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Welcome to a thorough exploration of what it truly means and costs to move locally. Here at American Moving & Storage, a leading full-service moving company in Denver, Colorado, our mission is to demystify the process and expenses associated with local relocations. 

1. Unpacking Local Moving Costs

When we talk about local moving costs, we're referring to the expenses incurred while relocating within a short distance, typically within the same city or state, and often defined by moves within a 50-mile radius. However, the commonality ends there, as numerous variables impact the final cost of your move.

Factors Influencing Local Moving Costs

Understanding the elements that influence moving costs is crucial for budgeting accurately. These factors include:

• Volume of Belongings: The more items you have, the larger the truck and the more labor needed, directly affecting cost.
• Distance Between Locations: While all moves in this discussion are "local," longer distances within the local spectrum can increase costs.
• Access Issues: Difficulty of access, such as narrow streets, lack of parking, or flights of stairs, can complicate the move and thus, add to the cost.
• Time of Year: Moving during peak seasons, like summer or holidays, often comes with a premium price tag due to higher demand.
• Additional Services: Services like packing, unpacking, or handling special items like pianos, can also add to the overall cost.

2. The Core Components of Your Moving Bill

A moving company's quote typically consists of several key components that together form your final bill. Understanding these can help you better anticipate your moving costs.

Labor Charges: Understanding Hourly Rates

Most local movers charge by the hour, with rates depending on the number of movers and the hours worked. This rate includes loading, unloading, and driving time.

Truck and Equipment Fees

The size of the truck and any additional equipment required for your move, such as dollies or protective blankets, also factor into your cost.

Packing Materials and Services

If you choose to utilize your moving company's packing services, costs will include labor and materials like boxes, tape, and bubble wrap.

Additional Services and Their Impact on Pricing

Many moving companies offer services beyond simply transporting your belongings from Point A to Point B. Opting for these services can make your move easier, but they will impact your final cost.

Packing and Unpacking Services

Professional packing can significantly reduce the stress of moving but remember, the convenience comes at a cost. Similarly, unpacking services at your new home can offer ease and efficiency but will add to your total expenses.
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Disassembly and Reassembly of Furniture‍

Large furniture items often require disassembly for safe transport and reassembly at your new home. Moving companies typically charge for this service based on the complexity and time taken.‍

Specialty Items and Handling Charges‍

Items that require special care, such as antiques, art, or pianos, may incur additional fees due to the need for specialized packing or handling equipment.‍

3. Decoding Hidden Fees and Charges‍

A common concern when planning a move is the possibility of encountering unexpected costs. Being aware of these potential hidden fees can prevent surprises when you receive your final bill.‍

Travel Fees and Toll Charges‍

One commonly overlooked cost is the travel fee, which covers the movers’ time spent getting to your location and then back to their office after the move. If your move route includes toll roads, these charges might also be passed on to you.‍

Storage-in-Transit Fees‍

If there’s a gap between your move-out and move-in dates, your belongings may need to be stored temporarily. Storage-in-transit fees will apply, our company offers storage solutions and these can vary greatly depending on the duration and volume of storage.‍

Last-Minute Booking Fees‍

Planning your move well in advance is always advisable. However, if you find yourself needing to book movers at the last minute, be prepared for higher costs due to the rush service.‍

4. Budgeting for Your Local Move‍

Creating a budget for your move is essential for keeping costs in check and ensuring you can afford the services you need. Here’s how to get started:‍

Average Costs of a Local Move‍

The average cost of a local move can range from $300 to $1,500, depending on the factors previously discussed. Keep in mind, the more services you require, the higher the cost will be.‍

Creating a Moving Budget Checklist‍

A detailed checklist that includes all potential expenses such as packing supplies, mover fees, and any additional services can help you avoid unexpected costs. Remember to set aside a contingency fund for unexpected expenses.‍

5. Saving Strategies: Cutting Down on Moving Costs‍

Moving can be expensive, but there are ways to reduce those costs without sacrificing the quality of your move.‍

DIY vs. Hiring Moving Services: A Cost Comparison‍

While a DIY move can seem cheaper, consider the potential costs (both monetarily and physically) of renting a truck, buying packing materials, and the time/hardship of manual labor. Sometimes, the stress and physical toll can outweigh the cost savings.‍

Off-Season Moving Advantages‍

If possible, consider moving during the off-season (typically fall and winter) when demand for moving services is lower. This can lead to reduced prices and more availability.‍

Decluttering Before Moving‍

Reducing the volume of items to be moved can directly impact your moving costs. Sell, donate, or discard items you no longer need before you start the moving process.‍

6. Choosing the Right Local Moving Company‍

The moving company you choose can make a big difference in your moving experience. Here’s how to ensure you select the right one:‍

Verifying Credentials and Reviews‍

Research potential moving companies thoroughly. Check for licensing, insurance, and professional affiliations. Online reviews and testimonials can also offer valuable insights into a company’s reliability and customer service quality.‍

Understanding Quotes and Estimates‍

Always get a detailed estimate in writing. Be wary of lowball quotes that may indicate hidden fees or subpar service. Understanding whether your quote is binding or non-binding is also crucial.‍

Negotiating with Moving Companies‍

Don’t be afraid to negotiate. While not all costs are negotiable, you might be able to get better rates on additional services or during slower business periods.‍

7. Preparing for the Move Day‍

As your moving day approaches, proper preparation can significantly reduce stress and help ensure everything goes smoothly. Here’s what you need to know:‍

A Checklist for Moving Day Essentials‍

Creating a moving day checklist is vital. Include tasks like defrosting the fridge, preparing an essentials box with items you'll need immediately upon arrival (toiletries, chargers, a change of clothes, etc.), and confirming all details with your moving company one last time.‍

Timeline for a Stress-Free Moving Day

• ‍A Week Before: Confirm arrangements with your movers and ensure all packing is nearly complete.‍
• A Day Before: Finish any last-minute packing and label boxes by room to streamline the unpacking process.‍
• The Morning Of: Secure parking for the moving truck, keep important documents and valuables with you, and do a final walkthrough of your home to ensure nothing is left behind.

8. Case Studies: Real-life Moving Scenarios

To better understand how planning and preparation can impact your move, let’s explore a couple of case studies.

Budget Moves

Consider Sarah, who was moving to a new apartment just a few miles away. By decluttering beforehand and opting to pack her belongings herself, she managed to keep her moving costs low. Sarah also chose a mid-week, mid-month moving date, taking advantage of lower rates.

Premium, Full-Service Moves

John and Rachel opted for a stress-free move despite a slightly higher budget. They chose full packing services, furniture disassembly, and temporary storage. The convenience and time saved made the investment worthwhile for them.

9. Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How much advance notice should I give when booking a moving company?

A: Ideally, you should book your movers at least 4-6 weeks in advance, especially if you’re planning to move during the busy season.

Q: Can I pack my own belongings to save money?

A: Yes, packing yourself can save money. However, be aware that movers may not be liable for damage to items you’ve packed.

Q: Is moving insurance necessary?

A: While not always necessary, moving insurance provides peace of mind, offering coverage for your items during the move.

10. Journeying Forward: After the Move

Once the move is behind you, there are a few steps you can take to settle into your new home comfortably.

Unpacking and Settling In

Prioritize unpacking necessities and gradually work through less essential items. This is also the perfect time to explore your new neighborhood and make it feel like home.

Post-Move Checklists

Creating a post-move checklist can help track tasks such as changing your address, registering for new services, and unpacking systematically to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

11. Seamless Moves with American Moving & Storage

At American Moving & Storage, our comprehensive moving services in Denver, Colorado, are designed to cater to all your moving needs, ensuring a seamless transition to your new home. From budget moves to full-service relocations, our team is committed to providing exceptional service tailored to your specific requirements.

Why Choose Us?

• Professional, licensed, and insured movers
• Transparent pricing with no hidden fees
• Customizable moving services to fit your needs

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When it comes to packing up portions of your home for a move, we always recommend that you start as soon as you know you are going to be moving. The idea is that with an early start, you are going to pack your items better and have this more organized. Of course, if you are interested in a full-service move, then you can hire the crew at American Moving to also pack for you...which is a huge stress reliever to most people!

With this being said, just how can you pack your master bedroom so that it will be super easy to unpack and get settled into your new home? We have a few tips and tricks to help!

5 Tips for Packing Your Master Bedroom

1. Start with the small items that you do not use every day.

This can be those décor items and trinkets that you have sitting around your master bedroom. These are items that can be packed easily since you will not need these at all before your move date.

2. Pack out-of-season clothes.

While you are still going to need your clothes for everyday living, go ahead and pack up the out-of-season clothes that you have in your closet. You will find that this is going to greatly reduce the packing that you need to do before the movers arrive. Use a wardrobe box to make this even easier to pack and unpack!

3. Hang your current wearing clothes in a wardrobe box without taping this shut.

This is a great tip for those who want to get the closets completely packed. With this idea, you can still use the clothes, wash these, and hang them back up. About twelve hours before your movers arrive, go ahead and seal up the box for moving.

4. Take stock of your closets now.

While you may be ready to pack, now is a good time to do some decluttering in your master bedroom. Do you have old clothes that are out of style that you never wear? Maybe you have some old sheets that you no longer use? These are items that you don’t really need to pack, as this just takes up extra space.

5. The last thing to do is to disassemble the bed.

You will be using your bed up until the day that you move, so this is the last thing that you need to get ready for packing. You will find that the professionals at American Moving can disassemble this for you on moving day if you do not have the desire or the tools to get this done.

Remember, when it comes to moving home, the earlier that you start, the better you will find the entire experience!

When it comes time for an office move, many business owners dread all that goes with this. From finding the new location to letting customers know, there are tons of things that are on your list to do before a business move.

With this being said, we want to give ten tips for all business owners so that they can make this business move as easy as possible!

Office Move: 10 Tips to Remember

1. Get a plan! Start with a plan that is going to outline everything that needs to get done. The more in-depth the plan, the better you will handle this move.
2. Get a mover on board now! Believe it or not, during the month of January to the springtime, many businesses take this time to move to a new location. So, you don’t want to wait to find the mover that is going to handle your move. Remember, with American Moving you will find that you can easily get a quote online and we can handle this commercial move with professionalism and put your needs first!
3. Make a team of employees who are going to handle different aspects of the move. You do not need to handle this all on your own, as that is how things slip through the cracks.
4. Take the time to note items that are not going to your new location. If there are items that are in good shape that can be sold or donated, make sure to do this before movers arrive.
5. If you have items that you rented for the office, then be sure to get with the rental agency about them picking these up and moving them. If you let your hired movers handle this it could void some agreement in your rental contract, so be sure to check it out.
6. Go ahead and start letting your customers know about this move. You can announce this on social media, send out a newsletter, and post a sign on the physical door to let people know about where you will be moving and the date of this move.
7. Be sure that when it comes time to physically move the office that you choose to move on a day that is considered less busy during your workweek. This way, it doesn’t impact too much of your business.
8. It is not unheard of to start planning your move six months or more before the big day. While many household moves are planned about two months in advance, an office move is going to be a bit more involved and have more moving parts.
9. Make sure that you have all employees remove any and all personal effects from the office. These are not something that you want to move since they are personal belongings and you do not want to be responsible for these items.
10. Have a floor plan of your new office location and have an idea of where items are going to go. This is going to make the move-in process a bit smoother for you and your movers.

Get a Quote Today for Your Business Move

For those who are getting ready for an office move or are thinking about an office move happening sometime this year, these tips are meant to make it a bit more organized and easier for you. Remember, American Moving & Storage is here for all your office move needs! Get a quote today and start your business move off right!

When moving, we always talk about how to make sure that you are packing everything and have a super organized move. However, at the same time, we talk about decluttering because there is no reason to move items that you are not going to use at your new home! With this being said, we have the top 10 items that you need to look at, evaluate, and may decide to donate rather than move.

Top 10 Items to Evaluate Before Moving

1. Clothing

How many closets of clothing do you have? And chances are you do not wear half of these. Take the time to go through and only pack and move those that you actively wear. Otherwise, you are wasting your time in packing these!

2. Bulky items

Do you have unused bulky items like old computers, VHS players, etc? If you do, why move these. You will find that ridding yourself of these bulky items can save you a lot of room on the truck.

3. Papers

By all means, keep important papers like marriage certificates, birth certificates, financial records, etc. But, if you find that you have a ton of papers that are not important, then there is no need to move these, instead toss these.

4. Bathroom items

When you go to the bathroom, chances are you will find items that are easy to replace with new if you so choose. There is no need to move half-empty bottles of body wash after all.

5. Old furniture

If you know that you are getting new furniture, then by all means ditch the old furniture. You will find that many charities are interested in accepting gently used furniture, so check out what charities you have in your area to choose from.

6. Garage junk

We all are guilty of putting items into our garage that we think we may use later, but simply forget about these. When it comes to narrowing down what to take from the garage, take a look at if you have used it in the past year, if not, then you are going to find that you are probably safe in donating or tossing these items.

7. Appliances

In some cases, people take their appliances with them when moving. However, if you are one of those people that have to take these appliances with you but know that you are going to buy new ones in your new home, then donate these or sell them to those who may be in need of gently used appliances.

8. Household items

What items around your home just gather dust? If they are gathering dust and have no real meaning to you, then there is no need to move these with you.

9. Bedding

If you find that your bedding has seen the best of its days, then why pack this up if you need to replace it? Often when moving, people are eager to start fresh, and bedding is a small way in which you can do this!

10. Vehicles

For those who are moving cross-country, this is the type of item that may be something that they need to consider. Moving a vehicle is not a small expense. Many people decide that their old cars are not worth moving across the country. Of course, this is a personal decision to make!

Remember, when it comes to moving, the less that you move the lower the cost of the move. Here at American Moving & Storage, we offer packing and moving services to make your move that much easier. And we can even give you some help on items that you may need to look into donating or tossing!

While many people are predicting a very mild winter here in Colorado, it is still important to realize what you need to do when snow and ice may be involved with your move! These are two of Mother Nature’s issues that you have to contend with when moving during certain times in Colorado. Luckily, here at American Moving, we are more than ready to deal with any snow and ice that may be trying to ruin your move!

Items You Need to Prepare for Snow and Ice

There are several items that you may need to be prepared for the snow and ice that is invading your area while trying to move. These include:

• A snow shovel
• Warm layers to avoid getting cold
• Salt to ensure the ice stays off the sidewalk
• Don’t forget to wear gloves while dealing with this!

How to Prepare for Snow and Ice

While there is not much that you can do to prepare for snow and ice, there are things that you can do after these hits to help your move go a little more smoothly. Here are our tips to help any move that is dealing with snow and ice!

1. You may not be able to control when the city comes by and scrapes your road, but you can control your own driveway. For the moving trucks to get to your home, they are going to need a pathway to get to the home. Thus, do your best to ensure that the driveway is cleared out for the truck to get to your home.
2. Use salt to ensure that the sidewalk going up to the door that the movers will be using is as free from ice as you can make it. This way there are no chances of slips and falls happening from the ice.
3. Keep towels on the floor at the entrance into your home to avoid snow and ice melting into the water on the floor. Not only will this affect the floor, but it can make for some slippery conditions for everyone involved
4. Be ready to with your snow shovel throughout the day if this is continuing to fall. You want to keep your walkways as clear as possible.

The good news is that when you hire American Moving & Storage to handle your move, we are prepared for snow and ice, so you are in good hands!

For many people, it is hard to believe that the end of 2021 is just right around the corner. With Thanksgiving tomorrow, Christmas just a few weeks away, followed by New Year’s...if you are moving during this time period as well, you can easily feel overwhelmed. During this time of the year, you may have more family gatherings, office parties, getting together with friends coming in from out of town, and the like. You don’t want to miss these types of opportunities to make some great memories, so this often results in you putting off the packing process a day or two. After all, a day or two won’t make much of a difference, right?

You may be surprised at just how putting things off for a day or two can actually turn into a week or more when you are dealing with all the things that are happening with the holidays here. So, what can you do? The key in any holiday move is the use of professional moving services.

Just how does American Moving help you with our professional moving services? You will find that we are more than just the crew that can come in and load your boxes into our trucks, we offer tons of other services that are going to be a huge help during a holiday move!

Stress-Free Home Packing Services from Professional Movers

We offer home packing services that are going to make it ten times easier to get your entire home packed up for your holiday move. Our crews will come into your home or office to pack everything up for you. This way, you will not have to say no to any of those gatherings that you are being invited to!

We are going to:

• Pack everything securely
• We can pack those sensitive electronics
• We can even crate those items that need some extra protection

And along with these packing services comes the unpacking at your new home as well. Imagine how much better your holidays would be if you have someone to help you unpack and get items where they need to be. This is an amazing option for those who may be hosting a holiday gathering in their new home!

Secure Storage

We do also offer secure storage services that you can trust. In some cases, you may have to be out of your home during the holidays, but not go into a new home until after the New Year. You can trust that your items are secure and in good hands. We offer:

• Short term storage
• Long term storage
• Storage in transit for up to 180 days

You will find that when items come into the storage facilities we catalog what comes in as well as the condition of these items to ensure that you get the same item back into your home. Our climate-controlled storage facility also has 24 hours alarmed monitoring so that you can rest assured that your items are safe.

The takeaway from any holiday move is that you need to use professional moving services that are offered to make this easier on you. The holidays are stressful enough without having to be involved in a move. You will find that when you work with us here at American Moving, we can help lessen the stress of the move for you. We may not be able to help you cook a holiday meal, but we can definitely help with packing, storage your goods, and moving this into a new home!