Moving And Storage Tips

When Your Move Isn't Taking You Far

Nearly everybody has experienced the headaches and stress that go along with moving.  Whether the move is down the street, across the county, or to another continent, many of the same challenges apply.  For those staying in the same general area, it often boils down to a choice between hiring local movers and renting a truck and doing it yourself.

If you decide that local movers are the way to go, you’ll need to inform yourself as to the qualities and merits of different moving companies in your area.  Though you will want to do some price comparisons as part of your research, you should definitely not solely rely on price as a determining factor for which company you choose.

Along with some of the smaller local movers, you should consider some of the household names like 2 Men And A Truck, Mayflower, and Starving Students, to name a few.  Request an estimate from all the companies that you are contemplating doing business with.  Whomever you talk with should ask you detailed questions about the number of rooms, amount of furniture, etc. that you will be asking them to move.  Make sure that the moving companies understand the kind of load you are asking them to move and how you want the move done so as to be able to accurately compare quotes.

If you feel that the move is something that you can handle yourself, you can start by securing an appropriate rental vehicle.  U-haul or Ryder are reputable companies that rent trucks to suit just about any need.  Of course there will be other rental companies in your area that have vehicles for rent as well.  One convenient feature of a U-haul, for example, is that you return the truck to the nearest location even if it is just a move across town.  Most major cities have numerous rental locations, especially with respect to the bigger companies.

You would be best served to do a comparison of both methods of moving.  Compare quotes from  local movers with what it would cost you to do it on your own.  Be sure you take the time to calculate the gasoline, mileage, multiple trips, time spent, and beer and pizza that you’ll have to buy for friends and family when you do the move yourself.  Once you crunch the numbers, you’ll will be better able to evaluate the true cost of moving.  Thus you will be able to assess the need (or lack thereof) for local movers.

If you are relocating out of the country, you will need to do a different set of calculations.  Obviously the focus for comparison will shift from local movers to an international mover.  You’ll need to get multiple quotes from various movers to determine the best option for you.  Many people end up either storing many of their belongings or paring them down when preparing for an international move.  You’ll have to take inventory on how much you want to take with you before you embark on any kind of price comparison journey.

In the final analysis, much of what you do will be based on how much you are having moved and what kind of moving budget you have.  As a move itself can be a stressful event, give serious thought to turning the grunt work over to local movers so that you can focus on the more exciting elements of the move.  Make the move a cause for celebration instead of a back breaking event.