Hiring a Professional Mover

Sometimes you just have too much stuff or too few people willing to work for hot dogs and beer in order to trek it across the country without hired movers. And no matter how easy you think it might be to just toss all your material belongings into a giant rental truck – it's not. You will most likely end up spending your last precious days of college or valuable vacation time renting a U-Haul, packing up all your stuff, moving it out, traveling, moving in, and then returning the rental vehicle. Admittedly, hiring a mover is significantly more expensive than doing it yourself, but for some, it's worth every penny, and in the case of large furniture, often the only viable option. That being said, it is extremely important to be savvy, organized and prepared when choosing a mover to trust with your possessions. Otherwise, you could end up with a ton of stress and a giant bill. Read on for tips on hiring a mover and making the most out of their assistance.

Prep-Work

The first step is to get a rough estimate of how much stuff you are bringing with you before calling moving companies for a price quote. Decide what exactly you cannot live without and what stuff will just end up in storage after a month. Once you know what you need, you should try to determine how much it all amounts to in mover’s terms (i.e., cardboard boxes). As a point of reference, Box Kits, a moving supply wholesaler, suggests eight medium, four large, and two extra large boxes for a studio and roughly one and a half times that for a one bedroom, in addition to the various duffle bags of clothing and items of furniture.

Once you know how many boxes and pieces of furniture you are transporting, you should take note of potential obstacles that might complicate the move. Be informed about all the logistics of where you currently live and where you are moving. For example:

• Are there specific times for loading and unloading?
• Are there street or parking restrictions?
• Exactly how many flights of stairs separate our lobby from your living room?
• Do you need to get an elevator reservation?

You should know anything and everything that could make the move last longer or possibly give the movers a reason to tack on extra charges to the bill.

Moving Options

Once you have committed to hiring help, the only way to get the best possible deal is to call around. Inquire into every national and local moving company in the area until you find the one with the lowest fees. Most national movers will base their price on distance and weight; whereas local movers may charge by the hour ($125 to $150 is pretty standard). We looked at three different possible moves and priced them out accordingly: In order to transport a reasonably well-stocked one bedroom a short distance (e.g., from Brooklyn, NY, to Manhattan, NY), National Van Lines estimated $1,150. For a medium distance (e.g., Boston to Chicago) the price quoted was about $1,900, and for a long distance (e.g., New York to San Francisco) $2,700.

Two other highly rated national moving companies are Flat Rate Movers and Move East. However, it may be easier to find a cheaper deal with one of the local guys. Some very helpful sites to find them are City Search (under the “best of” services category) and Craigslist.com. Other directories of local movers include 123 Movers and Movers Directory, but the information isn’t always accurate and they sometimes require an email address or phone number to provide a price quote.

Another potential option is sending all your boxes as freight. Two companies, MadPackers and College Boxes cater specifically to the post-college crowd. MadPackers arranges everything into kits with a range of different sized boxes, will pick them up from your college dorm or post-college apartment, and send them anywhere in the U.S. For a 5 box kit, the cost is $279, a 10 box kit will run $499, and a 15 box kit is $699. Downside: they don’t send furniture. But unless that couch is brand new and costs over a $1,000, you probably shouldn’t be shipping it across the country anyway.

The Fine Print

Once you are quoted an initial estimate, it is helpful to rattle off any potential obstacles you noted to ensure that the movers know as much about the move as possible. Then ask the following questions, very clearly, and make sure to get an unequivocal response about if and by how much the estimate will change due to each one. If the guy gets testy or impatient, don’t be unnerved. Just ask him if he would like us to call someone else.

• Is there an additional travel cost to the current apartment and back from the new one?
• Does the company charge extra for any particular items like an armoire or large bookshelf?
• Does the company use a subcontractor, and if so what is their name and number?
• Will the company transfer your goods mid-move to a different truck (will increase chances of breakage)?
• What is their insurance policy? Most movers insure at sixty cents to the pound, which may not be enough to cover the cost of your valuables. Before you purchase additional insurance, see if you are covered under your homeowners insurance.
• Ask for referrals and whether the company has any outstanding claims against them.