Customer Resource Center
Professional movers: The right choice.
Considering moving yourself? Sounds easy, right? Just get a few boxes from a local store, drum up some friends and family, rent a truck, and pack. How hard can that be?
Truth is, most people don’t know the correct way to pack, load, and move themselves. The result can be broken goods, costly mistakes, and more expense than you thought. If you’re thinking about doing it yourself, here are a few things to consider:
Truck size
How many times have you, or someone you’ve known, tried to figure out the right sized truck for moving? It’s common to over- or under-estimate the size of truck you really need. The result is paying for more truck than you need, or getting frustrated and delayed when you’ve rented a truck that’s too small. Professional movers have the experience and training to determine exactly the right sized truck for the job. That means you only pay for exactly what you need.
Proper packing
Properly packing for a move involves a lot more than just throwing stuff in cardboard boxes. Packed incorrectly, dishes get easily broken, family heirlooms get destroyed, and backs get thrown out trying to lift overloaded boxes. Even more dangerous, an improperly loaded truck can cause load-shift during travel, resulting in an accident.
Professional movers have the training, experience, and proper packing materials to make sure the job gets done right. We use new, heavy-duty moving cartons – not old liquor boxes from the corner store. Fragile items get carefully wrapped and packed correctly to avoid crushing, shifting, and overloading.
Once all of your household goods are properly packed, the truck gets properly loaded so that every box and every item is carefully secured. That means all your valuable property will arrive in good shape, ready for you to enjoy in your new home.
The right help
There’s an old saying that goes “you know who your real friends are on moving day.” We like to think a better one is “friends don’t let friends move themselves.”
Professional movers have the training, strength, and stamina to complete your move quickly and efficiently. That means not having to worry about your tired cousin at the end of a long day cramming that last box of your best china in where it almost fits.
To learn more about the proper way to move and what to do with the things you don’t want to take with you, check out these links:
Massachusetts Movers Association http://www.massmovers.org
American Moving and Storage Association http://www.moving.org
Charitable Organizations
Salvation Army http://www.salvationarmyusa.org
Goodwill http://www.goodwill.org
Moving and Packing List
One Month Prior to Move Day
- Book a moving company. If you are moving in the summer , you may wish to call movers 2-3 months in advance to ensure availability on your desired date.
- Notify the post office.
- Notify doctors, dentists, and other service providers.
- Notify your Human Resources and/or Payroll department at work.
- Order moving supplies.
- Sort and discard, or donate unwanted items. Many charitable organizations will pick items up.
- Confirm elevator, loading dock, and parking space reservations for move day at both origin and destination addresses.
- Begin packing; clearly labeling boxes with your name, contents, and destination for the box (i.e. “DR” for Dining Room, “MBR” for Master Bedroom. See our Packing Tips for further ideas.)
Two Weeks Prior to Move Day
- Notify department of motor vehicles. Click on your state for details: Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Florida.
- Notify utility companies, as applicable:
- Telephone
- Cell Phone
- Electric
- Gas/Oil (also schedule gas appliances to be disconnected)
- Cable
- Internet Service Provider
- Water
- Home security/alarm
- Make arrangements for disassembly of difficult items (pool tables, swing sets, etc.).
- Make arrangements for parking permits, where applicable.
- Make arrangements for a babysitter/pet-sitter on move day, as necessary.
- Arrange for time off from work to prepare for the move and to be present on move day.
One Week Prior to Move Day
- Confirm move date and time with your moving company.
- Provide moving company with new telephone number, if applicable
- Complete the high-value inventory form, provided by your moving company, and choose the appropriate valuation option.
- Remove fragile and loose items from drawers and pack carefully in small moving boxes.
- Remove all permanently affixed items you wish to take from walls and ceilings (drapes, lighting fixtures, ceiling fans, etc.).
- Change address with all newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals to which you subscribe.
- Alert friends and family to new address and contact details.
One Day Prior to Move Day
- Consolidate clearly-marked boxes of fragile items in one area of your home. Alert your moving crew about these boxes on move day.
- Identify furniture that is fragile by nature or has been weakened by previous damage and prepare to bring it to your crew's attention on move day.
- Separate and label items not intended for transport by your movers.
- Isolate checkbook, keys, passports, plane tickets, cash, credit cards and prescription medications. These should travel with you in your personal vehicle on move day.
- Confirm that telephones are in working order at both current and new locations.
- Defrost, drain, wash, and dry refrigerators and freezers.
- Drain waterbed.
- Drain gas and oil from lawn mowers, generators, snow blowers, etc.
- Disconnect propane tank from gas grill. Your movers will not be able to transport the tank on move day.
- Clear walkways and driveway during inclement weather.
