for this process also.
Disposal of Packing Materials
At the end of the day, you’re likely to have not only tons of extra boxes, but also things like saran wrap, bubble wrap, and other disposable items such as cleaning supplies to get rid of. Full-service movers can sometimes dispose of these things if you ask of them– especially if it happens to be their own packing materials.
Are you looking for a full-service mover to help with your moving needs? Are you moving around the central Texas area? Contact us at Real Men Moving or view our services online to see how we can help you.
