Every move is unique. So whether you’re looking for a local mover or a long-distance moving service to help you move across the country, you want a moving company that offers a range of services to help you. Here are a few services that you might need as you research moving and storage services in Chicago:
- Traditional moving service
- Labor-only moving service
- Cross-country moving service
- Storage service
- Packing service
- Business moving service
Whoever you choose to help with your move, make sure they’re a legit company. Every moving service in Chicago should be licensed by the Illinois Commerce Commission and fully insured. So check your moving company’s website or ask them directly for their credentials. They should be proud to give you that information!
When should you use a traditional moving service?
A traditional moving service—also called a full moving service—provides both labor and transportation for your move. Traditional moving services are perfect if you’re moving locally. And they’re also helpful if you have a long-distance move!
Traditional moving services will handle your entire move. They’ll send workers to the location you’re moving out of to pack and wrap your belongings. They’ll load your items into their truck, transport them to your new home, and bring everything into your new place.
Some moving services only offer labor or transportation. But if you need help with your entire move, a traditional moving service is best for you. And because you deserve top-notch service, be sure to look for the best moving companies in Chicago!
When should you use a labor-only moving service?
In some instances, you might need a labor-only moving service rather than a traditional moving service. This happens when you don’t need help transporting your materials.
Loading and unloading services are great if you have you’ve rented a truck or a storage container. For instance: if you’re moving long-distance, you can hire labor-only moving service at your starting location to load your truck or storage container, and hire a different labor-only moving service at your end location to unload your belongings into your new home.
Labor-only moving service is also helpful if you’re moving to a new unit in the same building. This is also called an intra-building move. This is common for high-rises and large apartment or condo buildings. Your local mover will bring materials to protect your belongings in the move from your old unit to your new one.
Loading-only moving services
If you’re moving away from the Chicagoland area, you can hire a Chicago-based moving company to load up your cross-country moving transport. This is a great solution if you’re renting and driving your own truck or renting a storage container like PODS.
There are two main benefits to hiring a local mover for loading service:
- Skilled labor. You’ll get knowledgeable and experienced laborers who know how to securely pack and load your truck or container. This helps ensure that your belongings will arrive at your destination safely.
- Materials. Your crew will bring moving supplies like blankets, shrink wrap, and tape to protect your materials during transport.
Unloading-only moving services
Moving to a new city is exciting! And Chicago’s favorite movers love to welcome new neighbors to the greatest town in the world.
If you’re driving a rental truck to your new hometown or having a storage unit delivered, you can hire a local mover to unload your items. The move crew will bring equipment and materials to ensure that each item is brought into your home safely and efficiently. That gives you more time to kick back, relax, and check out all the things to do in your new city!
Intra-building moving services
Especially in a big city like Chicago, it’s pretty common for people to fall in love with the building they live in. And when you outgrow your apartment or condo, you can often move to a larger unit within the same building! This is referred to as an intra-building move.
Intra-building moves can be as challenging as any other move. The good news is that your local moving company can help with intra-building moves as well. Their labor will bring materials to safely move your belongings from one unit to the other. So even if your street address isn’t changing, let the professionals handle the heavy lifting.
When should you use a cross-country moving service?
One of the most frequently asked questions from people who are coordinating a long-distance move is whether they should hire a cross-country moving service. When you’re moving out of state, you basically have two options:
- Hire local movers for each location. For instance, if you’re moving from New York to Chicago, you can hire a local mover in New York to load up your vehicle and a different local mover in Chicago to unload your vehicle. If you don’t want to drive the moving truck yourself, you can hire a cross-country transportation company.
- Hire a long-distance moving service. You can have one company handle the labor and the transportation for your cross-country move. However: these companies often need at least 4-6 weeks notice, so be sure to plan accordingly.
How do you know if you need storage service?
Sometimes house closings are delayed. Sometimes landlords need time to repair a unit for a new tenant. And sometimes you just need to make some space in your home by storing some of your items offsite.
You have multiple options when you need to store your materials. Some moving companies offer storage services, whether your belongings need a temporary home for a night or a year. You can also coordinate with a self-storage facility if your local mover’s storage is full.
Storage vaults
Storage vaults are basically large wooden crates that your local mover will fill up with your materials. The vaults are typically about 200 cubic feet each, so they can fit a lot of your items.
When you research moving and storage service in Chicago, just make sure that your mover’s storage vaults are kept inside a locked, secure, and temperature-controlled building. Your materials need to be safe when they’re not in your possession!
Overnight storage
It’s common for moving clients to move out of their old home one day and into their new home the next day. So it’s also common for moving and storage companies to offer overnight storage. Here’s how it works:
- Your move crew arrives on Day 1 to load your materials into the truck.
- The crew brings the truck back to your local mover’s facility for overnight storage.
- Your move crew meets you at your new home on Day 2 to unload the truck.
Before you confirm your overnight storage booking with your moving service, make sure you ask them about security. For instance: how will the truck be locked overnight? Is their facility locked and under video surveillance? Your personal belongings will be in your moving company’s possession overnight, so don’t be afraid to quiz them on how they’ll keep your items safe.
Self-storage
In some cases, your best option might be to keep your items in a self-storage facility like CubeSmart or Life Storage. Your moving company can easily transport your belongings to one of these facilities and unload them into your storage unit. And when you’re ready to bring your items out of self-storage, just call your local mover. They’ll help you coordinate the move from your storage unit to your new location.
Self-storage facilities often require appointments to move into and out of. And depending on your storage unit’s security, you might need keys or a passcode to open the unit. Be sure to coordinate all of these logistics with your moving company and your storage service.
When should you hire a packing service?
Packing is a big pain point for most people who are coordinating a move. Packing takes time, and it’s tedious to wrap and box all of your small and breakable items. Fortunately, you can save yourself a lot of time and trouble by hiring a professional packing service.
Full packing services
If you’re dreading packing your home, you might want to consider hiring a full packing service. Your moving company can bring all the supplies they need to pack up your kitchen, bathroom, clothing, artwork, electronics, and everything else.
Generally speaking, full packing service can’t be estimated. The team of packers will bring materials to your home and charge you per box. In order to get a ballpark guesstimate of your costs, ask your moving company for their packing guide. This should outline the cost of materials, labor, and travel.
Partial packing services
Moving companies in Chicago can also offer partial packing services. For instance: maybe you want to pack up your own bedroom, clothes, and bathroom. But you can’t bear the thought of boxing up all of your kitchen dishes, glassware, silverware, etc. That’s where partial packing service comes in!
The best way to coordinate a partial pack is to communicate with your moving company. Let them know what you plan to pack yourself and what you want their help with. This will help them send the right amount of packers and materials to pack your items quickly and efficiently.
Reusable bins
Two of the downsides of moving are the overall cost and the waste that’s created by tape and cardboard boxes. Fortunately, you can rent reusable moving bins to both save money and save the earth!
Here are a few benefits of renting plastic moving boxes instead of cardboard:
- Cost. You can pay around $190 in rental bins to move an average three-bedroom home. But cardboard boxes can cost closer to $385 for the same house.
- Eco-friendliness. Plastic moving boxes are reusable, which means you’re making the planet happy! Cardboard boxes lose some of their structural integrity each time you use them, and they’re often garbage after their first use.
- Cleanliness. Plastic rental bins can be disinfected and sanitized after each use. But you really can’t disinfect cardboard since it can’t get wet.
Some reusable bin rental companies even offer delivery and pickup—so you don’t even have to leave your home. So save yourself some cash, and save the Earth some waste!
How do you find a local business moving service?
Relocating your business is a big deal. And your company needs a strong partner to help with your commercial move.
So, how do you find the best office movers in Chicago? Here’s a short checklist:
- Request an onsite estimate. If that’s not possible, schedule a video call so that your moving service can see your facility in real time.
- Make sure your moving service can help with disassembly, reassembly, and rearranging your office components.
- Find out what your insurance and liability coverage options are. Although most moves go smoothly, you want to be protected and prepared in case something is damaged.
When you research local movers for your commercial relocation, be diligent. Ask a lot of questions and make sure that the moving company you choose provides excellent customer service. If their front office isn’t strong, chances are your moving team won’t be either.
You deserve the best moving and storage service in Chicago!
Moving is a big deal. And although it’s exciting, it can also be stressful!
Move-tastic! is here to remove the stress and make your move fun. As the best movers in Chicago, we know that all moves are unique! Visit our website for a free estimate. Or even better, contact us! We love to chat!