Author: Kevin The Mover
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Category: Kids & Pets
Tags: Tags: budget, budget truck, cheap movers, child, child psychology, children, first grade, infants, kevin the mover, kids, kindergarden, middle school, move day, movers, moving, moving truck, moving with kids, newborn, parents, penske, professional movers, second grade, uhaul
Moving With Small Children is a Big Challenge. Here’s How to Succeed.
Author: Francesca Di Meglio
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Category: Long Distance Moving Advice
Tags: Tags: Allied, atlus, long distance move, movers, moving, professional movers, serva
Allied Van Lines is a Full Service, long distance moving company, which means you hire them to do everything: pack and unpack boxes, disassemble and reassemble furniture, and load and unload trucks, all while you sit back and relax.
PROS
CONS
Does Allied Operate During COVID?
Indeed Allied does operate during COVID. (I worked with reps at the company’s nearest location to plan my move.) However, unlike its competitors, Allied makes no mention of the pandemic on its homepage. In addition, the representatives with whom I spoke didn’t really refer to any changed policies and never mentioned anything about mask policies during the move, which was a little surprising. Still, I was able to conduct a virtual home survey, which is a safer option than their traditional in-person survey.
Read on to learn more about the pros and cons of hiring Allied Van Lines and whether hiring them makes sense for you.
Quotes will vary and depend on the size of your home and the distance to your next residence. But their basic full-package quote will include:
Add-ons that could increase your cost include services such as:
You can bring down the cost if you are flexible about the time of year you are moving. Also, you can take on some of the packing duties instead of hiring Allied to do it to stay within budget. And just like with most van lines, you can bring down the expected total of your estimate by selling or giving away some of your stuff, because your cost goes up the more your stuff weighs.
Like other full-service van lines, Allied can get super expensive. Interstate or cross-country moves tend to cost between $2,000 and $5,000 per move, according to HomeAdvisor.com. Allied shares the following on its website:
“The average cost of an interstate move is $3,500. This is based on an average weight of 7,000 lbs. (7 rooms) and a traveling distance of 1,000 miles (roughly the distance from Chicago, Illinois to Dallas, Texas).”
Just hearing the price can cause a panic attack to set in! Take a deep breath, the good news is that more flexibility than ever is built into their moving packages. In light of strong competition from other less robust moving service companies, Allied and other full-service moving companies have begun to offer customization, which means you can pick and choose services without having to agree to the most expensive full-service package..unless you want to and can afford it.
HireAHelper.com can save you up to 40%, compared to traditional interstate van lines.
Compare our long distance moving company options.
You will have to either fill out the form on the Allied website or call to speak with a representative. Either way, you will be connected to someone from an Allied location near the start of your move. He or she will ask you a few basic questions about your planned move. Then, they’ll schedule either an in-home or virtual survey to provide you with an estimate. This is the only way to get an idea of what the cost will be. Allied won’t even give you a price range without doing this.
Here’s what is taken into consideration when you are given an estimate:
Allied’s base pricing for a full-service move includes:
Your estimate may be higher if you purchase add-ons, including insurance.
For protection of your stuff, Allied offers just two levels of coverage:
The Extra Care Package can add a hefty price-up to your quote, as they say on their website. However, ECP is, you know, actual insurance, whereas basic liability only gives you back $0.60 per pound. Have fun replacing a broken TV on that kind of return.
Your “Personal Relocation Consultant” will work with you to help you determine what deal might best meet your needs.
I had the option to get an estimate online or in person. I opted for the virtual survey because it’s more convenient, plus it minimizes the risk of spreading coronavirus!
But there are limits to the accuracy of the virtual survey, according to the representative. She said it can be hard to tell exactly how heavy items will be over Facetime, but she could give me an idea of what the cost would be. The virtual home tour and estimate process took about an hour. In-home surveys usually take longer, but might be more precise. Still, I was able to get an idea…and a bit of sticker shock.
For an interstate move of a 3-bedroom home on the east coast, my cost would be a little over $11,000, which is to be expected for a full-scale van line move of a large home.
Ultimately, I brought down my cost by agreeing to move in November before Thanksgiving instead of October, as well as by selling and giving away some of my stuff. I immediately started putting price tags on my husband’s shot glass collection to get ready for a yard sale.
To save even more money, I could do all the packing myself, and Allied would load and unload the truck and transport everything. That’s where the customization of your package comes in, and this can help you better control your budget.
The moving industry has a bad reputation for fly-by-night companies that take advantage of consumers. Allied, in stark contrast, has been in business since 1928. In the last 15 years alone, the company has conducted 750,000 moves in the United States. While you have to find out specifics regarding the service provided by your local Allied affiliate, you can be sure that the mothership is reliable and enduring.
Throughout my home tour, the representative working with me zoomed in on fragile items, such as electronics, champagne flutes, and serving platters. She noticed my grandmother’s china and described how carefully Allied staff pack and transport those items. Newsweek recently called Allied one of America’s best customer service providers from any industry, and I saw firsthand why!
The company is national and has affiliates from coast to coast. As a result, you can probably count on being able to at least consider Allied for your move. Of course, you’ll have to read reviews about the nearest Allied organization to learn more about that specific store, but it will likely be there as an option.
Whenever I spoke with an Allied representative whether at the national or local level, she provided tips for bringing down the cost of my move. Picking and choosing services – rather than going all in on the full-service package – was the most popular suggestion. I also always spoke to women throughout the process, and they all had lots of advice on saving money, which made me feel as though they cared about their customers.
Van lines are just super expensive.
Yes, you’ll be sitting pretty on the couch while Allied staff whisk away everything you own, but you’ll have to also pay a pretty penny for the service. While you could go broke if you buy into a full-service package, utilize the option to pick and choose services to bring down costs.
You can’t easily get a price range that easily.
The only way to get an idea of what a full-service move will cost you with Allied is by going through the laborious process of an in-home estimate, online or in person. And frankly, the lengthier in-person process is your best bet for getting a precise estimate. Without having any idea of the price, you can end up wasting time on services that are way out of your budget. It’s inconvenient and frustrating, especially if you’re on a tight schedule for your move.
Reviews vary by Allied location.
You have to do your homework about the Allied affiliate in your area. According to online reviews, each location is different and experiences vary from one to another. Sure, there is some sense of reliability because of Allied’s national reputation. But the level of service and efficiency and even pricing could seriously depend on who is working that day.
A full-service move with Allied is a great option for anyone who can afford it – and optimally – is at least one month out from their move.
Of course, if you’re flexible and want to pick and choose the services you need, consider Allied if other van lines in your area are stricter. You’ll have to do the due diligence to learn more about your local affiliate, but in general, Allied is great for those who have fragile items that need to be packed and shipped. And of course, this is a great option if you don’t want to do any of the driving, especially for a long-distance move.
Be prepared for some sticker shock, but realize Allied is willing to work with you to help you stay within some sort of a budget.
Author: DIY Playbook
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Category: Moving Checklists & Planning
Tags: Tags: budget, dola sun, help moving, how to move, hybrid move, movers, moving, Moving Checklist, moving help, moving timeline, penske, pinterest, printable checklist, professional movers, to do, truck, u-haul, uhaul, where to get movers
The moment you know for sure that you’re about to move, life seems to turn on its head.
You instantly have a million questions on what to do next, but often feel like you have no place to turn for those important answers. That’s where we come in! This moving checklist will ensure that you get all of the essentials done so you stay on track for a stress-free move.
Create a Timeline to Tackle Your Move Using Our Moving Checklist
Moving is a process. It shouldn’t (and can’t) happen overnight. Our checklist provides a detailed and resourceful step-by-step guide as you start your journey to a new place, big or small. What should you be doing now? What should you be doing the month, week, or even day of the move? Heck, is there anything extra to do after the move, besides unpacking? We’re here to answer all of those questions for you!
Before you begin this moving checklist, we highly suggest you read this Moving 101 guide to get all of the details on your moving options. Essentially, moves fall into one of these three categories:
For the absolute best prices and flexibility, start perusing available movers and trucks now, at roughly six weeks out.
If you are renting a truck for your move, make sure to compare your options. U-Haul isn’t the only option anymore. Budget and Penske are just two of the rental truck competitors that have their own fleets available all over the country.
Now, you don’t necessarily have to stress about actually booking movers just yet … you have until about three weeks before the move to do it comfortably. And if you’re just booking labor-only move helpers from HireAHelper, you also have plenty of time to secure them – you don’t necessarily have to start worrying until two weeks before the move. After that, though, movers and trucks become harder to come by.
See prices for movers by the hour – instantly.
Read real customer reviews.
Easily book your help online.
However, if you are booking a Full-Service Move, complete with movers, a truck and even a container, then booking now at six weeks out will keep you right on track. This is especially true if you are moving to another state, where things like state laws and paperwork for movers going across state lines come into play. This month-and-a-half timeline is more likely to ensure the things you need on moving day are available and reserved just for you!
Container moves are a perfect way to move in some situations, especially ones where your new property is not ready yet. This container guide lays out the pros and cons to help answer whether or not a container move is a good fit for you. Did you know most moving companies will store your container for one month for free? Yes, this guide has the scoop to help you decide what’s the best plan for your situation.
Purging before a move is a great idea for a number of reasons. Not only will you have less to pack up and move, but you’ll also have less to unpack and organize in your new place. The easiest way to slowly purge is to keep a small box or bag in every room of your house (especially in the closets). Items you find that are broken, missing or just never used should be added to these boxes and eventually donated or thrown away. You can also have a garage sale or sell your old items online, which will help you make some last-minute cash right before your move. For items you end up donating, be sure to save the documentation from the donation center so you can use it as a tax write-off at the end of the year.
When it’s time to finally sort through the items in those donation boxes, here is a list of items you can donate to particular spots in your city. And if you have any random items to get rid of (a mattress, outdated appliances), we’ve got you covered too. Read up at those links!
Four weeks before your move is a good time to start notifying the necessary people or companies about your relocation. These parties include:
Not only do you want to notify them of your move, but of course you will need to give them your new address to them if you will still be using their services. When it comes time to change your mailing address, this step-by-step guide was extremely helpful for us.
No moving checklist is complete without helping you figure out what kind of moving boxes you want. And there are plenty of ways to get them on the cheap … or even FREE if you do a little research. This checklist outlines all of the places you can score free boxes, and here’s a list of places you can try to at least get a deal on the ones you do purchase. But always remember that wherever and however you get your boxes, be sure they are clean and in good shape. No matter how cheap they are, there’s no value in getting your stuff dirty or crushed.
Since you still have plenty of time before the move, you don’t need to be frantically throwing items into boxes. Four weeks is plenty of time to start packing your stuff with an organized game plan. Will you pack items from one room together? Will you pack items of the same size together? Whatever method works for you is great, just be sure you are labeling your boxes as clearly and as detailed as possible so the unpacking process is even easier! If you’re not sure what labeling system is best for you, we really love this trick because it makes moving day efficient.
Buying furniture now is a great idea so it can be ordered and delivered to your new home just as you’re about ready to set things up. Instead of lugging over that king-sized bed or oversized buffet, sell those items on Craigslist and look for new items that will fit. If they’re back-ordered or will take time to ship, that’s perfect because you still have a month to go!
Remember: if you have them shipped to your new address, you won’t have to worry about moving them. For items you end up buying on Craigslist, be sure to set up the pickup date on your moving day so that you can utilize the truck you have already rented! You can use this same trick at stores like IKEA. You can do all of your shopping and arrange to pick up these large pieces on your moving day so you can get the most bang for your buck for your moving truck rental.
Now that we’re three weeks out, it’s time to book your truck. The kind of truck you rent will be different for each move, but it will mostly depend on how much stuff you’re moving from point A to point B. You may want to shop around to find the best deal and see which day will be the least expensive. This post guides you through all of these important truck rental factors.
That’s the easiest question on this list! Just check out HireAHelper for all of your heavy-lifting needs. You can find local movers to help you on moving day so you won’t have to lift a finger. It’s suggested that you book your Helpers about 2-3 weeks in advance, so now is the time to get this checked off your to-do list.
It’s finally time to start packing up. And since you already figured out where to get boxes on the cheap, you can go ahead and pick up all of your moving supplies. Don’t forget to consult this post for a list of all of the supplies you will need for packing (plus tips to pack them up efficiently).
Yep, you can’t bring it all! Here’s an entire list of things you should keep off the truck come moving day. Be sure to have a game plan to get these items to your new place.
Let’s face it, not everything you own is going to fit nicely into a cardboard box. But we’ve got you covered with step-by-step instructions to pack up even the most unusual objects, such as these:
It’s always nice to leave your old property in good shape for the new homeowners, but for renters, it’s imperative to do a few things before you leave in order to increase the chances of getting your security deposit back. After your place is emptied, make sure to patch and paint any holes in the walls so you don’t get charged for this simple repair. If there is anything else your landlord requires (like getting the carpets professionally cleaned), be sure to coordinate this before you head out.
Call us crazy, but we think a fanny pack, now fashionably called a “sling bag,” may be the best thing to wear come moving day … and here’s why! Now’s the time to find a sweet one so you’re all prepped and ready.
Also, consult this list so you have the seven items you absolutely need for moving day.
Cleaning is the next big one on our moving checklist. If you can get into your new house, we highly suggest you head over there before you actually move everything in to give the new space a good, deep clean. Here are five areas that need some TLC right away. You can also setup time for a locksmith to come over to your new place to re-key the locks shortly after your move.
Sit back, be a manager, and watch them do the heavy lifting. Yes, this may feel a little awkward, but it’s what they’re there for! (Plus, for insurance reasons, you’re usually not allowed to help anyway.) Don’t be afraid to speak up if you want them to do something differently, like wrap the piece of furniture with one more pad for safety!
Get ready to hope your friends show up! Maybe do some stretches so you can avoid injury and mentally prepare yourself for being on the downside of a couch in a stairwell praying your friend holding the top doesn’t let go! At the very least, it’s going to be a long day, so stay hydrated and nimble. You’ll be extra excited to check this off the moving checklist.
If you used our labeling tips to make a game plan for which room each box should be delivered, then you’ll want to label the doors in the new place based on the key. This will keep things organized and will ensure that your Helpers get the right boxes in the right rooms of your new pad.
There’s a lot of debate on whether you should tip your movers or not, and if you do tip…how much should you cough up? For more clarification, check out this post and then make your call.
Chances are you’ll have a lot of leftover boxes. Here are some ideas to make the most of all of that cardboard:
If you can keep those boxes around for your next move, your future self will thank you. But if you don’t want to repurpose or don’t have the room to save them, please, don’t forget to recycle them! Here’s a searchable database that’ll let you know the closest place to recycle anything of yours that can be reused, including those moving boxes!
Nothing like starting off on the right foot with the people you’ll be living next to for quite some time. Check out this post on neighbor etiquette, download the Nextdoor app (must have!), and then muster up the courage to head next door and say, “hello.”
Of course! We’ve got industry tips to make your unpacking party more manageable and more enjoyable. (Yes, it can be fun, but make sure you don’t hurt your back!).
Yes, it’s time to celebrate! You definitely deserve to focus on this celebration step before moving on to the few remaining steps! After your move, we think it’s important to take a deep breath and celebrate in your new home. You’ve earned it!
Now the fun finally begins … getting settled into your new home! Consider painting the walls one of our favorite neutral colors, adding some smart home accessories, and even try tackling some of these DIY projects to transform your new home into home, sweet home.
Author: Kevin The Mover
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Category: Loading & Unloading Guides
Tags: Tags: budget, fridge, furniture, furniture moving, heavy furniture, how to move a couch, ikea, ikea furniture, loading, movers, moving, moving couch, moving fridge, moving furniture, moving truck, penske, professional movers, rental truck, uhaul, unloading, washing machine
Chances are, there are near by movers who can help you move that fridge, bed, or whatever else makes your back ache by the mere thought of picking it up. But if you can’t find the right help, or if you and your back feel up to the task, then keep reading—we’ve got you covered!
Abraham Lincoln once said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” Okay, that’s a little weird, but moving heavy furniture is the same idea. You gotta really, really prepare.
Before you roll up your sleeves and start picking stuff up, you’ll want to do a few things:
The last one will probably be near your moving truck or storage container or, if you’re particularly strategic, a staging area (meaning your driveway, sidewalk, or the garage during sketchy weather) in order to better “Tetris” your stuff.
The great news is that many movers across the country will offer to disassemble any furniture that might need it in order to be moved. All you have to do is ask if your local mover offers the service.
If you’re disassembling furniture all yourself, there are plenty of basics to know when taking off table legs, moving desks, or detaching a flat screen tv.
The above just scratches the surface of what professional movers with experience know about moving furniture and disassembling furniture. You’ll learn plenty, just like I did, by trying to do it yourself.
See prices for movers by the hour—instantly.
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The furniture in your home didn’t just grow there, right? It had to have been carried in.
But the one exception to the “furniture doesn’t grow there” concept is IKEA-like furniture, or in other words, most anything you had to assemble yourself.
Full-Service moving companies will generally refuse to move customer-assembled furniture made of pressboard. This is because such furniture was designed to be assembled, put in place, and never ever moved again. Any customer requesting their pressboard bookcase (or pressboard anything) be professionally moved usually has to sign a waiver stating they understand it will very likely get destroyed and the movers will assume zero responsibility for the destruction.
If you have any pressboard furniture or any furniture that – be honest with yourself – is generally cheap and flimsy, consider selling it or giving it away. Moving it costs time and money and will more than likely turn it into an unusable piece (or pieces) of trash.
At some point during the move-out process, you’ll need to wrap your furniture so it doesn’t get scratched, gouged and cracked into oblivion.
Cloth furniture pads (also known as “moving blankets”) are what movers use, and we highly recommend them. Wrapping your furniture before you carry it through your home and out the door can help protect it against incidental dings in the doorway and, quite possibly, holes in your walls.
No true professional mover will ever dream of transporting heavy furniture without furniture pads.
Protip: Moving pads can make it hard to keep a firm grip on your furniture. I always preferred to wrap everything in the staging area, or right there on the truck.
Wrapping a refrigerator or a bookcase is pretty straightforward. Wrapping a non-rectangular item like a sofa or a chair can be a challenge.
For reference, furniture pads the pros use measure 72” x 80”, give or take.
End tables, small bookcases, and dining room chairs usually only need one (1) pad; most furniture needs two (2), while things like sofas, really large dressers, even some big headboards need three (3) apiece.
How many furniture pads do you need, then? Your best bet is to go from room to room, check how many things you have that need to be wrapped, note how many pads each item will require to cover their surface, then tally it all up. (To be safe, you might want to tack on a half dozen more!)
If your sofa is too wide to fit through a doorway in your home, there are a few things you can do.
The simplest is to tilt it 45 degrees (more or less) so the front edge of the seat cushions and the top of the back of the couch are aligned vertically. This will make the bottom rear edge of the couch look like it is sticking further out, but all you geometry lovers out there will appreciate how this actually makes the couch narrower.
If your couch is still too wide, try standing it on end and curling it through.
Laying down a blanket first will help you smoothly and safely slide your couch through the doorway. Ease the top back edge through first, then curl the sofa around the side of the doorway closer to the seat cushions as you slip the rest of the couch through. (You can also push it through seat cushion edge first.) This same strategy can be used when trying to get oversized easy chairs through a seemingly too-narrow door.
If you find you need a few extra inches of clearance before your sofa will pop through that doorway, try removing the legs or feet.
Even though they are sometimes nothing but short squares of wood, I’ve found on many occasions that taking them off is the difference between success and a damaged door jamb. On occasion, I’ve had to actually remove a door from its hinges in order to get a couch out the door. While not difficult, you will need a flat head screwdriver and a hammer to coax those hinge pins out, and a couple of extra sets of hands to keep the door in place until those pins pop free.
Hauling large pieces of furniture – more importantly, heavy pieces of furniture – down a flight of stairs is a dangerous proposition if you don’t take it slow (and smart).
If you aren’t The Hulk, a little extra help in the form of wheels can make a huge difference. Here are what the pros use:
Most likely, yes!
See prices for local moving labor. Read real customer reviews. Easily book your help online.
Start by searching HireAHelper’s massive network of local movers to find movers near you to tackle the big stuff. You don’t necessarily need to hire an entire moving crew if you just need to move your heaviest items.
Normal moving rates will apply, usually starting at a couple hundred bucks for two experienced professionals for two hours. They will usually bring all the necessary equipment, too!
If you just aren’t sure you want to move heavy furniture yourself, relax. Professionals know how to do everything in this article. If you’re doing a long distance move, our sister company Moving Place can provide you with movers, transportation and everything you might expect from a full service move at a fraction of the price.
Author: Kevin The Mover
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Category: Loading & Unloading Guides, Moving Trucks
Tags: Tags: budget, hireahelper, hyrbid move, movers, moving, moving boxes, moving container, moving help, moving truck, penske, pods, professional movers, u-haul, uhaul, unload, unload moving truck, unloading
Loading your truck is like getting ready for prom. You want everything to be perfect.
Unloading, on the other hand, is kind of the same way; take everything off, drop it on the floor and go jump in the pool with your friends, right?
Yes and no. Unloading a moving truck is definitely easier than loading one, but like jumping in the pool, there are good ways and bad ways to do it.
Below are some tips for safety and speed so you can not only do the job right but have plenty of time for the post-party. (And this all applies for moving containers too!)
If you are renting a portable container like a PODS, you can expect it will be set on even ground. The same thing goes for a rental truck.
You’ll want to park in a similar level place, to make unloading both safer and easier. If you simply have to park on a sloped surface, point the front of your truck downhill. (You can imagine why.)
This applies even if you park on a level surface. It also doesn’t hurt to put chocks – or rocks or blocks of wood – under one or more of the wheels. 
Your stuff will have shifted around in transit, and the possibility of something tumbling out onto the ground, or on you, is very real.
If something is about to come tumbling out, you may feel and/or hear it pushing against the door as you open it. But not always.
Keep your eyes open and have an extra set of hands ready.
Rental trucks generally come equipped with a loading ramp that slides right out from under the rear door. Unlatching it, sliding it out and locking it in place is simple. So is hurting yourself if you aren’t careful.
That ramp is heavy! And pulling it too hard can turn it into a battering ram with you being the one getting battered. Ease it out all the way and set it down on something not your toes. And remember to set those hooks at the top of the ramp securely in place!
That’s right! Even if nothing looks about to topple over, you still want to take it easy when you begin unloading your stuff.
This goes triple if you have a freight trailer!
The pedal of the bicycle you so carefully placed on top of all those boxes might now be stuck in between two of those cartons, and pulling too hard trying to free your bike can send a whole stack of stuff cascading down on top of you.
Remember, if your truck was packed to the gills, you won’t have much room back there for your feet. Take your time. Watch your step. Ease those first items off the truck, always aware of how close your Nikes are to the edge of that deck. One misstep and there goes your stuff (and you).
If you have someone (or a few people) helping you, assign one person to stay on the truck to break down the load and put everything at the edge of the deck where the others can grab it without having to climb into the truck.
Not only does this save time, it also eliminates a ton of bending over.
Working like this, it’s never long before the person on the truck gets ahead of the others. This is a good time for that person to nominate someone to help carry that sofa or dresser off the truck and into the house. In addition, jumping off the truck and helping get all the stuff they’ve set on the deck into the house is the obvious way to keep the process rolling.
Tackling the unload all by yourself? Try working in a similar fashion. As you break down your load, position as many boxes and other items as possible along the edge of the deck. Then you’ll be able to make a bunch of trips back and forth without having to walk up and down that ramp every time, saving both your legs and your back.
Building on above, if you are lucky enough to have two or more people helping you unload:
Naturally, the person on the truck will start getting ahead of the person carrying stuff to the staging area, who will in turn probably get ahead of the person running back and forth inside the house. Periodically jumping off the truck or stepping inside to help your buddy catch up keeps everyone moving – and quickens the process of emptying out that truck or portable container.
Which, of course, leaves more time to enjoy the pool.
When you are unloading your moving truck, a hand truck (also known as a dolly) is your best non-human friend.
Rolling heavy stuff means you don’t have to carry it. Rolling a stack of boxes means making one trip instead of three or four! The bigger your load and the heavier your stuff, the more you will thank yourself for having that hand truck around. It’s an essential item to rent of your moving truck doesn’t come with one, or if you don’t hire moving labor.
Make sure, by the way, to use that hand truck correctly. You should always be higher than the dolly when rolling stuff down that ramp. If you are hand-trucking something large and/or heavy, have an extra set of hands at the lower end to keep that thing moving steadily—and slowly!
Want to really learn how to use a dolly? Check out this post.
It goes without saying that when you’re unloading major appliances and large pieces of furniture – or anything for that matter – you want to be doubly certain neither your feet nor the wheels of your hand truck miss that ramp.
But you also want your hand truck to hit the ramp squarely; if one wheel starts going downhill before the other your hand truck will start to tip to one side. Your buddy on the bottom end will naturally try to steady it, which can send one of his feet off the side of the ramp, and things will just keep going downhill from there.
Whether you are rolling or carrying that big heavy appliance or piece of furniture, you want to get centered on the back of the truck before you head for that ramp.
Again, when using a dolly, those wheels go down before you do. If you and a buddy are carrying that item, whoever is holding the bottom end needs to travel down first. In either case, the person on the lower end is responsible for maintaining a straight line of forward progress.
That’s a whole other thing, so make sure to read our unpacking guide too!
Protip: If you have to walk up a slope or up any stairs, it’s good practice to turn yourselves around so the person holding the top of that big bulky piece is again in a higher position.
Going upslope, however, the person on top takes over steering duty. The person on the bottom then will have the responsibility of providing most of the upward momentum. (This is especially true when going up a staircase.)
In other words, the person on bottom pushes while the person on top does their best to avoid banging into the walls and tripping up the steps.
And if all else fails (or you realize you have more stuff than you thought you did after loading your truck), do yourself a favor and double-check our movers’ prices for unloading trucks.
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From my decades of experience moving people, an unbooked mover is pretty motivated to come out, as opposed to sitting around doing nothing. Do a quick fly by on HireAHelper if you were wondering, “But are there any local movers near me available to lend me and my friends a hand?”
I’ve saved plenty of people’s moving day who thought to check, even last second.
Author: Francesca Di Meglio
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Category: Moving Containers
Tags: Tags: 1800-packrat, 1800packrat, container costs, door to door, go minis, gomini's, hireahelper, labor, moving, moving container, moving labor, packrat, pods, professional movers, smartbox, storage, u-bpx, u-haul, u-pack, ubox, uhaul
If you’re planning a move and have done the slightest bit of research, you might be wondering, “What’s a moving container?” Most of us can understand rental trucks, which we often see passing by us on the highway.
Well if you’re still confused, think of moving containers as the younger, hipper cousins to rental trucks.
Moving containers (commonly, but incorrectly called moving pods given “PODS” is a specific brand) are basically just portable storage units. They are metal or wood containers in which you can store your stuff.
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Because they are portable, they can be loaded onto a truck for transport down the block (or across the country!). Moving containers make it ultra-convenient for people to load, pack and transport their stuff.
They can be delivered to your home or office, where it remains on the grounds while someone loads it up with your stuff. When you’re ready to move, you can call the company to have a professional driver pick it up and deliver it to the next location. There, you unload the goods and move in! You might have seen them on the grounds of your neighbor’s home or local businesses.
Once you know what they are, you’ll start spotting them everywhere.
It varies, but by and large, moving containers just look like big boxes. Container sizes vary. Some are as big as 16 feet long, while others are as small as 7 feet long. Their heights differ, too. Some are skinny and taller to take advantage of the height to pack in more stuff. Others are shorter, which is really convenient for loading but, of course, might not allow you to fit as many things.
PODS claims to be the founder of this niche in the industry, and it is arguably the best known of the container companies. But there are other big names, including 1-800-PACK-RAT, Smartbox, and Go Mini’s, to name a few. Even U-Haul has gotten in on the act with U-Box.
PODS offer customers the chance to rent up to three different sized containers based on their needs. Others, such as Smartbox, rent out just one size container. (In their case, it’s 8 feet wide and 7 feet tall.) Containers are also made of different materials, depending on which company you choose. PODS are steel-framed. U-Pack’s containers are made of “weatherproof metal.” Some others are made of wood and usually include some weatherproof type of covering instead.
People frequently debate the merits of each type of container. Some say the metal containers – the likes of which can be found at PODS and 1-800-PACK-RAT – are best because of their sturdy construction and ability to stand up to any kind of weather. Others argue they lack air circulation, which can potentially cause mold, mildew, or at the very least, musty smells. The wooden containers, such as the pressure treated plywood ones that U-Haul/U-Box rents, might allow for more ventilation, but they are not necessarily as weather resistant.
If you really want to dig into all the pros and cons of each company, including average prices, reviews, pictures and more, check out the moving container page at Moving101.
Moving containers can be pretty affordable relative to other moving services. They are especially good for those moving to and from smaller homes and apartments.
Prices can range between around $500 (to move stuff to and from a small home or apartment in a local move) to $5,000 (for multiple containers making a long-distance move with many items from a large home). The cost really depends on the amount of stuff you plan on transporting and the distance the driver will be traveling.
HireAHelper.com can save up to 40%, compared to traditional interstate moving companies. Click here to learn how.
How do you figure out exactly how much your containers would cost? These are the questions to ask:
When you have a bigger home, you generally need to rent more containers, which of course elevates the price.
In addition, you have to be able to park these containers somewhere without violating local ordinances; with multiple large containers, you might have trouble—especially in a city where parking can be challenging. Sometimes, more containers also require more drivers or trucks. This all matters when gathering estimates.
As you might imagine, the cost also depends on which company you choose, based on which container is better for your stuff and if they’re available in your area.
For example, PODS typically charges a little more than $600 for a local move and more than $3,000 for a long-distance move. On the other hand, Door to Door charges about $1,700 for local moves and more than $2,300 for a longer move. (UPDATE: Door to Door has been purchased by U-Haul and absorbed into their U-Box service.)
Clearly, all the prices are more than you would spend on a rental truck that you would drive yourself. That makes sense if you think about it. Companies are baking in the costs of the professional driver, their moving trucks, maintenance and fuel. (The cost will also rise the longer you keep the container for storage, as well as the more stuff you have to pack.)
Generally, moving containers remain economical for many of those planning a move and looking for a little more convenience and storage. It will cost more than a full-fledged DIY Move that includes renting a moving truck, but it won’t break the bank in the way a Full-Service Move would cost.
Moving containers are a good fit for people who want to conveniently load and unload their stuff in a specific location, on their own schedules. (There’s also no question it’s a better fit for those going a shorter distance and moving less stuff.) But there are plenty of times a portable storage is your best option.
Let’s say you can’t get the key to your place until the 25th of the month, but your lease ends on the 14th. What do you do? You call a moving container company.
Then typically, you go online or get on the phone, pick out a container, then schedule a date to drop it off wherever your stuff is. A sales representative will help you schedule based on how long you plan to keep the container for loading. You might ask about keeping it longer for storage purposes, in which case you can keep it on the grounds of the old place, or have it transported to the new place if you can get permission from owners or those moving out. Or you could even keep the container in one of the company’s storage facilities if they offer one.
You might need the container a few days to load it up. This is one of the differentiating factors between moving containers and trucks (and sales reps love to point this out). After all, rental trucks usually lock you into a schedule with little to no wiggle room.
But there’s a catch with that flexible schedule. Sure, you can keep the container for long periods of time. However, if you keep containers longer than one month, you will pay much more than the original estimate because moving container companies generally charge by the month.
That means you have one month to load your stuff, schedule a pickup and delivery at the next destination, unload, and finally plan for the final container pick up.
About that pickup: usually, the container company sends out a driver to load up your container onto a big truck and drive it to where it needs to go. Another reason people might find containers appealing is the fact they don’t have to drive a van or big rig themselves. You leave the driving to professionals. Anyone hesitant to maneuver one of those big trucks on a highway or a long distance could see this as a major selling point.
Yes! Professionals can load and unload containers just as they would a rental truck. You just have to ask!
Moving containers can be a smart choice for people who are looking to make a Full-Service Move at a fraction of the cost, or especially to pull off a Hybrid Move. It’s also a great option for those who need storage. Getting professional help moving can make the move actually not stressful. If you want to save your back and your relationships (by not having to ask family and friends for help), then they’re worth consideration.
Most container companies are actually excellent alternatives to traditional moving companies, since you can save a lot more money and transport is still included in your cost.
One of the easiest ways to do a stress free, long distance move while still saving money is by hiring HireAHelper’s sister company Moving Place. They take care of booking a truck, driver and gas to get your stuff safely to your new home. It’s a great alternative since to traditional moving companies at a fraction of the cost.
Click here to learn more about how to cut down the price for a long distance container quote.
See prices for movers by the hour – instantly.
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With a little planning, moving containers fit nicely into any Full-Service Moving hack or Hybrid Move. You can keep your stuff somewhere while you’re moving, or have someone drive your stuff to wherever you need it. If you’re moving, you’d be a little silly to not compare prices and see if a container could save you a lot of money, or if using one would just be way more convenient.
Author: Real People
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Category: College Moves, Money Saving
Tags: Tags: college, diploma, graduation, hiring, income tax, interest rates, interstate moving, loan interest, loans, movers, moving, moving boxes, moving truck, professional movers, student loan hero, student loans, tax help
Student loan debt is higher than ever, with 44 million Americans owing $1.48 trillion on their student loans. In fact, the average Class of 2017 graduate left school owing $39,400.
Assuming a 4.45% interest rate and a 10-year repayment plan, a balance of that size would require a monthly payment of $407.
That’s a serious burden for new graduates, let alone anyone facing today’s sluggish wage growth and sky-high rent.
So here’s an out-of-the-box idea for conquering your student loans: Move to another state. I moved from New York City to Austin, Texas, and it helped me pay off $107,000 in student loans.
Here’s how this decision helped my finances, along with surprising reasons why relocating could help yours, too.
I attended Bentley University and majored in managerial economics. My degree helped me start my business, Student Loan Hero, but it also left me saddled with $74,000 in student loans.
In total, I had 16 different loans from four different loan servicers, none of which helped me understand my repayment options. I put some of these loans into deferment, only to watch my balance balloon to $107,000.
Between the stress of carrying all this debt and the challenges of starting a business, I realized that living in New York, one of the country’s most expensive cities, might not be the best idea for my finances.
In 2015, I decided to move to Austin. I’d heard the quality of life there was great, and I loved its mix of urban culture with outdoor activities. Having grown up in rural Pennsylvania, I was drawn to a city that still had trees and nature.
Plus, the cost of living in Austin was a lower than in NYC. In New York, the median rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $2,070, according to Apartment List. But in Austin, the median cost is just $1,120, nearly half that of New York.
Overall, Numbeo found that rent prices in New York are 97.6% higher than in Austin. Even groceries are 47.26% higher in the Big Apple!
Besides enjoying more affordable rent and food, I also saved money by not owning a car my first two years in Austin. I mainly relied on my bike to get around.
Of course, this might not be an option for a lot of Americans, especially for those who don’t live in cities with many options for public transportation.
In my case, though, giving up my car helped me reach my financial goals.
Decreasing my cost of living wasn’t the only reason I saved money by moving to the Lone Star State. My tax bill also decreased significantly, since Texas doesn’t have state income taxes.
It’s one of seven states that don’t have an income tax. The full list includes:
Additionally, New Hampshire and Tennessee only tax interest and dividend income, which is money you make from stocks or mutual funds.
Between lowering my cost of living and eliminating state and municipal income taxes, I saved over $15,000 by relocating to Austin. Thanks to these savings, I was able to make extra payments on my student loans.
As a result, I started to see my student loan balances go down. Not only did I save money on interest, but I also watched my six-figure balance return to a manageable level within a year.
I had been tackling my balance as aggressively as I could since 2013, and moving to Austin helped me pay it off even faster. In August 2016, I made my last payment on my student loans.
Since my move helped my finances so much, I was curious about what impact a similar strategy could have for other Americans. To find out, Student Loan Hero conducted a study on the financial impact of relocating to a state with no state income taxes.
We learned that moving to a state with no income tax would save the average person $1,977 per year. We also found that nearly one out of three people said they would move to an income tax-free state if it meant they’d save money.
Although this number seems fairly high, it’s not all that surprising that debt, taxes, and finances affect where people choose to live.
If you’re interested in how moving could affect your finances, check out the state tax savings calculator in the study. It compares costs between two states and reveals how moving would impact your student loans.
If you’re considering a move, be sure to compare the cost of living between your current and prospective cities. But if you’re focusing on state income taxes, the calculator reveals how much you could save year to year.
For example, let’s say you’re living in Oregon and making $60,000 per year. You only have one exemption, and you owe $25,000 in student loans at a 5.70% interest rate. By moving up to Washington, you could save $4,777 per year on state income taxes.
If you put those savings toward your student loans, you could get out of debt 67 months earlier and save $7,193 on interest.
Although I’ve been discussing how much you can save by moving to another state, there are expenses involved in relocating. For one, you have to pay for the move itself. Plus, you must make sure the new destination has job opportunities in your field unless you’re capable of working remotely.
If you’re considering a move, ask yourself these essential questions:
You might also estimate your moving costs with HireAHelper’s moving cost calculator. This tool gives you a quote based on your old and new zip codes so you can prepare for the expenses of your move. The great news is that there are many moving options to considerably lower your moving costs, which you can read about here.
As long as you’ve done your due diligence, moving could be a smart financial move. With the money you save by choosing an affordable city over an expensive one, you could pay off your student loans ahead of schedule and move closer to a debt-free life.
Saving money, by the way, might not be the only perk in moving. In Austin, I now enjoy 228 days of sunshine, not to mention some of the best tacos I’ve ever had.
Author: Kevin The Mover
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Category: Moving Checklists & Planning
Tags: Tags: budget, budget truck, move planning, movers, moving, packing, penske, professional movers, rental truck, summer, summer move, u-haul, uhaul, winter, winter move
My wife thought I was nuts. It was only the end of February, but I was already hauling in piles of used boxes so I could start planning my move. “We’re not moving until the end of June!” she cried, visions in her head of sleeping on the floor between stacks of cardboard boxes, I guess.
I told her I knew what I was doing and disappeared into the basement. And in fact, I did.
There are plenty of understandable reasons not to start planning your move four months ahead of time. But those reasons don’t seem so smart when you suddenly realize you’re moving in three days.
If you’re looking to move sometime between Memorial Day and Labor Day (along with about 20 million other people) you have even more reason to get a jump-start on things. These are the most practical reasons why.
There is one major reason people end up with crappy movers – or in some cases end up getting scammed by people posing as movers: They didn’t do their homework before hiring them.
What does “homework” mean?
Particularly if you are moving in the summer (seriously, literally millions and millions of people move between June and August), you want to give yourself time not only to find the right movers – i.e., movers who will treat you right – but you don’t want to miss out on hiring the movers that would have been perfect for you because somebody beat you to it. If you think hiring movers could be expensive, you should see how much hiring bad movers could end up costing you …
If the quote from your movers felt expensive …
Make sure it lines up with the costs reported by other Americans.
And true, you may not know several months in advance exactly what day you’ll be moving. But don’t wait until a week before you’ve written “Moving!” on your calendar to start doing your homework. Get on it!
As the summer approaches, moving company sales representatives are just as busy as movers. Sometimes they’re even busier. But having a grasp of what you need ahead of time will prevent from your two-hour move turning into a six-hour one.
Conventional wisdom says you should get at least three in-home estimates if you want an estimate you can be fairly confident in. If you wanted to be absolutely thorough by price and quality, you not only need to find three solid moving companies, you need to find times that work for their three sales reps and for you. The closer you are to move day, the busier you will be. The closer it is to summer the busier they will be.
The good thing is, you don’t have to know when you’re moving to get your estimate.
You do, however, have to know what you will be moving. Of course, you can make some changes down the road if need be. Just be sure to communicate these changes ahead of time, not on move day!
Protip: Your sales rep might notice things you wouldn’t even think about, like the fact that the big office desk you assembled in the spare room isn’t going to fit out the door, or that your massive fish tank will probably need to be crated.
Having the luxury of time to get these unexpected extras taken care of may prove to be a lifesaver.
If you want to be efficient, you don’t want a bunch of perplexed strangers showing up on moving day.
While you won’t have much to worry about if you hire movers through HireAHelper (after 70,000 5-star reviews, we can say things like that), getting to know each other before the actual move day creates a good vibe for both parties. More than this, having time to ask questions and bring up concerns helps your movers prepare for the job ahead.
By the same token, you can expect your movers to be as busy as you are in the lead-up to your move. Say hello, let them know what you need, let them know you appreciate it, and then step back and let them do their thing.
We can’t absolutely guarantee that you’ll end up paying more if you hire your movers in the middle of May rather than the middle of March, but we are dead-certain you won’t save yourself any money by waiting until the last minute to book your movers. Unless of course the only movers left available are sketchy guys with a string of bad reviews.
If you’re a couple months ahead of the game you’ll likely also get a much better deal on your rental truck. And your chances of nailing down the right size truck for your move also goes way up. (If you do find yourself having trouble scoring a rental truck check the tips we offer in this post.)
See prices for movers by the hour – instantly.
Read real customer reviews.
Easily book your help online.
As move day approaches you’ll be going absolutely nuts tackling a thousand last-minute tasks, from canceling utilities to meeting with your landlord/realtor, to cleaning your apartment well enough to get your deposit back to getting all that non-perishable food to the soup kitchen. It will be in these final frenzied hours and days that you’ll be glad you got a three-month head start.
Even if you book your movers (and your rental truck) early, if you have a decent amount of stuff and you’re moving a fair distance, you’re going to have to shell out a good chunk of change for
That’s simply the nature of the beast.
Protip: But while there may be nothing you can do about how far you have to move, you just might feel extra motivated to lighten your load by getting rid of all the stuff you know you don’t really need. (You might also feel a sudden urge to save some bucks by packing up the entire house yourself. Both are easier when you have a bigger window to work in.)
We do guarantee, by the way, that once you start packing, you’ll realize that you have about three times as much stuff as you thought and it’s going to take you quadruple the time.
Yep, if you’re like me, you’ll likely be so tired that you’ll have no problem sleeping on the floor between those stacks of cardboard boxes. But just to be safe, pack your bed last.
Author: Kevin The Mover
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Category: Regulations
Tags: Tags: accounting, money, movers, moving, professional movers, tax code, tax plan, taxes, trump
“You’ll be able to file your taxes on a postcard” was the claim made by more than one person during the final weeks of 2017 when the new tax bill was being wrangled out.
If you follow politics at all, then 2017 seems so long ago.
“[The] postcard concept is out the window,” says CPA and financial advisor Mark Kohler. “Tax advisers are going to be even more critical for the small business owner.”
Okay, so what’s going on now? We can offer all sorts of moving industry advice, but we’re less (see: “legally”) confident in our tax advisory expertise. But that caveat aside, here are a few key takeaways from the recent tax reform that a small moving company owner may find interesting.
This probably includes just about everyone in the HireAHelper mover community.
You do not get any sort of break in the form of reduced taxes. Instead, these “pass-through companies” – meaning companies where income passes through to the company owners who report said income on their individual tax returns – are now able to deduct 20% from that income. This may be of interest to you, depending on how your individual taxes pencil out. (The charts in this Investopedia piece may help.)
However, any earned wages from your business that you report are excluded from your “QBI“ (Qualified business income). In other words, if you pay yourself wages out of your business income (a scenario most likely if you are an S-Corporation), you can only deduct your 20% from the business income that passes through to you as an individual. (Yes, this sort of set-up is ripe for abuse, with people adjusting their wages or salary in order to reap the biggest tax break.)
Also, if you are pulling in more than $157,500 as a single filer or ($315,000 for joint filers) you may not be eligible for the full 20% deduction, depending on how your business is classified (i.e., personal service versus employee-based). If that is the case, your best bet here is to consult a tax expert.
Easier to comprehend is the change in how businesses can deduct the costs of depreciable assets – like vehicles, hand trucks and four-wheelers.
Whereas before, deductions for capital expenses would be made over several years, now you can deduct the full cost of any and all equipment you purchase from your taxable income for that year (up to $1,000,000).
This is perhaps the biggest boon for small business owners, as it helps ease the financial burden of purchasing the equipment that can help those owners increase productivity and grow their businesses. If you have been putting off buying that truck or updating your equipment inventory, you may now find your procrastination rewarded!
But for us, the most significant change in the tax code might be one that is directed not at us, but at our potential customers: As part of the tax reform, individuals will no longer be able to write off their work-related relocation expenses.
Now, could this mean that fewer people will be moving for work? Possibly. But how many have that choice? The more likely effect is that this will encourage more people to look for ways to save on their move.
Which could benefit all of us in the HireAHelper community, no matter which tax bracket we’re in.
Have a prosperous year everyone! (And good luck on your taxes!)
