What it Means to be a Full Service Moving Company

When you start searching for the right moving company for your needs, you may encounter different types of movers. Some moving companies specialize in moving very heavy items, such as pianos, while others are known as full service moving companies.

Understanding what a full-service moving company is will help you to make the right decision for your needs. Let's look at what a full service moving company provides.

Is Full Service Really Full Service?

As the name implies, a full service moving company will handle everything you need from the beginning to the end of the move. If you don't want to take on the physical tasks of moving or you simply cannot handle it, hiring a full service moving company makes sense. Some of the things a full service moving company will handle include:

• Packing

• Loading

• Driving the truck

• Unloading

• Unpacking

In addition, your full service moving company will help with planning, ensuring you get an accurate estimate and more.

Packing and Unpacking

Not all moving companies offer packing and unpacking services. However, a full service moving company will offer both services to ensure you don't have to do much of anything during the move. 

Your full service moving company in Chicago will supply all the necessary packing materials and supplies. They will pack up all the items you ask them to pack and use the proper boxes and materials to ensure everything is fully protected. Once the items arrive at the new location, they will take the boxes to the specified rooms and unpack them for you.

Loading and Unloading

Most moving companies, whether full service or not, will load the truck and unload it for you. Full service moving companies gain a bit of an edge because they packed everything, so they know exactly how to load it into the truck in the best possible manner. 

Furniture Disassembly and Assembly

If you have any furniture items that come apart, your full service moving company in Chicago will disassemble and reassemble the furniture for you. This is a service you may not find with all moving companies and even some full-service companies don't provide disassembly and assembly of furniture.

Transportation, Disposal, and More!

Along with packing, unpacking, loading, unloading and handling your furniture disassembly and assembly, a full service moving company will provide all the transportation, dispose of materials, and handle even more. 

A professional driver will take the truck from point A to point B. Once everything is unloaded and has been unpacked, any materials needing to be disposed of will be handled by the movers. Your full-service movers may also provide additional services, depending on your specific needs.

Hiring full-service movers for your residential move or commercial move in Chicago means you won't have to lift a finger. From the planning to the estimate to final delivery, The Professional Moving Specialists will handle everything for you. Even if you need storage, we will provide the right facilities for your specific needs.

Renting a Moving Truck vs. Hiring a Moving Company

It's time to pack up and move. You have a specific budget you're working with and you're not sure if you should rent a moving truck or hire a moving company.

Making the decision between a moving company and a DIY move isn't always an easy decision. Renting a moving truck will usually cost less, upfront, but the added stress and work you must do will make it less convenient. Here are some of the things to consider when choosing between renting a moving truck vs hiring a moving company.

Price Tag

If you've set a moving budget, the price tag will be one of the deciding factors for you between rending a moving truck and hiring a moving company. At first glance, it will seem less expensive to rent a moving truck compared to hiring a moving company. However, you have to look at more than just the initial cost.

If you rent a moving truck, you will also need to pay for gas and tolls. Those moving across the country should also consider that you won't drive as fast, so you may need to overnight in a hotel and you may need to buy meals on the road.

When comparing the price of a moving truck to a moving company, make sure you factor in all the costs. Hiring a moving company may end up being the less expensive option.

Hands

Does anybody truly enjoy begging family and friends to help them pack? When you rent a moving truck, you will have to recruit the hands of others to help you pack the truck and move. Of course, if you're a family of 6 and 3 of your family members are teenagers, you might have all the help you need.

However, for those moving on their own or without much help, hiring a moving company means you will have plenty of hands to help pack up the truck. Plus, the hands you will have are professionals with the ability to ensure your things are properly loaded into the truck and unloaded carefully at your new location.

Control

One of the things you do lose when you hire a moving company is control. Renting a moving truck means you're in total control of the moving process. You'll get to choose the truck, the supplies, and everything else that goes along with your move.

However, when you choose a good moving company in Chicago, you'll have enough control to keep you sane, if you need control. Plus, you won't have to do nearly as much work and you'll be trusting experts that move things for people every single day.

Safety and Protection

Renting a moving truck means you have to load it, drive it, and unload it. You're responsible for the safety and the protection of your items, yourself, and the truck.

When you hire a moving company, you don't have to worry about much of anything. You won't do the heavy lifting, you won't have to drive, and you won't have to worry about how the truck is packed. Professionals handle moves every single day and they know how to make sure your move happens safely with all your belongings protected.

There are benefits to both renting a moving truck and hiring a moving company. However, if you're looking for a less stressful, easier way to move, hiring the right moving company will make a huge difference.

How a moving company can help even a small office move

Even though you may run out of a small office, you should still talk to a professional mover about getting set up in your new space. You may have assumed a moving company wouldn’t bother with a small office move, but you are going to need the help just like any other size of office.

The problem with an office move is that many times, business needs to halt until the move is complete. When a moving company takes on the task, you’ll have minimal downtime and a quicker turnaround. Take a look at how moving companies help even a small office move.

Why hire office movers

Time is money and when you have to move your office for an expansion or changing needs, you don’t have much time you can afford to be down. That is why it only makes sense to hire an office moving company. They can help to make your move efficient and quick and all you have to do is keep in communication with your movers and your customers.

A moving crew will be able to eliminate the stress of doing it yourself while having both the experience and the manpower to handle it efficiently. You won’t lose as much time as you would doing it yourself and the movers will have the skill set to handle your equipment and sensitive belongings with care. When you move offices, everything moving is a bit more delicate than a typical household move, which is why having highly trained professionals that are trained in special handling is essential.

What you should do to prepare

Once you’ve hired your moving crew and have your new space ready to go, you’ll want to follow a few steps to ensure your move is a success. First, discuss the move with your staff and answer any questions or concerns about the changes for your business and new location. Then, you’ll want to make sure everyone has a way to communicate in order to ensure there are no issues during the transition.

From here you can set a timeline for the move to make sure you are preparing well ahead of time. You’ll want each task to go smoothly which is why you should be detailed and avoid anything that feels rushed. Your change in location will be a fresh start for your business and will allow you to improve the systems you have in place now.

You’ll love the end result once you get through the relocation, because you’ll be able to situate everyone as you best see fit in the new space, set up new systems that work best in the new office, and can say goodbye to the things that were holding your brand back in the current space.

What to expect

You’ll want to do some calculations to make sure your bottom line can handle the upcoming move. You’ll need to budget for the new space, the moving crew, the business downtime, the time you’ll spend away from the business to work on the move, and moving insurance. You’ll want to put the bulk of your moving budget into a proper moving crew.

Then you’ll want to consider if you need to invest in a storage space based on the inventory of your office. Talk to your moving company about insurance. Then consider what you will lose in downtime for your business and time you are spending preparing for the move and unpacking.

Once you’ve decided it’s the right time for an office move whether it’s because your lease was up or you’ve outgrown a space, hire your movers and start preparing your office. You may need to advise your clients, vendors, business partners, and service providers that your office will be down for a day or two, or you’ll need to start operating your office from your mobile devices.

 Inform the banks, insurance company, the post office, and the courier company as well. Get everyone in the office on the same page about the plan for the week and what is expected. Then your moving crew will be able to properly disconnect, pack, move, and unpack your equipment so that you can get back up and running in your new space.

Don’t try to handle a move on your just because your office is small. You’ll want a team that knows how to handle your sensitive office equipment and other items properly and with care while you avoid too much downtime that could affect your business.

5 life hacks for a successful & stress free move

Moving, by nature, is a stressful process, but fortunately, you can make it more manageable with some simple life hacks. Rather than getting overwhelmed from the start and allowing it to take over your move, you can choose to look at your move as accomplishing one thing at a time until the whole process is complete.

Once your move is done, you get to enjoy the fruits of your labor with a fantastic new space and new neighborhood for your family to become part of. Take a look at some tricks that will make your move simpler and much less stressful!

Take photos of everything

One of the best tips for a stress-free move is to take photos during the process. That means to first take a photo of your house setup now so that you can remember how you like the TV placed, what the bookcase was arranged like, and where all of your favorite knick-knacks were placed.

Then, you’ll want to take pictures as you pack so that you have a way to reference the items during the unpacking process. In the event that something was lost, you’ll be able to verify what box it was put in.

You’ll love having photos to reference at the new house because you may want to set up your home just like it was before or you may be looking for some specific items to use right away and your photos will help you determine which box they were packed in. Before you leave, take photos of your previous home in the event that you need to show someone like a landlord what state you left it in.

Pack a box for the first week

Speaking of items you may need right away, you should definitely pack yourself a separate box that can be used during your first week at the new home. While you can take your time unpacking your beautiful vases, the things you keep in the guest room, and the things you’ll want in your garage, you will need to be able to do things right away like cooking in the kitchen and taking a shower.

Pack the first-week box with things like shower curtains, towels, pots and pans, glasses, and the pet food bowls. Obviously, your family will need their bedding and clothing, but keep items handy like a first aid kit, trash bags, and cleaning supplies.

Keep hardware handy

In addition to these items that you’ll need right away, you’ll also want to keep your tools and hardware handy. It would be a pain to have packed away things like brackets, screws, and mounting pieces to furniture in a box somewhere when you want to reassemble your couch or table. Be sure to keep the hardware labeled and in your first-week box, along with tools to use.

Take care of your movers

One life hack you may not have thought about would be to take great care of your moving crew. While they are in your home to serve you today, make sure you to offer a beverage or some help throughout the process. Your small effort to keep them more comfortable will likely result in the crew taking extra good care of your belongings. Offering these things can avoid someone hurting themselves or getting dehydrated.

Use your own containers too

Lastly, remember that some of the things you will need to pack can actually work as a container too. You’ll have so many cardboard boxes or plastic containers being moved that it may be comforting to see your suitcases of clothing stand out when you are trying to find things. You can also save money by utilizing these containers you already have, such as decorative baskets and hampers. Just avoid using trash bags in case someone mistakes it for trash.

Use these simple life hacks to make your residential move even easier and stress-free this year!