Five Tips If You Decide To Move Yourself

We get it, we really do. Sometimes people have more time than money so they decide to do all the heavy lifting themselves – literally. Each of us has done it, so we’re not going to judge you, but we do ask one thing of you, don’t do it like you did in college. You probably have things you actually care about now and with these few tips, you can take care of them.

1. Pack – Obviously, the packing process isn’t much different if you’re moving yourself or if you’re having professionals move you, but in my experience, people tend to be a little looser with packing when they move themselves. Maybe they want to impress movers with their packing skills, who knows. Trust me, packing is one of two places you absolutely don’t want to cut corners. Get good, quality boxes. If they aren’t new, inspect them for damage. Pack carefully and don’t skimp on cushioning. If you’re packing breakables, pick up the box and shake it before sealing. If anything moves, stuff more cushioning in there.

2. Wrap your furniture – This is the second place you absolutely, under any circumstances, should not scrimp. Rent moving blankets from the truck rental place. You can even ask local movers if they have used blankets for you. Don’t just drape a blanket over the top. Wrap the the entire piece, including the legs of furniture carefully and tape around the outside of the blanket to keep it secure.

3. Rent a large enough truck – I’ll let you in on a little secret. Truck rental companies tend to underestimate your needs. A good rule of thumb is to rent one size larger than they recommend. Obviously, if you are moving locally, you can make extra trips, but if you are moving long distance, there’s nothing worse than having too small a truck.

4. Get a truck with a lift gate – Your back will thank me for it.

5. Try to avoid the end of the month – Everyone moves at the end of the month, which means that truck inventory is low and prices are absolutely not negotiable. The same rule holds true for moving companies. You can get a much better price if you can move in the middle of the month, especially in the middle of the week.

6. Get a few quotes and don’t trust ads – Truck rental companies base their ads on availability. If they have a lot, they will honor the ads (there is a lot of fine print). If they don’t, they won’t. Try even calling a few locations of the same company. You might find one itching to get rid of some of their inventory.