The Moving Series Part 3: Getting Your Stuff There

You’ve found a new place and written out a budget for your move, now it’s time to figure out how your stuff is getting from Point A to Point B. There’s a lot to think about, especially if your company is not covering your move.

Today, I’m digging into what your options are, how moving companies work, and what to expect when calling for a quote.

First, let’s talk about options. Basically, you can choose to get someone else to move your stuff, or you can move it yourself.

Contracting Movers / Household Goods (HHG)

If you are moving due to work, your company may offer you movers. Here’s what you need to know if that’s the case.

• There will be a lot of paperwork. There will be a lot of paperwork no matter which option you go with though. The administrative work you have to do up front will be worth it when you don’t have to do the manual labor.
• Your company may try to contract the cheapest option. This is often the case with military moves due to how often military members move and budgetary constraints. You should find out who your moving company is at least a week prior to your move and research some reviews. You may be able to switch to another moving company if you don’t like what you read.
• Take pictures of your household goods before the movers come. Specifically furniture items with corners like tables and bookshelves. These can easily get scratched or dented by the movers. You can file a claim after the fact, but it comes in handy to have a before picture when you do.
• Keep your valuables with you. If you decide to have the movers ship any of your valuables, they’ll give you a separate document to note those items on. I like to put my TV and large framed artwork on there but keep my jewelry and important documents with me.
• Keep what you need to camp for a few weeks. Oftentimes, you’ll get a confirmed pick-up date, but no confirmed delivery date. You may get an estimate that’s 3 weeks after pick-up and think that can’t be… Sadly, that estimate can be true. Sometimes movers will pallet your load and store it until your moving truck driver can come pick it up, or they may wait to ship it with another load going in the same direction. There can also be delays for a myriad of reasons. I would even say it’s rare to get your stuff directly shipped in the next few days, especially if your stuff doesn’t fill a whole truck. Summer is peak season for moving, so if your move is between June and August, expect longer wait times between pick-up and delivery. Pack what you need for 1-3 weeks and be prepared to sleep on an air mattress or stay in a hotel or Airbnb for a couple weeks. Find out if your company will reimburse you for a hotel or if you’ll have to pay out of pocket.
• Purge what you don’t need. Set aside some time the weekend before your move and make a Goodwill run. Do you really want to move that twin-size mattress topper that has been sitting in the back of your closet since college just taking up space? Do you have some clothes in your dresser or closet that you can’t remember the last time you wore? This is a great time to declutter. Keep in mind that the movers will pack anything and everything unless you specifically tell them not do. That collection of disposable plastic forks you have from ordering food in the past year will see you in your new apartment unless you get rid of it before the movers come. Don’t forget to take out the kitchen trash and/or hide it; that could make for a nasty surprise in your new home if not.
• Label the things you don’t want them to take. When the movers arrive, you’ll do a walkthrough to show them what they should take and what they should leave with you. You’ll have to do some prep work to make separate piles or sort things into rooms to make it easy enough for them to remember throughout the day. I also find it helpful to print out “Do Not Move” signs and tape them on things that they shouldn’t take. This especially comes in handy if you have a roommate who is not moving with you.
• They won’t take everything. There are certain things that movers cannot take. These usually include anything that’s highly flammable and liquids. Think about the things you can’t take in your carry-on on an airplane. They also can’t take the stuff in your fridge and some of the stuff in your pantry. Have a plan to ship these yourself. Don’t try to hide them in a box. The movers can unpack anything that you’ve packed to see what’s in the box, and if anything happens along the way, you can be held liable for having them ship things you weren’t supposed to. Take a look at your mover’s specific list.
• You can expect them to disassemble, pack, load, ship, and reassemble. The wonderful thing about getting movers is that they’ll do it all. You don’t need to worry about disassembling furniture or rebuilding it on the other end. They’ll take care of all that for you. You don’t need to pack any boxes or anything. You will have to unpack your boxes at destination, but they should all be labeled and put in the right rooms for you.
• Be flexible. You’ll have to be around all day on both loading day and unloading day (or designate an adult you trust who can be available). Make sure you can take the time off work and that you can be at the destination when you need to be. If you don’t have a new address to give the movers or can’t be there whenever they say they’re ready to deliver, your stuff may go into storage, you’ll have to pay for that, and it may take weeks longer to get your stuff.

If your move is not for work or your company is not paying for your move, here’s what you can expect.

• As you start to research moving companies, check out <https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/protect-your-move>. Move fraud does exist, and you want to make sure the company you work with is legit. This FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) site linked above offers a feature where you can “Research Your Mover” and see who is registered in their database along with complaint and safety information.
• Know the difference between movers and brokers. Brokers are salespeople who will charge you a fee to connect you with a mover. Sometimes they may not even be able to find a mover who meets your needs. I say skip the broker and do the research on your own. Just don’t fall into the trap of accidentally booking a broker instead of a mover. They will show up in the same search.
• When you research moving companies online, some offer a survey or contact us feature. I’ve found that those are not always monitored or can take a few weeks to get a response back. I found that it’s better to call the number on the site, and usually the hold times aren’t bad.
• When you call, they’ll ask you some questions to get an idea of what they’ll be moving and what equipment they’ll need to do so. I recommend having this information handy and ready to read off. I made a template and example for you below to get you started.
• Expect to pay a few thousand dollars. When you get your quote, it will likely be broken down into 4 line items. The cost of the movers who do the loading, the cost of the boxes and packing paper, the cost of the truck and actually shipping the stuff, and the cost of the movers who do the unloading. If you don’t see all of these things, you should clarify that all are included.

Moving Yourself / Personally Procured Move (PPM) / Do it Yourself (DITY)

If you’re not moving very far and don’t have much stuff, you may be able to take it all with your car. Sometimes your company will even reimburse you for doing it this way instead of getting movers because paying you back will likely be cheaper than hiring a moving company. The advantages of moving yourself are that you’ll save a lot of money, and you’ll have your stuff right away when you get there. The disadvantage is that it takes a lot of time and energy. Moving is busy and stressful enough. There are a lot of things you need to worry about, so I prefer just having movers do it, especially if I don’t have to pay for it.

But if you and your car aren’t big enough to take care of the move yourself, and you can’t afford (or don’t want to afford) contracting movers, there are still other options.

If you need more space to carry your stuff, you can rent a U-Haul. U-Haul offers one-way trucks and trailers that you can rent starting at $19.99 an hour or just over $100 for a day. I recommend getting their $15 insurance coverage too. (Prices accurate as of December 2020.) You can even get a truck that can tow your car so that you don’t have to take multiple trips. You can also buy boxes and rent dollies and other loading supplies from them directly. Their app and website are super user friendly.

If you go that route and can’t rope your friends into helping out with the couch and other heavy lifting, you can also hire “helpers.” Helpers are like movers, but for a lower price. Since you won’t need them for as much or as long as the whole moving process, you can hire 2 helpers for 2 hours for $50-$70. (Prices accurate as of December 2020.) Maybe you can get friends to help you load on the front end, but you’ll need some people to unload at your new place. This is a great way to save some money but still not have to do it all yourself.

Phew! That was a long post and a lot of content. Congrats if you made it all the way to the end, and thank you for reading it all. I really hope these tips come in handy with your next move. If you have any questions or think of things I should change or add, let me know in the comments!

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Cheers!

Sarah