Moving yourself might seem like a good plan at first, but when you think about everything you have to do before, during, and after the move, it can cost you more to do it yourself than to hire a professional moving company.
How to Save on Moving Expenses
Let’s face it. Moving can be expensive. Whether you are moving across town or across country, you could spend thousands of dollars on moving your family and personal items. But you don’t have to.
Courtesy of your favorite Minneapolis residential movers – here are a few tips designed to help you save on the cost of moving:
- Get rid of the unnecessary stuff – Why move all that stuff you no longer use or need? Ditch it first. There are a number of ways to do this. You can hold a yard sale prior to moving. You could give it away to a charity. Or you might use it as collateral to trade for other items you do need (or will need in your new home). Another alternative is, if you can’t sell it or give it away, just toss it.
- Use free moving supplies – Professional moving companies will sell you boxes, tape, and other moving supplies, but you don’t have to buy them. You can get free boxes for your move at retail stores that throw out boxes after unloading the merchandise for their stores.
- Pack your own items – Having the movers pack your boxes can be an added expensive. You can save money by doing it yourself.
- Plan your move for off-season – If you move during peak season, you’ll probably pay higher prices. Instead, plan your move for when others aren’t—such as during the week.
- Ask your employer to help you move – If you company is moving you due to a promotion or interoffice transfer, ask them to pick up the tab for your moving expenses. If you are in the military, the government will pay for your move through its DITY program. Having your employer pay for your move – or at least a part of it – will save you a bundle in moving expenses.
You’ll also want to get more than one estimate. Compare the moving companies in Minneapolis before choosing one. They all have their unique ways of pricing their services, so pick the moving company that is best for you. If you do some due diligence and plan your move ahead of time, you’ll be able to spot opportunities for where you can save on the costs. Always ask your sales representative for ideas, as they are a great resource.
How To Compare Movers
Comparing movers can be a big task for anyone. How do you decipher mover reviews? Some moving companies specialize in long distance moves while others handle local moves better. With different types of movers you can have a variety of pricing models – by weight or load, by distance, or a combination of the two with local moves based on hourly.
It’s important, first, to compare apples to apples. You don’t want to compare different pricing models side by side without looking at adequate comparisons.
Identify the Type of Mover You Need
Decide whether you need a local mover or a long distance moving company. There’s no sense calling a local mover if you are moving out of state. However, local movers will send someone out to provide you with an estimate based on how many items you have to move and other factors to determine an estimated hourly cost as local move charges are based on ACTUAL time and services provided
Compare Moving Company Reviews
It’s easy to find reviews of moving companies online. Search for ‘moving companies’ and ‘moving company reviews’ including your city of origin to see what comes up. Read the reviews carefully, especially the reviews of former customers.
- Are there a lot of 5-star ratings?
- Is there a rating system for moving companies? If so, compare those based on the number of reviews.
- Read customer comments. Do they say good things about the service? Prices and insurance? Look for anything negative or anything that might be a red flag.
- Also look for positive review. People are more likely to make negative comments than positive, but if you do see several people making the same positive comments on moving companies, then those should hold weight.
Compare Moving Rates
Finally, look at the moving rates of the companies. Be sure to pay attention to add-ons and extra fees not included in the actual quote. Many moving companies will add certain fees—for equipment, special types of furniture or high value items, etc. Those expenses are very important to note for comparison purposes.
If there is a huge disparity in basic moving rates, find out why. Is there a reason Moving Company A is quoting $500 more than Moving Company B? Maybe their quote includes extra fees not included in the basic quote of Company B.
Make sure you compare the pricing of hourly labor rates and truck for local relocations. Be sure to ask a lot of questions, especially if there is something you don’t understand.
Types of Moving Services and Moving Companies
Moving services are not all the same. It comes as a surprise to many people when they learn about the different types of moving companies, but it will benefit you in the long run to know which type of moving service you need before you hire one. So here’s a handy guide.
3 Basic Types of Moving Services
There are three basic types of moving services. Each type has a few subcategories beneath them, but we’re going to start with these three basic types of moving companies because almost all moving services fall into one of these categories.
- Local movers – Local moving companies specialize in moving people from one home to another within the same city. Depending on your moving company’s permit, the local geographic area of coverage can be a single zip code, an entire metropolis, or an MSA region. This includes rural moving services. You can often get a better deal with a local moving service if you are just moving across town.
- Long Distance Moving Services – Long distance movers typically charge by actual weight of the load plus the distance you travel. These companies specialize in moves state to state.
- Commercial Relocation Companies – Commercial movers specialize in business moves. If you have a small business or a major corporation and you are planning a move, whether it is across town or hundreds of miles away, a commercial relocation service will put together a package that meets your business needs.
Which Type of Mover Is For You?
In determining which type of moving service you need, start with a local mover. If you are moving long distance, then step up to the next level. If your move involves a business, try a commercial relocation service And in some cases you might need two moving companies: one for your business and one for your home.
Unpacking After a Commercial Move: Where to Start? Suggestions from Commercial Movers
Yesterday was moving day. Your commercial movers in Plymouth safely unloaded all of your office’s furniture and belongings and now you and your employees are faced with what feels like a huge task: unpacking but still somehow staying organized. But where do you start?
As commercial movers with more than 15 years of experience, we here at RJ Moving have a few suggestions on where to start and how to stay organized from the get-go.
First things first: we hope you clearly labeled your boxes and what each box contains. We recommend unpacking the necessities after your commercial movers leave – the main things your business needs to stay running during the first couple of days in your new office building. You want to be sure to unpack computer supplies, fax and copy machine supplies, a coffee pot and mugs for tired employees and any files your business uses on a regular basis.
From there, we suggest you give each employee designated time to unpack their own supplies and items. This also gives your employees some time to acquaint themselves with their new surroundings. It’s a great time for them to learn the basics: where the fire escapes or stairs are located, where the bathrooms are, etc. It’s also a great time for them to familiarize themselves with the new area they’ll be working in. As commercial movers, we understand you want to still get work done while unpacking, but keep in mind your employees are probably feeling the stress too. So consider just getting basic work done for the first day or two while everyone is getting settled in.
After all of your employees are done unpacking, get help with common rooms like the rest of the kitchen items and any conference rooms or other rooms that are used by your entire staff. Also, now is a great time to get help decorating the office if need be!
When you need commercial movers in Plymouth, call RJ Moving at 612-384-2028 or get a Free Moving Quote.
Three Tips to Declutter Your Office Before You Relocate
When you’re relocating your business, getting everything (and everyone!) organized and packed can seem like a daunting task. Thankfully, we here at RJ Moving, commercial movers in Maple Grove, have helped plenty of businesses move throughout the state, and we have a few tips to help you get started on the decluttering and downsizing process.
- The first thing you want to do is take a deep breath and relax. Remember, if you’ve planned ahead and your commercial movers are hired and things are set with them, that’s half the battle right there! We recommend sorting through your paperwork first. Figure out what you need to keep and what can be tossed and shredded and/or recycled. Most of the time, old paperwork takes up more space than necessary. The more you get rid of, the less there is for your commercial movers to move to your new location.
- Don’t think you’re going to get everything done in one day. You will want to set aside several days to get everything organized and decluttered. Make sure your employees know that they are responsible for decluttering their own offices too. Set aside several mornings or afternoons for this task. Ask for volunteers to help you declutter and downsize the items that are used office-wide (for example, kitchen items). Again, the fewer items your commercial movers have to move, the better. They will spend less time moving your items, helping to get you from here to there in a timely fashion.
- If you need to buy any storage bins, wait until all of your office decluttering is done. That way, you will know exactly what you need to buy and won’t waste any extra money or time on bins you don’t need. And moving those items will be much easier for your commercial movers.
When you need commercial movers in Maple Grove, call RJ Moving at 612-384-2028, or you can get a Free Quote.
Moving Day Will Be Hectic: Movers Are Here to Help
If you’re relocating a business with many employees, moving day can be hectic. There’s no doubt that when you have to organize and coordinate teams of people, things can go wrong. You can greatly reduce the stress of moving by hiring professional movers. Maple Grove business owners can be at ease on the day of the big move with a team of professionals on their side.
Keep Walkways Clear
It may seem logical to get boxes out of offices and into the hallway, to be accessed easier by the team of movers that have been hired. We advise you to instead keep walkways clear. We have a very particular way of systematically packing your possessions into our moving vehicles. Objects in hallways, entryways, stairwells and other walkways can hinder the packing process. Allow us to determine what order boxes are placed out to be picked up.
Take Care of Your Employees
You take care of your employees, we’ll take care of your belongings. All of them should have a directive to help the moving process go smoothly. If you have non-essential employees, it may be wise to give them the day off. Sometimes too many people can cause more confusion. Have a meeting with everyone before the moving date to coordinate efforts and make sure everyone knows what they’re supposed to be doing.
Label, Label, Label
Make sure everything is labeled. Every box, every set of keys, everything! You’ll thank yourself later if you are diligent with labeling. Everything will make its way to its proper place if it’s labeled correctly. It will make distributing items to their proper place, and to the proper people easier. We want things to be simple for you, even after we leave.
Are you looking for an experienced team of movers to help you get from here to there in Maple Grove? Contact us today by calling 612-384-2028 or Contact us Here.
RJ Moving Employs A Couple of Tough Mudders!
The team at RJ Moving recently participated in the local Tough Mudder event. This physically challenging team building activity was enjoyed by all those who participated. We want to extend a huge thank you to all who complete the course on our team! Who’s ready to start training for the next one?
Professional Moving Services in Minnesota
Are you moving anywhere in the state of Minnesota or the City of Saint Paul? Then RJ Moving is your new best friend. You can greatly reduce the stress of moving with the help of a professional moving company. We can get your belongings where they need to be with no worries. If you’re moving to or from Minneapolis or Saint Paul, professional moving services can help you get the job done right and efficiently.
What Good Movers Are …
There are many, many professional Twin Cities movers out there. But, how can you tell which ones are the best?
The RJ Moving team has been giving this some thought as of late, and we’ve decided the term “mover” should describe a professional who is …
