Furniture Shipping Cost Factorss! Now the real work begins to pack every single individual item into a box and then haul it on a truck and ship it to your new house. That new house could be in the same city or state, but it can also be in another state (or even more difficult, another country). Besides the box filling, you also need to see what you’re going to do with your large items that won’t fit in a box. There’s the multiple television sets, the couches and sofas, the beds, the dressers and nightstands, and other sorted things. What are you going to do? And how are you going to go about moving furniture?
The last thing you want to do is pull your hair out looking at what to do with all those boxes. The last thing we want is for you to worry about that antique dresser that belonged to your great-grandmother. Although we can’t stop you from getting stressed when moving, we want to make your life a little bit easier. Moving furniture is like moving memories and because it can be a time of sentimentality, this article will show you all the ins and outs of moving furniture to another location. We’ll make sure you know what you need to know, what you need to do, and all those tips and tricks that will make your life a little less stressful.
Is Moving Furniture Cheaper Compared to Buying New Stuff?
The cost of moving furniture depends on how much furniture you have. Usually, the cost factors are calculated per furniture item plus the boxes, as well as how far you are moving. In terms of moving within the city limits, it’s possible that a move could cost you in the ballpark of $900 to $2400. Buying new furniture and other household items will definitely cost much more.
When it comes to moving to another state or cross country, the cost of shipping your furniture increases and can be as high as $7,000. What you need to do is gauge whether the new furniture you buy is cheaper than the shipping costs. If it is, then selling furniture and buying new stuff is the way to go, however, if it’s not — which is the case most of the time, it’s more financially savvy to move your existing furniture to its new location.
The best way to gauge costs is to look into furniture moving companies and get quotes with all your information. You can compare those quotes with the things you would need to buy in your new home.
Protecting Your Furniture When Moving: Tips and Tricks
It takes a lot of money to furnish a house. Whether it’s a small one-bedroom apartment or a three-bedroom house, things aren’t don’t cost what they used to. And because of that, it’s important to protect your furniture when moving. There are a few tips and tricks to help you protect your furniture and not have it arrive in — GASP — pieces.
Wrap Furniture with Protective Materials
We know how important furniture can be and how we should treat items with delicate care. During the move, furniture can get damaged if not covered in some sort of protective material. This is especially true if you have antique items that need to be moved with extra care.
When it comes to couches, sofas and mattresses, you should first buy mattress or couch covers before wrapping them with bubble wrap or plastic sheets. For larger items, wrap them really well with plastic bubble wrap, especially around the edges. This is the best way to avoid dents, scratches and scrapes. For antique furniture, it’s best to have a thicker material and then wrap it with plastic as an extra layer. Plastic wrapping is also perfect for mirrors and glass tables, as well. Always mark any fragile items so that the moving company knows which to handle with extra care during the moving process.
Disassemble Large Furniture Pieces
If you have large furniture that can be disassembled, you should. Those can include the nightstands, dressers, or other items (mainly those bought from IKEA). The reason for doing so is that they can then fit in a large box or in a smaller space. If you don’t want to completely disassemble your furniture, you can always take out legs from tables and couches and the cushions from the couch or the bed frame from the bed. These things take up additional space and when you’re loading a truck, it’s like a game of Tetris; removing legs can make a big difference. You can always do this by yourself prior to the movers arriving. If you want to leave it to the movers, remember that you pay them per hour and disassembling furniture can be time consuming.
Use Furniture Sliders or Dollies
Technology is a fascinating thing. Inventions can help you make life easier and it’s true when it comes to furniture sliders and dollies. Furniture sliders are helpful because they can help you move heavy furniture items without scratching floors or the furniture itself. You can just put the sliders below legs of each item you want to move and slide until it’s time to carry the furniture item to the truck.
Furniture dollies are another helpful item to use for heavy furniture. Make sure you put the furniture on top of the dolly securely fastened and the rest is easy. Roll the large furniture item to the truck easily. Likewise, dollies will help you maneuver awkwardly-shaped furniture while preventing scratched floors and walls.
Label Boxes and Furniture Pieces
Those with Type A personalities will like this important tip and trick. The other types won’t really enjoy this, but we promise that this will make your life easier when you move into your new house. We recommend labeling boxes and furniture pieces with the room they will go to and what’s inside the box. That way, when you are in your new pad, you will be able to organize things easily and you will know where everything is. There won’t be problems when you are putting all kitchen stuff in their right place and all of a sudden you can’t find the blender. Or you won’t have any headaches trying to look for the legs of the couch. Labeling will make your life easier and it’s an essential part of the moving process.
Hire a Reputable Storage Company
There are times when you may not move in at the same time you are moving on. In this instance, it’s always best to hire a reputable storage company. When it comes to picking a reputable storage company, you should always do good research first and foremost. Pick a company that will not only give you value, but also one that is safe and secure in storing your belongings.
Look for these star qualities:
- The company provides excellent customer service from beginning to end.
- They provide regular updates and have good communication skills.
- The storage facility has a modern surveillance system, so you know that there won’t be any issues with theft.
Watch out for these red flags:
- Make sure the storage company doesn’t add surprise hidden fees. Have them give you a final quote before trying to secure a storage unit.
- Know online scams that some fake storage companies could potentially use to scam you.
White-Glove Moving Furniture Service
When you are moving, you may have several options on the affordability scale. You make the decision to do everything yourself and keep those costs down. You may decide you want to pack everything up, but leave the moving to a furniture moving company. But there are times that you are just plain tired of packing, moving, lifting and doing other things of that sort. You want a service that does it all and that pays extra attention to all of your belongings. This service is called white glove service. It’s when you like the finer things in life and you’re not afraid to pay for that.
White glove moving furniture service will ensure everything is packed and moved out of your old place and into your new place. They will unpack everything for you, put everything with care where it belongs and make sure things are all 100% set at your new house.
Professional Disassembly and Installation
One good thing about white glove moving services is that they provide professional unpacking, but also professional installation of all electrical items in your house. Have you ever been so stressed because you just don’t know how to make the television set work after you moved in to your new house? The white glove moving service will do it all for you. The movers will install and connect the washer and dryer, the televisions, and the other eletcrical items and appliances around your new house. When they are all done, you are basically all moved and you didn’t even lift a finger. How cool is that!
Hiring a Reputable Moving Company
You should strive to find a reputable moving company that won’t tack on hidden fees and won’t scam you into paying more money. Start with researching those that have good reviews and positive remarks on social media and search engines. Read each one and take notes to determine which one you like best. There are some qualities to look after.
- The best moving company is one where they can take any type of furniture.
- Moving companies should adhere to all rules and regulations required by federal and state governments.
- The moving company should provide regular updates and good communication.
- Excellent customer service means that the moving company will take care of your furniture as if it were their own.
Furniture Shipping Cost Factors
The below factors will determine the final cost of your furniture shipping.
- Shipping distance
- Shipping method
- Furniture type
- Furniture value
- Number of items
- Time of year
- Pickup and delivery location
- Fragile items
- Additional services
How to Hire a Moving Company on CitizenShipper
After looking at several popular options, you may not be convinced about the quotes you’ve received. If this is the case, consider using a furniture moving marketplace like CitizenShipper. Because multiple transporters compete for your business, you may be able to find rates that aren’t offered by traditional furniture movers. You can save up to 60-70% compared to those traditional moving companies!
Posting a listing and receiving quotes is easy:
- Create a listing on CitizenShipper. Simply add your contact info, the details about what furniture your transporter will be moving, the pick-up and drop-off locations and your preferred transport dates. It’s free to post a listing!
- Your listing is visible to a network of furniture moving professionals. Every driver on CitizenShipper has passed a stringent background check.
- The drivers submit bids on your listing — usually bids are submitted within minutes (yep, it’s that fast)! It’s free to look over your quotes, chat with drivers and read reviews.
- When you choose the driver you like best, you can book your trip!
We pride ourselves in having excellent customer service and making furniture shipping run safe, seamless and stress-free. All of those belongings will be in good hands with our qualified transporters, who can provide frequent updates through our internal messaging system. Navigate to the furniture shipping page, plug in your info and get quotes faster than the commercials that stream on Hulu!