Moving house is often referred to as an epic journey that will take to a whole new world and a brand new life. If every journey begins with a single step, then the first step of your relocation adventure is to decide on your most advantageous moving option – professional moving service, self-move, or something in-between. It is not easy to come up with the right solution, as you can choose from a great variety of possible relocation scenarios and available moving services.
Even if you have already set your mind on professional moving assistance (the logical choice, considering the magnitude of the moving process and all the hardships and risks involved in it), you may find it difficult to choose among the different types of moving services available, as each of them comes with its own specific benefits and disadvantages.
To be able to make an informed decision, you need to be aware of the specifics of different kinds of moves and the types of moving companies most appropriate for each particular move type.
Movers can be classified in several different ways according to the types of services they offer and the distance they operate within:
Local moving companies
Local movers take care of short distance moves (usually up to 100 miles) within the boundaries of the same state. They are regulated by the Departments of Transportation (or Public Utilities Commissions) of the states they operate within and don’t need a USDOT number issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Local moving companies charge by the hour (the average cost of hiring short distance movers is $30 – $40 per hour per mover), so your final moving cost will be determined by the number of work hours it will take the moving crew to load and unload your belongings and the time that the moving truck will need to get from your old property to your new one.
Long-distance moving companies
Long distance moves are usually interstate moves, but intrastate relocations that exceed the distance of 100 miles are also considered long-distance moves. The moving costs are estimated based on the total weight of your shipment and the actual distance to your final destination. Therefore, when planning a long distance move, you’re strongly recommended to ask three or four reputable cross-country moving companies for in-house estimates in order to get accurate moving quotes and to be able to choose the best movers for you.
Good to remember: All interstate moving companies need a USDOT number in order to operate legally (if your move involves the crossing of a state border, your move is considered an interstate move, regardless of the distance, so your chosen movers need to be properly licensed).
International moving companies
When moving from one country to another, you’re going to need the services of a moving company that specializes in international moves. International relocations require a lot of paperwork (because of the great number of custom rules and global regulations that need to be complied with) and have their own specifics (air shipment or sea shipment, import restrictions, proper insurance, etc.) that render them much more complex and difficult than other types of moves, so you need highly experienced international movers in order to ensure a safe and trouble-free overseas move.
International moving costs are based on the volume of the shipment, measured in cubic meters or cubic feet.
Regardless of the relocation distance, moving companies specialize either in residential or in commercial moves (although some companies deal in both home and office relocations).
Commercial movers
Business relocation needs – moving a small office, a big corporation, a shop, a warehouse, etc. to a new address – require great manpower, specialized moving equipment, and specific packing techniques that can only be provided by moving companies specialized in working in commercial settings. Commercial movers have adequate training, extensive experience, and advanced technology that allow them to relocate entire businesses from one place to another in a safe and efficient manner.
The costs are determined by a number of different factors (total weight and volume of the shipment, complexity of the job, required specialized services, etc.) and can be extremely high.
Household movers
Residential movers assist shippers of household items in all stages of the arduous moving process. They provide different types of moving services, suitable for different kinds of relocation needs and preferences.
Full moving services
Full-service movers take care of a move from start to finish. They pack, load, transport, and unload their clients’ goods and can even unpack, install, and assemble household items as required.
Using full service moving companies is your safest, easiest, and most convenient moving option – the pros will do all the work, handle your relocation with maximum speed, safety, and efficiency, and assume the liability if anything happens to your items while in their custody. Opting for a full-service move will not only save you a lot of time and effort but will also help you avoid many unnecessary risks and ensure your peace of mind. Have in mind, however, that this is the most expensive moving option available.
Partial moving services
In case you don’t need (or prefer not to use) full moving services, you may request specific moving assistance:
- Packing services. In case you have many delicate, valuable, or awkwardly-shaped items to pack for moving or don’t have the time to deal with the tedious packing process, you may request professional packing services. The pros will come to your home at the pre-agreed day and time and prepare your belongings for shipment in the quickest, safest, and most efficient way possible. You can then transport your goods yourself or entrust them to professional movers of your choice;
- Loading and unloading services. You may choose to pack and transport your belongings yourself, but may not be able to lift your heavy items, take them safely out of your home, and load them onto the moving vehicle on your own. In this case, you can request loading and unloading services and have a couple of workers come to your home to assist you with loading your goods and unloading them upon delivery (for an hourly rate);
- Pickup and delivery services. If you prefer to pack and unpack your items yourself but don’t want to rent a moving truck and drive it all the way to your new home, you can hire a moving company to transport your belongings to your new home. The movers will load your items onto the moving truck, drive them to your new address, and unload the shipment for you;
- Small load moving services. If your shipment weighs less than 1,000 pounds (the contents of a single room or just one specific item, for example) and is not enough to fill in an entire moving truck, you’re going to need small scale moving services. Your goods will be transported together with other people’s items and will probably take longer to deliver;
- Storage services. You may need the moving company to store your belongings for some time while pending further transportation.
Self-service moving
Self-service movers will transport your belongings to your new home, but it will be up to you to pack, load, unload, and unpack your items. You have two options:
- A moving truck of the right size will arrive at your home at a pre-agreed day and time. You’ll have to load your already packed goods onto the waiting van as quickly as possible. Once you’re ready, the experienced and properly licensed driver will transport your shipment to your new home. Have in mind that you need to be there before the moving truck arrives, so that you can unload your items when they’re delivered;
- A mobile storage container will be delivered in front of your home and left at your disposal for a certain period of time (previously agreed on with the moving company). When you have loaded the moving container, it will be picked up and transported to your new address. You will have several days to unload your goods before the company comes to retrieve the pod.
Truck rental services
If you decide to use truck rental services, you will be provided with a moving vehicle and some basic moving equipment but will have to take care of all aspects of your move (packing, loading, driving, unloading, and unpacking) by yourself. This is, in fact, a DIY move and you won’t have any professional moving assistance. You can learn more about renting a moving truck here.
Specialty movers
Some very delicate, very valuable, or very difficult to move items (like pianos, pool tables, hot tubs, safes, antiques, artwork, wine collections, etc.) require special care and need to be handled by properly trained, highly experienced movers who have the specialized equipment and professional know-how to safely transport them to your new home. If you have such a delicate piece to relocate, make sure you contact a specialized moving company with good reputation and many years of experience, so that you can rest assured about the safety of your treasured belonging.
Auto transportation companies
Auto transportation companies ship motor vehicles from one place to another. Their services are usually required when people move long distance and don’t want to spend several days on the road driving to their final destinations but would like to keep their vehicles and have them ready to use in their new surroundings.
SEE ALSO: How to prepare my car for shipping
Different types of moving companies offer different types of services and specialize in different types of moves. When planning your forthcoming relocation, make sure you research all the available options well so that you can choose the movers that best suit your needs.
I was never aware that there was plenty of type of movers available in the market for us to choose from and that better suits our situation. My neighbour is planning to move to a different state and has been looking for an interstate moving company to help transport his belongings. I will advise him to ask the local companies at the state he is moving to if they offer such a service.
We had a Full Service moving company
(On The Move Moving Company- Dahlonega, Ga)
move our things from our home into a storage unit. There, they kept it for two months at $375 per month.
We paid upfront about $6000.
After two months, they moved our furniture into our new home. The total distance was 251 miles.
I was told that the remaining balance was $2665.50 at the time of delivery. The owner of the moving company told me that this remaining balance was our final bill and would not exceed this amount.
The movers arrived at our new home at 3:30 in the afternoon with two 26ft trucks.
They took their time unloading and setting things up, it was raining off and in that day.
At 8:30 that evening they still had not unloaded all of our things or set up the two upstairs beds. The movers became angry when we asked them if they were going to finish.
The lead mover called his boss- the owner
They then unloaded everything in a pile in our living room and said that they were finished.
The lead mover gave me the phone and the owner spoke to me and told me that we were being charged an additional $1,000 for “extra” labor
And an additional $75 for extra weight
(Which this did not make sense – they weighed initially, going into the warehouse for storage – and why was it more weight when they moved our things out to our new home just after two months of sitting there later.
I told the owner on the phone that night that I would pay him the amount that I was supposed to pay and that we had agreed on the day before.
Which was $2,665.50.
The owner became irate – cursing me out over the phone and screaming that he was calling the sheriff’s dept and having me arrested for theft.
The lead mover had told his boss that the reason that it took them so long to move everything, was because we “kept asking them to set up things then, reset them up in other places”
I told him that was not true – and besides we were not having to pay for the labor.
The lead mover threatened me inside of my home in front of my son, and told me that “he didn’t work for free”
And, “that someone was going to have to come and get me in an ambulance.”
My wife got on the phone and the owner began yelling at her- she paid the extra $1100
I was told from the beginning from the owner and his wife, that our move was a “regulated “move (?)
That we had paid for the weight and the labor and wrapping up front
They told us that we were not responsible for paying for labor also.
The funny thing is
Is that it took them the same length of time when they initially moved us as it did when they unloaded us at our new home
What can we do about this?
We were threatened with arrest and with violence
if we didn’t pay the extra $1100 for “extra” labor.
We had paid all of the money that we owed up until then, and we’re going to pay what we were told was the final remaining balance when they delivered.
A very well written blog I always wondered what my movers at Valley Relocation (btw did an amazing job of moving my stuff) kept saying about when they referred their company as a full service moving company or a local movers.
thanks