the Cost of Local Movers

We hired professional movers to help move our household from one place to another, approximately five miles apart. Our goal was to keep the entire move to 4 hours or less, but in the end it took about 5 1/2 hours, with a half hour break for the movers to eat lunch. There was a total of three movers and one very large truck. They brought all of their own gear, including stuff with which they were able to wrap some of the larger pieces of furniture. They also had some large bins in which we were able to drop in items we didn't box up previously.

The service was excellent. All of our items arrived in perfect condition, and our walls in the new place were surprisingly unscuffed. The movers were great about communicating with us about every detail. We were so pleased with the speed that everything was happening that on the way to the new site, one of us stopped to get lunch for everyone. At the end of the move, we were sure to tip all three of them very well.

The most important thing is to get your personal items organized, sorted, labeled, and ready to move. Unless you make prior arrangements, the movers are not there to pack, they are there to move the already packed items. It will also make your life a lot less stressful if your stuff is already boxed away, and people aren't rummaging through it all. There are several local services that will drop off and pick up large plastic bins for moving. Not only is this good for the environment, this is also a good way to get items packed up at your leisure prior to the move, and then unpacked similarly. Also, use the opportunity to pack as a time to de-clutter and throw things out. The less the movers take, the more quickly the move will proceed, and the more money you will save on the expense of moving. Most movers will charge by the hour with a minimum number of hours (usually four), so keeping the time down will help keep the cost down.