hire two or three movers?

[at1212b]

Just do 3... trust me, you may have '2' guys with you, but an extra 1 mover, working with the other 2 movers will do the work equivalent of an additional '3' guys of yours.

These guys are machines, know how to move the big stuff (which is alot easier with 3 ppl), and your guy friends will appreciate you not being such a cheapo and will hustle, have more energy in doing the more misc stuff (such as boxes, bags, etc).

And yea, get details to maximize efficiency.

[a89aries]

having run my own moving business, it depends on the job, sometimes it makes sense for only 2 people to be there (lots of large items), for lots of smaller boxes and bags, 3 people can accomplish this much faster.

[teknoluv]

I'd say your husband and friend would just get in the way of hte pro movers...

True.

[Byrns]

Why would you want to hire movers by the hour? Every moving I quote I got was based on the amount of stuff I had.

And I'm pretty sure the professionals don't want you in their way. Especially if you're paying them by the hour.

[Impossibles]

Hi,

I moved last year and this is from my experience.

Do not hire movers by the hour, hire them for the # of bedrooms that you are moving.

If you hire them by the hour they will take all day to move you.

I hired mine by the hour, it took them 8 hours to move a 2 bedroom apt into a 1 bed apt.

They never filled up the elavator full before taking it down or up.

Yes it might cost a little more, but it wont last all day.

Also make sure that they dont charge you for the time it takes them to get to your place from their home.

And get all the details on paper, seriously.

If you're paying them cash DO NOT TIP, they are getting this money tax free.

That depends more on the company than the way things are paid.

Since most places charge a flat fee + a certain amount per hour, they make more money if they can move each place quickly to move on to the next place.

Also save yourself a lot of headache by buying a package of large boxes. Staples sells large boxes for ~$1 each, according to their website/catalogue.

Last time I moved I bought 25 18"X18" boxes, packed everything that could fit into those boxes, and they moved me from a 3rd floor apartment to a 3rd floor condo 20kms away in under 3 hours! I paid ~$220 and was done my move by 11am. So so much better than paying $100 for a truck and spending all day moving.

[Impossibles]

Why would you want to hire movers by the hour? Every moving I quote I got was based on the amount of stuff I had.

And I'm pretty sure the professionals don't want you in their way. Especially if you're paying them by the hour.

Long distance moves charge by weight/distance. Local movers always generally charge by the hour. Too much variance in how things are packed to give a fixed price.

[Nyte]

I'd say your husband and friend would just get in the way of hte pro movers...

+1.

You'd just get in their way and slow them down.
This is assuming these are actually professional movers and not just a couple of inexperienced guys with a van (I've seen both sides). One of my aunts was moved by the latter with another 5 people (friends/family) helping. It took like half a day to clear out the apartment, these guys were slow, took their time, and everything was unorganized.

I've also hired pro movers myself, I think they ended up bringing 5 guys. They charged by the hour, but gave a very accurate estimate. They cleared out the first apartment in an hour. It was also amazing seeing how careful they were with everything.

[teknoluv]

Why would you want to hire movers by the hour? Every moving I quote I got was based on the amount of stuff I had.

Many professional movers actually charge by the hour. Of course, the more stuff you have, the more hours are needed to move them.

[angekfire]

I'd say your husband and friend would just get in the way of hte pro movers...

Agreed. Either move yourselves with friends (what I did) and provide beer & pizza after you're done, or let the pros handle it. I just bought pizza for friends and everyone was happy. I had about 4 people helping me move into a 2 bedroom apartment. Only took a total of maybe an hour and a half, none were professional movers.

I help all my friends move, but in return I expect them to be able to give me a hand if I need them for it. They don't have a problem with this arrangement.