Best Moving Tips: From a Moving Company

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Moving is hard work! Having recently moved, it’s fresh on the brain just HOW hard it really is. I have since shared my own personal moving tips and tricks with you (which you can find HERE) and while I think I’ve got some good insight in there, it got me thinking… what do MOVERS think about moving?? Doing this for a living, they’ve got to have some insight I don’t, right? So I decided to reach out to my moving company, Today Movers, and ask– and they delivered!! So here it is, Best Moving Tips: From a Moving Company! 

best moving tips: from a moving company 

My move was a rather expensive one! With 3 kids, you can imagine the amount of stuff I had, AND we were moving a few hours away! I had a pretty big number in my head for what I thought it was going to be… and it was actually more. This is at no fault of the movers, as I actually did shop around some and other companies were definitely wanting to charge more. But, it got me thinking…. are there ways to reduce costs when you move?? So I asked! Here’s their answer: 

As far as reducing costs, the best thing people can do is be prepared, and move small items themselves. Often people will rent a truck and move all their boxes and lightweight furniture themselves and just leave the heavy items for the guys to move. As to being prepared, it’s important to be ready when the movers arrive! Sometimes people don’t plan or just don’t think about it, so the crew is having to wait while customers take sheets off beds, empty refrigerators, finish packing items, unhook electronics, etc. We send out an email when customers book with tips for being prepared for their move, and I suspect most legitimate moving companies do the same. If a customer receives an email like this, it’s important that they read it. On that note, it’s also VERY important to read the contract! Our contract that customers sign before booking lists our policies and services that we cannot provide, and people often don’t read it and then are surprised on move day when they discover that the movers can’t take certain things, etc.

While this advice may seem obvious, I think it is something that is often overlooked! And I know contracts are boring, but having that information actually works in YOUR favor and allows you to be better prepared when the day comes!! 

Another question I had as movers were finishing up and getting ready to leave… what is the appropriate amount to tip? Here’s what Today Movers had to say:

Tipping is a question that I get a lot, and unfortunately there is no average or right answer. Some people will tip each crew member in cash for whatever amount they are comfortable with, others will just round up the total of their move and the guys will split the difference, and some people don’t tip at all. I do recommend considering a higher tip if your move was large or difficult (lots of stairs, long walks, etc) or if the weather is bad (extremely hot or cold, rainy).

Tipping is hard in today’s world in general! In some ways, I do think it’s gotten out of hand… BUT these movers do hard work (that I surely wouldn’t want to do), so I definitely think they deserve it!! Even then, it’s hard to know what amount fits the bill, and even further research didn’t give me an exact answer. From what I’m seeing you can go the route of 10-20% of your total move cost, or keep it flat, say $20-$30 for each mover. This SHOULD and WILL fluctuate based on the difficulty of your move, and like stated above, the conditions on the day of your move!! But don’t feel guilty if you don’t go above and beyond, we all have bills to pay and lives to live. Do what feels comfortable! 

Lastly, basic packing tips. They have a whole slew of tips and advice on their website, linked HERE, that you can go and check out!!! Most of it is fairly obvious, but it’ll only take a couple minutes to look through, and there may be a special little nugget that you needed to see!! 

Moving is hard work, but being prepared and knowing the ins and outs the best you can– that makes it a little bit easier! Hopefully this helps you better prepare for your next move, and don’t forget to check out some of MY personal moving tips, right HERE!