House moving scenarios differ greatly, so each residential move should feel kind of unique for whoever’s moving out. It’s impossible to duplicate exactly the same relocation parameters, isn’t it?
When moving to a new home that’s located far from where you are now, sometimes you may need to move only a small number of items with you instead of hauling all the things you own. Often, you may find yourself puzzled as to how to plan and organize your partial relocation. Is a mini move so much different than a full house move?
How to move small loads across the country? Where do you even start? Do you really need to hire small load movers for maximum efficiency?
This small moving guide has all the answers? Here are the top 7 tips for moving small loads across country.
1. CONFIRM that your move is a small load move
First of all, what is a small load move? Also known as a mini move, a small load move is when you need to move only a small number of household items to a new place.
Naturally, the most common type of residential moving is the full-house move where a full-service moving company comes to your home at a pre-arranged time and day (Moving day), packs up your belongings (if you’ve requested professional packing service), carries all the boxes, furniture pieces and appliances to the moving truck, loads them up into the vehicle and then transports all those household items to the address you’ve given them – your new home or apartment.
Or the full-service mover may store all your possessions at their storage facility for a specific period of time if you need your things to be delivered at a later date.
If you happen to be moving only temporarily (for example, during a home renovation project), then you may only need to move some select household items rather than all the things in your current home. Or you may wish to move only the content of one room (when moving out of a dorm, for instance).
Also, you may want to move one or just a few specific items – large and heavy items – such as a piano, a pool table, a grandfather clock, a piece of antique furniture, and so on.
So, in any of the relocation cases above, your move will qualify for small move services. And when you want those items to be transported long distance to another part of the country, then you’re going to have to hire moving companies that move small loads across the country.
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2. LEARN how partial load moving works
Even when you’re moving just a few items across the country, or maybe more than just a few (one room) but definitely not all the standard items found in a home, then you’re going to need professional moving services for small loads. The good news for you is that there are reputable and reliable moving companies that offer small moving services as part of their standard service package – read on to find out more.
This does look like a partial move. Now you know what to do.
In fact, the best thing about hiring small-scale movers is that they will charge you only for the items you’re moving and will not charge you for a minimum shipment weight – 2,000 lbs. in most cases. This is an important detail because as a small load move, the items you’re moving should weigh up to 1,000 lbs.
The clear advantage of partial load moving services is that your shipment (no matter how small it is) will most likely be combined with another person’s shipment so that the transportation costs can be shared among several customers. And that truck space consolidation technique can be hugely beneficial for you because you’ll end up paying less money for the shipment of your partial load.
When handled by a reputable small load mover, moving small loads long distance can end up being the most cost-effective way to transport your items to another town or city in the country. However, one downside of hiring partial load movers for your mini move may be the longer time you may need to wait until you have your things delivered to the new address.
3. FIND reliable small load movers
It’s important to note that the easiest and the safest option to have your small number of items transported to the new place is to trust one of the moving companies that take small loads. As mentioned above, that option will be the cheapest one for you as well because small load moving companies 1) do not have a minimum weight requirement, and 2) usually consolidate partial load shipments to bring down the final moving costs.
And now that you know this, the question of where to find good small load movers takes central stage. Luckily, just a few steps should be enough to be able to find and hire one of the best long distance moving companies for small loads.
- ASK your friends, colleagues and even neighbors if they can recommend you a good partial load mover. Maybe they’ve used one not long ago or have heard of a reliable company that specializes in small moves across the country. To reach more of your pals at once, consider posting that question in your preferred social network.
If none of your trusted friends comes up with any good recommendations about partial load movers, then - FILL IN a free moving quote to get in touch with partial load moving service providers in your area. Once the initial contact has been made, moving experts should visit your home for visual inspection of the items you intend to move, no matter their number.
To be able to pick the most reputable and reliable small item movers, - READ moving reviews of the moving companies you’re reviewing to check their online reputation. Visit trustworthy movers reviews websites such as MyMovingReviews and Help.
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4. KNOW your small moving cost in advance
One of the things you’ll be most worried about is how much your small load mover will charge you to transport those few large items that you have to the new place. Of course, you’ll want that moving cost to be as low as possible but in the beginning, you won’t even have a vague idea of the range that price will be in.
It’s only natural that partial moves will cost less than full-house moves. The question is HOW MUCH less?
After you get contacted by several reputable small loads movers, have them visit your home in person so that they can see the things you’ve got for moving and quote you a price. If you only wish to move a single special item – like a piano or a grandfather clock, it’ll be usually enough to tell the moving companies the brand and the model of that specific item so that they can give an accurate price quote – one that will reflect the final moving cost – without them having to inspect that item in person.
Remember that the small moving cost will be calculated based on 1) the actual weight of the items you’re moving and 2) the move distance to the new home. As explained above, your small load shipment will most likely share the same storage space in the truck with other persons’ belongings. And unless you’re in a real hurry to have those items delivered to the new address FAST, that’s a good option for you because it’ll be the cheapest one as well.
On the other hand, if you can’t wait that much, then you may be charged an extra express delivery fee to have your things in the new home within a few days.
Also, your partial load mover will charge you a storage fee if you wish your small load shipment to be stored safely for a specific period of time before it gets delivered to you.
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5. LOWER your small moving costs even more
Even though you’re likely to get a good deal from your small shipment movers, it’s still a good idea to try to lower the moving cost even further. To do that, there are several cost-saving techniques you should use and see if they will work in your particular relocation scenario.
- FIND low-cost partial movers. By now, you should have already done that. Compare the quotes of the several long-distance moving companies and go with the one that has offered a competitive price and high-quality services.
- BOOK your move early. This should give you a time advantage as the moving company will get more time to find a good match when it comes to consolidating your shipment.
- SORT OUT your things again. Yes, you’re only moving a small load of personal items but it’s worth the trouble to go through your stuff again so that you’re absolutely sure that the things you’re taking with you are things you like and will need in the future.
- PACK by yourself. If you feel comfortable packing up your own items meant for transportation, including disassembling bulky furniture pieces, then you’ll be able to save money you would otherwise give to your professional packers.
- GET free packing materials. One thing you’ll notice when packing up your things on your own is that the costs of packing supplies will quickly add up. To lower your packing costs, consider getting hold of free moving boxes and other free packing materials such as wrapping paper and bubble wrap.
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6. SELECT your partial load moving services
The best small load moving companies will offer you a number of moving services to satisfy your requirements and needs as a shipper of small loads of furniture or other household items from Point A to Point B. And when they do, you should be really careful which small moving services you choose because your choice will determine the final cost of your mini move.
Here are the major moving services you can choose from when moving small loads cross country:
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Nothing beats professional packing.
PACKING. If you wish, you may request your small job mover to pack your partial load for moving. This is usually the case when you don’t have enough time to do it yourself, or when the items are too special and valuable for DIY packing (a grandfather clock or antique furniture, for example). Professional packers will come with their own packing supplies.
- FURNITURE DISASSEMBLY. Your small scale movers may have to disassemble some of your large and heavy furniture pieces for safer and easier transportation. After the move, the pros will reassemble the furniture and position it where you want. Your moving company should inform you at the in-house inspection where any of your furniture items will need to be taken apart prior to the move.
- CRATING. Some of the items you’re moving may be too fragile to survive the long distance. If you wish, your moving company may be able to build wooden crates around your super-valuable items so that they can stay intact during the haul. If they can’t do it, they should be able to arrange that extra service from a third-party.
- STORAGE. Your long-distance mover should be able to offer you the service of storing your partial load until you are ready to receive the items at a later stage. Discuss that option with the pros and make sure you are well familiar with the amount of the storage fees you’ll be paying in the meantime.
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7. PREPARE for your mini move
All of the tips above will give you a much better idea of how to move small loads across country. And yet, to guarantee the success of your partial move, you yourself will have to get ready for your movers.
Here’s what you should do before you small scale movers arrive at your door:
- INVENTORY your items. You should make a detailed inventory checklist of the household items you’re moving regardless of their exact number. Note down their current condition, plus any pre-existing damage on them. Also, take a few photographs of your possessions in case you might need to file a complaint against your moving company after the move.
- LABEL your things properly. Don’t forget to label your moving boxes properly if you’re packed up your items on your own. Write down the content, destination room and handling instructions on at least two sides on each box. Failure to do so will cost you plenty of time after your boxes have been delivered to the new address.
- CONSIDER insuring your valuables. Speak with your small scale moving company about whether or not it’s a good idea to insure your possessions against possible damage on the road. In fact, purchasing additional insurance is a must-do thing when you’re moving high-value articles – precious items that are valued at more than $100 per pound. Note that the basic moving valuation protection (60 cents per pound per article) you’ll get for free is seldom a good option when moving long distance.
