How to Prepare For Professional Movers

So you’ve decided to go with movers for your upcoming move. What next? If you want the process to go smoothly during the next couple of days, you should start the moving preparations well in advance. From choosing a moving company that’s right for you, effectively budgeting for the trip, and packing—preparing everything before the movers arrive is critical to keeping things stress-free. This is even true for those who’ve booked a full-service move. There are a number of things you can do to speed up the process and minimize the risk of damages, problems, and setbacks.

Cutting Costs and Purging

Think of moving as an opportunity to reduce both your unwanted and unused belongings. Decluttering your home and storage will lower estimates and thus save you money. Sort these items out from your belongings and imagine the space they will occupy in the new house. If they’re simply going from one storage area to another without any practical or memorial value, it might be time to sell or donate it. The items worth putting into storage should never be surplus to the things you already own. If you’re interested in looking for more ways to downsize this upcoming move, check out our post on the topic.

Another way you can cut costs at your estimate is by segregating a room full of things that you can take yourself. Since most companies will charge you based on the total weight of their load, taking small, heavy items in your personal vehicle can save you some money.

What Will the Movers Take?

When going through the estimate with the moving company, request a list of all the items that your movers will not ship for you. Do this so you can make the necessary arrangements for said items. Things like pets and plants will need to be taken separately for obvious reasons. Hazardous materials such as paint, anti-freeze, fertilizer, or pesticides will need to find another way to their destination. As well, combustible things like propane tanks and fire extinguishers will not make the cut.

Make a List

Making a general inventory of the items you’ll be moving can help you organize the things you’ll move yourself. This is helpful for comparing the items that aren’t shippable by the moving company. Additionally, an inventory can provide you with a personal receipt of the things you’re transporting from A to B. A detailed list of your shipment can be compared against missing or damaged items post-move. It can also be provided as evidence you can file with your insurer if you’re buying mover’s insurance.

Should I Get Mover’s Insurance?

Chances are, if you’re going with a professional mover, then the sum of your total inventory to be moved (more or less) exceeds the cost of using a mover. If this sounds like it’s true for you then you should consider getting insurance. A move of valuable items like expensive furniture, electronics, or appliances is worth the extra money you’d invest into insurance.

Preparations

Packing for professional movers is essentially the same as packing for yourself. Most of the preparations you’ll make are obvious tasks that you’d do to prepare for any move. Things like keeping packed items clean; draining the fuel from gas-powered tools; stripping linens, covers, pillows from furniture;removing the drawers from cabinets, desks, wardrobes, and keeping small parts from dismantled items together in resalable bags.

Specific Requests

If you have specific instructions regarding certain boxes or items label them so that the movers know. For example, if you want certain items to be unloaded alongside each other you can colour-code boxes with electrical tape so that they’re packed together. And if you want (or have to) to keep certain items off of the moving truck, you should segregate them into a different room altogether. Just make sure that the movers are aware that the items in said room are not to be touched.

Looking for a Great Mover?

The professionals at Hendra can provide you with great service. If you check our ten step guide on choosing a mover in Victoria, you’ll find that our team ticks all the boxes. And our affiliation with the Better Business Bureau means that you can check just how great our testimonials are. Request an estimate today to become one step closer to moving into your new home.