Home Moving Hints

At Pro Movers, we give you the total freedom to do as much as you want: the more you do, the lower the cost. However, Pro Movers crews are available to help you with any moving need. If you want us to, we can take care of your entire move: from having Boxes delivered to you, supplying you with quality packing materials, to packing with our Pro-packing service, to moving all your goods (including heavy items such as pianos), to dismantling and reassembling furniture, to disconnecting and reconnecting electrical items, to unpacking your goods after the move.


1. Planning. You are hiring our equipment, expertise and labour. Use it where you have to. Take into consideration your physical capabilities and the amount of time you can spare. Good planning and preparation will save you money!

2. Packing. Almost everyone underestimates the pre-packing time needed to pack small items. If packing yourself, start well before the moving date. Our packing hints are designed to help you pack properly. Unfortunately our Insurance Guarantee does not cover items that you have packed yourself. If you are concerned by this, and want your small items covered, then call us and we can send a Professional Movers packer, who will pack whatever you need.

3. Items to empty. Wardrobes and desk drawers must be emptied. Chests of drawers need to have breakable, loose, and heavy items removed. Light clothing may remain. Never tape drawers shut. As a rule, furniture with doors must be emptied. Gas bottles and equipment such as lawnmowers must be empty before we carry them.

4. Pack in good boxes. Lots of small open boxes (that cannot be stacked) take a lot longer to move than goods packed in the right sizes boxes. On the other hand, using boxes so large that they become overweight can dramatically slow down the moving process. Using proper removal boxes will not only help ensure a safe no damage move, but it also speeds up your move.

5. Reduce the number of items. Moving your small items yourself will reduce Pro Movers moving time. However, doing many trips in a car will end up costing you more than it would to have us move it, especially if you loaded the small items while the Pro Movers crew loaded the larger items. The number of items can also be reduced by tying loose items such as brooms and mops in bundles. Leave drawers in dressers.

6. Reduce the distance. Every trip to the truck takes time. If you have pre-packed your small items, try and have them near where the truck will park. Blocking entrances means we waste time when we arrive. Clear access ensures quick moving. Keeping small children and pets away during the move also helps.

7. Dismantling. Dismantle beds, mirrors from dressers, and other furniture items (those which had to be assembled when purchased) before your Pro Movers crew arrives. Losing small items, especially keys, is common when moving and is very frustrating. Keep all screws and bolts in bags, and remember where you put them. Put the hose off the washing machine inside the machine.

8. Fridges/Freezers. Do not defrost less than one week before moving. Water in the trays causes problems. On your moving day, near the end of loading, we will indicate when the fridge should be emptied. We will then load the fridge last, and unload it first. This minimises the time your goods are out of refrigeration.

9. Very heavy items. Leave heavy items (such as pianos, pool tables, large safes, etc) to the experts.  When booking, please let us know about these items.

10. Flat glass items. This includes plate glass, paintings, prints, table tops, and wall unit shelves. Simply leave them bare for us to handle. Never pack plate glass or glass front paintings in boxes.

11. Pot plants. Do not water them for a few days prior to the move.

12. Water beds. If possible, siphon out. There is an easy way to do this - check with us, and we can organise a specialist to do this. If your bed has baffles, carefully fold the mattress or leave it to us. If the bed has a timber frame, you may only need to loosen the screws to disassemble.

Office Moving Hints
 

Office moving can often be complex, with lots of small items that need to be located in the right place. Your Pro Movers crew will be experienced and can sort things out quickly, but they can only deal with what they are presented. Your move will proceed more quickly and smoothly if it is organised properly.

Our biggest tip is to have ONLY ONE PERSON in charge of the move. This will save a lot of confusion. When you book, we will go through the details of your move with this person. This person should know the layout of the new premises and be the only person directing or instructing your Moving crew. On the moving day we will constantly communicate with this person to ensure a low cost move. If you need to, it can be a different person at each location, however, they must know what each other is doing.

THINGS TO CONSIDER:

  • The moving day and time. Our mid week to Saturday rates are only slightly higher than our Monday/Tuesday rates. Night Rates are slightly more expensive. Moves when nobody else is around (i.e. at night or on the weekend) are substantially faster, therefore lower in cost. You can also use this to your advantage, as it is a lot less disruptive to your operations.
  • Building access times and/or security requirements. It pays to check with your building supervisors. It is important you have lift keys - without them there is a risk of damage to the lifts, and the move will be considerably slower.
  • What you are moving and where you are going to put it. You need to finely plan this. Consider the physical size of objects, and where they will fit best in your new premises. You may find using a plan useful, as well as marking your boxes. We can advise the quick and easy ways to mark everything. Colour dots or coding works well in bigger office moves. This will substantially reduce the time your move will take.
  • Your staff. Do you want them to help with the move? Can they help with the move?
  • Pre-packing. With office moves, we recommend you use your own staff to pack. Your people know more about what you have, and where it belongs. Having your people pack is also a good opportunity to have a clean out. However, our Packing service, is available to you if needed.

A few points that will help with your own packing:

1.      Packing takes longer than moving. Start early (at least a week before), so you are finished and organised when the moving day arrives.

2.      Use the right sized cartons. Our cartons are designed so they can be moved easily. Do not use standard boxes for heavy items such as paper, files, books, etc.

3.      Mark every carton (we recommend the use of identifying stickers).

4.      If no stairs are involved (at either location) then we can move most filing cabinets full. However, stationery cabinets and desk drawers must be empty.

5.      When dismantling furniture, tape the screws to the item. Note our crews can do any dismantling if needed.

  • Packing materials. Pro Movers has a range of packing materials available, which can be delivered to your office, free of charge. Once you have made a booking you can order your materials.  Simply, we supply more materials than is needed, you use as much as you want, and when our movers arrive they take back what you haven't used. Ultimately, you only pay for what you use, but have the peace of mind that you won't run out of boxes half way through packing. We will also buy back used boxes after you have unpacked.
  • Dismantlers. When there are a lot of panels, shelves, racks, etc, that need to be dismantled before the movers arrive, we recommend you use our dismantlers who zip through the office with electric screwdrivers and unscrew everything. This has two advantages: it ensures everything is dismantled properly for moving, and it gives us a chance to fix any areas not quite finished. Our dismantlers will handle any handyman type tasks if needed. They can also reassemble anything after the move is completed.
  • The moving team. We charge in modules of a truck and two men, and any extra men as an individual cost. We can change the size of the crew during the move to suit the circumstances. This flexibility can generate large cost savings.
  • Parking permits. We suggest you ring the council personally and make your situation known. We will do our best to meet council regulations, however, any fines incurred will be passed on to you.

Remember, Pro Movers are happy to handle any aspect of your move. We believe that it is your prerogative if you want to save money and help out in as many ways as you can.

We can often move you at short notice, but it is usually better to book your moving service as soon as you know when you want to move, what you want to move, and where you are moving to. Without these three factors, no one can give you an accurate price or availability.