Hire Professional Movers to Reduce Stress During a Move
Hiring professional movers is a great way to reduce stress and make your local, cross-country, or international residential move a success.
Stress is a natural part of life, and it’s also a known fact that some life events are simply more stressful than others — moving is one of them. In fact, moving is one of the top five most stressful life events, ranking right up there with divorce, major illness, and the death of a loved one. One way to make moving less stressful, however, is to hire professional movers. Let’s take a look at why this is true.
Why Is Moving So Stressful?
Moving causes tremendous stress in two main ways. First, it causes anxiety due to worrying about all the details. There are a lot of steps involved in moving, and many pieces must fall into place. As a result, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and feel like you are missing something. People like to have a sense of control in their lives, and the change that accompanies any move, by definition, strips us of some of that control, causing anxiety and stress.
Similarly, this lack of control and fear of the unknown can cause some people to experience what is known as relocation depression. Regardless of whether you are moving across town or across the globe, when you change homes, you change your routine, get new neighbors, and lose some of the comforts that your home space always provided.
This may lead you to feel apathetic about your move, causing you to lose motivation related to getting everything done on time or with efficiency. When you fall behind, it causes even more stress. For some people, relocation depression can be severe. Make sure to seek help from a professional if you or a member of your family is experiencing symptoms of depression associated with your move.
Benefits of Hiring Professional Movers to Make Your Move Less Stressful
While it’s impossible to avoid all the stress of moving, there are clear ways to reduce that stress and set yourself and your household up for positive feelings and success surrounding your move. Hiring professional movers, for example, can greatly reduce the stress of moving. Professional local and long-distance movers can help manage many of the tasks associated with packing, loading, and transporting your household items, freeing you up to take care of other moving tasks as well as yourself.
What Does a Moving Company Do?
Unlike the many different elements of your move, such as buying or renting a new space, switching utilities, and organizing changes to your schedule, professional movers only have one primary responsibility when it comes to your move: safely and efficiently transporting your belongings from your old home to your new one. This narrower scope allows them to put extra effort into executing every aspect of your move correctly and efficiently. Specifically, this may include the following:
- Packing Services - Most professional moving companies also offer packing services. These services are optional add-ons for most local and long-distance moves. Professional packers come into your home in the days leading up to your moving day to assess the items in your home, protect them, and get them into containers for moving. This includes fragile items like dishes and glassware as well as large pieces like TVs and furniture, which may need additional protection for the trip. Professional packers will bring their own materials to make sure that everything is properly packed and secured.
- Loading and Transporting - Most people hire professional movers for this step. It involves lifting and securing all boxes, furniture, and other items into a large moving truck or container, ensuring that they will not be damaged when in transport. Then, movers will either drive the moving truck or arrange for the transportation of the container to your new home.
- Unloading and Unpacking - Once your belongings have reached your new home, professional movers will reverse these steps. This includes unloading items from the truck or container and placing them in your home at your direction as well as (optionally) unpacking those items and setting them up or assembling them.
Specialized Services Offered by Professional Movers
In addition to standard moving services, professional movers can also help relieve moving stress by helping to care for and transport large and delicate furniture pieces as well as other specialized items.
Moving Large Furniture
When it comes to loading and unloading your belongings during a move, the most daunting items are often large, bulky, and delicate pieces of furniture. These items may be heavy as well as oddly shaped, making it hard to move around corners and up and down flights of stairs. Professional movers have the muscle and tools needed for moving large furniture. This includes extensive experience with everything from king beds and sofas to fitness equipment and appliances.
Moving Specialty Items
In addition to the standard large items, a move may also include specialty pieces such as pianos, artwork, and antiques that require additional planning and skill to move safely. Regardless of the distance of your move, professionals offer custom packing solutions, including specialized equipment, packing materials, and crates, that will ensure that your items arrive at their final destination safe and whole.
How to Choose the Right Professional Movers for Your Needs
Getting professional assistance with residential moving is a great way to reduce stress and make sure you can concentrate on other logistics and your own wellbeing; however, not all moving companies offer the same services or provide the same level of care. It’s important to make sure you do some research to make sure the movers you hire will meet your needs.
Questions to Ask a Moving Company
When searching for a professional moving company, there are a few important questions to ask to make sure that their services meet your needs and expectations. Through research and conversations, make sure you find out the answers to these basic questions about the company and their services:
- Are they licensed and insured?
- Do they offer insurance or liability coverage for lost or damaged items?
- What is their cancellation policy?
- What services are included?
- What services or materials carry additional fees? For example, do they charge for packing materials or extra hours above your initial estimate?
- Are there any items they will not or cannot move?
- Who will be loading and unloading your belongings at both ends of your move?
In addition to asking these important questions, make sure that you compare packages between companies as well as different packages within any company you call. Also, be sure to get a quote for your move and ask whether they offer a binding estimate (or a maximum cost) for your move.
Let Mabey’s Help You Reduce Stress During Your Move
Throughout Albany and New York’s Capital District, Mabey’s Moving and Storage is a trusted name in professional moving services. We are a fully licensed and insured local, cross-country, and international moving company affiliated nationally with Atlas Van Lines, Inc. Call us today to learn more about our stress-reducing moving services.
