How Long Will it Take to Move?

If you are worried about how long it will take to move, chances are good that you are setting yourself up for either disaster or disappointment. If you are trying to get your move done before you have to work the afternoon shift, or you have to pick your kids up from school on their half day, you may find yourself in a bit of an undesirable situation. Have you ever noticed that you only get stopped by the train on mornings you are late? Well, imagine this anxiety multiplied by about 50, if you don’t allow yourself enough time.

Evaluate Your Belongings and Space

The amount of stuff you have is going to play a huge role in how long the move takes. Obviously, the more boxes and pieces of furniture that you have, the more trips the movers will need to make to the truck. Not only this, if they have to walk up or down stairs at either home, the move will take longer. You can help to speed this up by moving most of what you can to the area closest to the door. Make sure you leave a safe walking path.

Ease of Loading and Unloading

This includes an extra effort that needs to be taken to actually get your belongings to and from the moving truck. If you live in a loft on a busy road, and they are forced to park in a back alley, then it will take longer because they have a further distance to walk. You will likely get charged an additional fee too.

Also, if you live in an apartment building with an elevator, you can expect the move to take significantly longer. Always make sure you find out if you need to reserve an elevator. If movers are expected to use a service elevator and someone else already has it reserved for the same day, your move may need to be postponed. If this happens and the movers are already there, you will have a fee for this last minute cancelation.

Weather

Chances are pretty good that a move is going to take a lot less time on a day when it is 70 degrees  and sunny with a cool breeze as opposed to heavy snow or rainfall. Movers will have to slow down and take extra care because walking surfaces will be slippery. This includes the ramp to the truck and the floor in your home, if they are tracking snow in every time they walk through the kitchen.

Distance

Just because MapQuest or your vehicle GPS tells you that the two homes are only 35 minutes apart, does not mean that is how long it will take the movers to drive from one to the other. They tend to drive slower so if lights turn yellow, they don’t have to brake hard and risk your belongings all toppling over. Then, when they do arrive at the new place, it could take them 10 minutes or longer to park, depending on the surroundings.

Bottom line is that you need to give yourself a full day. If you are concerned about cost, you can have the moving company come out and give you a quote based on your belongings, any potential obstacles and driving distance. This will give you a good idea as to what to budget for.