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What Services Do Movers Provide? (Be Prepared & Save)

Moving is an equally exciting, confusing, and stressful process. That is especially true when the time comes to choose a moving company and pick between the services they offer. So, what will moving companies do for you?

Standard-service moving companies load your belongings onto the truck, transport them, and unload the truck. Full-service moving companies handle everything from packing and disassembling furniture to loading the truck and unpacking at your new house. Self-service moving companies are cheap, but they only drive the truck and expect you to pack, load, and unload everything.

Full-service moving companies are more expensive, but they lessen your load more than other services. Follow along as we explore what moving companies do for you to decide what you need for your big move.

What Do Moving Companies Do For You?

Moving companies may help pack, load, transport, and unpack your belongings. That said, how much they do for you depends on the service you choose. Reputable moving companies typically offer standard-service and full-service packages that vary in how comprehensive they are.

Full Service Movers

Full-service moving companies handle nearly everything for you. This is the most expensive option, but it also requires the least amount of work from the customer. Let’s look at what you can expect from a full-service moving package.

Full Packing

One of the biggest appeals of full-service moving companies is that we pack everything for you. Of course, you can pack sensitive items that you don’t want the moving company to handle. Otherwise, we take inventory of your belongings, organize them, and pack them for you.

Full-service moving companies typically provide the packing materials as well. This includes boxes, furniture pads, packing peanuts, and bubble wrap.

Disassembling Furniture

Full-service moving companies also help with one of the hardest parts of moving: disassembling furniture. Whether it be a nightstand or your dining room table, we can carefully take it apart and pack it for you. Depending on how big the moving crew is, this process typically goes by quickly.

Beds are among the most common pieces of furniture that need to be disassembled. Upon arrival, we will unpack it and put it back together.

Loading and Unloading Your Belongings

Full-service moving crews make loading and unloading a truck look easy. Professional movers are equipped to carefully pack the truck and secure the items to eliminate or reduce damage. It’s like a game of Tetris, and this is something solo movers struggle with when they rent trucks.

Secured with ratchet straps and furniture pads, your belongings are protected to endure the drive. One of the appeals of full-service moving companies is that they also unload your belongings. We follow your instructions and even bring your belongings into the rooms they belong.

Mounting TVs

There is nothing fun about dismounting and mounting a TV, and that’s one of the appeals of full-service moving. Many full-service moving companies can at least disassemble your TV. This saves the homeowner from a huge headache, but it’s not an option with standard-service moving companies.

That said, it’s important to ask if they’re able to mount to the TV at your new house. This isn’t always possible and may be a job for a handyman, but it depends on the TV and mount setup.

Transportation

Transportation is one of the most important steps in a full-service move. It can be stressful to drive a truck full of your belongings when you move without help. Professional moving crews do it all the time, so you can trust that your items are in good hands. Full-service moving companies typically charge different rates based on mileage and distance.

Hauling Trash

No matter what, trash will accumulate when you move. Moving requires lots of packing materials that you won’t need to use again. This includes everything from bubble wrap and packing peanuts to countless boxes.

Full-service moving companies handle the trash for you and take it with them when they leave. That way, you won’t have to spend your first day at your new home surrounded by trash. Another benefit of full-service moving companies is that they can also dispose of furniture for you.

This is a great way to declutter and get a fresh start at your new home.

Standard Moving Service

Standard service moving companies bring your items from point A to point B. This is cheaper than full-service moving, but it also puts more work on the customer. For example, you must organize and pack your belongings with this option.

The moving company will load your belongings into the truck and drive them to your new house. Standard service moving companies also bring the boxes and furniture into your house. However, the movers won’t unpack the boxes when they get to your house as that’s part of a full-service package.

This is a great option if you want to save money, but not if you want to avoid manual labor.

Self-Service

Self-service moving companies offer the cheapest way to move, but they don’t offer much help. With this option, you must do all the work that a full-service moving company would do for you. You are responsible for packing and loading the boxes onto the truck in most cases.

Granted, you don’t have to drive the truck, but everything else falls on you. This isn’t an ideal option if you must move from a 2-3-bedroom house with lots of furniture unless you are trying to save money. It is comparable to renting a moving truck, but instead, you pay someone to drive the truck.

Preparation is everything if you choose a self-service moving company. Because you must do all the work, it’s important to have everything ready when the truck arrives. This can help reduce your overall costs if you pay the driver an hourly rate.

How Long Does it Take Movers to Pack a House?

How long it takes movers to pack a house depends on how many bedrooms there are. For example, it may only take 2-4 hours to pack up a one-bedroom apartment and load the truck. It can go even faster if you pre-pack your belongings and don’t have any furniture that needs to be disassembled.

Two-bedroom apartments and houses typically take at least 3 hours to pack, but it can take up to 5 hours. A small moving crew can pack up a 4-bedroom house and load the truck in as little as 8 hours. The bigger the crew is, the faster the process will go.

That said, 4 and 5-bedroom houses with lots of belongings can take as long as 12-13 hours to pack and load. Depending on the customer and moving company, this process may be split into two days. Moving companies can typically estimate how long it will take when they take inventory of your belongings. That’s why the consultation process is so important.

So, What Should I Expect a Moving Company to Do?

You should at least expect a moving company to safely drive your belongings to your new house. Full-service moving companies pack your belongings, transport them, then load, and unload the truck. Standard moving companies don’t pack for you, but they load the truck and transport your belongings.

Self-service moving companies are the least comprehensive. All they do is transport the truckload to your new house after you pack the truck. You are also expected to unload the truck when it arrives. Full-service moving service is the best option if you want to focus on other aspects of moving besides manual labor.

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