The most common cause of breakage during a move is improper packing. For any household or business moving further than a short distance, careful and appropriate packing is essential. Movers and packers offer various option packages, including full pack, fragile pack, crating, and owner pack. Some movers also offer box rental programs. But there is more you want to look for in a moving and packing company than package options.
Trained professional movers and packers understand the special care that is needed to safely move delicate and fragile items. There are various types of packing methods which are employed by professionals to pack different types of belongings, such as fine china, antique furniture, and aquariums.
A full pack offers the convenience of having professional packers prepare all of your possessions for safe arrival at your new residence. Unpacking is another available option among movers and packers.
A fragile pack offers the peace of mind that comes with allowing professional packers to handle the packing of high value and breakable items, including art work, glassware, dishes, and antiques.
Custom crating is a helpful service that helps to protect fragile items such as crystal chandeliers and pool tables.
Owner packing is fine, but many people don’t realize just how difficult and time-consuming it is to pack up all their belongings for a move. Start as early as possible, to be sure you can get the job done; and you can purchase needed packing materials from most packing companies. With a refundable deposit, it can also help to use a box rental program with your moving company, if the service is available.
There are literally hundreds of movers and packers to choose from in most urban areas, but there is no need to feel overwhelmed by the options. The following checklist can help you narrow down your choices and decide on a reliable packing and moving company:
- When comparing cost estimates from various movers, it’s not usually best to go with the lowest estimate. It has proven to be true that higher weight estimates are more accurate than the lowest bids, and the higher weight bids also come from more reputable companies. The scammers are the ones who land new clients by offering cost savings too good to pass up; but in the long run, they cost more and don’t do an adequate job of protecting belongings.
- Be sure the packers and movers you hire have a branch location at your starting point and ending destination. The destination location is actually more important because it simplifies the process of dealing with post-relocation matters.
- Try to get recommendations from friends and family members, when possible. You can also do research to find companies with legitimate positive reviews. Negative reviews can be posted by competitors but are usually reliable. It can be difficult, however, to determine which reviews are simply posted by the company to improve their ratings and which of the good ratings are genuine, so be careful about the conclusions you draw.
- Hire a company that offers insurance for breakage that occurs during the packing and moving.
If what you are undecided about is whether to pack your belongings yourself or hire a professional, keep in mind that packers know all the secrets. Of course, with a little Internet research, you can find the step-by-step directions you need to use the same techniques for protecting your fragile items as those used by experienced movers and packers.