This is a list of moving tips gathered throughout our years of helping customers move in NYC; you may already know some or all of these, but we meet a wide array of customers and not everyone is as well informed, especially when using a labor-only service.
We hope this helps:
- All moving jobs, especially with a 14' truck or higher, and upwards of two (2) flights of stairs are done most quickly & efficiently with three (3) & four (4) men crews.
- The first point also heavily pertains to LOADING jobs. As one of the movers is designated to stack/organize everything in the truck, the other 2 or 3 guys constantly bring boxes/furniture to him. Having only 2 men makes this process a lot less efficient, as one of the guys has to be in between those two tasks, bringing everything to the truck, as well as organizing everything inside.
- Please understand that each moving job is unique, and might pose a different set of obstacles, which in turn might make it take longer than anticipated. Things that might make a job take more time are: flights of stairs, long hallways, buildings with no service elevators, the number of men on a job, how well a customer is prepared, how big the truck is as compared to the amount of items that a customer has (Ex. small truck + large amount of items = longer time to precisely pack the truck, in order to maximize space and fit as much as possible). Please let us know of any known obstacles beforehand, as it will greatly help in scheduling other moves on the same day.
- Please make sure to have all your belongings packed into boxes before your movers arrive. This assures that we can get straight to work and not have anything slowing us down, which in turn helps us to finish quicker and save you some of your hard earned money.
- Please make sure all boxes are full to the top. If you are packing odd shaped items or dishes, kitchen items, even books, tapes, etc, use packing paper, newsprint , bubble wrap or even towels to fill unused space in the box. Closing boxes that are not full slows down the moving process significantly because the boxes do not stack well.
- Pack all Non-Furniture items in boxes, except for large electronics without the original box & pole lamps. If you have everything well packed in sealed, weight-size appropriate containers prior to our arrival, everything will go much faster. Uniformly sized boxes also speed up the process as we won't have to spend as much time doing expert tetris moves.
- What should be packed in each size box?
-Small Boxes (1.5 cubic feet, dimensions 12X12X16):
Heavy Stuff Including Books, DVDs, CDs, Media should only be packed in small boxes.
-Medium Boxes (3.0 cubic feet, dimensions 18X18X16):
Dishes, small appliances, clothing, shoes/boots, pots and pans.
-Large Boxes (4.5 cubic feet, dimensions 18X18X24):
Bedding, Pillows, Linens, Clothing- very light stuff only.
-Wardrobe Boxes (15 cubic feet, dimensions 24X20X48):
These boxes come equipped with a hanging bar for hanging clothing. You can stuff them tighter than you would in the closet. You can put some very light pillows or shoes in the bottom as long as it's not too heavy. - Since we are a labor-only service please rent furniture pads and buy packing tape/shrink wrap, to protect any furniture or fragile items (mirrors, paintings, glass etc.). You should also purchase plastic mattress covers to protect the mattress and box spring. Please also rent dollies and hand trucks, especially for elevator buildings, as it speeds up the process and saves every one's back.
- We cannot be responsible for damages that result from a lack of proper moving equipment. If no moving blankets are provided we have no means of wrapping & protecting any of your furniture.
- IKEA style furniture is really not meant for being moved around a lot, especially once it is assembled. We ask that you please fully disassemble all fiberboard/pressboard furniture that is larger than a dresser. If you choose not to disassemble it, we will of course do our best to move it in one piece. We cannot be held responsible for broken joints or snapped connectors, as these items break frequently on these pieces.
- Please make sure all furniture with drawers or cabinets are completely emptied of belongings. Although some dressers/cabinets may appear to be light enough to carry with belongings inside the drawers, the stress and strains on the joints tend to break pieces when carrying while loaded. Again, IKEA style particle board furniture is most prone to this type of breakage.
- Some doorways/hallways in NYC are very narrow, therefore try to measure any bulky items that you may have, especially sofas and large wardrobes (which most times are assembled inside the apartment) , to make sure that they will fit through these narrow paths. Check to see which pieces of furniture need disassembly. We will be more than happy to help disassemble anything, but to save time, if possible, have those items disassembled before the movers arrive.
- Lastly, parking in a big city like NY is always tough, especially with a truck. Most of the time, you just have to hope for the best. The closer the truck is parked to the entrance of the building, the quicker the job will be. A lot of times that means double parking or parking in front of a fire hydrant, which means the possibility of a parking ticket. I strongly suggest, if possible, to have a friend or family member designated to stay in the truck at all times to diminish the possibility of receiving a parking violation.
