If you’re moving in a city like New York where parking can be tight and hard to find, or if your high-rise apartment building has narrow time windows for movers to operate its elevators, professional movers are essential. They know how to work with the challenges of urban living and can handle stairs and long carries better than most people.
Most full service movers offer packing and unpacking, using high-quality boxes and other packing materials to protect your belongings during transit. Some also provide furniture disassembly and assembly services. If you want to save money on this service, get estimates from several movers and ask them to break down the cost of each hour so you can compare rates.
Transporting your possessions from your old home to your new one is the core of what movers do. The amount of time this takes depends on the company and your home’s size. A reputable mover will give you a timeline for the whole process based on their in-home survey and detailed inventory of your items. A local move of a large house should take about a day, while a longer interstate move may take a week or more.
In addition to providing transportation, some movers will clean your old home before you leave or your new home before you move in. Many can also store your belongings if there’s a gap between your move-out and move-in dates. Some companies will even ship your vehicle, whether it’s a car, motorcycle, boat or RV.
If your movers are working in an area with limited space, or if they have to drive their larger trucks through a narrow alleyway or busy road, they will charge you extra. They might also have to pay for parking permits if the street is closed off to traffic.
Full-service movers usually have multiple truck sizes, cargo trailers and U-Box storage containers to suit your needs. They can also rent out a smaller truck to shuttle your belongings from your home or apartment to the larger truck, if necessary. This process, called a shuttle move, is more labor-intensive than a traditional move, but it’s an effective way to get your stuff from point A to point B in a small amount of time.
For liability reasons, most movers don’t disconnect or reconnect appliances and complex home entertainment systems. If you need this service, it’s best to hire a specialized car hauler for your move. However, some movers offer this service as an add-on.
