When people think of moving cross country, a professional moving firm usually comes to mind first. However, when there is a locally hiring a mover or near a nearby vicinity, the individual may not consider hiring a professional firm. You might have a circle of friends who are willing to spend a day loading up a rental truck and unloading it at the destination a few blocks, or a few miles away.
It is wonderful to have dedicated friends, but this relocation method can also be risky. You may destroy a friendship because of various things that can happen during the course of the move. Here are some suggestions why hiring a professional moving even for a short distance move is recommended.
Friends and Family
Moving a few items with the help of family and friends may be a task that won’t destroy a friendship, but the physical demands of lifting and loading heavy or bulky items can lead to refusing to help the next time a request is requested is made. Because your friends may not be experienced or knowledgeable about correct lifting and moving practices, there can be injuries to backs, shoulders, and legs that last a lifetime. Even if a trip to the emergency room is avoided, medical costs can add up quickly.
It is unlikely that your amateur moving crew has the knowledge to help with packing or transport of fragile or bulky items, even if the monetary value is low. An example that comes to mind is an heirloom china plate which was bequeathed to you by your beloved deceased great-grandmother. If broken through careless handling or improper packing it can never be replaced, There is no amount of money which would replace that particular plate.
Another problem which arises when depending upon friends and family members to help with a move is coordinating availability of enough people at the same time as you are able to rent. A safeway moving truck. When you choose a local professional moving company, the time is scheduled, the equipment is scheduled, and the personnel are scheduled. You are able to plan the relocation and be assured that it is more likely to go according to plan.
Choosing the right equipment
Today’s professional moving company personnel no longer have to rely on brute strength. As is the case for many other physical tasks in today’s technologically savvy world, mechanical and robotic devices have been created to help with lifting and transporting. The moving company typically invests in a variety of tools and equipment, as well as supplies which will reduce the physical labor required to move items from your living room, down the steps, across the driveway and into the moving truck.
It is possible for many items which would be needed by the customer to be rented or borrowed. While attractive to the do-it-yourselfer, this option can come with its own set of problems. Typically, a damaged hand-truck may result in forfeiture of the deposit which can be sizable.
Even if you can find a place which will rent the property equipment, some items don’t come with instructions about how to operate them. While the individual who picks up the rented equipment from the outlet may get a brief verbal instruction about how to operate it, anyone else is less knowledgeable.
If this is the situation you are faced with, operating even relatively simple equipment incorrectly can damage it, or cause serious injury to an inept operator. The wrong equipment or incorrectly used equipment can result in damage to the item being moved.
A box of cheap dishes can be replaced, but if a washing machine or a piano is not moved with appropriate tie-downs and furniture dollies, it can result in the item breaking loose and falling, or falling on some of your amateur help, with disastrous injuries.
Packing and organizing
One of the troublesome aspects of a do-it-yourself relocation is getting all of your possessions organized and into a condition where they can be easily transported. Items such as appliances and couches are relatively obvious. With enough muscle and equipment, an armchair, mattress, and bed frame can be carried out of the house or apartment and into the new abode.
A problem arises when you have lots of framed pictures, dishes, towels and bedding, and books, all of which have been in various places in your existing house. If a friend or family member comes in to help with the packing, their idea of where things should be placed, and how to label them may be very different from your own. It can sometimes take weeks or even months to find certain items following a move.
As a friend explained when talking about a DIY move, days later when unpacking at her new house, she discovered that fresh coffee grounds in a kitchen trash can had been packed into a truck on top of some furniture and bedding, all of which had to be replaced due to stains and the growth of mold. A locally hiring a mover will help with ensuring that appropriate organization and labeling of packing boxes is completed.
The size and construction of packing boxes is another factor in having a successful move. All cardboard boxes are not created the same. Grabbing a stack of cardboard boxes from behind a local grocery store or retail store may sound like a less expensive option than purchasing moving boxes from the professional movers, but often, such boxes are sized wrong, or are constructed of less sturdy cardboard.
The supplies provided by the moving company are designed to fit both the size and weight limitations which are required in a move. You certainly don’t want to be placing your best china in a flimsy box that doesn’t protect the contents from pressure from the bottom, sides, or top.
Moving blankets are another product which the professional company will make available. They are manufactured to provide protection against scratching, chipping, or wear, particularly when moving furniture and appliances. Usually regular blankets, quilts, and other bedding items are not thick enough to protect against the slight movement of the trucks while moving down the road.
Do-it-yourself may not be the cheapest option
When you look at all the charges which are, or can be, associated with a locally hiring a mover, you might be surprised to learn that you did not save money by doing the long distance moving by yourself, or with the help of some friends.
Some of the costs that almost certainly may arise include deposits on trucks and rental equipment; purchase of packing materials; time for the homeowner to sort, acquire packing boxes, and do the boxing and labeling.
At the price of vehicle fuel these days, several extra trips across town may eat into your available cash. You might need to ensure that your helpers have food to eat and something in the way of drinks to prevent dehydration.
A moving company quote for relocating a short distance may assume that the project can be done in a few hours, whereas trying to do all the work yourself may mean losing days out of your normally busy schedule.
All of these items are expected costs and part of the expense of locally hiring a mover. Added to these items are the extras which would be assessed in the case of an accident or injury incurred by one of your amateur helpers. You can’t be hurt by getting a cost quote from a reliable moving company before renting a truck.
