Making the Most of a Minimal Move

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy Scott's Discount Movers

When most families move, it’s something of a military maneuver.  By that, I mean that packing up all the belongings of a family of four takes a certain amount of planning to break down, move out and transport everything that has been accumulated over the years.  However, there are single guys and gals, not to mention newly separated or divorced individuals who also need to move their stuff from Point A to Point B.  On top of that, there are also retirees and business-people galore who only need to move a minimum of material.  If you fall into any of those categories, then today’s blog is for you.

The Dorm Patrol

If you are a college student, you probably don’t think you need the services of a moving company.  If everything you own can be crammed into your car, you’re probably correct.  However, if you’ve lived in your dorm room for four years and are getting ready to make the move back home or to an apartment, you could suddenly find yourself with way more than you can stuff into the trunk.  While you could go the DIY route by renting a truck and trying to convince your friends to help you move, this could be a mistake. 

Depending upon the distance involved and the amount of material you need to move, trying to do it yourself could cost you big.  Particularly if you’re planning on moving to another state, you will soon find that getting your friends to pitch in will be difficult.  Even if they help you load the truck, who is going to help you unload at the other end?  If you’ve ever rented a moving truck for a long-distance move, you’ll quickly discover that rental agencies usually give you the oldest truck in the fleet for a one-way move so they can keep their better trucks closer to home. 

While hiring a professional mover might seem to cost more, it could actually save you time and money when you consider the benefits of moving without having to nag your buddies or get stranded on the road in a broken down rental truck.  If you’re moving across town, you definitely should get a quote from a professional mover.  Their rates for a 3-hour move might surprise you.

The Apartment Department

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

It isn’t unusual for apartment dwellers and condo residents to move every few years, either to upgrade their accommodations, or to move closer to their job.  If this description fits you to a tee, you should get a few quotes from local movers.  Whether you are moving across town or across the state, hiring a professional mover to help you transport a 1 or 2-bedroom apartment or condo is one of the best investments you can make. 

Even though you may not have a lot of furniture to move, if those you do own are important to you, hiring a pro means avoiding scratches and dents.  Before loading furniture, a professional crew will wrap your furniture in plastic.  This not only protects the wood finish, it also keeps drawers from opening during transport.  The pros will also pad wooden furniture with moving blankets and they know how to load and stack furnishings to keep them from being damaged during transport.

Major appliances like refrigerators, dishwashers and your washer/dryer are not only prone to being dented if handled or transported improperly, they weigh a ton.  While you might save a couple hundred dollars by trying to move these on your own, the danger of damaging these appliances, or injuring yourself or your friends in the attempt isn’t worth it. 

Birds of a Feather

When it comes time to deal with the empty nest syndrome, a mover can be your best friend.  Whether you’re looking to downsize your accommodations once the kids have grown and gone, or you’re ready to retire to a smaller house or condo, hiring a pro is the way to go.  Movers have years of experience at moving families, couples and individuals into everything from hi-rises to cottages.  That’s good to know, since some of the furniture and appliances you now have in your 5-bedroom home may not fit into a 2-bedroom condo.  Before you wind up wondering how to get that piano into an elevator, it might be a good idea to consult with a professional mover.

Movers are also a boon to families who need to move their elderly parents into an assisted living facility.  While the facility might be vast, the space allotted to your parents is usually no larger than an efficiency apartment.  Since some assisted living facilities have multiple floors and numerous rules regarding the use of their freight elevator, having a mover who has been there and done that could help making the transition less stressful for you and your folks.

Business as Usual

Image courtesy of flickr

Business owners in particular are always looking for a way to move furniture, files and/or equipment from one location to another.  While you could press your staff into service to move these for you, the liability involved should they get injured while in your employ makes hiring a mover a wise business decision.  A 3-hour move including the truck and 2-man crew is less than $300.  For such a paltry sum, why risk your business, not to mention you’re the health of your employees, when our crew is trained, experienced and insured? 

Even if you don’t have enough to fill up a truck, don’t let that deter you from getting a quote from your friendly, neighborhood moving company.  We’re here to help you make the most of a minimal move.

With over 5,000 moves, Scott's Discount Movers  has handled moves of all sizes, including local and cross country. If you are looking to move your home or office, you can depend on Scott's Discount Movers to provide a stress-free relocation.