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Minta Rooks
Spammer
17 Posts |
 Posted - 07/24/2014 : 09:54:23
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So I have an out of state moving coming up in a few months and I was wondering if there is anyone here that has been through this before and can lend advice or share their thoughts on the pros and cons of hiring a professional vs amateur moving company vs just doing it ourselves.
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Boron10
Religion Moderator
USA
1266 Posts |
Posted - 07/24/2014 : 10:30:51 [Permalink]
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Out of state? Hire a professional. Especially if you have kids.
I am not sure what an "amateur moving company" would be. If it's a company, it's professional. That's what the word means.
A larger moving company will have a network and routes that span multiple states; this can minimize the transfer of your stuff mid-shipment, which reduces the chance of loss or damage.
A larger company will likely have a better insurance policy (check this carefully!), if your stuff is lost or damaged they can cover it. A friend of mine lost nearly all his stuff when the moving truck caught fire en route. He was adequately compensated.
With a larger moving company, you won't have to worry about schlepping anything yourself; just pay close attention to the fragile and valuable stuff. You can keep one eye on the kids and one eye on the movers.
Basically, you'll be turning the brunt of the work into "not my problem." It's a liberating thing. |
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Minta Rooks
Spammer
17 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2014 : 09:12:01 [Permalink]
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I guess I can see your point but there are definitely "companies" that aren't professional at all. Like the ones that can most often be found on Craigslist. My friend hired a moving "company" from there and the whole experience was horrible. That's the type of thing I would like to avoid and while I know not going to Craigslist is the first step to a good choosing I know that some unprofessional companies are also listed other places.
After the fact we found a website www.movingguru.com/moving-quotes/ but I'm the type of person that would rather get people's experience with a company that can tell me the good, bad and the ugly.
I was looking and with a professional it can get rather expensive...right? Have you done something like this? I had someone just tell me yesterday about the PODS company or something...have you heard of them? Do you know how they work? That's kind of a little bit of both I'd imagine, hiring someone and doing it myself. I think you have to pack your own little storage thing or something like that. |
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 07/25/2014 : 11:40:10 [Permalink]
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Originally posted by Minta Rooks
I guess I can see your point but there are definitely "companies" that aren't professional at all. Like the ones that can most often be found on Craigslist. My friend hired a moving "company" from there and the whole experience was horrible. That's the type of thing I would like to avoid and while I know not going to Craigslist is the first step to a good choosing I know that some unprofessional companies are also listed other places.
After the fact we found a website www.movingguru.com/moving-quotes/ but I'm the type of person that would rather get people's experience with a company that can tell me the good, bad and the ugly.
I was looking and with a professional it can get rather expensive...right? Have you done something like this? I had someone just tell me yesterday about the PODS company or something...have you heard of them? Do you know how they work? That's kind of a little bit of both I'd imagine, hiring someone and doing it myself. I think you have to pack your own little storage thing or something like that.
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Done a little of both.
Rented trucks from U-Haul for short moves. Economical. Just have to the bulk of lifting yourself and whatever buddies you can rope into it.
Used Mayflower movers once. It was the early 90's but they were professional and careful with my items. Kinda pricey but they are bonded and insured. Also used 2 guys and a truck to help move my girlfriend this past March. Almost $2,000 for a 40 mile move but there was a lot of stuff. They were very professional. Thing is, you have to know what you have to move so that they can get you an accurate estimate. Anything above and beyond what you estimate is extra.
In any case, you have to do the pre-packing. If you don't they can help you pack, but it is very expensive to do that.
PODS is one of those deals where you call them, they drop off a shipping container that you then load up. They then retrieve the container and drop it off at the final destination. You then have a set amount of time to unload it. Otherwise, I believe there are additional rental costs. Cheaper than a traditional move, but you are doing all the schlepping and are responsible to pack the container properly. I've not used these guys. |
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Professional vs amateur vs moving myself
