ᐅ Long-Distance Domestic Move – How to Find a Moving Company?
Created on: 25 Jan 2022 10:42
K
kati1337
Hello everyone!
So far, I have only moved within the nearby region using a company.
Now I have a move coming up this summer that’s about 600 km (370 miles) away.
What is the best way to search for a moving company? Should I look for one at the destination or at the original location?
How is it usually organized? Does the company load the truck the day before and then drive off early in the morning? Has anyone here done something like this before?
Our last move (40 km / 25 miles) already took almost an entire day (from about 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.). If I have to add another 550 km (340 miles) on top of that, will this become a multi-day operation?
When I first moved up here, I barely had any belongings (was a student) and organized the move myself with a van. But now we definitely need a truck, and none of us can drive one.
I’d appreciate your tips and experiences.
So far, I have only moved within the nearby region using a company.
Now I have a move coming up this summer that’s about 600 km (370 miles) away.
What is the best way to search for a moving company? Should I look for one at the destination or at the original location?
How is it usually organized? Does the company load the truck the day before and then drive off early in the morning? Has anyone here done something like this before?
Our last move (40 km / 25 miles) already took almost an entire day (from about 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.). If I have to add another 550 km (340 miles) on top of that, will this become a multi-day operation?
When I first moved up here, I barely had any belongings (was a student) and organized the move myself with a van. But now we definitely need a truck, and none of us can drive one.
I’d appreciate your tips and experiences.
Yes, this is usually a two-day process.
If you have a very large household, it’s worth packing in stages—put everything you urgently need at the beginning first, such as furniture to organize items from the boxes in the second batch. With one moving truck, this happens naturally since it’s simply the logical packing order. With two trucks, you need to be more careful about the sequence.
Some companies start packing very early in the morning (from 6 a.m.) and then unpack at the destination late into the night.
Whether the company is from the origin or the destination location doesn’t really matter, in my opinion. Possibly better if they are from the destination, because I would personally prefer that the movers, after 12–16 hours of hard work, don’t have to drive the truck over 500 km (310 miles) back home on the same day.
If you have a very large household, it’s worth packing in stages—put everything you urgently need at the beginning first, such as furniture to organize items from the boxes in the second batch. With one moving truck, this happens naturally since it’s simply the logical packing order. With two trucks, you need to be more careful about the sequence.
Some companies start packing very early in the morning (from 6 a.m.) and then unpack at the destination late into the night.
Whether the company is from the origin or the destination location doesn’t really matter, in my opinion. Possibly better if they are from the destination, because I would personally prefer that the movers, after 12–16 hours of hard work, don’t have to drive the truck over 500 km (310 miles) back home on the same day.
As you know, we have already gone through exactly the process you are planning. You should use a moving company from your current location and get 2-3 quotes.
On moving day, everything is loaded and transported directly to the new home at most. Unloading is done the following day. So you will need an overnight stay in between (we stayed at a hotel). It’s also possible that the whole process could span 3 days due to the 600 km (370 miles) distance.
If you need storage options, you can also use a moving company from your new location. However, this makes getting quotes more difficult because the companies will come to your home to inspect and assess your belongings in person. And that is going to be anything but cheap.
On moving day, everything is loaded and transported directly to the new home at most. Unloading is done the following day. So you will need an overnight stay in between (we stayed at a hotel). It’s also possible that the whole process could span 3 days due to the 600 km (370 miles) distance.
If you need storage options, you can also use a moving company from your new location. However, this makes getting quotes more difficult because the companies will come to your home to inspect and assess your belongings in person. And that is going to be anything but cheap.
Hello,
Actually, any somewhat larger moving company can do this. It’s their daily routine.
For a distance of 600 kilometers (about 375 miles), they will likely load on day 1, drive on day 2, and unload on day 3. Larger companies often work with local partners. This means that only one driver and maybe a foreman who helped pack the items travel the whole way. The heavy lifting during unpacking is then done by local staff. This has the advantage of saving you some costs for overnight stays and driving time. Otherwise, you might have 3-4 people traveling twice for 600 kilometers (about 375 miles) each time (which takes a whole day) in the truck and needing overnight accommodation twice.
Get several quotes, and the reputable companies will come to your place to see in person how much stuff you have. This is very difficult to estimate.
My mother did a similar move two years ago, and the offers ranged between €5,000 and €12,000.
Best regards,
Andreas
Actually, any somewhat larger moving company can do this. It’s their daily routine.
For a distance of 600 kilometers (about 375 miles), they will likely load on day 1, drive on day 2, and unload on day 3. Larger companies often work with local partners. This means that only one driver and maybe a foreman who helped pack the items travel the whole way. The heavy lifting during unpacking is then done by local staff. This has the advantage of saving you some costs for overnight stays and driving time. Otherwise, you might have 3-4 people traveling twice for 600 kilometers (about 375 miles) each time (which takes a whole day) in the truck and needing overnight accommodation twice.
Get several quotes, and the reputable companies will come to your place to see in person how much stuff you have. This is very difficult to estimate.
My mother did a similar move two years ago, and the offers ranged between €5,000 and €12,000.
Best regards,
Andreas
andimann schrieb:
My mother moved like this two years ago, and the quotes ranged between €5,000 and €12,000.
Wow, that’s a lot of money. You might want to consider selling or clearing out all our Ikea furniture through online classifieds and then just driving to IKEA locally to buy new items. Afterwards, you could move the rest in one or two van trips. We don’t have any really high-end furniture here at the moment. It’s mostly Ikea. For €10,000, I could basically furnish the place quite nicely new. O.o
Recently, a family member of ours moved over 500 km (310 miles). Two major moving companies quoted between $5,000 and $8,000. The plan was to spend one day packing and driving, one overnight stay for four people, then one day unpacking and driving back.
One company gave their quote online via video conference, which worked well. The other company visited in person, but they also accepted photos of the rooms and furniture.
We ultimately decided to rent a truck ourselves for €600 (about $650), which we could pick up at the departure location and drop off at the arrival location. We also hired a few student helpers locally at each place. All together—including the truck, packing materials, and fuel—we paid around €2,000 (about $2,150).
One company gave their quote online via video conference, which worked well. The other company visited in person, but they also accepted photos of the rooms and furniture.
We ultimately decided to rent a truck ourselves for €600 (about $650), which we could pick up at the departure location and drop off at the arrival location. We also hired a few student helpers locally at each place. All together—including the truck, packing materials, and fuel—we paid around €2,000 (about $2,150).
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