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At the Apex Moving Company, we work hard to make your move go as smoothly as possible. Some suggestions on how you may be able save money on your Dallas move are given in the list below.
- Get rid of items that you never use and have been storing for a long period of time, especially if the items are bulky. Consider having a garage sale or donating these items. Often the cost of packing and moving these items is greater than their value.
- Do a good job of packing. If you have a lot of items that are not packed or are improperly packed, this will significantly increase the amount of time it takes to complete your move.
- Your move will proceed much more quickly if you are organized. Have the path that the Dallas movers will use to load your property clear, including the hallways inside of your residence as well as stairways and sidewalks outside of your residence. Having your boxes stacked together roughly 4 ft high can also allow the Dallas movers to move more quickly. If you do this, you should place the heavier boxes on the bottom of the stack and place the boxes that are the same size on top of each other.
- Check your parking area to see if there is a good spot for the movers to park to load your property more quickly. If ramps are available in the parking area, consider a path where the Dallas movers do not have to roll the dollies over a curb. If possible reserve a spot by parking in it and then move your vehicle when the movers arrive.
- You can also save money on your move if you choose to disassemble some of your furniture. Apex Movers provides this service on most household furniture. However your move will proceed faster if you choose to do this yourself. If your dresser has a mirror, it will normally have to be removed for your move. You can also disassemble all of the beds, although this does not save much unless the frame is screwed to the headboard and footboard. If you have a very large entertainment center, you can disassemble it to break it into sections that will go through the door. You can also consider disconnecting and reconnecting any washer and dryer that you own.
- Consider whether to remove the cloths from your dresser and chest of drawers and pack them. Apex Movers does not require that you do this, but in some cases it might be in your best interest to do so. If there are no flights of stairs involved in your move or you have very small furniture, such as a child’s chest or draws, then this is probably not needed. However, if you have large furniture and a lot of flights of stairs involved in your move, then the movers may have to pull the drawers out of the furniture to move it. In this case, it may be better to pack as least some of the cloths in boxes. Also be aware that the movers may have to place a piece of furniture on its side to move it and the cloths can become somewhat displaced.
One of the most significant things that you can do to save money on your move is to pack well. If you have a lot of items that are not packed or are improperly packed, this will significantly increase the amount of time it takes to complete your move.
- Do not use garbage bags to pack your property. They do not provide protection for your property, are very difficult and time consuming to pack on the moving vehicle, and they often break during a move.
- If available, used moving boxes are often the most economical option for packing supplies. Often neighbors or friends will have these. You should verify that these boxes are in good condition and not weakened by previous use. If you try to get boxes from a local retailer, such as a grocery store, try to get the same size boxes, make sure that they are in good condition and that the top or bottom of the box has not been cut off. Be aware that often boxes that retailers have available are not as strong as standard moving boxes and are not recommended for moving. If you can only find random boxes of different sizes, it is recommended that you purchase moving boxes instead. While you may save money on the purchase of moving supplies by using these random size boxes, you will increase the cost of your move, as it is more time consuming to move and pack boxes of random size. The Apex Moving Company sells moving supplies at a rate that is typically more economical than local retailers.
- For short distance moves, you can use cloth materials such as towels, blankets and quilts as padding material for packing if you do this carefully. Be aware that these items do not always provide as good or padding for fragile items, but can be used effectively if the concern is to prevent items from getting scratched. Also be careful not to tightly pinch your towels, blankets or quilts as they might wear through or get stained. This is especially a concern for longer distance moves where items tend to rub against each other for longer periods of time.
- It is recommended that you purchase packing paper for your move. If you shop around a little, packing paper typically costs roughly the same as newspaper and you don’t have to worry about getting newspaper ink on the items you are packing. Packing paper can be purchased from The Apex Moving Company. It is usually the most cost effective padding material to use inside of your boxes. Bubble wrap or packing peanuts should be used on extremely fragile items, but in general, is more costly than packing paper.
- Tape your boxes well. If your boxes are poorly taped, your movers will have to spend more time handling the boxes and you property may suffer damage if a box fails. This increased cost in moving time will more than offset any money saved by using less tape. It is recommended that three bands of tape be used across the bottom of the box and one band of tape be used across the top.
Most people focus on the cost of the storage unit and give little consideration to the impact the storage unit will have on the cost of moving your property into it. Careful selection of a storage unit can save a significant amount of time, money and work for your Dallas move.
- One of the first considerations is in selecting the size of storage unit(s) that you will need. Detailed estimates of the size of storage needed are given at this website.
- A second consideration in selecting a storage unit is the type of storage unit to select. Traditional storage units typically come in two styles; temperature controlled storage units which are inside of a building and garage style storage units. Temperature controlled storage units provide a better environment for your property. However, they typically require much more labor to move in and out of. Your items must be loaded from your moving vehicle to a cart, taken up an elevator, and then placed in the storage unit. The time it takes to load/unload your property can easily double for a temperature controlled storage unit.
- The style of storage unit that is recommend is dependant on four factors; 1.) how much do you have to store, 2.) what type of items do you plan to store, 3.) how long do you plan to store it and 4.) the relative cost of each type of unit. For moves in the Dallas area the garage style storage units tend to cost more than the temperature controlled units. If you have very little to store, the smaller storage units are typically temperature controlled and this is recommended since the effort involved to perform your move is relatively small. Also, if you plan to store your items for more than 3 months, a temperature controlled unit is also recommended. Extreme temperatures can be very hard on your property, especially your furniture, if stored for an extended length of time. If you have antique furniture, fine art, or items that will melt/freeze these items should be stored in a temperature controlled environment. For most other storage applications, a garage style storage unit can be used and will typically be less expensive or will save a significant amount of work. As an example, if you have two men moving your property into a 10x10 storage unit, it will typically take 1 hour and 15 minutes less to move you into or out for a garage style storage as compared to a temperature controlled unit. When you consider moving both in and out of your storage unit, this is a total savings of 2.5 hours.
- Finally, you should briefly look at the storage site before signing a contract. Carefully check storage facilities that have vehicles parked around the perimeter of the storage to make sure that there is sufficient room for large vehicles to maneuver. Often the storage layout was not designed to have the vehicles parked in these locations and they prevent some large moving vehicles from turning certain corners and parking near some storage units. These vehicles can also reduce the security of the storage site as they reduce visibility. Ask to see where your unit(s) would be located on the site either in person or at least on a map to make sure that your unit is easily accessible. Also, you should check for the availability of additional storage space in case you run out of room.
