Rental Moving Trucks vs. Professional Movers | Pros and Cons

Rental Moving Trucks vs. Professional Movers | Pros and Cons

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OK, so moving day is rapidly approaching, and it is time to decide if you are going to rent your moving truck or hire professionals to do the job. There are pros and cons for both options, and this article will break it down so you can make the best decision before moving day.

Renting a Moving Truck

Rental Moving Truck Pros

The most significant pro here is going to be cost savings, which is a big one. You will spend significantly less money renting a truck and handling the move on your own. When I say substantially less, I mean 8-10 times less, depending on the size of your move. You can hopefully bribe some of your family members and friends with beers and pizza to give you a hand.

Rental Moving Truck Cons

The cons of the truck are the mere fact you are stuck with the back pain and long days that come with a move. It is all for you to make sure the TV doesn’t get scratched and that the couch doesn’t get ripped on the way out and in. This approach can be a costly mistake on its own. Additionally, not all people are comfortable driving some of the U-HAUL types of rental trucks. You will also have to hassle with going to a U-HAUL (or competitor like Penske or Budget) location to physically pick up the truck and then drop it off when you finish.

Hiring a Moving Company

Professional Movers Pros

There is no better feeling than having others move your stuff out and in, and knowing it is in good hands. Not having to worry about lifting heavy furniture and boxes up and downstairs is a luxurious feeling. The move will also go significantly quicker with professionals, since they know the drill, and they come with a crew equipped to handle your move in an efficient manner. You can also elect to have professional moving companies pack and unpack all of your things. As you may imagine, this comes with an added expense (a fairly big one) but is a massive help in getting your move completed. It also gets you started on your new pad rather quickly, which is a nice feeling. If you decide not to go with the packing/unpacking option, you can opt to have the moving company deliver boxes to your home a week or two in advance of your move. It sure is nice to have all of those corrugated boxes delivered to you, so you can focus on preparing, rather than having to borrow someone’s truck to get them.

Professional Mover Cons

Well, as you can imagine, the one major downside here is the price. You will pay a hefty fee to have your move done professionally. For some context, I have moved twice over the past three years and used professional movers both times. We had a modest sized three-bedroom home and spent about $4k each time. According to greatguyslongdistancemovers.com, the average cross-country move costs almost $5000. It’s not cheap, especially if you are hoping to paint your new place and buy some new furniture.

While we’ve carefully examined two of the most popular moving options, keep in mind there’s a third hybrid option – moving containers. PODs and other portable storage containers allow you to do the loading yourself, without having to do the driving. This alternative is cheaper than hiring a moving company and requires less effort than doing it all on your own.
How to Load and Drive a Moving Truck like a Professional Mover

How to Load and Drive a Moving Truck like a Professional Mover

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If you are moving to a new city, you need to prepare yourself properly. Packing a moving truck can be a strenuous process, especially to first-time movers. However, there are numerous strategies you can use to pack your belongings. Truck rentals can only hold a certain amount of items. Therefore, you need to utilize the storage space appropriately by packing your belongings like a professional. Below are helpful tips to load and drive a moving truck like the experts at CA Moving Company – Cheap Movers San Diego.

Gather Moving Materials

First, you should visit the nearest moving supply store and get supplies to aid you in disassembling and packing heavy and delicate items in your house. Some of these materials include the following:

  • Packing tape
  • Plastic wrap
  • Furniture pads
  • A dolly
  • Paper padding
  • Straps

Disassemble your Furniture

Disassembling your furniture will make pieces lighter and easier to carry. For instance, you should remove the cushions from sofas. Disassembling your items apart into manageable pieces will make them fit properly into the moving truck.

Use Appropriate Packing Boxes

You should use small boxes to pack heavy items, such as books. However, you should pack lightweight and large items in bigger boxes, including cushions and linens. When loading boxes, you should put heavy items on the bottom and light items at the top to minimize damages.

Moreover, it is not advisable to leave empty spaces in packing boxes. You can use linens, packing paper, and clothes to fill and balance them. Each box should have a label indicating what is inside and the room it belongs.

Move the Items Out

After packing your things in the right boxes, you should move them out in front of the moving truck. The process will help you figure out which items are heavy and delicate. Additionally, it will make the packing process easier.

Load the Heaviest Furniture into the Truck First

To maximize space, you should pack the heaviest appliances first, such as dishwashers, washing machine, fridge, and air conditioners. Before the moving date, you should defrost the fridge.

Large pieces of furniture should follow, which include living room chairs, entertainment equipment, and sofas. You should hire two people to arrange your items appropriately in the truck. Additionally, you should cover your furniture with protective materials to avoid scratches and other preventable damages.

Pack the Boxes into the Moving Truck

You should start with the heavy boxes. Boxes loaded with delicate items should be handled with ultimate care. You should place the largest and heaviest boxes at the bottom and the lightest ones on the top. The labels on the boxes should guide you when packing them in the truck.

Pack the Remaining Items into the Truck

You cannot load some delicate items in boxes, such as mirrors. Therefore, after packing your boxes into the truck, you should pack them keenly to avoid damages. Remember, loading a moving truck like a professional means utilizing the space properly, from the floor to the ceiling.

Conclusively, you should use packing straps throughout the packing process to secure your items and prevent damages. If you follow these loading and packing tips keenly, the moving process will be smooth and stress-free.
Cross-Country Relocation Specialists Offer Tips for a Smooth Move

Cross-Country Relocation Specialists Offer Tips for a Smooth Move

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Moving anywhere is one of the most stressful experiences of a person’s life. But moving cross-country? Not only are you having to deal with finding a new place to live, transporting all of your things, and adjusting to a new town, you even have to handle the details from thousands of miles away. As Perla from Dreamland Designs mentioned, budgets are always an issue with long-distance move, but it is a process that can be properly managed. In this article, learn some tips from cross-country relocation specialists that will help to make your cross-country move as smooth and affordable as possible.

1. Organization is Essential

When moving across the country, you’re juggling a lot of loose ends. You’ve got to handle the logistics of wrapping up your current residence (whether that’s ending a lease or selling a house), finding somewhere new to live (which involves a lot of research and likely at least one piece of travel), stopping utilities at one address and starting them at another, packing up your things, coordinating with movers or renting your own truck – and that’s not even all of it.

Be rigorous about keeping a to-do list. Whether that means keeping a notebook in your pocket or downloading a specialty moving app to your smartphone, write down every little detail you can think of, so nothing slips through the cracks. Make sure you review your to-do list on a regular basis and schedule reminders for time-sensitive tasks, so everything gets done on schedule.

2. Prepare for Packing Early

Moving is incredibly expensive as it is, and nobody likes spending money on boxes and other packing materials. As soon as you know that you’re going to be moving, start hunting down packing supplies. Hang on to newspapers, ask stores for their extra boxes, and keep an eye out on Craigslist for people getting rid of boxes, bubble wrap, and other storage supplies. Since you won’t be able to get all of your boxes immediately this way, starting early is key – and fill boxes as you get them to spread out the physical and emotional toll packing takes.

3. Be Ruthless about Downsizing

Moving cross-country is one of the cleanest, freshest starts a person can have in their life, so capitalize on the moment by bringing with you only what’s important. The beat-up set of plates from college that you never use? Donate them to a current college student. The chair your former roommate picked up at a yard sale and left behind when they moved out? Adiós. The more you can say goodbye to at the start, the less you have to transport thousands of miles and unpack on the other side. Plus, Cheap Movers Atlanta (website) says downsizing is one of the easiest ways to cut down on moving costs. This industry insider says that long distance movers charge by the pound, so the more stuff you put on the moving truck, the more it’s going to cost you. Make moving cheaper by chunking all that stuff you don’t really need.

4. Keep Important Papers Safe

When moving cross-country, make sure that the most important things travel safely with you. Start with the basics – birth certificates, marriage license, proof of car registration, insurance policies, social security cards – and include anything that you’d be devastated about losing. Ensure that they’re secure but easy to access if necessary, and move them immediately into a safe place at your new home.
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