People regularly hire a local moving company to help move from place to place. There are, however, a few other chores they can assist with. While less common, many local moving services will gladly schedule the following little-known tasks.
1. Unloading: When you plan a do-it-yourself move, you typically have friends and family help load the heavy items into a rental truck. When you are moving more than an hour or two away, however, your friends and family may not be available to unload that same heavy furniture or refrigerator. Contact a local moving company in your new neighborhood and ask if they can be hired to unload the heavy items. They may charge an hourly or a flat rate, but having help for those key pieces will be invaluable.
2. Packing: While most people think of hiring local movers to load pre-packed boxes, furniture, and appliances into their trucks, movers can also do all the packing. If you are unable to pack due to time or physical constraints, you can arrange packing services as an add-on to your moving expenses. Likewise, some employers allow packing services as part of their relocation package for new employees.
3. Temporary storage: Anyone that has been through a home remodeling project knows that it can be tricky to find room to store both your furniture and appliances as well as building materials as they are delivered. Most garages can't handle both jobs. As a result, smart homeowners know that they can rent a portable container from their local movers to hold bulk items during a remodel. Portable units are typically rented by the week or the month.
4. Boxes: Boxes are often hard to find when you need them. This is particularly true during popular moving times, like late spring and at the end of each month. Instead of driving around town trying to find enough boxes to pack your home, call your local moving company. Most movers stock both traditional, cardboard boxes as well as specialty boxes, like those needed for plasma televisions and high-end artwork.
5. Furniture disassembly: If you are not handy, you can ask your local moving company to disassemble your furniture prior to the move. This allows you to pack everything in the truck more efficiently and, hopefully, with little to no damage.
While your first thought may be loading up the truck, talk to your local movers and see what other services they offer to make your move easier.
