College Students' Guide To Moving Companies

Whether you are moving thousands of miles for college or just a few hundred, you may be considering hiring a moving company to take your belongings to your new school. These companies can be quite handy whether you are moving hundreds or thousands of miles away from home.

But there are a few things to consider before you sign any contracts. You want to make sure that you know what the company expects from you, what they will give you in return, what it will all cost you and whether or not it’s a good deal.

The first thing you need to do is find out what the moving company offers and whether it’s in your best interests to be paying for the extras they may provide. While some moving companies will offer a simple pick-up and drop-off service, others will come into your home and pack your things, telling you that having your things professionally packed is the best way to minimize damage to the items.

Others may offer another option by including packing boxes in your package deal. Paying for these niceties really isn’t necessary. You can make sure that you have carefully packed all of your things using things such as bubble wrap, Styrofoam peanuts, newspapers, and other packing materials. Purchasing the supplies and wrapping everything yourself will save you a lot of money in the end!

Accepting boxes from the company shouldn’t cost too much extra but also remember that retailers, grocery stores, and convenience stores are always looking for something to do with their boxes and they’ll be happy to give them to you for free if you just go in and ask!

The next thing you want to remember is that moving companies charge by weight and distance. This means that the farther they need to travel to complete your move, the more they will charge. Also, the more things you are bringing the more the total load will weigh and the more it will cost you. While you can’t do much about the distance, you can decrease your load significantly by only taking what is absolutely necessary. While you may want to take all of the mementos that you have saved throughout your childhood, remember that these are not vital to life on campus and they will be there when you return.

Also, while you want to make sure that you take a proper amount of clothing and all of your computer equipment and wires, remember that you will be able to buy a few things upon arriving in your new apartment or dorm room. Make sure to bring a toaster oven or microwave but don’t pay to have things such as snack food moved.
When you are first researching moving companies, make sure that you ask them for a complete list of items that can be moved and items that cannot.

While general items such as furniture, computer equipment, and clothing are all common moving items, things such as paint and lighter fluid are considered hazardous materials and therefore, many moving companies refuse to transport them.

If this is the case, and they find out that you have in fact moved these items, there could be costly charges to you for breaking the contract. Other companies won’t move things such as open cans of paint due to the damage it could cause their vehicles should the paint spill. If this happens, or if any of your items causes damage to the company’s vehicle, you could also be charged so it’s important to ask about this.

And finally, make sure you carefully read the contract before you sign it. Many moving companies will have hidden fees and charges on top of their original quote to you and a careful review can ensure there are no surprises at the other end of the move!