Category Archives: moving help

MOVERS NEAR ME 2023

If you are like so many people searching for trusted moving companies in your area, you will likely find the market saturated with fake companies, scams, brokers and franchises.

With all of this internet noise, it’s harder than ever to find a real company in all of the chatter. Movers Near Me, a company that verifies moving company license, insurance, and transparency is getting closer to launching a portal that will help navigate you to finding a moving company that you can trust. There are so many moving scams, Movers Near Me will get you a moving estimate without any sales calls bombarding you whatsoever. Then, you can choose a moving company that has been vetted and verified every 30 days.

Movers Near Me has secret shoppers to make sure owners are accurate as well as company addresses in case there are issues. What is more, they guarantee their movers. This connection between the customer and independent moving company also benefits the “little guy.” It allows smaller movers to compete with larger franchises. Franchises traditionally spend a lot on advertising, have mediocre at best services and are on the expensive side. Smaller movers provide the best services at the best price but lack when it comes to advertising dollars. Movers Near Me enables smaller moving companies to get a voice on their platform for 1% of what a typical monthly yelp, hire a helper or Angies List customer spends. Even Nextdoor charges smaller companies about 8x what Movers Near Me will cost a smaller mover. This means all money spent goes to the two parties it should – the mover and the consumer. Not a third party.

Currently Movers Near Me is nearing completion with its vetting and verification of the Boston moving market. By the end of the year, there will be 15 metro areas added to the portal. You can begin your search for a mover by filling out this moving estimate. Again there will be no sales calls – this is just to let the consumer know what moving should cost.

Learn more about:

Local Movers Near Me

Long Distance Movers Near Me

Moving Estimate

Can You Really Trust Your Movers in 2022

As peak moving season is winding down, consumers planning their upcoming out of state moves will be able to hire the best long distance movers in 2022 with a little more ease. This was not the case for many in the past few years. The pandemic caused a lot of rogue moving companies to pop up – inexperienced and fly-by-night scams are on the rise. Of course another new trend of one moving company owning multiple locations and “brands” to cut out any competitors is also something we have seen in 2022.

Take Boston, MA for instance. The market saw over 20 moving companies associated with Elromco/Boston Best Rate/Michaels Movers. The have over 20 brands all owned by out of country owners. Their terms and conditions for all of these brands states it is illegal to write a poor review and you cannot sue them. We spoke with an anonymous mover who used Anton’s Movers aka. Xpress Movers – one of the many “brands” all owned by Eli Derei, Stoil Andreev, Ronan Dhory. “Getting in touch with the owner to make a complaint after the move was impossible, its a goose chase to someone in another country.” He then received a letter from an attorney stating he take down his poor review or he will be sued. A quick web search finds all of their brands have impeccable reputations on the internet – a little too good do be true for moving company owners that have had to shut down several times under the name Boston Quality Movers. What’s more? Eliran Derei has ownership in these moving companies and owns Elromco – moving company software that gives him and his team every contact, email, access to every move coming in from movers that sign up for elromco.

In Florida, large moving companies flood the market with google ads and basically take every move. They do an abhorrent job then when the claims pile up, their business simply disappears only to rebrand and reopen somewhere else. This is the case with Good Greek. Good Greek has rebranded several times after claims get too much to bear. Another moving company that has constantly rebranded and reopened under new management several times – All My Sons. There is an entire facebook group dedicated to All My Sons Moving which is one of the largest moving companies in the country, yet their individual city reviews remain stellar. Something has to be done to fix the moving industry – how can the average consumer trust movers that are able to manipulate the internet to look like valid, trusted movers?

can you trust your movers
Can You Really Trust These Reviews?

So, the question is- Which Movers Can You Trust

Choosing a moving company that has been around for a long time in your area – one that has not had to rebrand. Also, you can do a local search on your state corporation site to find out who the owner is. Look for red flags – owners who live in another country, owners with more than 2 businesses. Another red flag is which movers received PPP. Out of every industry moving is one that never experienced a slow-down and were considered essential workers. Most moving companies had their best years during the pandemic. If your moving company took PPP money, it’s highly likely they are shady. You can check who received ppp here.

Moving Reviews

Moving Reviews have been completely fabricated in the past 2 years. You can easily pay a company $5/moving review that companies are able to write themselves. These same companies can have fake reviews written and good ones flagged for review which means after so many flags google takes them down. You can not trust google reviews at all. They are not accurate. Yelp and BBB are paid. So, who can you trust? Movers Near Me has a platform that is filtering out fake/duplicate moving companies. This platform also verifies insurance and has a real intimate knowledge of the moving companies they put on their site. You can also visit Move Line. This is a startup that verifies moving companies and helps small, independent movers compete with larger companies so consumers can get the best moving services at lower rates.

Moving Costs

Moving Costs are also an area of concern when finding movers you can trust. Prices can range by as much as 40% between moving companies. How can you tel which company is giving an accurate quote vs. low-balling only to upcharge you at a later time? You can start here using our instant moving calculator to give you an estimate of about where your moving company pricing should be around.

Moving Helpers Near Me

 Moving Helpers Near Me

Where Can I Find Movers Near Me?
We are a real brick-and-mortar moving company based in the following areas:
Boston MA –  Providence RI  – New Rochelle NY  – Hartford CT – Philadelphia PA – Washington DC – Baltimore MD – Virginia Beach VA – Atlanta GA – Orlando FL – Savannah SC – Charlotte NC – Asheville NC – Raleigh NC – Jacksonville FL – Nashville TN – Dallas TX – Chicago IL
If you are looking for moving helpers near me in those areas, we can help you! Our moving helpers are trained and ready to provide top-rated moving local or long distance moving services.
 To make sure your move goes smoothly, you can reach a real, live person here 7 days a week – no recordings!
Who are our moving helpers?

Our moving helpers are full time, trained moving crews hired by us – we do not broker moving jobs.  All of our jobs are done by our movers – they do all the loading loading, unloading and transportation jobs for a living.

Our mover help can provide labor only moves or with our own trucks. Booking a real moving company will save you a ton of money in broker fees, franchise fees, van line fees or third party booking fees.

What happens on a typical move?
Our moving helpers nearby will come in and protect all furniture with moving blankets, moving pads, shrink wrap and all other supplies needed to keep you things safe.  Moving Helpers Near Me will bring tools to disassemble and reassemble furniture on the day of your move.  We have thousands of real 5 star reviews from our residential clients and we do everything we can to get a 5 star review every time. (We don’t want to risk getting a bad review and losing business.)moving helpers near me 
MOVING HELPERS NEARBY
Below is a list of links to the best moving helpers near you.  All of the movers below are not affiliated with any van lines, brokers, franchises, etc therefore they can offer the best moving help at affordable prices.
Monster Movers handles moves in the New England area.  All locations are family owned and operated and offer packing, storage, moving help and full coverage 
Movers Near Me has private flat rate moving helpers throughout the United States for labor only moves and moves that require a moving truck or storage
Long Distance Movers Near Me operates in every state and is perfect for larger long distance moves that require extreme care
Helping Hands is a local and long distance mover in Florida providing small long distance moving options and military moves.
Movers
5/5
MOVERS
5/5
Long Distance Movers
5/5
Long Distance Moving Service
4.4/5

Moving Company Recommendations

When most people hire a moving company for the first time, the deciding factor is usually to hire a moving company that offers the lowest prices. This action usually results in a sub-par move or being scammed. We want to help consumers choose the best moving company whether its their first or fifth move. So, if you are looking for moving company recommendations, this guide will be the most helpful article you will read.

moving company recommendations

STEP 1: SEARCHING FOR MOVERS

Most people search google for “Movers Near Me” or other common searches only to find ads by lead generation sites which sell your info to 4-10 moving companies that may not even be licensed. Its best to search for a recommended moving company through word of mouth or sites like quora that offer great advice from real experts. It is best to find movers nearby that will not sell your information, are private movers and have high consumer ratings.

STEP 2: DO YOUR HOMEWORK

It’s highly suggested to use a moving company that has been in business for 10+ years and is active in the community. Many fly by night movers will be in and out and if anything goes wrong it will be very hard to recoup any loss. There are many, many moving companies that constantly change names and operate multiple moving companies that are hard to track down. A few moving companies that are highly recommended in that they operate small, locally-owned moving companies in major cities like Boston, NYC, Raleigh, Philadelphia, and Miami are Monster Movers, Gentle Giant, and Movers Near Me . These companies have all been in business for over 15 years, consistently give back to their local communities, and have consistent high ratings in forums and online.

Then check online forums for moving company recommendations. One or two bad reviews are probably outliers, but if there’s a pattern of complaints, move on. If you’re moving long distance, look for a company that specializes in that. Some local moving companies subcontract out long-distance moves, and quality may suffer.

STEP 3: CHECK ADDITIONAL MOVING FEES

Once you’ve narrowed the field, have the top contenders come to your house to look at your things and provide an estimate. While they’re there ask whether they’ll charge additional fees for things like stairs, specialty packing, or disassembling and assembling furniture. Untrustworthy movers typically rush the sale and plan on charging you for the small things on moving day and charge for everything. A quick list of additional moving fees you should be wary of:

  • taxes
  • tolls
  • reassembly/disassembly fee
  • shrink wrap
  • tape
  • moving blankets
  • long walk
  • shuttle fee
  • stair fee
  • elevator fee
  • materials

If a moving company wants to give you a quote over the phone without visually inspecting your home and things, take it off your list.

STEP 4: MAKING SURE YOUR MOVING QUOTE IS ACCURATE

Make sure you get any agreements in writing from your moving company, and that all fields have been filled out when you sign the contract.

STEP 5: CONSIDER MOVING INSURANCE 

Interstate movers must include minimum basic insurance protection for 60 cents per pound per item. “That’s not great coverage if you’ve got a big screen TV that’s very heavy and also very breakable,” says Katherine Hutt, a spokeswoman for the Better Business Bureau.

Protect your pricey items by buying an additional policy that will provide the replacement value for your belongings, should they be damaged in transit, but you’ll need to specifically declare high-value items. For local moves, check with your homeowners insurance to see whether it provides coverage for your things during a move. Move small valuables like jewelry, coins, and important paperwork on your own.

recommendations for moving companies
Moving Company Recommendations

When you buy a product, you want it to be the best in its category. When you pay for a service, you want it to be provided by the best professionals in the field. So, when hiring movers for your relocation, you’ll, of course, want to choose among the most recommended moving companies in the country.

But how can you find the most reliable and highly experienced professionals in a competitive industry where everyone claims to be the best? How can you be sure that you’ll make the right choice and hire competent, trustworthy movers who will take good care of your items and will bring your relocation to a successful end?

The fail-safe way to ensure that you’ll be working with skilled, dependable moving professionals is to get recommendations on movers – references and testimonials from previous customers, ratings from consumer reports, online reviews of moving companies, professional organization credentials, etc. A mover who has an excellent track record, largely positive moving reviews, and high ratings is very likely to do a good job with your relocation – recommended movers are a safe and wise choice.

Researching your options and getting recommendations will help you stay away from incompetent movers, avoid moving scams, and ensure a smooth and successful relocation. The only remaining question is how to find reliable references.

Here are some of the best ways to get recommendations for movers:

Look for Personal References

The best recommendations for movers you can get is by word of mouth or various moving recommendation forums like reddit, facebook or quora. There is no better way to find unbiased opinions and genuine feedback about moving companies than talking to people who have recently used professional moving services – they will be more than glad to share their experiences and vent their frustration, anger, or satisfaction with the movers they worked with.

CONSIDERATIONS WHEN YOU ARE COMPARING RECOMMENDED MOVING COMPANIES
What kind of estimate the movers provided
What kind of insurance they offered
Did they require a deposit
How efficiently they worked;
How careful they were when handling household items and personal possessions
What extra services the movers provided
How they handled difficulties and unforeseen obstacles;
How soon was the shipment delivered;
Were all the goods in good condition;
Was the final moving cost the same as stated in the initial quote
Were there any problems or disputes with the movers and how did they resolve the issue

Cross Country Moving – How to Move Cross Country

How to Move Cross Country

Moving Cross Country is time-consuming, full of surprises, and overall a pain in the butt.  Here’s a quick video outlining the steps for moving cross country:
 As you can see hiring a reputable moving company is numero uno on the list of importance when moving cross country.  Here are some things to look for and a little bit about the best cross country movers we know!
About the Best Cross Country Movers we know – Monster Movers:
Monster Movers is a long distance moving company that consists of a team of professional movers who are experts in storage, relocation, packing, and specialty shipping. Since 1999, we have been in the business of offering exceptionally prompt and painless moving services around 48 states.T his makes us stand out as the best moving company in the US. We are aware that customers will be glad if they can experience this kind of service, hence, we moved to bring their desires to fulfillment. Since we have made Customer Satisfaction our foremost priority, we always ensure to put smiles on the faces of our clients and customers by providing superior customer service support. We have upheld this principle since inception.

OUR CORE VALUES INCLUDE:

INTEGRITY
To deliver all orders as promised; conducting ourselves with equality and honesty.
GOODWILL
To be open-armed to everyone from various backgrounds in the community and workplace.
COMPASSION
To be full of empathy for clients, co-staff, and community.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
To offer loyal services to all our customers while also responding to all complaints and enquires with attention and accuracy.
Our mission at Monster Movers is to continually surpass customers’ expectations in the standard of satisfaction and value on investment. We maintain guaranteed prices on all orders placed on our out-of-state moving services. Cross country moving costs are affordable because we focus on client progress. Our long distance moving services include packing of all furniture items, kitchenware, mirrors, lamps, pictures, electronics, etc. You can be sure that your belongings are safe with us!

Our professional long distance movers are also skilled at utilizing moving boxes for packaging your valuables; making sure that all items are prepared for out of state move. On pick-up day, a bar-coded inventory list of all items is made, and we will provide you with a copy. We are professional movers and are simply amazing at what we do. We provide all types of long distance moves from and to anywhere within the United States.Going new places can’t come any easier with our astute expertise in storage, moving, relocation, packing, and logistics services. Our long distance moving company is dedicated to unparalleled problem-solving.

Look no further and give us a call today!
Competetive
Cross Country Moving Company offers competitive rates for every long distance move. Many moving companies offer “low rates” laden with hidden fees and charges. We do not play that game. We provide a guaranteed rate for every long distance move. We also provide free, no-obligation consultations, so you will know exactly how much your move will cost before you even hire Cross Country Moving Company.
Efficient
At Cross Country Moving Company, we hold our services to the highest of standards and we strive to provide the customer with the safest and most efficient moving solution in the country. We take the safety of your valuables very seriously and that’s why we utilize only the finest moving equipment available. Our fleet of modern moving trucks undergoes regular diagnostic checks to ensure that no harm will come to your possessions during transportation. A fleet of modern trucks means that we can also move more often at reduced costs to our customers.
Professional
We also only hire the best movers. Everyone that works for Cross Country Moving Company is a trained, dedicated professional with years of moving industry experience. Our movers go through one of the most rigorous training programs in the long distance moving industry. We also carefully select and train our drivers and packing staff to ensure that our customer gets only the very best service. Cross Country Moving Company stands for professionalism. Each and every one of our employees is expected to uphold our ethic of superior customer service. We believe that you should be able to trust Cross Country Moving Company to treat your belongings with the same level of respect and care as we would our own. In our opinion, there is nothing more important than providing the customer with absolute best service.
Trusted
Our customers trust us to safely transport their most valuable possessions because of our reputation for unbeatable service and outstanding professionalism. When it comes right down to it our job is about making your moving day as stress-free and enjoyable as possible. Hundreds of extremely satisfied customers have discovered how easy moving can be when you have Cross Country Moving Company on your side. We have remained the most trusted name in long-distance moves and our customers continue to provide us with overwhelmingly positive reviews. When you are in need of a moving service you can trust look no further than Cross Country Moving Company.

Top Ten Moving Scams – and How to Avoid Them

Top 10 Moving Scams and How to Avoid Them

Can you spot a moving scam from a mile away?  Most would answer no.  Moving companies can have years of shady business practices before actually being shut down… only to  open up in the next town over with a new name.  We are going to outline the top 10 moving scams and how to avoid moving scams as well as providing moving help for local and long distance moves.

moving scams
Top 10 Moving Scams and How to Avoid Them                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       The best protection against a moving scam is to stay informed and do your homework.  Moving is arduous, and having someone else do it for you doesn’t mean you can leave all the details in their hands. Here are the Top Ten Moving Scams:                                                                                     TOP TEN MOVING SCAMS
  1. A moving company that doesn’t answer the phone  with the company name that is advertised.  An example would be a moving company that is advertised “Nationwide Van Lines” but answers the phone  “movers,” something mumbled “movers” or another  generic company name.  This usually means the moving company is hiding their true name from the government, IRS, unhappy customers, etc.  It could also mean that the company has changed names which indicates they had to shut down and stop using their name to avoid – taxes, lawsuits, etc. MOVING HELP TIP: LOOK FOR ESTABLISHED MOVERS THAT HAVE — — USED THE SAME NAME FOR 10+ YEARS
  2. The low-ball quote.  This occurs daily in every city in every state.  There is no avoiding the moving scam- it’s up to you to do your due diligence in order to get an accurate moving quote.  I suggest using a moving calculator. Now, most moving company moving calculators ask the number of rooms.  This is highly inaccurate and often results in both parties arguing and moving prices increasing.  MOVING HELP TIP: — — USE AN ACCURATE MOVING CALCULATOR THAT ADJUSTS YOUR MOVING QUOTE PIECE BY PIECE FIND ONE HERE.
  3. Moving companies that ask for any more than $100 for a local move or 10% for a long distance move should be avoided at all costs.  Many long distance moving scams occur when long distance movers ask for 30-50% down.  Simple you are thinking, you can just cancel your credit card if they don’t show up, are late, break things, etc.  It’s not that simple.  Moving company scammers are so crafty they have you sign to agree to the  move.  Then, when you go to cancel your credit card, they will say the deposit was non-refundable which is usually in the fine print for the move.  Some moving documents are pages long and have multiple “outs” for movers to keep your deposit.  This scam is frequently used by agents for van lines as they have the legal support to back up the paperwork.  MOVING HELP TIP: NEVER PAY MORE THAN 10% FOR A LONG DISTANCE MOVING DEPOSIT OR $100 FOR A LOCAL MOVE – ANY MORE IS HIGHLY SUSPECT
  4. Additional moving fees are usually not included in a basic moving quote.  For example, if you get a moving quote but did not indicate one of the following, many movers will take advantage and charge you more: multiple flights of stairs, elevator, long haul, shuttle fees, taxes, tolls, etc.  Besides being up-front with your mover, you should get a guaranteed moving quote.  MOVING HELP TIP: FIND MOVERS THAT DON’T CHARGE ADDITIONAL FEES, GET A LIST OF ANY FEES THAT THEY COULD POSSIBLY CHARGE
  5. Many moving companies have great websites.  It would be normal to expect your moving company to show up uniformed, with a clean truck, clean moving blankets and provide a professional service.  The fact is, most moving companies will show up with an unmarked truck with a crew with ripped jeans and dirty moving blankets.  MOVING HELP TIP: LOOK ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO FIND MOVING COMPANIES THAT HAVE THIER OWN CLEAN TRUCKS AND CREW

    Moving Company You Can Trust
    Finding Good Movers
  6. All moving companies are required to assume liability for the value of the goods that they transport. However, there are two different levels of liability that apply and you should be aware of the charges that apply and the amount of protection provided by each level. MOVING HELP TIP: FIND A MOVING COMPANY THAT OFFERS BOTH TYPES OF COVERAGE
  7. After your move is complete, you will have 15 days in order to file a claim.  After that, the window of opportunity has passed.  Many moving companies work with a claim company that will strictly adhere to the 15-day window.  The problem is, most consumers are not aware of this window and it is usually written in fine print on the contract. MOVING HELP TIP: MAKE SURE YOU GET YOUR CLAIMS IN WRITING TO YOUR MOVERS WITHIN THE 15 DAY TIME LIMIT
  8. Federal law requires one of two kinds of moving contracts. A non-binding estimate means the company cannot require payment of more than 10 percent above the original estimate, due at delivery.  It also goes the other way – the moving company expects a certain amount going so your price will be only 10% lower at most. A binding estimate is supposed to be a guaranteed price for the move and all extras.  Some moving companies will charge by the cubic foot.  Well, essentially you can easily add hundreds of cubic feet on to a move by not packing tight.  Moving companies, especially containerized movers are notorious for packing to add less weight and more cubic feet. MOVING HELP TIP: GET A QUOTE BASED ON WEIGHT
  9. Say no to low-ball bids. Watch out for rogue movers who get your business with bargain-price estimates. After filling the truck, they hold your possessions hostage until you pay thousands more. “Hostage load” movers tend to be smaller, unlicensed companies that may advertise on Craigslist or roadside signs. You’re safer checking listings on moving.org, a website run by the industry’s trade group. For moves between states, go to protectyourmove.gov, a federal watchdog website that verifies interstate moving companies’ licenses and complaint histories. One way to save is by moving midweek or in the middle of the month, in the fall or winter.  Rogue movers are rampant in the summer and fall months.  When moving the famous “you pay for what you get” advice is especially true.  MOVING HELP TIP: GET ESTIMATES FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES AND CHECK WEIGHTS WITH AN ONLINE MOVING CALCULATOR TO MAKE SURE YOUR MOVERS ARE IN THE BALLPARK
  10. When hiring a van line, there are many dynamics involved.  Your items will be picked up by one vendor, loaded, offloaded into storage, picked up by a truck, possibly swapped onto another truck or offloaded/reloaded at another storage facility, and eventually delivered by another vendor.  The damage and loss that occurs with van lines is incredible.  The first moving company could wrap and protect your furniture perfectly but no furniture can withstand constant loading and offloading.  Many van lines have gone bankrupt or merged with other van lines.  If you don’t purchase full replacement coverage, any loss will be valued at $.60/lb/article.  Van lines offer full replacement coverage at a much higher ( approximately 80% higher) than a private moving company because they expect loss.  MOVING HELP TIP: FIND A PRIVATE FULL SERVICE LONG DISTANCE MOVING COMPANY AND AVOID VAN LINES

If you’re among the 35 million Americans relocating this year, add the need to avoid cons to the other stressors that result from moving. About 3,600 complaints out of 800,000 moves were filed last year by people who hired interstate movers, you will need to heed some advice to make sure you are not a victim of a moving scam.

 

HOW TO AVOID MOVING SCAMS

 

Know your paperwork. Keep a copy of everything you sign — especially the “bill of lading,” which is a legal document that acknowledges the carrier is in possession of your cargo and serves as a receipt. An “order for service” lists what the mover will do, as well as pickup and delivery dates, and an inventory list shows each item you shipped and its condition (cross-check it after delivery). With nonbinding estimates, movers may be legally allowed to inflate charges about 10 percent. Binding estimates provide a fixed price but tend to be higher. Movers typically provide minimal insurance; before buying replacement-value coverage, check if your homeowners policy covers items lost or damaged during a move.

 

1. Ask your friends who they have used
You can research a mover online until the cows come home, but the fact is that websites are easy to put up and take down, online testimonials are easy to fake, and Internet credentials are just words. Talking to a friend or family member, or soliciting the advice of a trusted real estate agent, are better ways to obtain the names of reputable companies.
2. Check your movers out
There are several options for investigating movers, including government sites like ProtectYourMove.gov, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) site, FMCSA.gov. There are moving scam sites that are actually owned by moving companies.  Xpress Movers owns mymovingreviews.com.  MovingScam is owned by a van line.  Be careful there are many moving scams out there.  It is best to hire movers that your friends have hired, you have seen in action or have a third party moving company reviews site like customerlobby.com that does not alter reviews based on payments.

3. Ask about additional fees    Your movers should be upfront with all additional fees and what your your moving fees should depend on.  Here is a quick video for long distance moving costs which are more complicated than local moving costs

 

4. Get multiple estimates and use an online calculator to check
Shop around and get three estimates, in writing, after the aforementioned home visit. This is especially important for state to state moves, where the logistics are even more critical. Walter cautions against simply accepting the lowest bid. “It can be a red flag if one of your three bids is much lower than the others.”says Walters. “It’s not always a scam, but ask yourself why is it so low.”
5. Don’t pay your bill upfront
Some companies require long distance moving deposit as high as 50% percent of the total move, especially for a state-to-state relocation. Reputable companies should not require you to pay everything, or even half, upfront.  Opt for 10% as a maximum deposit.

Moving scams are the worst.  Usually movers will scam people out of a few hundred dollars.  A significant amount but not enough to spend hours of time to report, hire a lawyer or even more time-consuming – go to court.  They understand this so you must be prepared to use this knowledge so you don’t become a moving scam victim.

99 Ways to Save Money When Moving | Mover Help

Moving expenses can get out of control really quickly – you need to prepare yourself to save money when moving from the very beginning – here are 99 Ways to Save Money When Moving:

Moving
99 Ways to Save Money While Moving – Mover Help

1. Buy disposable booties for movers if it rains during your move – this could save money getting carpets cleaned.  This is especially true if  you are moving into a newly constructed building where the landscaping hasn’t been finished.

2. Schedule your move for off dates mid-week. The beginning, middle and end of the month are usually very expensive and book early.  Plan for a weekday from the 7th-12th or 19th to 24th for the best rates.

3. Don’t pay for moving insurance if you already are covered through homeowners insurance – you will have to call and check your policy.

4  Donating your items to Salvation Army or other non-profits will reduce moving costs and provide you with a tax-deductible receipt which will save you money during tax season.

5. Using a moving calculator, get your weight and negotiate the best moving company rates.

6. When moving long distance, you have to consider if your items are worth shipping – for example if your mover charges $.80/pound to move from NYC to Miami – a 200 pound table is going to cost $160.  You may be able to get a new IKEA table in Miami  rather than pay for shipping your old one.

7. Don’t pay for packing materials.  You should be able to find slightly used boxes on craigslist, liquor stores, big box stores like Costco, Walmart.

8.  Move during the off-season.  January-March are usually much less expensive than June-December.

9.  If you are moving to/from a major city – think Boston, NYC, DC – steer clear of long distance movers who charge shuttle fees.  A shuttle is a smaller truck that can get into smaller roads and on Manhattan – this can save thousands.

10.  Ask your moving company to include any and all additional fees that may pop up. Learn more about moving costs.

11.  When packing, use towels, socks, clothes to cushion breakables.

12. Pack vertically to save space and reduce chance of breaking dishes and items.

13. Make sure your movers provide free moving blankets.  If they do charge for rentals, you can use your own blankets.

14.  Get a flat rate moving price when you move.

15.  Nest smaller items in larger items to save moving boxes.

16. Consider buying see through plastic crates that you can reuse instead of boxes that will be thrown out.

17. Garage Sale – nuff said.

18.  Enlist your friends instead of paying for moving labor if you are loading/offloading a shipment.

19.  Dishes can be packed using packing paper – don’t pay for bubble wrap.

20.  Pack all of own stuff.  If you really cannot pack everything – leave anything expensive and annoying ( dishes and breakables) for your moving company since they are responsible for anything they pack.

21. If you need storage, find a facility that will give you a month free.

22.  Make sure your movers will not charge for stairs or a long haul.

23.  Organize your move – write down crucial steps to your move so you don’t forget any necessary steps.

24.  Use a moving checklist to help you organize.

25.  Consider shipping books via FED EX or USPS  – it may be less expensive than paying heavy weight charges on long distance shipments.

26. For a local move, move over boxes and breakables yourself – hire movers to move big, heavy items that could injure you.

27. Negotiate moving fees – suggestions would be negotiating taxes, tolls, mileage or fuel fees.

28.  Make sure your movers have a flat rate for travel time – you don’t want to be paying for them to sit in a traffic jam – or worse hanging at the gas station. Find flat rate movers near me.

29.  You can sell moving boxes at Box Cycle, on Nextdoor or Facebook marketplace

30. The Dollar Store has cheap plastic bins and cleaning materials that are cheap and great for single use

31. Find movers who will keep your items on a truck if you need storage for a few days or overnight.  You don’t want to pay for 2 moves. Find Movers Near Me.

32. Find movers who have their own storage facility just in case there is a last minute change. Find moving companies near me

33.  Make sure storage fees are prorated – you don’t want to pay for an additional month if you are only there for a few days over.

34.  Measure your furniture before moving it and know where it’s going – most local movers pay by the hour.  Don’t pay for them to move furniture twice.

35. You can move non-perishable food.

36.  Movers don’t move flammable materials including gas tanks for grills so make sure yours is empty or plan on moving it yourself.

37. For an extensive wine collection, hire professional movers and make sure it is insured.  Many movers are not qualified and don’t understand the importance and proper packing procedures for wine and specialty materials. Find full service movers near me.

38. If you are moving a piano, hire movers that move pianos as well.  A private piano moving company can cost over $1000 for a same town piano move.  If you hire movers that move pianos as well – they will be trained piano moves but will only charge around $350 for the same move.

39. Most movers will do junk removal – but make sure they are not using the same trucks that they use for moving for junk removal or you could end up with unpleasant after effects.

40. Hire movers with clean trucks and that steam their moving blankets.

moving
How To Save Money While Moving

41. Hire movers that have their own trucks.

42. Make sure your movers have new trucks and change their fleet every 3-5 years max.  There is nothing more costly than waiting for a broke-down truck.

43. Skip UHAUL – they will not reimburse for broken down trucks also if they don’t have a truck for your reservation – you’re out of luck.

44. Leave kids/pets at a family member or friends house during your move.

45.  You may want to sell your house furnished – saving you and possibly the new buyer decorating and furniture fees.

46. Rental truck companies will usually price match other competitors – call the 800 number and check.

47. Make sure your movers know if they will need to hoist anything.  If they don’t find out until that day, you may need to pay while you wait for other movers to come or you may need to wait until the next day if other movers aren’t available.

48.  Find movers who have an online inventory so you can ensure you can input all your furniture so both parties are on the same page and you can be sure moving rates wont change.

49.  When moving yourself, drive in off hours saving gas and time.

50.  Movers are not responsible for IKEA or pressboard furniture – you really need to consider if it is worth it to move those pieces.

51.  Sell your used furniture on craigslist or donate.

52.  Optimize utility shut-down dates.  Do this in advance – especially if moving out of state so you don’t have to pay for additional days.

53. Make sure your realtor/lawyer accounts for any oil leftover in a tank.

54.  Instead of tipping your movers big bucks, consider purchasing a less expensive lunch or snacks and drinks which are usually more appreciated.

55.  Appliances may not be worth it to move if they are older – especially if you are moving out of state.

56.  Moving a hot tub is not possible to move in the winter if you live in the north.  Plan this out in advance.

57. Consider moving yourself by renting a moving truck.

58.  If you are looking for a discount moving company make sure you make sure they are a private, flat rate moving company and not a broker who has the authority to sell or barter your shipment!

59.   You may be able to find moving company coupons.  Do a quick google search for the name of your moving company coupons.

60.  Priceless antiques or other expensive items should never be entrusted to a moving company that doesn’t have a great reputation.  Seek out movers in your area that have won awards and are active in the community – these are usually the best moving companies.

61.  Some moving companies offer veterans discounts as well as educator discounts.  Most are only 5% off but if you are moving long distance and your move costs $5000+ – that could be a big savings!

62.  Save TV and computer boxes to use for your move – it is really expensive to get custom boxes for these items.

63.  Save moving receipts -some moving expenses like realtor fees, etc may be tax deductible.

64. Hire a moving company that charges by weight – not square feet.  Square feet depends on the way a shipment is loaded, weight is a true, factual measure of the items you are shipping. Find long distance movers near me.

65. Label boxes as you are packing so the movers place them in the right rooms at your new residence -this can save lots of time.  As we all know, time is money.

66.  Disassemble your furniture when you arrive.  But remember, movers cannot put together what they take apart.  This is especially true for baby cribs and bunk beds.

67. Swingsets and hot tubs cost a bundle to move.  Strongly consider selling these items with you house.  It just isn’t worth it to move these items.

68. There is a box service called box buddy that recycles boxes – right now they will send 30 boxes for $90 – these prices are about 25% than your local mover but they do reuse which is earth-friendly.

69.  Use coffee filters or Styrofoam plates in-between dishes.

70. Put hanging clothes in garbage bags – you can save money on wardrobe boxes.

71. There are charities that will pick up your old, unwanted furniture for free.  Some moving companies offer a free delivery of furniture to charities as well.

72. Some cities have utility concierges that will negotiate utility expenses to find the best deals for you.

73.   Have any special tools ready for the movers.  Moving companies usually have a basic set of tools including allen wrenches.  However, if your furniture was purchased overseas there may be special tools that are needed to disassemble and reassembled.

74.  Upcycle moving boxes to make them awesome.

upcycled box
Upcycled Craft Cardboard Box

75.   Try not to close on the last day of the month.  Sometimes there are delays in recording the property which will mean your items will have to stay on a truck overnight.  Overnight fees should be about $150/night.

76.  Take pictures of your space before you move in and after you leave in case there are landlord issues.

77. Use old toilet paper rolls to hold jewelry so it doesn’t get tangled en route.

78.  If you are moving long distance, call a reputable mover in the city you are moving to.  They can usually book at much lower rates because you would be a back-haul. Find out more about long-distance movers.

79.  Basic moving coverage is always free – movers must award it to you.

80.  Don’t trust a low-ball estimate – you pay for what you get and no truer words were ever spoken when this relates to moving costs.

81.  You can leave fitted sheets on mattresses to protect them although your movers should put shrink wrap on them too.

82.  Be precise with your moving company.  Your estimate is only as accurate as you are. Get a moving quote here.

83. Don’t pack liquids.  You really don’t want spillage all over your items.

84.  Find long distance movers with guaranteed delivery and pick-up dates – the last thing you want to do is wait around in anticipation for “up to 14 days.”

85. Use a moving company that won’t sell or barter or trade your move – make sure they do their own moves.

86. Make sure you get copies of weight tickets – any moving company can claim your shipment weighs a certain amount – make them prove it with copies.

87.  Your moving company should give you a detailed inventory of the items you have moved – keep this with you.

88.  Make a necessities bin which includes everything you need for your first night – toilet paper, cleaning products, sheets, clothes, medications, etc.

89. Portable storage isn’t all it’s cracked up to be – check the reviews.  Also, they are very easy to break into.

90.  Hire a safe, reliable moving company – you don’t want rogue movers showing up at your house.

91.  Make sure your moving company CORI checks all crew members.

92.  Have cold drinks on hand – everyone works better when hydrated.

93. Take a picture of your electronic cords or label them so you can remember what they go with.

94. Keep all screws, bolts and nuts in baggies so they don’t get mixed up with your shipment.

95.  Check moving company reviews before hiring.  Remember yelp reviews aren’t reliable as moving companies can pay for good reviews.  Trust customer lobby or google.

96.  Find the best questions and the answers your movers should have by using a compare movers worksheet handy.

97.  When hiring packers make sure you are getting charged by hour instead of by the box.  You will unpack to find three cups in one box…trust me.

98.  If you have awkward items that don’t weigh a lot like kayaks or basketball nets – you may be charged a bulky item fee.  See if your movers charge additional fees for bulky or unstackable items.

99.  Make sure your moving company isn’t going to offload, reload or swap your shipment before delivery.

Being frugal while moving can be a challenge.  These tips are priceless and can help you navigate to a low-cost move.

Should You Help Your Friends Move?

Should You Help Your Friends Move?

Have you ever wondered how strong of a friendship you and your bestie have?  You can gauge your comraderie by their level of help during a move.  Let’s put it this way  – if there was a ceremony for friendship the “friendship vows” would be  ” in moving and in chillaxing.”   Check below for our “Should You Help Your Friends Move?” guide – also an accurate evaluation of your bromance.

Everyone who has moved while in college or shortly thereafter knows how precious moving day help can be.  Let us help you find out if you should help your friends move:

TYPES OF FRIENDSHIPS and RESPECTIVE MOVE SCORE

  1. Enabling Friendship:  Move Score 8                                                            This friendship is a special bond between buds that empower each other to do the impossible.  This friend will boost your ego and are definitely one of the best types of friends to call for a move.
  2. Hot and Cold Friendship: Move Score 5                                                           The Hot and Cold friend is like a corked bat. Your hot and cold friend may show up, show up late or not at all but they do, they will easily provide that extra umph to get you home.
  3. Class Clown Friendship: Move Score 3                                                              One of the worst friends to help with a move – this friend loves pranks and those are not appreciated while moving.  Also, you will be so busy laughing – nothing will get moved.
  4. Bromance: Move Score 9                                                                                              You know that friend who completely admires you for whatever reason.  This is the best friend to invite for a move. This friend will do the entire move for you – to show up and just to be around your awesomeness
  5. Drinking Buddies: Move Score -10                                                                        Just.  Don’t.
  6. The Long Distance Friend: Move Score 6                                                       If you are moving long distance and actually hiring long distance movers – the long distance friend is a great for moral support – mainly because they won’t actually have to do any heavy lifting.

Helping your friends move can make or break a friendship.  Your patience will be tested but after all the back-breaking effort – you’ll become better buds after a move together.  Just don’t forget the pizza and drinks.

Of course, you could avoid all of the moving drama by hiring local movers, movers within 100 miles of your original residence or long distance movers.

The Worst Advice We’ve Heard About Movers

The Worst Advice We’ve Heard About Movers


I must say, I have been patiently waiting to write this post on the worst advice we’ve heard about movers for a long time.  Having been in the moving and storage industry for over 20 years, we have come across our fair share of horrible advice when it comes to movers.  Here is our all time crappy advice list:

moving advice
Movers
  1.  Use a Van Line for Long Distance Moves – Just. Don’t.  I cannot believe the moving and storage industry is so out-of-touch with current business practices.  Millennials, baby boomers and those in-between have grown accustomed to getting anything they want – fast.  Long gone are the days of a van line sticking your stuff on a truck and delivering it 14-21 days later!  This just doesn’t make sense anymore.  There are innovative moving companies applying tech and big data to their systems making long distance movers ultra-efficient.
  2. Trust Moving Reviews.  Okay – this one you can take with a grain of salt because some moving review sites work, like moving company reviews from customer lobby.  Others, like yelp and bbb are actually paid sites.  Movers will have to pay to post reviews on yelp and pay to become “accredited bbb movers.”   Now researching the BBB isn’t a bad thing – this outlet gives a rating and if you see a big fat F or even a E or D – stay away.  BBB “paid members” always have A ratings even if  the reviews are horrible so… I would suggest the best movers have a ratings without being accredited which means they didn’t pay for their A
  3. You Don’t Need Insurance.   It is more likely that your things will be damaged in transit than sitting at your house.  If you do have homeowners/renters insurance, I would always suggest purchasing additional coverage.  All movers in the USA are liable for $.60/pound/article which doesn’t equate to much.  Find movers that offer additional coverage for a reasonable rate – this should be around $200 for a 2-3 bedroom home or up to $750 for a 5000 + sq. foot home.
  4.  The Best Movers Rank High on Search Engines.  The “internet of things” tends to rank national sites like yelp and van lines over smaller niche markets which seem to rank movers instead of a higher quality move.  Searching with the term movers near me will give some great local results – you can even search at www.moversnearme.com . The best movers are active in their state/community and have a long history.  You can do a corporation search to see how long your movers have been in business.
  5. You can move yourself.  LOL, No ROFL.  Please, hire movers!  The damage you can do to your vehicle, back, friend’s backs, furniture, dishes, etc.  is not worth the amount you save.  Trust me, hire professional movers – they do this everyday and are experts!  Moving is so hard if you aren’t properly trained.  And, if your friend, etc. gets hurt you could get sued!

I hope this article on the worst advice about movers has helped you in your search and shed light on some of the “good advice” you have heard!

MOVING IN THE SNOW

MOVING IN THE SNOW BY MOVER HELP


Moving in the snow is probably one of the most annoying things in the entire world. Carrying a 200 lb. dresser across slippery ice – a problem for most moving companies but movers in Boston and other New England movers have been practicing the art of “moving in the snow” for many cold, frost-bitten years. Our moving crews have been moving for over 37 winters of snow and are happy to share some really important moving tips for those wintery months.

  1. SAFETY IS NUMBER ONE – There are so many things that can go wrong during winter moves. But safety of the crew members, you and your furniture is the top priority. We highly recommend hiring movers during winter months. The inside of your home and the truck itself can get as slippery as the ground outside and most people don’t realize this until its too late. All of our moving crews carry shovels, rock salt and sand with us but you should always call your mover anyway and make sure they have these things handy.
  2. DRIVING A MOVING TRUCK IN THE SNOW – Unless you are an expert truck driver – don’t do it. I have seen other moving trucks literally slide down the hills of Boston. Snowy roads are not something for an awkward moving truck to be travelling in – leave this feat to the experts. In the case that you do get stuck – call roadside assistance immediately and place the orange markers out. Our moving trucks get winter overhauls but renting a truck you may be shocked to find the lack of winter snow tires and/or moving chains.
  3. BE PREPARED – Things you will need for a move in the snow – ice melt/salt, sand, shovels, window scraper, floor and truck runners to minimize slipping, heavy-duty gloves – hands get slippery in the winter too.
  4. DON’T RISK IT – I remember a customer who wanted us to move a hot tub that had just been unhooked ( leaking water ) across a football field of ice an down icy steps. We did everything we could to get that across but the ice was a foot deep and did not melt with all of our salt, ice melt and sand. We did our best without it but in the end we needed to use a crane to get that bad Larry out. Sometimes there is nothing that you can do about the weather – better safe than sorry.
  5. WATCH THE WEATER – It can change drastically. A sunny day in the North East can easily turn into a blizzard before your offload.
  6. WINE BOTTLES BREAK IN COLD WEATHER – I know, it’s not fair. If you are doing a long distance move – or one that is going into storage during winter months, please make sure you hire a mover with climate-controlled storage or your expensive wine collection could be ruined. Also, overnight storage is not recommended for bottled liquids. They may break overnight in the cold.
  7. ELECTRONICS and PLANTS DON’T LIKE SNOW – Like wine, plants don’t fair well during winter month moves. When hiring long distance movers in Boston or other snowy cities, make sure your mover is using climate-controlled storage facilities and not offloading your shipment into a warehouse. Electronics generally do fine in the winter but may need a thawing period.
  8. TURN THE HEAT ON – Make sure your heat is on in the new house or this will only prolong your moving issues.

Moving in the winter can be a challenge but by following our mover help, you will be prepared to weather any winter storm.

Moving in the Snow
Moving in the Snow