Category Archives: Interstate Moving

Our COVID-19 Response

Our COVID-19 ResponseTo our valued customers:

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to disrupt daily life, Pony Express Moving Services wants to assure homeowners and business customers that we are taking steps to help our employees and customers stay safe and healthy.

Open, Fully Staffed, and Ready to Help the Communities We Serve

We know many of you are working from home and self-quarantining.

Pony Express Moving Services is ready to help with service anytime you need us. We’re still operating under our normal hours of operation. We’re carefully monitoring the COVID-19 situation and strictly following government health and safety guidelines to minimize the spread of the virus and protect our customers and employees in every community we serve.

Our Movers are Essential Service Providers

All Pony Express Moving Services movers who visit your home or business will adhere to our high standards of cleanliness, safety, and hygiene before, during, and after every service visit.

In order to ensure maximum effectiveness, we’ve instructed our service technicians to uphold and enhance our already strict cleaning and disinfecting measures to ensure the safest possible work environment. Additionally, we’re following CDC (Centers for Disease Control) guidelines designed to stop the spread of the virus, including:

  • Wearing personal protective equipment
  • Eliminating physical contact, including handshakes. We’ll use only non-contact methods of greeting
  • Maintaining effective social distancing all the time
  • Washing hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds at every opportunity
  • Using hand sanitizer
  • Using disinfectant products to ensure touch-points are clean in work-spaces, vehicles, and on equipment
  • Sanitizing shared-use devices such as tablets and clipboards; customers should consider using their own pens to sign paperwork

Customer Service

Our customer service department is fully staffed to assist you with scheduling service calls, answering questions and meeting all your needs. We have implemented the following additional precautions to ensure a safe experience and excellent service.

  • Our customer service representatives and service technicians will ask if anyone is symptomatic of illness.
  • We’ll honor special requests from customers seeking to maintain a safe distance from our service technicians.
  • Pony Express Moving Services personnel are always aware of the risks and symptoms of illness. Any employee feeling potential signs of the virus will stay home and seek a professional medical evaluation.
  • You can count on all of us at Pony Express Moving Services to conduct ourselves with the highest level of professionalism and dependability throughout this health crisis.

Please contact us if you have concerns about specific Pony Express Moving Services safety precautions, procedures, or hours of operation. Please note that the COVID-19 situation is changing rapidly. Accordingly, Pony Express Moving Services must adjust its processes to best serve our communities and ensure the safety of our employees and customers.

Moving Cross Country Tips

Thinking of moving from happening Boston to laid back Phoenix? Or are you ready to transfer from your satellite office in Boston to the headquarters in NYC? People move across the country for many reasons. Some accept new job opportunities while others are just looking for a change of pace or a new adventure. Whatever the reason, what all of us cross-country movers know to be true is that though the move itself is exciting, the process can be a little tricky. To make relocation a bit easier, we’ve outlined a quick overview of key steps to remember.

Moving Cross Country TipsPlanning the Moving Cross Country

Before you begin the physical act of moving, there are a few tasks you should complete ahead of time. First, assuming you already know where you’re moving and have an apartment picked out, confirm the earliest move in date with your new landlord. While the lease may officially begin on a certain date, sometimes tenants move out early, which could give you the opportunity to move in early. You can then figure out how much prep time you need before you leave your old home behind.

Next, you should get measurements of your room from the landlord or property manager beforehand. Will your comfy queen-size bed fit into your new room? Do you have space for a dresser or should you buy storage containers for under your bed? If you’re going to be living with roommates, connect with them on what each of you are planning to bring that will be shared. Items for common areas like living room furniture and kitchen utensils can usually be divvied up instead of everyone bringing their own (though you can never have too many throw pillows). Start selling off your large furniture early. You can post your couch, bed frame, dresser, and coffee table for sale on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace to make your luggage a little lighter and to earn some extra cash to then spend on all new furniture for your new place. Lastly, don’t forget to update your address with USPS. It only takes a few minutes and it can be done online here!

Packing for Moving Cross Country

Once you’ve sold off your big ticket items, it’s time to start thinking about what belongings you want to have in your new home. We recommend making a list. Start with what you absolutely have to pack no matter what, like the stuffed animal you’ve had since you were you were born or the expensive coffee maker you don’t want to replace. Then list out items you’ll bring if you can fit them and lastly anything that you can live without or replace upon arrival. Begin packing according to this list. Once all of your necessities are boxed up, you’ll have a better idea of what else you can fit and can continue boxing until there isn’t any space left. Next, decide how to get rid of your left over possessions, whether you’re selling them online or at a garage sale, donating them to goodwill, or bringing them to the dump. If you need to pick up packing supplies, check in with local businesses such as grocery and liquor stores as they tend to have a good amount of free boxes, bubble wrap, and newspaper laying around.

All Things Transportation

Now that you’ve figured out when you can move in and have packed, you should probably figure out how you’re going to get to your new apartment. Unless you have your own private jet, you have three options of travel: planes, trains, and automobiles.

Flying or Taking a Train/Bus

While getting yourself to your destination by flying or taking a bus is relatively simple to figure out, transporting your assets can be  more difficult. If you’re moving for a new job and your company provides relocation assistance, you should definitely take advantage of it. If you’re on your own, you should look into long-distance moving services.

Once you’ve figured out how to transport your stuff, you need to figure out how to transport, well, yourself! If you have some flexibility on when you’re going to move, the best deals on travel happen during the late fall through the spring and it’s cheaper to travel during the week. There are also websites designed to save you money on long journeys like Wanderu, which will find the fastest and cheapest way for you to get from point A to point B via bus or train. If you’d like to take the classic approach and plan the trip yourself, Greyhound and Amtrak are great places to start.

Driving

Regardless of which road ride you choose, there are a few additional tips you should keep in mind. If you have a family member or close friend willing to make the drive with you, definitely accept their offer! Driving with a buddy makes the road trip much easier because you can split time behind the wheel and you’ll appreciate the additional company. Just make sure you can stand multiple days in close quarters with them. Also, pack a bag of necessities like several changes of clothes, toiletries, and whatever else you’ll need for the few days you’ll spend on the road. Make sure you store this bag in an easily accessible spot because digging through all your boxes to find a toothbrush or new shirt will be difficult and frustrating.

Moving from one side of the country to the other is a big task. It can be stressful and taxing but it will also end up being one of the most exciting and rewarding moves you’ll ever make!

Save money with Pony Express Moving Cross Country Service. Lower prices than traditional moving companies and you don’t have to drive! Request a free quote.

City To City Moving Tips

City To City Moving Tips

There can be plenty of reasons why you’re contemplating a house move right now. There will probably be one major reason to trigger the household move (like the end of a lease or a new job offer out of town, for example), and sometimes that main culprit may be accompanied by a number of smaller yet still significant reasons (like dissatisfaction with your current job or problems in your personal relationships).

But whatever the primary cause for the big change ahead of you, the final result is that you’re moving to another city soon and you still need to get ready for the Big day. And by getting ready, you should understand completing a ton of important tasks if you wish to have a successful move.

As you will find out soon enough, careful planning and meticulous preparation are everything when it comes to city to city moving – EVERYTHING! Don’t leave anything to chance but organize your time perfectly and make your new city move one for the books.City To City Moving

City to city movers: why you need the pros

Whether it’s voluntary or largely circumstantial, the decision to move to another city is the very first thing in a long line of pre-move jobs that you will be tackling one by one. A good job offer in another city is reason enough to get you to start packing up your stuff, as is the irresistible desire to follow your heart after having met someone special in another part of the country. What matters right now is that the day of your move is approaching fast and you will need to figure out a relocation strategy that will actually work.

The thing is that you will need the right approach to handle the house move because city to city moving is not to be underestimated. The question to answer here is whether or not you will resort to the services of professional new city movers. And if it turns out that you do, you should follow the logical steps of finding and hiring a city to city moving company that will be 1) agreeable to your moving budget, 2) responsive to your individual relocation needs, and 3) showing professional attitude toward the entire moving process.

Here are the some reasons you can end up making that first crucial contact with the moving experts:

Time. Do you have to move out of your place fast, and if yes, just how fast? Lack of sufficient time to prepare properly for moving out is one of the common reasons why people choose to go with a professional moving company. The so-called emergency moves or short notice moves cannot be usually handled by non-professionals simply because the latter have not been trained to pack, protect, carry, and load heavy, large and awkwardly-shaped household items around the clock. When you do something on a daily basis, you tend to get good at it, don’t you? The majority of city to city moving companies know just how to keep a very high level of efficiency throughout the move by maintaining unrivaled speed and safety at the same time.

Safety. The safety of your possessions and your own health should be a big concern – something to seriously think about before moving from city to city. Safety is especially crucial during the packing stage where fragile and easily breakable items could get damaged or ruined forever unless they are professionally packed and adequately protected. Also, if you own things that are extremely valuable /antique furniture/ or exceptionally difficult to transport /a piano or a pool table/, then you won’t have much of a choice but to hire experts who know what they are doing. Risking irreparable damage to your prized items or risking your own health cannot possibly justify your informed(?) decision not to contact city to city movers.

Affordability. Moving locally to a place located just a short distance away from your current home, or moving within the same town or city, is usually a prerequisite for organizing an affordable self-move. However, if you plan to move to another city hundreds or thousands of miles away, then it’s good to remember that the right way to go is to hire city to city moving services. The numerous hidden costs of self-moves will prove, once again, that sometimes it’s much better to trust professionals than to risk your time, money, and health only to make a pointless statement.

The cost of moving from city to city

Without a doubt, you will be very interested in knowing the cost of moving from city to city before the arrival of moving day. This is so because

  • you will want to know if you have enough money saved to cover the moving costs in the first place,
  • you will want to exert control over the move-related expenses by creating and adhering to a relocation budget, and
  • you will want to avoid any unpleasant surprises when it’s time to pay for the services of your new city movers.

Be mindful that trying to guess by yourself how much the new city move will cost you simply won’t work. With the exception of the move distance that remains a constant value even if you wish it weren’t so, there’s no possible way for you learn how much all the stuff you’re moving will weigh, let alone how much you will be charged for the additional service of packing.

Failed attempts at guessing the cost of city to city moving can only lead to unmet expectations and general disappointment. Instead, complete the cost calculation the right way: first, know what factors will influence the final moving price, and then learn your own relocation cost with a good level of accuracy.

  • Due to the future transportation costs, the distance between the two cities will influence the final bill. You can’t expect little or no difference in the cost when moving from New York City to Salt Lake City on one hand, and when moving from New York City to Boston on the other one. After all, the difference is around 2000 miles!. But it’s also true that you won’t be able to do anything about the move distance so you don’t have to really worry about it.
  • Your city to city moving company will charge you for the overall weight of your items for moving unless you’re moving locally, in which case you will be charged by the hour. After all of your household items have been loaded into the moving truck, your items will be weighed at a licensed weigh station and you will be informed of the precise weight of the stuff you’re tasking with you.
  • What and how many extra services you request will affect greatly the cost of moving from one city to another. Just think about packing – the job that takes the most time to complete – and you should be able to understand why each additional service will burden your set moving budget even more. Even if you haven’t asked for some of those extra services, they may be needed for the successful completion of your new city move.

In any case, because of the excess of question marks surrounding the new city moving rates, the only way to know how much you will pay in advance is to get a Free Quote online or call Pony Express at 617-983-8700 .

Moving Terms Definitions

Moving is hard enough without all of the confusing industry moving terms that can be thrown around dictionary

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Here are some common moving terms defined to make your search for the perfect mover a little bit easier.

COI – A COI, or a certificate of insurance, is used to give proof of insurance to commercial and residential buildings in case damages to the property occur during a move. *Always make sure your moving company is properly insured to protect yourself from personal loss.

Access – Access refers to how the crews will be entering/exiting the property at origin and/or destination. Long walks, narrow stairs, and parking are all things to consider when telling a surveyor about your move in order to give you the most accurate estimate.

Shuttle – A shuttle might be used to transport your goods if the planned truck is unable to make a normal pickup or delivery because of geographical or urban planning (think: low bridges, narrow roads) constraints. The shuttle is the smaller truck used to complete the pickup or delivery. There are separate charges for this service, depending on the size and location of the shipment.

Binding Estimate – If your mover gives you a binding estimate they are guaranteeing the total cost of the move based on the quantity of items and services shown on the estimate. This type of estimate means that you will pay the agreed upon amount regardless of the difference between the estimate and the actual cost of your move.

Non-Binding Estimate – Non-binding estimates charge you based on the actual cost of your move, regardless of the initial estimated cost. This means you could end up paying less or more based on the actual amount of work necessary to complete your move.

Bill of Lading – If you hear the term bill of lading don’t get nervous! The bill of lading is an important part of your move that is actually a service agreement detailing terms and conditions of your move and the receipt for your goods. All moving jobs have a bill of lading attached making it easier to review services agreed upon.

PBO / PBC – here’s an easy one! PBO / PBC just means that the items were packed by owner (you, the customer) or packed by crew. No sweat.

OA/DA – Everyone loves a good abbreviation but they aren’t much fun when you’re stressed! Don’t worry if a salesperson mentions an OA or DA during your conversation. These abbreviations refer to the origin agent (the company at the origin of your move who will service the first half of the move) and destination agent (the company at the destination address responsible for completing the move.) If the company you’re getting estimates from is part of a van-line then the agent on the other end of your move will also be a part of the van-line and you can rest assured that your goods will be handled in the best way possible.

Class 1 Move – A Class 1 move, also known as crate and freight, have your belongings move from one dock to another in shipments. Crate and freight may be a better option for those with smaller moves and can be handled by preferred agents outside of a company’s regular van-line network due to travel restrictions during peak season.

Hoist – In the case of large or heavy items that need to be handled in or out of homes through windows, you may need to use a hoist. Hoists are auxiliary services offered by movers using specialized equipment, such as a hoisting crane and a moving platform.

Valuation – The amount of cash value assigned to the items in a shipment is called valuation in the moving world. When purchasing valuation, the customer will pay a certain amount of money for their items to be covered at the assessed value in the event of damage. There is a required $0.60 per pound minimum for all moves, but for an additional charge you may purchase other levels of valuation options.

Full Value Protection – Full value protection is a valuation option where the moving company is liable to repair or replace any lost or damage items at their full value minus any deductible amount on the valuation option.
Have more questions about moving terms, or want to book your move? Call us today at 617-983-8700 and we’ll get you started or request an estimate online.

Long Distance Moving and Family Life

Long Distance Moving

long distance moving

Long distance moving

Sometimes, circumstances dictate when the whole family can move together.  Maybe your spouse transferred jobs, but you haven’t yet sold the house or you want the kids to finish the school year before the moving company moves everything to your new home.  Maybe you are embarking on a long-distance romance until you decide where you both can reside together.  Today with technology, living apart doesn’t have to intervene with your relationship or family life.  Of course, you’ll miss the proximity you once shared, but you will survive by making these temporary accommodations.

Plan Frequent Visits

Depending on how far apart you’re living from your spouse or family, try to schedule frequent visits at either location.  Seeing each other happy in familiar and new settings will comfort you and also excite you about the future when the movers will bring your belongings and help you settle into your new surroundings with your loved ones.  The anticipation for in-person visits will guide you through the difficult and lonely times.

Keep Communication Lines Open

Staying connected is vital when you’re living apart.  Schedule a definite time during the day when you talk on the phone, Skype or FaceTime with one another, so you’re up-to-date on daily happenings and when you need a friendly face to wish you a goodnight.  Social media channels offer the chance to share daily life and milestones as well as how you’re feeling.  Use e-mail to communicate about issues regarding your house sale, potential neighborhoods to live in and when, finally, to contact the moving company.

Stay Busy

If you keep busy by participating in activities or joining clubs in your new neighborhood, you’ll feel less lonely and will meet new friends, learning about your new locale.  When loved ones join you, and the movers transport you all to your new home, you’ll be able to introduce them around the neighborhood like you’ve lived there forever.

Establish Rules

Before the separation occurs, go over any rules to keep during your time apart.  Whether it’s how to maintain the household, staying faithful to your partner or how much money to spend on what and when, you must discuss.  If you share children, it’s even more tantamount to establish rules, follow routines and keep discipline consistent.  Remember that until the moving company reunites you that the parent who’s the primary caretaker now must make decisions about daily life with the kids and their partner must respect and understand this.  Moving decisions may also fall into that person’s lap, too.

Understand Each Other

During this transition period and temporary separation, emotions will be hard to harness and will cause occasional misunderstandings.  The best thing you can do is express understanding and reassurance, talking about anything that’s bothering you.  Clearing the air and not allowing concerns and fears to fester will strengthen your relationships.  Some children will need constant reassurance that the situation will improve, won’t last forever and that your family is a strong, loving one.  Once the waiting period is over, contact Pony Express for all your long distance moving needs.  Being reunited will feel so good!

Moving Out of Your College House, Dorm, or Apartment

Moving Out of Your College House, Dorm, or Apartment

Moving Out of Your College House, Dorm, or Apartment

Moving Out of Your College House, Dorm, or Apartment

As most college students are preparing for finals and end of the year projects, the last thing on your mind is probably moving out of your dorm, apartment, or college house. Whether you are graduating this spring, moving abroad, or are taking a summer job somewhere other than your college town, you may have to think about moving on top of finals.

Moving isn’t fun—it doesn’t matter if you are moving a whole apartment or a single room dorm. However, when you have a professional moving company like Pony Express Moving Services, moving is easy. Below are several reasons why you should hire a moving company to help you move out of your college house, apartment, or dorm.

Reasons to Hire a Moving Company for College Moves

  • Final exams. Why is it that you must think about packing and moving during final exams? Unfortunately, when the end of the year comes, so do finals and moving. When you hire a moving company, you can focus more on your studies and less on how you’re going to move.
  • Stairs. Do you live on the 5th floor of your college dorm? Remember how hard it was moving all of your items to your dorm room? Don’t go through that again. Let a mover help you!
  • Goodbyes. Whether you are graduating or simply leaving for the summer, saying goodbye to your closest friends is never easy. Focus more on spending time with friends and saying goodbye rather than packing and moving.

College should be one of the best times of your life—don’t let it go to waste by packing and moving furniture all day! Let Us do it for you!

About Pony Express Moving Services

Pony Express Moving Services is a moving company located in Boston, MA. Whether you are graduating or just leaving for the summer, our movers can help you move out of your college home and into your new home.

We are the perfect moving and storage company for students attending:

  • Massachusetts Institute of Technology     Cambridge
  • Harvard University     Cambridge
  • Boston University     Boston
  • Tufts University     Medford
  • University of Massachusetts Amherst     Amherst
  • Boston College     Chestnut Hill
  • Northeastern University     Boston
  • Brandeis University     Waltham
  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute     Worcester
  • Mount Holyoke College     South Hadley
  • University of Massachusetts Boston     Boston
  • Smith College     Northampton
  • Clark University     Worcester
  • Williams College     Williamstown
  • Amherst College     Amherst
  • Wellesley College     Wellesley
  • University of Massachusetts Lowell     Lowell
  • Berklee College of Music     Boston
  • Babson College     Babson Park
  • University of Massachusetts Medical School     Worcester
  • University of Massachusetts Dartmouth     North Dartmouth
  • Bentley University     Waltham
  • And more …

Call us today to get a free quote!

Moving Day Made Easy

Moving Day Made Easy 🙂

When moving houses, the average household relocates 7,400 pounds — nearly four tons — of stuff, and an eight-room home uses 100 boxes in the process. The average interstate move costs about $4,300, while staying in-state costs about $2,300. All these stats add up to one massive undertaking. Read our guide for advice on cutting it down to size.

Moving Day Made EasyHow to Hire Movers

Keep in mind these tips to save a little cash on moving day:

  • Mind your timing. Moving company rates are higher at the beginning and end of the month, when most leases are up, and on weekends. If you can take a day or two off midweek or midmonth, your wallet will benefit.
  • Do some of the work yourself. Pack your own boxes, or even just get things inside more mover-friendly (unplug appliances, roll up rugs, disassemble anything you can) shaves off time and therefore saves you on the hourly rate.
  • If you hire anyone, you want them to be reliable and careful — and not overcharge you. Get detailed written estimates from at least three movers, and have them do an in-home inspection instead of estimating by phone or email.
  • Do your homework. Moving companies are among the most complained-about businesses in the U.S. Get references, and look for complaints and reviews at the Better Business Bureau, Yelp.

Lighten Your Load

A long-distance move is usually priced by volume (how much space in a truck the stuff takes up) and weight, and a local move by volume (size of truck needed) and time (local movers usually charge an hourly rate). What this means: Don’t move stuff you don’t need on moving day.

  • Weed out items to sell, donate, or throw out. Be ruthless — moving is a chore, but it’s also a chance to make a clean start. As you go through your things to fill boxes, make piles or fill trashbags with what you really don’t need. It may even be worth renting a dumpster (especially if the move is to a smaller space). Bonus: Unloading unneeded furniture on Craig’s List, having a yard sale, or making a tax deduction on donated goods can help you recoup some expenses.
  • Use it or lose it. Items that are not worth the cost of packing and moving: Pantry foods (eat what you can, and donate what’s unopened to a soup kitchen), cleaning supplies (also can be donated, or given to a neighbor), open condiment bottles (dump ’em), stacks of old magazines (clip the articles you love and recycle the rest), and partly used paints, propane tanks, or solvents (they could be dangerous, especially if they spill; donate or recycle properly).

Save on Moving Supplies

  • Collect free boxes from the local liquor store or grocery store — liquor boxes are particularly good, because they are often a good-quality cardboard, and are uniformly sized and not too big, so you’re unlikely to load them so heavily that they’re a strain to carry. Printer-paper boxes from an office or school are good, too.
  • Check online, on Craigslist for “curb alerts” of people giving away their packing boxes. You may also have some luck getting giveaway ones on freecycle.com.
  • Consider reusables. A few companies rent or sell reused cardboard and reusable plastic boxes. Check out usedcardboardboxes.com or zippgo.com or rentagreenbox.com.
  • Visit a home-improvement store. Home Depot and Lowe’s both offer reasonably priced moving supplies, as well as online checklists and other useful tools to help get you organized.

Box-Labeling Lesson

  • Mark boxes on the top and on the side (so if one is covered, you can hopefully spot the other) with a short summary of contents (kids’ books) and where they should go (playroom).
  • Stack filled boxes that go to the same room together, so they go out to the truck at the same time, and are (hopefully) loaded at the same time.
  • Use the app for that. Moving Van is an iPhone app ($1.99) that lets you snap photos of the contents of boxes, quickly catalog them, and assign each box a name or number. Then, when you’re unpacking everything (which isn’t always a super-fast process), and you need to find a specific item that isn’t unpacked yet, you can simply search for it on your app and immediately ID the box you need to look in.

Packing the Moving Truck

If loading it up yourself or supervising movers, keep in mind these rules of thumb.

  • When reserving a rental, follow the trucking companies’ size suggestions — but if in doubt, go bigger (you don’t want to have to make two trips).
  • Make of list of what you intend to move — and think about what you’ll put in first (see below). It’s no fun to have to take things out once you’ve put them in, if you decide too late that they’re in the wrong spot.
  • Know your packing order. First, load the biggest, heaviest stuff such as furniture and appliances (and don’t assume things need to load as they normally sit — sofas, for instance, take up much less space if flipped up on one end). Then, add the heavier boxes. Next go lighter items (furniture like chairs). On the very top, add the glassware and other breakables. Put your best puzzle-solver inside the truck to decide where stuff goes.
  • Boxes and items should be packed tightly together so they won’t move, and furniture should be wrapped in pads or blankets. Rope things to the walls of the truck to discourage sliding, and if the truck won’t be filled to the brim, keep the top surface level so nothing will topple down. A good last add is a mattress, which you can rope tightly into the end as an extra pad if items slosh back.

Do You Need Extra Insurance to Cover the Move?

Your regular homeowners’ and/or car insurance may cover a move but ask — if not (and even if so), it may be worth the peace of mind to purchase extra, from the truck rental agency or on your existing insurance plans.

Reasons You Should Always Hire Moving Company

Hire Moving Company

I dread moving. Every part of it. From the packing, to the lifting, to the unloading, to the sifting; moving is on my list of least favorite things to do right next to “have ingrown toenail surgery.”

Reasons You Should Always Hire Moving CompanyThankfully, now that I’m in my 30s and have a little more disposable income, I can afford to hire movers when I need them — and it’s money very well spent. If you’re not a convert yet, you should be. Here are six reasons you should always hire moving company.
1. There’s Less Chance You’ll End Up in the Hospital

I have one disastrous image in my head when I think about moving accidents, and it’s that huge piano free-falling from a high story of a tall building — and splat! It’s a totally valid nightmare in New York City, which is why I bump into lampposts all the time; I’m always anxiously looking up. Outside of killing somebody else with your ill-preparedness and overall negligence, you can hurt yourself pretty badly when you don’t know what you’re doing.

Moving heavy items like sofas, beds, and furniture is awkward, requires either multiple people or the right equipment, and it needs to be done twice — moving out of one home and moving into another, explains John Bodrozic, co-founder of HomeZada, a digital home platform for the homeowner lifecycle. “Hiring a professional mover eliminates the potential for injury.”
2. Your Friends and Family Won’t Regret Knowing You

One word: pivot!

If you’re a “Friends” fan you know what that means, and if you’re not, well, you should look up the clip on YouTube so you don’t annoy and alienate your friends on moving day like Ross did.

“No matter how much they say they will help, friends and family hate helping you move because it’s tiring and stressful,” Bodrozic says. “Keep your friends and family happy by just inviting them over for the housewarming party, not the moving bit.”
3. You’ll Free Up Time for Other Important Moving Day Issues

There’s a lot more that needs to be done on moving day besides the actual moving. Perhaps you need to set up cable and utility service, maybe you need to get a new driver’s license, or your time might be better spent readying the new place by making it move-in friendly. Professional movers can free up a huge chunk of time by taking that burden off your back — literally — so you can concentrate on other important tasks and exercise efficiency.

“Moving yourself will take you a lot more time,” says Bodrozic. “Having a company come in and do it for you with the right truck, the right hand tools, and the right resources gets the job done much more quickly.”
4. Movers Will Have All the Right Equipment

You know what’s worse than having to move your entire bedroom set down four flights of stairs? Realizing that you don’t have the IKEA-issued Allen wrench you need to dismantle the darn thing. Forget about breaking your back; that aneurysm you’re about to have will probably kill you first. But not if your superhero movers and personal saviors are on the job.

“Professional movers will size the contents and have the right sized truck and other hand tools to move equipment,” Bodrozic says. “Oftentimes, people who do it themselves will rent a smaller truck requiring more trips, and they forget about various hand tools are other things that make it much easier to move.”

5. All Your Valuables Are Insured With Professional Movers

I don’t trust myself with moving my own valuables. I don’t put all my faith in the movers either, but I’m at least comforted that if they break it, they buy it. On the other hand, if I break it, I throw a fit and cuss at inanimate objects.

“Let’s face it, if you drop your TV, you can’t exactly collect from yourself,” “Licensed and professional moving companies offer various coverage options to insure your goods against damage. In shopping around and checking out reputable companies, it’s always important to ask what your options are for insurance as a consumer.”

I’ll take the gold package, please, and I’ll totally understand if some of my out-of-date appliances bounce off the concrete until they’re unrecognizable.
6. It Can Potentially Save You Money in the Long Run

The major hesitation of hiring movers, of course, is the cost. I’m always telling you that should cut corners where you can — and, granted, hiring movers is definitely not one of life’s necessities — but you may save money by letting a few jacked-up dudes do the heavy lifting.

“Despite the initial price tag on a professional move, you could end up saving yourself time and money — yes, money — when you hire professionals,”  “Oftentimes we underestimate the costs of moving on our own: the rush that can result in breakage, injury, or loss of items; the refreshments and dinner for friendly helpers; the time this job carves out of your day. We forget about all the tools and equipment that are needed, how much gas for a moving truck costs, and, most importantly, whether or not we are insured if something goes wrong.”

Source

Apartment Moving: How to Move Out on Good Terms

Move Out on Good Terms

Move Out on Good TermsThere is a right way and a wrong way to do everything. Moving out of your apartment the right way ensures that you protect yourself from potential liabilities, while at the same time getting a recommendation from your landlord. A recommendation from a previous landlord is a key asset when you are searching for a new apartment. Follow a few simple guidelines to ensure that your move goes smoothly.

  • Clean up after yourself: Be honest with yourself. If you are not a tidy person, you probably have a lot of catching up to do in terms of cleaning. Block off a day or two in the weeks leading up to moving day to do some serious cleaning. Think of how your landlord, or the new tenants, would feel about how the apartment looks. Moving out means you should get your apartment to look like it did when you moved in.
  • Take pictures when you move out: Document the state of your apartment a day or two before you move out. If you’ve really cleaned it so that it looks like it did when you moved in, you should make a record of it. That way you have a time-stamped record of how you left the apartment.
  • Give a notice: If you are on a monthly rental agreement, let your landlord know in advance that you are moving. Give the proper amount of notice that is in your contract, likely 30 or 60 days. Staying within the bounds of your contract is a must in order to ensure a recommendation by your landlord that you can use in the future.

Be respectful when moving out of your apartment to ensure that you get a good recommendation in the future, and that you protect yourself from liability.

Final Moving Out Checklist

Moving Out Checklist

Final Moving Out ChecklistThese are the final few steps that you should take when you are moving out of an apartment or home. This ensures that you don’t leave anything left over when you leave, and that you are protect yourself financially from potential squatters.

  • Check the utility meter. Make note of the levels of the utility meter for your home as you leave. The best way to do this is to take a picture of the meter with a date. That way, if you are billed for the next tenant you have evidence of your last use of the utilities.
  • Leave a note for the tenants moving in. Give them your new address just in case of any incoming mail you hadn’t redirected yet, or if someone calls you at your old house number.
  • Check all of your rooms and closets on your way out. People often leave things high up in their closets, tucked away and forgotten. Check your wall cabinets in the kitchen as well; high cabinets also end up having left over items as well.
  • Check behind furniture you are leaving behind. If you are leaving an apartment with furnishings, check behind couches and tables for extension cords, phone chargers, and whatever else may have fallen back there.
  • Unplug your fridge and leave the door open so that no mold collects.

Moving is a struggle, but with the right preparation the process isn’t so bad. For questions about packing and moving services in your area, contact us today !