Not all moving companies are the same, which has many people wondering how are home moving companies different than apartment movers? There is, of course, the obvious in that one specializes primarily in apartments while the other has more versatility, but their differences can go far beyond this one. For a successful move, whether it is to or from a house, condo, apartment, or townhome, make sure you enlist the help of movers who have experience, a solid reputation, and know what it means to move your belongings with the utmost care and professionalism.
Hire Movers for the Job, Not the Connection
Whenever it is time to make a move, your first thought can be to reach out to a friend or colleague to see who they have used for moves in the past and been happy with. While a client’s past experience can speak volumes about the moving company they used, what it may not shed any light on is how versatile they are in performing different types of moves.
For example, apartments tend to be smaller in comparison to houses. If your contact gave you the name of a moving company that specializes in apartments, you have to stop and ask yourself the following:
- Will they have enough trucks and manpower to move all of the furniture and personal belongings in my home?
- Are they adept at moving large appliances? (Many apartments are pre-furnished with appliances.)
- Will they be able to move special and fragile pieces such as grandfather clocks or pianos and the like?
- Do they have access to special materials and tools to help facilitate the move if they typically only move small apartments?
How Are Houston Home Moving Companies Different Than Apartment Movers?
Moving an entire household of belongings can be vastly different than moving items from a one or two bedroom apartment. For this reason, it is important to consider how home moving companies are different than apartment movers before making your choice on who to work with.
Four primary differences between home moving companies and apartment movers are:
Access to heavy duty moving equipment
Most apartment moving companies do not have a need to move incredibly large and cumbersome furniture pieces because many of them are simply too large for a basic apartment. Home moving companies typically have a great deal of experience in moving heavier items and will have access to the proper equipment to do so. Apartment movers may not.
Van capacity
Apartment movers often utilize smaller trucks to move someone to or from their apartment simply because the van capacity does not need to be large for a one or two bedroom apartment with limited space. However, a home which can have upwards of three bedrooms and a much larger square footage often requires a full-size moving truck with increased capacity. Even then, there is a chance that for unusually large houses, it may potentially take two full-size moving trucks.
Many apartment moving companies specialize specifically in moving day and tend not to offer many services past that. Professional full-service moving companies tend to offer a wide range of packing services including the provision of packing supplies, packing, and even unpacking at the new destination.
Ability to provide specialty and custom crating
Some items such as large portraits, paintings, musical instruments, etc. will require custom crating. This should be standard for a professional moving company who is experienced with moving these items, and an apartment moving company may not be able to provide this service.
Knowing how home moving companies differ from apartment movers is critical in determining what will best meet your specific needs. Choosing a multi-faceted professional home moving company that also has the ability to do apartment moves may be your best bet from a versatility standpoint.
What to Look for in a Houston Moving Company to Meet All Your Needs
Finding a reputable and trustworthy mover can take time, so it is wise to choose a professional moving company that will be able to handle any type of move, both now and in the future. Not only does this prevent an individual from having to reinvent the wheel for every move, but it can also give them more confidence in what to expect for the moving process.
When looking for a professional moving company that can meet all your needs, it is important to ensure they meet the following qualifications:
- Licensed. Your mover should have a Department of Transportation license number and be willing to present it if asked. If a mover does not have this license or will not share the information, it should be a red flag as there is a chance it could be an illegitimate company.
- Registered with the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA). To confirm this, input the company’s DoT license number into the FMCSA website. If valid, it should come back with important data about the company regarding insurance, infractions, number of trucks, etc.
- Has employees rather than contractors. Verify that the moving company actually employs the people moving their clients. This generally indicates a much more thorough hiring process than that of temporary contract workers.
- Gives in-person quotes. Whether you are moving to or from an apartment or home, seek a company that provides in-person quotes. While an online or by phone moving quote may seem convenient, they are rarely on point, which means moving day expenses can rise quickly, leaving the person moving financially unprepared.
- Is skilled at working in small spaces. When moving a home, moving trucks can easily park on the street and load the van from there. Apartment complexes can present a more unique challenge, both in the more compact area of complex parking lots, and in the tight corners of an apartment itself. It is key to enlist the help of a company that can do either of these types of moves with ease.
Understanding how home moving companies are different than apartment movers should be a precursor to making a decision on choosing the appropriate Houston moving company. Now that you know what to look for, take time to do a little research. Doing so should give you more confidence in the company moving you and the entire process, with no unpleasant surprises lurking on moving day.