More Services

Packing and Unpacking

Packing and unpacking are two of the biggest things that you need to work out as you’re looking at your move and what it is that you need to do during it.

There’s a lot to be taken care of and, as you explore what it is that you need to work out, you may find it easier and more time-efficient to go ahead and hire movers that can take care of your packing and unpacking services easily.

But, what is included in packing and unpacking services? What are you going to have to pay for and what can you expect from your movers if they take care of this for you? Let’s unpack that a bit, so to speak.

What Services Are Included in Packing and Unpacking?

When you hire local moving companies to take care of your packing and unpacking as well, you will get exactly what it sounds like you will get – they will pack up your entire home (except what you’ve already packed) and they will unpack it when you get to your new home.

They will do this under your direction, of course, but they take care of the hard work. They will also inventory all of your items as they are packed so that you can be sure that they all make it to your destination as well.

Some companies will also include the cost of any packing supplies in their quotes for packing and unpacking services. These can include boxes, packing tape, labels, and any items needed for packing large or fragile items (blankets, packing peanuts, etc.).

In other instances, you may have to pay an additional fee to ensure that you get that covered. Your moving company will talk with you about that when you work out the details of your contract.

When Should You Pack on Your Own As Opposed to Having Your Movers Pack for You?

One of the main reasons that you may want to pack on your own is if you know you’ll be getting rid of a lot of items when you’re packing your home up. Since your movers will pack up pretty much anything that is left out at your home, you will want to do any sort of purge on your own.

No matter what, you need to know that, if you’ve packed items yourself, the moving company (usually) will not accept any sort of liability if they arrive broken or if they are missing. You’re much better off having them pack items because the insurance and the company will cover it if anything goes wrong.

What Should You Include When Packing?

Everything that you want to take with you should be packed properly. That includes every piece of furniture, every little knick-knack and keepsake, and all of your clothing. There is likely a lot that you’re going to need to take with you, so you want to be sure that you don’t need to pack items that would usually be considered temporary use.

For example, it’s a good idea to go ahead and get rid of items like your plunger, your toilet bowl cleaner, and anything else that is low cost that you may use for cleaning. It’s always good to start from scratch with sponges and rags as well.

You also want to be sure that, as mentioned above, you purge any items that you don’t need. If you have clothing that doesn’t fit or you have items that you just don’t use at all, you want to be sure that you either throw them away or donate them to charity.

How to Pack Your Most Important Items?

One of the best pieces of advice related to packing your most important items is to keep them with you. More often than not, you will find that you feel a lot less stressed if you know where things like the social security cards and birth certificates of your family may be located. If you keep your items in a small lockbox, just keep that with you in the vehicle that you’re traveling in.

Your other important items should be packed together in a place where they are clearly marked. This allows you to find them quickly and ensures that you know where they are, allowing you to relax a bit and not be too concerned about where they’ve ended up during the move.

Your moving day is going to be busy, so you want to have a toiletry bag packed before your move too – yes, even if you’re only moving down the street. You’ll likely be too tired to try and find the items that you need so that you can go to bed, so having a toiletry bag that you can just get into so that you can find your pajamas and toothbrush can be a really good way to make sure that you can relax at the end of the day. Put these sorts of things in a bag that will come with you in your vehicle as well.

How Professionals Pack Your Items?

Many times, cross-country moving companies will have their own specialized cartons and boxes that they use in order to pack your items. Depending on which company you go with, they will have a specific method in which they will pack your items. They will pack room by room and make sure that any and all fragile items are dealt with properly.

Also, if you have appliances that are moving with you, they may have to be serviced before they are moved, and the moving company can help you to schedule that as well.

At iMoving, we can help you to find movers that offer the best rates for your packing and unpacking services – just include it when you get a quote from our site and schedule a company that can do the packing and unpack for you as well.

Let us help you to find your best options so that you can work out what you need to do and how.

Top 5 Things To Look Before Hiring Movers In Your City | iMoving

5 Things To Look For Before Hiring Local Movers In Your City

Moving day is on the way and you need to be sure that you have everything set up and ready to go. You need to explore everything and put all your ducks in a row so that you can get it all accomplished. What comes first?

Before you even start looking for local moving companies, you want to have a few things in order and sorted out. Here’s our look at the 5 most important things that you need to look for before you hire local movers.

Getting together moving supplies

Moving supplies are the first thing that you need to start thinking about. You can’t move effectively if you aren’t able to pack up everything in your home. So, you need to start exploring what it is that you’re going to need and start putting together that to-do list so that you can start gathering everything up.

Moving supplies can include boxes, tape, labels, writing utensils, and whatever else that you may need in order to ensure that you do everything correctly. While it’s not a simple process to figure out, you will notice that there are a lot of different ways to get everything.

Now, obviously, this isn’t going to matter if your moving company offers packing services and you’ve made the choice to go ahead and hire them to take care of such things for you. If that’s the case, then you can just forgo this and go on to one of the other things that we’ve suggested on this list.

How much is the budget you have for your move?

The budget you have for your move is a big part of what you need to know before you hire a moving company. Why? Because you need to be sure that you’ll actually be able to afford whatever quote it is that you get from the company itself.

There are a lot of unknowns that may come up when you’re looking to hire a company that can deal with your move. You will want to make sure that you can get the things that you need and that you’re happy with the services that you are going to get from them.

So, if you sit down ahead of time and look at how much you want to spend and how much you are going to be able to afford overall, you’ll have a much easier time actually determining whether or not you’re getting the best in terms of value.

Be reasonable about the budget that you’re putting together, however. You are going to have to spend at least $100 on local movers, but it’s likely that you’re spending closer to $500 or even $1000, depending on your home and stuff. The more flexibility you have, the easier it will be for you to take care of everything and afford what is best.

You also want to know what sorts of extra services that you want to get your hands on, as well. Extra services will cost extra money, but they could really help you to feel a lot less stressed out when it comes to moving day.

Sorting and packing – do you know what you’re getting rid of and what you’re taking with you?

One of the biggest processes that you need to consider here is packing. You need to start packing before you hire a moving company because you want to get an accurate estimate for your move (by using a moving cost calculator) in the first place. Why? There are a few reasons that this makes a lot of sense.

When you’re packing to move, you want to take a little bit of time to make sure that you’re sorting out what you’re taking with you and what it is that you don’t need to worry about. Many people take the time to purge things that they don’t need and to make sure that they don’t end up taking a bunch of stuff that will just sit inboxes.

If you sort things out while packing, you can also end up saving a little bit of money on the move itself. You’ll have fewer things to take with you, which will mean that it’ll take less time for your movers to sort out everything. It really is that simple!

On top of that, if you start packing before you make the decision to go ahead and hire a local moving company, you’re a lot less likely to procrastinate. It’ll be easier for you to get things done and you won’t end up feeling like you don’t have a way forward with what you want to do.

How are you going to deal with kids and pets?

Kids and pets can cause some unique issues when it comes to getting everything accomplished on moving day. Younger children can make it hard for you to figure out what is best in your situation because they could get underfoot or make it hard to stay ahead of everything. Pets can do the same thing.

So, because of that, you need to figure out what is going to make the most sense for caring for your kids and pets in these situations. If you have a friend or family member that can help you to watch your kids or pets, that’s probably the best way to keep everyone as safe as they possibly can be.

Another consideration is sending the kids ahead with a friend or family member so that they can be ready for the movers to arrive there. They can check out the new place and have fun with their loved ones, and then stay out of the way when they get there. Maybe they can play in the yard or enjoy some other activity while the movers are getting items inside.

Pets are a little more complex. Large pets like dogs and cats may be better off getting sent ahead and placed in a room, sent to the home of someone they know and trust, or taken to a pet daycare for the day. That way, you don’t need to worry about them getting out when they shouldn’t, and they stay safe and away from everyone as they’re moving things.

Looking for the best moving company in your area

Now it’s time to start searching for the best movers in your area. More often than not, you are going to want to go ahead and do some research while you’re taking care of everything else that we’ve listed here. That way, when it’s time for you to actually hire them, you already have a list of who you want to contact.

You want to find a company that has a good reputation and that is going to be able to help you with everything that you need for your move. What services do they offer? Are they known for being friendly and professional? And how do you make sure that they are going to be affordable? These are big questions that you’ll need to answer in order to ensure that you get the best movers.

Find a few that you want to choose from and be sure to compare as much as you can about them and how they do things. More often than not, you’ll have several good choices and you just need to work out which one is going to be the best for you and what you need to do.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I ever just take care of the move myself?

Sometimes, you’ll find that you’re in a better position if you go ahead and do it on your own. Maybe you don’t have a lot of items, or you have several days in which you can work things out. In those cases, you may find yourself much better off financially and time-wise if you do it yourself.

How much time should I put aside for a local move?

Local moves typically take less than a day to take care of. But, you’ll want to give yourself wiggle room after you move in so that you’re better able to organize your home and take care of everything in the best way possible.

Why do you need to differentiate between local moves and long-distance ones?

Long-distance moves and local moves are actually calculated differently. Typically, local moves are going to be calculated by how many people you need and how many hours it takes to complete everything. But, long-distance moves are going to be calculated by weight and distance. Typically, the “breakpoint” is 100 miles – if it’s 100 miles or less, it’s “local;” if it’s more than 100 miles, it’s “long-distance.”

Find Your Movers Today

Look for local movers that can help you out and make sure that you do what is best for your situation and needs. When all is said and done, you’ll be able to get the best results and know that you can plan out your move with as little stress as possible.

Top 5 Things To Look For Before Hiring Local Movers In Your City