Deciding How to Move:

So you've made the decision to pack up and put down your roots in a new place. Maybe you've found a better apartment across town or a dream job across the country. Maybe you're buying your first home or retiring to a cozy cottage in the woods. Now it's time to decide how you're going to get there. Before you start filling boxes with your belongings, consider which moving options work best for you.

• Move consultant. If the mere sight of a cardboard box leaves you feeling overwhelmed, consider hiring someone to handle the nitty-gritty of your move. These consultants are the relocation industry's answer to wedding planners and travel agents -- they can arrange for movers, pack your stuff, switch over your utilities, and transfer school and medical records. If you can swing the price tag, or if your company is ponying up for relocation costs, a consultant can make your move relatively stress-free. 
  
• Moving company. A professional mover does the heavy lifting while you supervise. (For an extra fee, most companies will handle the packing, too.) Prices and reliability can vary widely between companies, so compare quotes from three local companies before hiring, and check their history with the Better Business Bureau or American Moving & Storage Association. If you're on a tight budget, you can usually get a lower rate by moving during the school year, especially mid-month. 
  
• Portable storage. Companies like PODS and 1-800-PACKRAT will deliver a storage unit to your door. (Make sure you have enough parking on your property to accommodate the unit.) Pack at your own pace; when you're ready to move, they'll pick it up and deliver it to your new digs. You do all the grunt work, but there are two key benefits: You can leave any excess belongings in the unit for long-term storage, and they'll hold onto the unit if there's a gap between your move-out and move-in days. 
  
• Rental trucks. Renting a box truck can be a cost-effective alternative to hiring a moving company -- as long as you plan ahead. A 10-foot moving truck will generally hold an apartment's worth of stuff; a 24-foot truck can accommodate a three-bedroom house. Always err on the larger side, unless the idea of playing Tetris with your dining room set appeals to you. Read the fine print about mileage allowances and fuel surcharges, and make sure your rental company has an outpost near your new home or you may be returning to your old neighborhood sooner than you think. 
  
• Friends and family. Free labor is fabulous, but don't plan on hauling all your furniture in your uncle's pickup. After the sixteenth trip back and forth, you may find yourself scratched off the holiday guest list. Enlist them for help with packing and loading instead, and expect to return the favor when it's their turn to move.

Gentle Giant New York Chats With The Bamberger Group:

Editor’s Note: Gentle Giant training expert Noah Duarte was recently interviewed by The Bamberger Group, a leading real estate brokerage in the Murray Hill neighborhood of Manhattan. They discussed the unique technical challenges that professional movers confront in New York City, and how Gentle Giant utilizes cutting-edge technology, sophisticated training, and strong relationships with their customers to get the job done effectively. The original article can be found on their blog, Bamberger Answers.

The Bamberger Group: What kind of moves require the use of cranes? What is the process of using cranes in a residential move, from planning to execution?

Noah Duarte: I ran our New York moving office for about five years, and before that I was in Boston. Now, I’m back in Boston. From a craning standpoint, it’s very different from New York than it is in Boston. In Boston, we have our own cranes, [and] we have our crane operators, who are all licensed operators for that type of machinery. And it really is as simple as getting a permit for the parking spot for the crane, and then getting a police detail to direct traffic when we’re operating the crane.

In New York [City], it was a much different experience. We didn’t have the equipment in New York, so we would contract through another company, and there were a couple different companies where we would contact if we needed a crane for a specialty job. And the difference is that in New York, it would involve shutting down one whole side of the street, or shutting down the entire street– which, from a cost perspective, puts the price sky-high. For instance, we were going to be craning a piano, and [blocking off the street] put the labor– which might have been a few hundred dollars to move the piano– adding the crane to it, took many thousands of dollars to do that.

So New York is a very tricky place to move. And the things I grew very accustomed to in Boston, we just didn’t have in New York. Parking permits, for instance, were not a thing; you could not get parking permits. So it was really catch as catch can for parking any type of moving vehicle down there. The biggest difference, from a craning standpoint, is costs, logistics, coordinating with the city, and making sure that safety is observed at all times for all pedestrians.

TBG: Are there specific kinds of insurance that come into play when working with cranes?

ND: [It depends] on the company you use. In Boston, our insurance carrier, our policy covers us for the different services we offer. But if you are contracting with a crane company, that would be something that they would have [with] their carrier, that you would want to check with them to make sure they carry that necessary coverage. It kind of depends on the company that you’re dealing with, and the locale that you’re in. So for instance, Manhattan vs. Westchester County– there would be changes between [different locales] in the State of New York.

TBG: Does your New York office have strong relationships with local crane companies that you regularly use?

ND: There were a couple crane companies that we had contacted when we did need those services, and to be quite honest with you, the number of times that we needed to contract out through a crane company were probably one or two times in a five-year span that I was down there. So the call for craning, for what we typically do within the moving services [we offer], didn’t require us to contract with a craning company very frequently.

TBG: How frequently do you deal with antiques or other specialty items? How often did you involve moving methods and technologies that went beyond the usual packing and moving process?

ND: On a daily basis we deal with antiques or types of furniture that, if you weren’t being conscious or aware of what you’re doing, you were going to damage it. But here’s the interesting thing about moving that I think a lot of people– a lot of customers, a lot of companies– lose sight of: the furniture itself is fairly straightforward. If you have a good head on your shoulders, if you’re paying attention to what you’re doing, if you’re leading the furniture through your hands and through general observations… most people can handle or pick something up without doing damage to it. The real challenge within the moving industry, and the thing that a lot of companies aren’t very good at, or lack– and I wouldn’t even say that they’re not good at it, they just don’t recognize it, so they don’t focus on it– is the fact that the furniture doesn’t change, but the customer does. The customer is a dynamic entity or being, if you will, within the whole move itself. So from an object standpoint, the furniture isn’t a big deal. There’s training that we provide– there’s training both in the field, and in conference– that you go through manuals, tutorials, lecturing, and coaching on how to deal with different pieces of furniture. But the customer changes. [Maybe] the closing starts to get a little shaky. Or they got a phone call from a neighbor or from a relative with either good news or bad news. Maybe they’re downsizing, maybe a life change is coming, and they need to go someplace that they weren’t anticipating. And emotionally, they start to change. And from a moving standpoint, if the crew aren’t aware of that– if they’re not paying attention to that, if they aren’t catering to that– then you could be moving pieces of cement. You know, we could be moving logs. And if you’re not paying attention to the customer’s needs, then their [items] aren’t really the important thing. In terms of technology, we’re constantly looking to where we could add a technological edge, but when it comes to moving things, we’re not at the point where we can pre-program something. It’s still a hands-on, concerted event for us.

TBG: What is a Bocker furniture elevator, and when do you use it?

ND: This is basically a self-contained elevator. It has an arm that extends up to higher floors– I think our elevator goes up to a fifth floor– and this arm that extends up, much like a crane boom, but the difference being that with a crane, you have the cables that lift things up to the boom, [whereas] this actually has a basket that starts at the ground level. We can load [the basket] from the lift gate or from the back of our truck, and then that platform travels up to the window where the furniture is brought in. So if you have a spiral staircase, or difficult access– meaning really narrow stairways or really low overhang on stairways– then a furniture elevator is a good alternative. It can actually speed up the move; it keeps things moving right along.

TBG: How do you decide when the use of specialized equipment will be necessary? Does the customer request these items in advance, or do you have someone who comes to a home to assess the move and advise the customer on what will be required to get the job done?

ND: The customer definitely plays a part in advising us about previous moving experiences they’ve had in this situation. So if we’re going out to a move and the customer alerts us to the fact that a sofa had to be craned into the third floor, or a piano had to be craned in, and maybe we were [planning on] hand-hoisting something, bringing something in from off the porch… that’s something that it’s good to give us a heads up [about]. But we do have outsiders [to the moving process], and there are a number of us that come in at the first inclination that something might not be quite right, or a little suspect. And we’ll go out to a residence to take a look at what we would be walking into, just to make sure that, first and foremost, our crews are safe– that the people we’re sending out there are going to be well connected and well-informed as to what’s going to be required. Secondly, we want to make sure that we’re not running the risk of damaging any property. And third, so that we can create that face-to-face, and that open communication with the customers as to what they should be expecting and what we can deliver on.

TBG: Finally, how do you handle private art installation, sound systems, or home theaters? Where do you draw the line of service for dismantling and setting up these items?

ND: We principally draw the line at hanging artwork or hanging TVs– so, reinstalling the brackets or the actual hardware to set up the artwork. And that’s from an insurance standpoint. We do have a separate division in the company that will come in and install your TV and install artwork as well. So from a moving standpoint, as a moving company, we don’t want to have our people hanging artwork. Within the umbrella of our company, we do have a division that will go out and do that. But that would be a separate service that we offer.

Special thanks to Aaron at The Bamberger Group for reaching out to us for this interview! To learn more about our craning services, please click here. To learn more about our New York office, click here.

10 Tips for Hiring Movers:

It’s official – soon you’re going to have to move to a new home. As a result, you keep asking yourself one specific question over and over again: should you hire a moving company?

You think you’re facing the ultimate house moving dilemma – hiring movers vs. doing it yourself – when, in fact, you realize that you already know what you need to do. And you will do it, of course, but you just seem unsure how to approach the delicate matter of hiring professional movers to take care of your household move.

The next 10 tips for hiring a moving company will guide you through the somewhat confusing process of securing the services of a professional mover. You will get to know not only what to consider when hiring a moving company, but also how to hire good movers to tackle the details of your relocation project.

A good piece of advice at the right moment can make all the difference in the world, don’t you agree?

1. Know the reasons to hire a moving company

Before you decide to use the services of a professional moving company, you need to be confident that your decision is the right one. You don’t want to be troubled by any recurring doubts that you may have tried to move on your own.

Is hiring movers worth it?

• Moving long distance. You can probably pull off a local move by enlisting the valuable help of your friends. Moving across town or moving to a neighboring city gives you a fighting chance to prove your relocation skills. Not when you’re moving hundreds or thousands of miles across the country though – the move-related risk is too great to be even assessed properly.
• Pressed for time. Only the pros can handle a last minute move or a home move without sufficient time for standard organization. Unlike you, professional movers have been trained to work around the clock with enviable speed and efficiency.
• Specialty items. The moving-yourself-vs-hiring-movers conundrum becomes very easy to solve when you happen to own a number of special items such as a piano, pieces of antique furniture, a pool table, a grandfathers clock, and so on. When was the last time you moved a hot tub on your own?

Once you’re familiar with the good reasons to hire professional moving services, let’s say a few words about the price of hiring movers.

See also: How to find a reliable moving company in 7 easy steps

2. Learn the typical cost of hiring movers

It’s important to know what to expect when hiring a moving company, especially the expectations from a financial point of view. Well, you know your upcoming house move will be expensive, but you have no idea how expensive it will be. You don’t even dare to guess the final relocation bill for fear of giving yourself false hopes.

The only thing about the cost of hiring movers that is worth remembering is that the moving price is estimated using the case-by-case principle – that is, nobody can tell you exactly how much your move will cost, not even experienced professional movers unless the pros visit your home in person and do an in-home cost estimation. And even then, you will only get an estimate of the moving price.

Still, it’s critical that you prepare mentally for the upcoming financial blow. Click here now to view average moving costs both for local moves and long distance moves out of 1-, 2- or 3-bedroom homes. Learn what major factors affect the relocation cost and what you can do to cut those moving costs to save money on your move.

Read also: How much does it cost to hire movers?

3. Get multiple moving quotes

Be adamant about having your moving cost estimated on-site – that is, in your home.

There are a number of important things to know when hiring movers, and one of them is the truth that receiving only one moving quote from one single mover won’t really bring you any benefits in the long run. How are you supposed to get the best deal price-wise when you are unable to compare various cost estimates and pick the one that fits your budget?

The ultimate advice for hiring movers is to get multiple quotes from various local or long distance moving companies so that you expand your relocation options. Have professionals compete for you moving job just because professionals moving services can differ substantially in terms of quality, reliability, and of course – rates.

Often considered to be one of the biggest mistakes when moving house, accepting the very first offer that comes your way is something you should think three times before you do it. Careful comparison analysis of both movers and their price estimates is the best way to hire the best moving company for you and your family.

Use our free cost estimator to get contacted by professional movers and receive multiple moving cost estimates.

4. Request in-home surveys

If you’ve never had to hire a moving company until now, you may actually find the entire price estimation process rather baffling. And due to your apparent inexperience, you may decide that the right way to get cost estimates from the pros is either on the phone or via e-mail.

Our checklist for hiring movers continues with a warning: do not accept movers quotes unless they are issued after personal in-home surveys performed in your own home.

Since you probably don’t have much home moving experience, you won’t be able to describe to the movers the approximate dimensions and weight of all the items you intend to take with you to the new apartment or house. As a result, the moving costs estimates you receive won’t be accurate.

Ask moving companies to send representatives to your home for visual inspections. If they refuse to do it, then you should definitely refuse to use their services. Keep in mind that the best moving companies in the country today will insist on visiting customers’ homes in order to issue precise moving estimates.

Good to know: Top 10 things people forget to do when moving home

5. Compare the moving cost estimates

You may think that once you end up having several moving cost estimates (issued after in-home surveys, of course), the easiest part for you will be to select the winning bid. Well, it’s not always that easy.

The top tips for hiring the best moving company will advise you to refrain from looking only at the prices that have been quoted in the estimates. Sure, it can be hard to turn down a low-cost offer, practically lower than the rest of the quotes. However, your decision which mover to choose as your partner has to be based on more factors than just the price on the bottom line.

When comparing the movers estimates you’ve received, pay close attention to:

• Final price. It’ll probably be the first thing you notice anyway.
• Additional services. Accessorial services and their rates should be the deal-maker or the deal-breaker for you.
• Movers’ reputation. Reputation cannot be ignored when choosing and hiring professional movers. Read on to learn the importance of reading customer reviews and consumer ratings about cross country moving companies.

Read this: Additional moving services: What good movers can offer you

6. Know the red flags when hiring movers

Be extra careful not to become a victim of moving fraud when hiring movers.

Unfortunately, not all professional moving companies out there are honest businesses, and some so-called rogue movers may try to cheat you. If you’ve used our moving cost calculator to get in touch with the pros, then you have nothing to worry about because all moving companies are legitimate, licensed, and upstanding.

Nevertheless, it’s always a good idea to be on the lookout when hiring packers and movers so that you can stay away from possible deceitful attempts at moving fraud.

• Refusal of in-home cost estimation. Do not accept price estimates over the phone or via email because they will not be accurate. Instead, request on-site surveys. If a mover refuses to visit your home in person, then that mover is not good enough for you.
• Low-ball estimates. The most common moving scam is a low-ball estimate – you get a quote that is way lower than the rest. In fact, the price is so low that it does look too good to be true. Dishonest movers use this tactic to secure more moving jobs, and then they increase the prices considerably once they have your household items in their possession.

Must-read: Smart ways to avoid moving scam

7. Do a more thorough research on the movers

The best advice on how to hire movers cannot possibly overlook the essential aspect of researching the moving companies before you can pick the right one for you. The proper moment of doing so is when you are in the middle of comparing the moving cost estimates – a quick check on the candidate movers will help you make an informed decision in the end.

• U.S. Department of Transportation. All Interstate moving companies must be properly licensed by the Department of Transportation (USDOT) in order to operate legally within the country. Proof of such licensed and legal status is the issuance of a USDOT number to each professional mover that has met specific governmental requirements. Click here to check if the movers you’re reviewing have such USDOT numbers.
• American Moving and Storage Organization (AMSA). Click here to confirm that the movers that have bid for your relocation job are AMSA members (Pro Movers) – the definite evidence that you’re dealing with good moving companies.
• Better Business Bureau (BBB). Click here to check the Better Business Bureau membership, reputation and even complaint history (if any) of the movers you’re researching. BBB accreditation is a critical sign that your home move will be a smooth one.

Good to know: How to find cheap movers

8. Get familiar with moving insurance

Another thing to know when hiring a moving company is whether you will need proper moving insurance or not. Understanding insurance is significant because it will provide additional protection for your valuable household items.

• Released Value Protection. If you don’t any expensive or valuable items, then you may choose to go with the default moving insurance that is activated as soon as you sign your moving contract. That basic protection for your goods is practically non-existent because it only guarantees 60 cents per pound per article in case of damage to your stuff regardless of their actual value. Although Released Value Protection comes for free, you should definitely consider purchasing real moving insurance.
• Full Value Protection. Speak with your movers about purchasing Full Value Protection for added peace of mind for your items, either through them or directly from a third party. With proper insurance, your movers will be extra careful when handling your items, and if something bad happens to your belongings on the road, then you should be compensated with that item’s full cash value.

Useful info: Complete guide to moving to another state

9. Ask movers to reduce their price

Attempt to negotiate a better deal with your mover so that your wallet remains fat and happy.

One of the very best pieces of advice for hiring movers you can get is to try and negotiate a better deal with your movers. That’s right – nothing is set in stone so you can only win by having your negotiation skills work for you.

If you do like a moving company better than the rest but their price seems a bit high for you, you should contact them and be straight with them: you will use their moving services provided that they lower their price a bit. Don’t forget to mention that you have other good offers from competitive moving companies.

Also, don’t forget to ask your movers for current promotional offers or first-time discounts. The chances are that they may have a discount package you can use if you meet specific requirements. Spending a bit of time online in search of discount coupons is never a bad idea either.

Even if you get a firm no as an answer, that doesn’t mean you can’t try again in a day or two. Things change fast, and you may get to speak with another moving company representative this time. Remember: there’s nothing to lose here, so it’s worth a try.

Be thrifty: 13 ways to save money when moving

10. Know what to ask when hiring movers

Even if you’ve followed all the above tips for hiring professional movers, you may still remain largely undecided about which mover to go with. It’s often hard to know for sure because of the similar quotes, additional services and relocation conditions you’re likely to get for you move. So, what to do then?

One proven tactical move is to ask the candidate movers a few fundamental questions and then to choose the one that has given the most satisfactory answers. You may be surprised how many moving companies can easily fail this last test of yours.

So, what to ask when hiring movers? Just make sure you ask the right questions:

1. How long has your company been in business?
2. What kind of insurance do you offer?
3. Do you have the required moving equipment to complete the job?
4. Will you show me recommendations and provide references?
5. What type of deposits do you require?
6. What is your cancellation policy?
7. What do you do to prevent property damage?
8. How do you treat specialty items?
9. What will happen if any of my items get broken or missing?
10. How do you handle disputes and complaints?

Must-read: 33 moving mistakes to avoid in your next move