Is a residential move in your future? You're in good company. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, about 8.2 million people moved between states in 2022.
Moving is a big undertaking, especially if you’re doing it on your own. Full-service moving companies can take the stress out of the process, leaving you to focus on the aspects of the move that only you can do – organizing travel, changing your address and services, and preparing for the big life change.
Discover the benefits of hiring a moving company to determine if it’s right for you.
What Is a Full-Service Moving Company?
A full-service moving company is a service that takes care of all the details of your relocation, ranging from packing up your belongings in your old house to unloading them in your new home. When you hire a mover, you can sit back and enjoy a seamless process.
A full-service mover will handle the following:
Getting packaging materials, like boxes and foam peanuts
Packing your belongings
Carrying your items to the moving truck or van
Driving your items to your new property
Unloading your truck or van
Deconstructing furniture
Assembling furniture
A full-service mover can also arrange your belongings according to your instructions.
Benefits of a Full-Service Moving Company
Considering moving services for your relocation? Here are the top benefits of hiring professional movers.
Extensive Experience
Most of us don't move that often. Professional movers move people week in, and week out. They are familiar with both the big picture and the minutiae of moves. That's why when you call in the movers, you get a lot more than just a truck and a few strong backs.
If you employ a moving company, they'll be as hands-on or hands-off as you like. Some people simply want movers to arrive on the day, collect their stuff, and safely move it to point B. Other people benefit from advice from the moving company on how to make moving easier.
They can walk through your home and advise you on the kind of transportation needed for different items. They can show you how to make moving easier by packing in a particular order. Or, if you like, they can take care of everything for you.
Expedited Moving Process
One of the top benefits of hiring a moving company is the fast service they provide. This is invaluable if you would like to move in one day or expedite a cross-country move.
Packing for moves can take several days – or even weeks – without professional help. Decluttering, organizing, and packing is time-consuming, especially when you’re also arranging travel and getting yourself established in a new community.
However, a professional mover knows how to pack and move your items efficiently. They will plan each stage of your move around your schedule while making sure they complete the work as quickly as possible.
Professional Moving Equipment
A professional moving company also has all the right equipment needed to make a move quick and painless.
Do you have dollies and moving pads or blankets? What about ratchet straps and ropes to secure items? All of these tools make moving much safer and easier. If you don’t have them on hand, you’ll either have to buy them or go without them.
The former will mean you spend money on equipment you maybe won’t ever use again. Without them, you put yourself and anyone helping you at risk of injury. Your belongings can become damaged without proper equipment as well.
Professional movers come with all of this equipment and other specialized tools like stair-rollers to move heavy furniture down stairs easily. They have plenty of experience moving large and heavy items like appliances and entertainment centers – items that would be challenging on your own.
Safety and Security for Your Belongings
Over the years, we all gather treasured possessions. The thought of packing them all, so they reach the other end safely, can be daunting. Not only that, it takes a lot of time that you need to fit in with all your regular responsibilities.
Professional movers can do the hard work for you and make moving easy. They are systematic packers, and they know how to pack delicate and fragile objects carefully. Their efficient packing methods will make the best use of packing materials, saving you money.
They are fully trained and fully insured. In the unlikely event that one of the movers trips and damages an item, you are covered.
Losing track of boxes is easy when you're navigating the chaos of a move yourself. However, a professional mover will keep a detailed inventory of your belongings and ensure that everything gets to your new home.
Convenient Packing and Unpacking Services
Dread the thought of packing up your home, or worse, unpacking when you arrive? You don’t have to if you hire a full-service moving company that offers packing and unpacking services.
Professional movers will bring all the packing supplies you need with them on moving day. You won’t have to spend time running out again and again for more boxes and packing tape. They even have special packing materials for oddly shaped items.
Once you arrive at your new home, the moving company will unpack your belongings for you. Some companies will arrange furniture and décor according to your instructions for complete convenience, but you typically have the option to customize services to your needs and budget.
No Need for a Rental Truck
Most people own vehicles too small to move their whole home in one trip. That means multiple trips over several days or renting a moving truck, which can be expensive. Even if you own a large truck, you’ll likely need to make more than one trip for furniture and other oversized items.
Have you ever driven a big box truck before? If you don’t have experience driving large, heavy vehicles the idea of renting a truck might cause some tension. Hiring movers means you don’t have to worry about any of that, and everything you need for your new home will arrive in one trip.
Avoiding Risk of Injury
If you're not experienced in moving heavy furniture, it's very easy to strain muscles, or worse. There's also more risk of dropping or damaging your furniture or décor if you lose your grip. If you have a preexisting injury or limitation, it may be nearly impossible for you to move furniture or large décor on your own.
One of the main ways moving companies make moving easy is by saving your back! Movers are trained and experienced in how to move heavy items safely. They know their limits, and they know the correct techniques.
Cost-Effectiveness
Moving is expensive. It doesn’t matter if you’re moving yourself or with the help of movers. You might think you save money by packing up and transporting your home on your own, but often that isn’t the case.
The cost of packing supplies, renting equipment and moving trucks, gas going back and forth between locations, etc. all adds up. That doesn’t even factor in the loss of time (either your free time or time at work) and the energy that goes into a move.
Professional movers give you one fixed price and guarantee to start and finish on a certain day. Even if it costs a little more money upfront, it will save you in the long run.
Licensing and Insurance
Your friends and family may help you move, but you will be liable if they’re injured in the process. And if a mistake happens and your belongings or home are damaged, you’re responsible for the repair or replacement costs.
Movers have insurance to cover damage or loss of your possessions. For example, if they drop something and it breaks, you may be compensated for the cost of repair or a new purchase according to their insurance coverage.
Transportation for Oversized Awkward and Fragile Items
Moving fragile items like artwork, antiques, and televisions takes experience and care. You may care about your grandmother’s authentic Tiffany lamp, but that doesn’t mean you know how to transport it correctly.
This is especially true if the items are also oversized like a grand piano or awkward like a life-sized sculpture.
Professional movers have the experience of moving hundreds, if not thousands, of awkward and fragile items. They know the exact packing materials, tools, and techniques they need to do it correctly.
Streamlined Interstate or International Moves
Are you planning to move to a new state or country? Packing up your possessions to move a long distance requires more care and attention than a short move, especially if you need to pass through customs into another country.
Hiring a full-service moving company means you do not need to worry about a thing. You can even choose to ship your car and fly to your new location instead of driving!
Reliable Service
Friends and family are often keen to help when there's a move. Local moves may be easier, but when you're relocating to a new state or to another part of the country, you need a service you can rely on.
Professional movers pride themselves on excellent customer service. They understand the emotions involved in handling your possessions. They'll turn up on time, and work efficiently to get your move done as smoothly as possible.
Make sure you choose movers who have experience in handling your kind of move. Many companies specialize in particular types of moves. These could be local, interstate, cross-country, or even international moves.
Talk to them about moves like yours that they've completed in the recent past. Ask them for testimonials and read online reviews.
Focus on Other Parts of Moving
The best part about hiring movers, other than avoiding the annoying and stressful process, is focusing on the other important parts of moving.
A lot goes into moving beyond packing your belongings and loading up a truck. You have to say goodbye to local friends and family, clean out your old home, change your address, arrange travel for your family and pets, and start and stop your utilities and other services.
If you have young children, they probably feel unsettled and need extra comfort. Even older children may feel strange leaving their friends behind. With a cross-country move, you will need to arrange travel and accommodation for everyone and make sure documents are in order.
All of these tasks pull your time away from organizing, packing, and preparing for your move. Hiring movers takes care of the big parts of the move, leaving you to handle your other responsibilities.
How We Can Help with Your Next Move
Moving house can be one of life's most stressful events. But it doesn't have to be. Professional movers can make the difference and get your new home off to a great start. Check out our moving cost estimator to determine the cost of moving your household goods.
Are you moving long-distance? If you have vehicles to move, the best way is to use an auto shipping service. At Nexus, we provide a professional, no-hassle solution for shipping your car when you relocate. Get a quote for our auto-shipping service today!