Moving Companies in Toronto

[gromitlad]

Anyone have any experience with moving companies in Toronto? I'm not really looking so much for a "deal" here, so much as avoiding getting scammed.

I'm moving within Toronto, 2 bedroom apartment, any idea how much I should expect to have to pay?

[Nightgod]

hmm good question.

You might want to check those Storage Companies, they can provide you a list of moving companies

[SoNgMaN]

friends and beer and a uhaul .

i always see adds for the "2 small guys with big hearts" thing i think they charge $45/hour or something like that check the yellow pages for them and make sure all your stuff is ready to go so you're not wasting your money having them there helping pack

[gromitlad]

Thanks for the tip, Nightgod.

Actually any general tips from anyone on using a moving company for moves are welcome also, since this is my first time using one.

[SoNgMaN]

make sure they have insurance and find out what kind it is so if they break your TV or big stereo etc you can get it fixed

[gromitlad]

oops, missed your response, Songman!

Yeah, all my moves up until now have involved friends. Last time it didn't go so well, so this time I'm trying the moving company thing.

Those 2 men and a van ads scare the heck out of me!

[Jono]

I've used both smaller moving companies (intra city) and the big ones for both inter and intra city moves. Some tips I would offer are:

• get referrals from your friends and mention that when you call the moving company (I got a 10% discount at AMJ Campbell when I mentioned that a friend of mine had used them and referred them to me)
• for moves within the city you will typically pay by the hour, but they will also charge you an extra hour or so minimum for travel time
• get a written estimate that confirms the moving day, and call them a day or two before to confirm again
• although you will deal with a "moving company", when it comes down to it, the guys and/or gals you are actually carrying the boxes and driving the truck are the ones who count the most. Offer them refreshments, be friendly and remember that once the truck starts moving, all of your possessions are under the care of these people, so don't piss them off. It is a nice idea to tip them at the end of the day. A happy mover is a careful mover.
• Get an estimate for them to pack up your belongings for you - it will save you a lot of time and may not be as expensive as you think - plus these people are professional packers and know how to pack things properly so they won't break. In three of my own moves, the only things that ever broke were things I packed myself.
• You can usually get a discount if you move during the middle of the month when the moving companies aren't as busy. Make sure you book at least a month in advance to get the moving date you want.
• Call at least 2 or 3 comparable companies to ensure you are getting a good price.

[jesterwilly2004]

If you are moving intercity - there are more local companies, like small movers that do local community. I actually used guys from the renters news guides. They worked out alright. I used to live in the eglington/ Marlee area.

When I moved out of town I used AMJ Campbell - bad experience! They wouldn't deliver my stuff because they were waiting for their truck to be filled b4 they moved. Big companies wait for their trucks to be filled for economical reasons if they are going to a non-major city. Had to wait over a week for my stuff to show, thank god they used a separate car hauler. I got my car within few days. Armour (Armor) seems to be really professional. They moved my sister. I would use them is you are moving out of the city.

Use a small company if you are moving locally. But be careful of expensive items, maybe you will want to move them yourself.

[gromitlad]

Wow, great posts, you guys.

Are there any specific smaller movers you can recommend?

I'd like to use a company that people have had good experiences with rather than taking my chances with one I know nothing about.

[john_rt]

I'm actually moving at the end of this month as well :S

My suggestions: I used AMJ Campbell last time I moved and they were GREAT. VERY professional. I moved from a one bedroom condo (to give you an idea of the furniture) and they finished the move in 4 hours (new condo was downtown as well). Initially, girl from AMJ came in, gave me an estimate (in line with some other companies I talked to). They had a bit higher rate but they did the move almost perfectly. Only negative was they placed one of my items on the floor hard (very heavy) and it did a bit of damage to the wall but other than that were great. A lot of my friends have used smaller companies but I like the fact that they brought over a HUGE truck (vastly over sized for what i had) but that meant no possibility of having to make two trips.
This time though, I'm moving myself. Mostly because I'm moving in and out on the same day and may need to sit around and wait for my new keys so decided not to pay to have these guys just sit around with me. Don't do U-haul. I'm using Ryder and I like them MUCh better as 1) they guarantee reservations and 2) because they also do commerical, they're very professional and their trucks are nicer. U-haul trucks are usually older and I don't like dealing with the guys who work there. BTW, U-haul guarantees you a truck but not the pick up location. Do a search on Uhaul and you get a lot of negative sites (from google). They have stories of guys in Toronto with a truck ready for them in kitchener. U-haul is a lot cheaper but think if you add up the insurance costs and the per km costs, its only a bit cheaper. Also, if you're hiring movers, they very often don't insure unless they pack so be careful about that. AMJ stated right away that unless they pack our china, they don't insure it (and often, they won't even touch it). Also, I took all my electronics myself..bit of a hassle but probably easier in long run.

[Jono]

One other suggestion I forgot to mention is that you should get a truck with 3 movers. It is preferable that one guy stay with the truck at all times (you wouldn't want to leave all of your valuables unattended while they are inside), so that leaves two others to do most of the work. If they offer you four guys, that is probalby too much since there will be a bottleneck at some point and one guy will end up doing nothing most of the time, particularly if you are using an elevator.

[superdave]

if you are going to rent a truck, go with budget or ryder. U-haul is prolly the worst company around. They never guarantee the truck and it usually takes hours to rent and return the vehicle. Also most of their trucks are in very poor condition. Budget has all nice new trucks with brakes that work

[gromitlad]

I've made a booking with Desi Movers (laptop-tech's tip). I'll post again with my impressions after the move...

Thanks for all the great moving tips guys, I really appreciate it!

[nitro994]

I've made a booking with Desi Movers (laptop-tech's tip). I'll post again with my impressions after the move...

Thanks for all the great moving tips guys, I really appreciate it!

Hey all....I know it's an old post, but just thaught I would take the time to resvisit this post & give my overall experience with Desi Movers....(since I was referred to these guys from this posting)

Very friendly guys, handled each item with tender care, overall a great moving experience. I used Uhaul 2 years ago (very bad experience - no truck avail at 1st and when I did finally get a truck 2hours later, it broke down twice)....With Desi, 55.00 / hour for a large truck, 2 guys and a driver(driver stays with truck at all times - while the other 2 move the items) - I paid 315.00 for a 2 bedroom to 1 bedroom move....1 trip - moving 25 minutes away( I had quite a lot of stuff)...worth every penny....

number is 416 889 8107 - ask for Jay....

tell him that Chris from redflagdeals sent you and offer the moving guys a few beers.....

Cheers all and good luck with yer moves.....

Btw...Bell strike sucks...I still have no phone service....

[RDog]

I used Desi Movers after reading the posts here and having trouble finding any other available movers... they were functional but not "great". I have a little tear on my sofa that wasn't there prior to the move (it's not very big but in a very visible spot); they only supplied 2 movers and no driver so I had to stay with the moving truck in case someone tried to steal anything; when they unloaded everything they simply made one giant pile of boxes on the sofas, despite the boxes being marked; fragile boxes were piled under other boxes (no damage done, thankfully).

To their credit their rate was good (I think it was $45/hr.) but I don't think they are insured or anything, they are simply guys with a truck. I may be wrong. They were reasonably friendly (they were not unfriendly), but I can't quite recommend them.