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College Moving Tips

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College Moving TipsJust when you thought the trickiest parts of making the transition from high school to college were over (testing, applications, interviews) the reality of packing up your life and moving to college is quickly sinking in. While moving might seem fun and exciting at first, you’ll soon realize that the preparation for college dorm life can be a challenge. With these helpful tips, college moving might be the easiest thing you’ll do all year.

Sort it out

Before you start packing, organize all your belongings and separate the items you want to leave home. Remember that college dorm rooms are usually cramped, so only pack essentials. If you find a bunch of items you want to get rid of, relegate them to donation boxes or have a yard sale.

Scope your space

Unless you hit the jackpot and scored a dorm in a new building, most college dorms are far from new construction. That means air conditioning is unlikely, so pack a personal desk fan. If you’re moving into a house or apartment, check for damage from previous tenants and alert your landlord. That way, you won’t get charged for someone else’s carelessness.

Get services in order

Whether you’re living in a dormitory or an apartment, make sure you set up cable, phone, Internet and electric before move-in day. You don’t want to be stranded in your new space without these essentials!

Avoid college moving rush hour

If you’re able to, try to move into your new space during midweek instead of the weekend when everyone else will be moving in. This will make hauling boxes and furniture much easier.

Condense

The goal is to make the least amount of trips as possible, so pack smaller items into larger ones if you can, just like Russian nesting dolls. Get a hold of handbags, beach bags, or backpacks to stuff with small stuff, then place in larger containers like boxes.

College Moving TipsBe resourceful

The last thing you want is to pack away your fragile belongings only to find them broken or damaged upon move-in day. Save yourself the cost of packing materials and use old newspapers, plastic grocery bags, dish towels, and old t-shirts to protect items like dishes, glassware and your computer.

Resist shopping right away

Of course the first thing you’ll want to do is to hit the stores and stock up on necessities before you move into your dorm or apartment, but it’s best to wait. Often, you’ll end up buying things you won’t need. Hold off and make the shopping trip with roommates so you can split costs and get a better grasp of which items are actually needed.

Make it a family affair

This applies to friends, too. Moving in by yourself is dreadful, so enlist the help of family and pals to help you move furniture, heavy boxes and other bulky items. It will make the day go by quicker and much, much easier. Since no one likes moving, bribe helpers with a free pizza dinner afterwards to sweeten the deal.

Watch the thermometer

Even though it’s the start of a new school year, midday temperatures in late summer are still brutal, so pack items that won’t hold up in the heat in boxes that will be unloaded first. Things like candles, aerosol sprays and certain electronics can melt, explode or suffer damage if left in high temperatures for too long.

Ask for discounts

You’re already paying an arm and a leg for tuition, so don’t be bashful about asking for student discounts. Places like grocery stores, restaurants and moving companies commonly offer student discounts, so get your student I.D. ready and save money where you can.

Decorate last

While hanging posters, pictures and other decorations might the first thing you want to do once you’re moved in, start bigger and work your way down to the small items. Things like beds, couches and television stands should all be in place before the fun stuff goes on shelves or walls. Having the big items correctly placed allows for a proper flow and will help make your new small space feel like home in no time.

Develop a plan

Since having an effective layout in a small space is so important, it would be smart to draw up a floor plan of your dorm or apartment to figure out the best way that furniture should be arranged.

Save money on College Moving with Pony Express Moving Services. Lower prices than traditional moving companies and you don’t have to drive! Request a Free Quote Online.

Moving Summer Tips

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Moving Summer Tips - Pony Express

Moving Summer Tips

Ask any expert and they will tell you that summer is the most popular time of year to move. Moving is strenuous at the best of times, but doing so during the summer, especially if you are moving to or from a hot climate adds it’s own set of challenges. When moving in summer you’ll need to give a little bit of extra thought to logistics and how to keep cool. Here are some tips to make your move in the summer a breeze.

Plan Ahead

Summer is the prime time for moving. It’s the busiest time of the year for movers, so you’ll need to plan well in advance. The best moving companies fill up their schedule quickly and don’t have to provide competitive pricing because the demand is high. If you can, start looking for moving companies at least six to eight weeks before the date on which you wish to move. To avoid rushing around in the blazing heat, pack up your belongings several days before your move and be as organized as possible.

Do thorough research

Don’t make the mistake of researching only one or two movers and trusting them to give you the best price. They are there to make money and you might get ripped off. Talk to several different companies, get quotes from all of them, compare their rates and make a short list of the ones offering the lowest prices. Or visit Pony Express Moving to compare the available movers in your area and get a guaranteed price instead of an estimate.

Beat the Heat

When possible, it’s a good idea to book your moving company to arrive early in the morning while it is still relatively cool. Remember to stay hydrated, especially if you’re doing strenuous activity, and wear light clothing, so you don’t overheat. Heat stroke is a real danger when moving in the summer.

Move on the least busy days

The beginning and end of the month and weekends are always packed because that’s when most people move. Memorial Day weekend and the last weekend of July are especially busy. Moving companies are not willing to lower their rates on these days. But business is usually slow on weekdays since most people have to work. If you move on these days, you will usually get a better price.
If you have to move on a particular day like Friday or Saturday or the first or last day of the month, chances are, if you book last minute it won’t be easy process to find a moving company. This means that latecomers are forced to pay steeply hiked-up prices.

Take Care of Your Belongings

Certain items won’t fare very well in a hot moving truck and should be taken with you in the car, or packed extremely carefully. These items include candles which can melt in the heat and get wax all over your other items and music items, such as instruments, CDs, cassettes, and vinyl records, which could warp or get damaged under high temperatures.

Don’t let the challenges of moving summer scare you; as long as you keep on top of things and plan ahead, it won’t be a nightmare.

Moving Summer Tip: Save money with Pony Express Moving Services. Lower prices than traditional moving companies and you don’t have to drive! Request a free quote online.

How Much to Tip Movers

This entry was posted in Boston Moving Company, Moving, Moving Tips and tagged , on by .

How much to tip movers might be the last problem to deal with after a day of stress-inducing and crazy-making situations. You do not want to do is go into your moving day with no idea what the protocol is for tipping movers.

The end of the day could go something like this: The movers only have a few things left in the truck and the moment comes that you have been dreading. Panic sets in, sweat forms on your brow, and your heart starts to race. Yup, it’s time for the tip! No one wants to look cheap or unappreciative, but you don’t want to over tip either. Not that the movers would mind, but you are probably on a budget. Do you give it to one person and let them divide it or hand each person a tip individually?

Do You Have to Tip?

You might be saying, “Tip? What tip? Don’t they get paid an hourly wage?” Well, yes they do, but so does the casino dealer who deals you a straight flush and the valet person who drives your car a whopping 100 feet to you. Movers are included in the service industry and tipping is the way to show your gratitude.

There is a reason that moving companies, like Pony Express Moving Services, provide such a valuable service. They are doing something you absolutely don’t want to do. You may not even be capable of doing it. Moving is back-breaking work. Every day, they risk injury. They go home sore, and do it all again the next day. They move in the bitter cold while you watch from inside a toasty window, and they move in the hottest conditions when no one in their right mind should be away from an air conditioner. If anyone deserves a tip, it’s your movers.

And the timing of the tip is key. You might want to drop a $10 bill on each guy at the start of the move, giving them incentive to work harder. Then, if they do a good job, add on some additional funds at the end of the day.

One important note: make sure that your moving company is not adding a service charge onto the bill, as that would most likely cover a tip. You want to reward these guys for doing a good job, but you don’t want to double tip. It is a super-rare situation, but it never hurts to explicitly ask your mover whether that is the case.

How Much to Tip Movers - Pony Express Moving Services

 

How Much?

Now we get to the nitty gritty details. Calculating how much to tip movers is, like any other service situation, based on the total amount you are spending and the quality of the move.

In most cases, a 5 percent tip movers is pretty standard. Some say 5 percent of the bill should be given to a foreman for him to split among the crew. Others argue that 5 percent is more appropriate per mover.

This is merely a common suggestion. Many others advocate for 10, 15 or 20 percent. How much to tip movers depends on your level of satisfaction with the job and how much the job added up to.

You might be thinking that 5 percent is not nearly enough for the amount of work they just did. If they moved the contents of a 5-bedroom house across town in 8 hours, with no breakage and minimal fuss, you are probably right. You can open up your wallet for that one.

Sometimes, you have to use your best judgment. However, on average, most movers don’t expect more than 20 percent, but, after a day of hard labor, they certainly appreciate it. And would not turn their noses up at it.

Of course, there is an exception to the basic guide: long distance moving. In most cases, the only difference between a $2,000 move and one that costs $20,000 is distance. Long distance movers are generally tipped according to the number of days. Many suggest that a cross-country move of four to five days deserves around a $200 tip.

However, if they drove two days though the most horrible weather conditions, and managed to not end up in a ditch like cars around them, maybe they deserve a little more.

Beyond just long distance moves and the vagaries of the weather, what these crews are moving is important as well. If you have multiple flat screen TVs and thousands of dollars in computer equipment that must be handled delicately, you might want to do something extra special on the tip. That also applies if you have loads of heavy, antique furniture. Or movers that navigated 4 flights of stairs in a cramped New York apartment building with no service elevator.

What If I Don’t Want To Tip Movers

Tipping movers is just like compensating any other service worker. Not every mover deserves a tip. Based on the quality of the move, the temperament of the workers and how much of your stuff is intact at the end of the day, you can feel free to tip or not tip.

If you have a team show up late, trample your shrubs in front of the house, scuff the walls, use profanity in front of your kids, break your TV because they were tossing things around, and take a dozen cigarette breaks, then you probably shouldn’t tip them.

Everyone has heard a moving horror story. The cousin who showed up at his new house and had movers demand an extra grand just to open the truck and release his furniture. The clumsy crew that shattered Great Aunt Edna’s gold-rimmed vanity mirror, the one that has been in the family for generations. Those are obvious no-tip situations.

All that being said, if you read reviews and hire an established company with a great reputation, you shouldn’t be in this position.

In situations like that, where the movers performed well below expectations, you should bring up your dissatisfaction with the foreman/driver. Whoever is in charge. If they are unwilling or unable to rectify the situation, then you should follow up with a customer service rep at the home office.

Who to Tip?

You may assume you need to tip the crew leader more, but you don’t, unless they were visibly doing significantly more work than the others. Keep in mind that their hourly wage is likely higher, too. If one person on the team really worked a lot harder than the others tip everyone individually, so you can give the hardest worker more. If you are going to give them one amount to split, hand it to one person in front of the others and make it clear that it is to be split, so it doesn’t end up only in one pocket. If that makes you uncomfortable, you could just hand a separate amount to each individual worker, to make sure everyone gets the correct amount of cash.

Beyond the Cash

It is nice to provide your moving crew with some refreshment. Just like tip movers, this is not mandatory, but a pretty decent gesture nonetheless, given that these guys just hauled all your stuff up and down stairs and across town.

On hot days, hand out some bottles of water and maybe grab a pizza for lunch. Stay away from beer, though. Most companies likely have a policy against the crew drinking during or after a job. And the possible liability on your end is not worth it. You could end up on the hook if the crew takes to your beer offer too vivaciously and ends up causing some disturbances down the line.

If your move is during the winter months, pick up some coffee or hot chocolate for the crew in the morning. They will appreciated the gesture (almost as much as a tip).

Some might want to buy lunch and liquid refreshment instead of a cash tip. That may be a fine practice, especially if your move is relatively small. But probably best to stay away from cheaping out like that if you move involves more than one bedroom or an arduous journey.

How much to tip movers can be a vexing problem. The common wisdom is not as standard as tipping waiters and waitresses. But the guide above provides a wealth of perspectives and advice for getting through the social minefield with your wallet and sanity intact.

Now that you’ve been primed on how much to tip movers, it’s time to get moving! Start here to get a no-hassle, no-obligation price quote.