In addition to the standard load and unload your belongings, movers can offer several other services. According to A Plus Moving Group, the most popular is packing (sometimes + unpacking) of your things. What exactly do movers pack? How much do such services cost? As well as other frequently asked questions and their answers below.
Features of Packing Service
As mentioned above, packing is a separate service that may be included in the moving price, or you will need to pay extra for it above the specified price list. The amount depends on the size, weight, features of your things, etc., and, on average, varies from $25 to $50 (per hour). The advantage of packing is that it can be done for you in advance or on the same day of moving.
As you expect, the majority choose to do everything in advance. And in general, this is the right decision, because in this case, you won’t have to worry about forgetting to put something in the boxes and not have to collect them yourself on a moving day.
What Can Movers Pack?
In general, movers can handle almost anything you need to move from one point to another, regardless of the distance. But there are exceptions, so more on them later. Movers usually come with boxes, stretch film, and other tools for packing small items, dishes, furniture, paintings, or musical instruments, such as an upright piano, if specified in the contract.
Sometimes, it is better to leave this task to professional movers and just ensure everything is correct and safe during packing.
What Movers do NOT pack?
Without special devices, instruments, and permission, Movers do not have the opportunity (and often permission) to transport dangerous goods. It includes:
- Chemicals (pesticides, paint, gasoline, etc.);
- Animals;
- Explosive items (fireworks, propane tanks, etc.);
- Radioactive substances.
It sounds quite obvious, but many are silent about it and do not understand how dangerous it can be to transport such things. It is also worth mentioning that food cannot be transported when ordering long-distance moving.
Some moving companies include transportation of dangerous goods in their range of services, but they specialize specifically in them, not in the usual transportation of furniture and pillows. So if you need to pack something from the list above (except for animals), it is better to do it yourself and transport it from one point to another if possible.
Packing Preparations
If you don’t want movers to sort out your personal belongings from the general pile into the appropriate boxes and stretch film, it’s better to help them a little. It will be faster for them and calmer for you that the unpacking process can be similar upon arrival.
First, choose what is best to take with you and what you don’t need to pack, such as jewelry, documents, pets, cash, etc. Then, make a short list of what you have. If you don’t know how to do this, moving company managers can tell you in advance how to make everything easier for you and the movers to speed up the process. This is quite important since you are paying $/per hour.
As mentioned above, an unpacking service is available when arriving at a new house or apartment. This service will not be needed if you only have boxes and no huge furniture. But if you transported everything, it is better to leave these tasks to professionals who know how everything was packed so that you do not damage your things when unpacking.
What about garbage?
Everything should be clean after packing and unpacking, or at least not leave chaos around. The services of professional movers include cleaning all packing materials. But sometimes companies may ask for an additional fee for such a service. In our opinion, this is neither ethical nor professional.
So it is better to ask about this in advance and choose the movers’ crew to do this as part of their duties. If the move requires the largest truck in the company’s car park, then paying extra from the point of view of tasks would be appropriate.
Don’t worry about the environment. Authorized companies cooperate with recycling stations, where all unnecessary material is taken. As a result, there is no garbage and nature is not polluted with a couple of plastics due to your move.
Understanding the Pack Process
The most important thing in this process is communication. As you can see from the information above, packing can be quite complex, and some items may require more than a regular box. Sometimes, things need to be disassembled and put back together to be able to pack them, and sometimes, there are things that movers are not allowed to transport by law and much more. Professional movers will tell you what and how to do, or leaving them to do their job is best.
