WHAT TO ASK YOUR APARTMENT MOVERS BEFORE YOU HIRE!
For those who are moving out of or into a rental, there are a few additional details in play from your single family home to home move. Thankfully, our professional moving teams are ready to get the job done and up to the challenge of a few stairs, a few flights an even an elevator.
With more than three decades of moving experience under our belts, we’ve seen it all when it comes to moving apartment rentals. These facilities often have strict rules and regulations to follow, and our professional moving help writers can tell you how to save time, money and help you hire the best apartment movers for you.
SAVING YOU TIME AND MONEY
Time and money are at a premium when completing a rental move, and our moving teams know how to save you both.
- Our understanding of the regulations for rental properties allows us to navigate the move with precision and safety. Find apartment movers that will wrap all doors and walls, and protect elevators while moving your belongings, which helps eliminate property damage so you can get your security deposit back.
- Hiring the best apartment movers to complete your rental move also allows you to stay in your location longer because hiring our professional moving teams makes it a quicker process than doing it yourself.
RENTAL MOVE OUT CHECKLIST
For those about to complete a rental move, we have developed an effective list of tips for first-time renters! This tenant move out checklist will cover all of the bases you need when completing a move from a rental property, and can be your go-to rental checklist for any future moves you complete.
- Get rid of unnecessary items: Find somewhere to donate items you no longer want, offer other items to people who might want them, or just throw them away all together. This will save you the hassle of moving these items on moving day.
- Notify your landlord of the upcoming move: Some rental properties need a written notice in advance of your move, so be sure to check with your property on the proper procedure, and check to see if they have certain regulations for moving in and out of the rental.
- Do a thorough cleaning: Leaving your place in bad shape will end up costing you money. Do an efficient cleaning of your rental property before moving out and fix any damages to ensure you receive your security deposit back.
- Take care of bills: Double-check and ensure all bills are paid in full and shut off so you aren’t stuck paying for something at your next location.
- Document the condition of your rental: Be sure to take note of any damages or other incidents that occur to make sure you aren’t charged for something you didn’t do.
- Pay attention to additional space: If your rental property contains a separate storage space, make sure everything you need is removed and taken care of before you move out. This will prevent you from scrambling to find a place for these items on moving day
Moving apartments? Apartment moves are a whole different animal than full-home moves. For starters, you probably have less stuff packed into a two-bedroom apartment than you might in a two-bedroom house which means you also have more flexibility in the kind of help to choose from.
Also, apartment moves may require you to get a little crafty in navigating stairwells and potentially long hallways.
So whether you need a full-service moving company to maneuver your futon through a pesky narrow doorframe or a moving truck to put that futon in, we’ve put together the best small moving companies to help you with your apartment move.
We narrowed the best moving companies for small moves into three different categories:
Read on to see if you should roll up your sleeves and rent a truck or container or fork over some extra cash for full-service movers.
Full-service apartment movers
If you have a load that’s too large to move on your own, if you’re on a time crunch, or if you need help carrying your furniture up and down multiple flights of stairs—if you live in a fourth-floor walk-up, for example—a full-service moving company is the best place to start.
Although hiring a full-service mover is the most expensive option on our list, it’s also the most convenient. Plus, with add-ons like packing and storage services, it allows for customization. You can scale back the services you don’t want so you don’t have to break the bank—or your back.
Affordable local moves
Some apartment movers like Monster Movers prices its long-distance moves based on the overall weight and mile count. Meanwhile, it prices local loads by the hour.
If you have a studio apartment-sized load, this is great since you could probably pull off the move in a couple hours anyway.
Things to look for in apartment movers
Availability
A company’s availability in your area for your moving dates determines whether or not you can do business with them. Usually, moving companies will have a page on their website that lists their locations, offerings, and operating hours.
Truck or container size options
There’s no sense paying for the largest available truck on a smaller job like a one-bedroom apartment. The more options a moving company offers beyond just small, medium, and large sizes the more opportunity you have to get the most bang for your buck.
Cost factors
For apartment moves, long-distance moves are normally more cost-effective than local moves since local moves charge by the hour. And since apartment moves have smaller loads than full-home moves, paying by the hour can work in your favor.
If you’re making an apartment-sized long-distance move, expect to pay significantly more than a local move. Rates for long-distance moves are based on the combined weight of your load and mile count.
Flight charge
Most moving companies charge extra based on how many flights of stairs movers have to hike. Every company handles this differently, so asking around and comparing prices can help you find the company with the most reasonable costs.
Did you decide to go full-service or rent a truck or container? No matter your method, we’d love to hear about your experience. Let us know in the comments section below, and while you’re at it feel free to call out a small moving company you think should have made the list.