7 Things Professional Movers Wish You Knew

Are you planning a move?

Do you think you’ll save money by doing everything on your own?

It might seem like an extravagance, but you’ll be surprised at how much easier your move will be if you hire professional movers.

With all of the time, stress and physical energy you’ll save, hiring movers offers a return on investment that can’t be measured in dollars and cents.

But it will definitely pay off.

Lessen Your Stress with Professional Movers

Having a moving crew and truck at your disposal can feel like a real luxury. And they’re definitely there to make your move go smoothly.

But there are some things that movers repeatedly find customers doing that make their job all the more challenging.

Here are seven things that movers say would help them to do their job with more ease:

1. Make Preparations for the Movers

Above and beyond all of the packing and organizing, there are additional logistics you may need to handle to prepare for a moving truck and crew.

For instance, if your building has an elevator, will you need to reserve it? Is a parking spot for the truck going to be an issue and will you need to save one? Are there certain moving hours that your apartment complex or condo association have designated?

Also, if you have large and heavy items such as a refrigerator, a piano or a washing machine, let the moving company know. This might require some added man (or woman) power.

Not planning for these in advance can be a huge inconvenience and will eat into your time.

2. Be Fully Packed When They Get There

If you ever helped friends move, then you know what a time suck it was if they didn’t have everything ready to go when you got there. Same is true for your movers.

When everything is fully packed and ready to be loaded onto the truck, the movers can get right to work. But if you’re still fiddling around with bags and boxes, it’s going to delay the whole operation.

Plus, you’ll have to pay more for the time wasted. And unlike you, professional movers aren’t going to accept pizza and beer as payment.

So have boxes packed up, organized, and ready to be put into the truck.

3. Label Everything Clearly

Unless you find comfort in being insanely organized, you need not write out the specific contents of each box.

But you should label every box with its final destination in your new home. It’s far easier than trying to remember what goes where, and then asking the movers to relocate boxes when you’re just not sure.

This is especially crucial if the movers are being paid by the hour. That’s just wasted money.

It’s also helpful to keep your movers in the loop. For instance, the box marked “kitchen” is going to be fairly straightforward. But “Ziggy’s Den” or “Linda’s Ladies Lounge” is not at all obvious.

Without being clear about where those rooms are, you might as well not have labeled those boxes at all.

4. Carry Valuables with You

This is as much for the movers as it is for you.

Valuables like cash, jewelry, and prescription medicines can get easily lost in the shuffle of the move. And the last thing that professional movers want to deal with is the possibility of being accused should such items go missing.

And moving day is stressful enough for you too without being concerned about losing anything of value. So hold yourself responsible for any of the small valuable items, and leave the bigger stuff to the moving crew.

5. Furniture Pieces Are Not Boxes

You may have made a move at some point in your life – i.e. when you were young – where you thought it was a good idea to just leave all the stuff in your dresser before moving it. The rationale was, “I’ll just tape up the drawers, then won’t have to worry about putting everything back in the drawers!”

This has never been a good idea. Not then, and not now.

Sure, you probably have some pretty strong people on the moving crew. But furniture is big and bulky as it is. Adding all of that extra weight makes it that much harder to move.

It also increases the likelihood that your furniture will get damaged. The heavier the piece, the more likely it is to be scratched, dented or even dropped. That means you run the risk of damaging your property as well.

Plus, it’s just plain unsafe. A drawer may open while being lifted and the items could fall out and hurt the movers.

So empty your furniture and pack it up for moving. And if you have some bigger pieces that you can disassemble, it will make them easier and safer to move.

6. Keep Small Children And Pets Secured

Moving professionals are trained to do their job with safety in mind. But there’s a lot of chaos that’s involved with moving day. And throwing some rambunctious kids and animals into the mix only adds to that chaos.

So lock up the pets and send the kids off to the grandparents or a friend, because they’re just unable to take care of their own safety and could potentially get injured.

7. Be a Good Host

Yeah, you’re paying for a service here. But at the end of the day, it’s real people working with other people to keep things going smoothly in a stressful environment.

So show your movers you appreciate them. Start with a tip.

In general, the standard tipping practice is $25-$50 per move. Or for bigger jobs, 10% to 15% of the move total. This will depend, of course, on how long they work, how challenging the work is, and how pleased you are with their service.

Keep in mind that being a good host will go a long way toward motivating your movers to do a good job too. Provide snacks and drinks to keep them energized. Be friendly and polite when stating your requests.

And this should go without saying, but unfortunately doesn’t, provide a bathroom for them to use that’s equipped with liquid soap and disposable hand towels.

Are You Ready to Move?

Hiring professional movers is the best way to ensure that your move will go as smoothly as possible.

So whether you’re moving across the street, across the province, or even across the border, contact us today to get a free quote. And take that first step toward a less stressful move.