The Pros and Cons of Asking Your Friends to Help You Move

When you’re getting ready to move, there’s a lot to think about, a lot to get done and a lot of expenses you may not have seen coming. It can seem like a no brainer to reduce some of the stress and ask your friends to help you move. It is especially tempting to do so if you’re moving in the same town. While there are undeniable perks to having your friends help with the move, there are some downsides as well. If you’re getting ready to move in or near Redwood City, consider these 6 pros and cons of having your friends or extended family help you move.   

Pro: You Save Money

When your friends help you move, you don’t have to pay any moving or hauling fees. All you have to pay for is an extra large pizza and maybe a six-pack, the rest is on the friends and family tab.

Con: You Get What You Pay For

Unless your friends and family are professional movers (or they’ve moved themselves a dozen times) they aren’t going to have the skills and experience to pack and load your personal belongings. This can become a big problem when it comes to your fragile or precious items.

Pro: You Can Trust Your Friends

You’ve got a lot on your mind during a move, and the last thing you want to worry about is keeping an eye on the strangers in your house. Friends and family can be trusted, which eases some of the stress from the move. 

Con: If Something Breaks, It’s Awkward

It is totally possible that a loved one could damage or break something while packing or moving. If that happens, there is no insurance to cover the damage. Doing business with family members is always uncomfortable, and “hiring” them to move your belongings is no different.

Pro: You Get To Share A Big Moment With The Ones You Love

When you’re packing and moving things, a lot of memories tend to come from nowhere. It’s nice to have people you love around to relay all the sudden memories you made in your home. PLus, familiar company makes all the work a bit more manageable. 

 

Con: They Don’t Want To Work

It’s entirely possible that your friends will show up to “help”, do some micromanaging, pack a box or two and then skip out of there. Moving is a lot of work and responsibility, and relying on friends and family to help out with packing, moving and hauling is a lot like asking them to pet sit your horse.


If you’re in the Redwood City area and you’re getting ready to move, call the professionals at Moving Forward, Redwood City Movers.

Tips for moving into a smaller house

If you’re moving to a larger city, like San Francisco, chances are you will be moving into a smaller place. In fact, many people are downsizing simply because it suits their lifestyle. While moving into a smaller place has plenty of upsides, there are a few challenges that take some getting used to. Here are 7 tips for moving into a smaller space. 
 

Set Your Top Priorities

 

Think about what makes you happy about your current space. What do you want and need in your living space in order to feel truly at home? The tricky part here is being honest with yourself: Maybe it’s your DVD collection, despite the fact that DVDs are no longer necessary. Maybe it’s the first piece of original art you’ve ever purchased. Whatever it is, acknowledge it and make sure it’s coming with you. If you focus on your top priorities, then you will set yourself up for success in your new living space. 

Let Go of the Somedays

 

Do you really need two camelbacks? How about that mixology set you’ve never opened? When you’ve got a big house with tons of space, it’s all too easy to stash extra items for someday. Now that you’re moving, it’s time to toss those. If you haven’t used these items in the last 6 months, donate them to someone who will. That’s part of the fun of downsizing, you can only focus on what’s serving you right now. If you need some support getting rid of your stuff, host an invite only “Somedays” Sale, so you know all those items that didn’t make the cut will go to a good home. 

Discuss the Logistics With Your San Francisco Movers

 

Your San Francisco movers have likely seen everything, but they will have no way of knowing you are moving into a smaller space unless you inform them. Giving your movers as much information about the move as possible will help make everything go much swifter. On the day of your in-house estimate, make sure you only have what you’re taking with you. Otherwise you could spend more money on packing and hauling than you need to. It is also helpful to separate the items going to storage from the items going to the new house. 

Be Open Minded 

 

American culture mostly tells us that bigger is better, so it can feel limiting to move into a smaller space. In fact, downsizing your living arrangement could actually be liberating. Millions of people all over the world live in small spaces, including collaborative living spaces and tiny homes. This includes San Francisco! Small living spaces are the modern solution to growing populations and expanding urban areas, so there are plenty more resources online to help you do it right. Embrace the change!
 

List Your Keepers 

 

Sit down and make a list of everything you absolutely cannot get rid of. Whether that’s your guitar, your surfboard, your desktop computer or your grandmother’s antique armoire, jot it down so you can plan around it. Any lifestyle essential will probably make it onto the list. Remember, the longer the “Keeper” list, the more difficult it will be to throw things away. So be ruthless with your selections. 

Rent a Storage Unit

 

If there are some keepers that you know won’t fit in your new space, consider getting a storage unit. Many San Francisco movers also provide hauling services, so take advantage of your resources and keep those things that don’t fit in your new space. 

Expect to Get Rid Of More When You Arrive

 

As San Francisco movers, we see this all the time. People think they’ve shed all the stuff they don’t need, only to arrive at their new house and realize they will need to comb through their belongings all over again. Maybe your dining room table is too big, or there’s not enough wall space for your art. That’s OK (don’t forget about that storage unit!). Once you are actually in your space, distinguishing between what you need and what you think you need will become much easier. At least you got rid of all that obvious stuff before the move.

How to find Professional Movers in Palo Alto

Finding professional, trusted Palo Alto movers can feel pretty overwhelming. From licensure to reputability to customers reviews, there’s a lot to consider! With a little focused and organized research, you could save some money, avoid scams and find the perfect professional movers for your needs. Here are 6 surefire tips for researching movers in Palo Alto. 

Get Recommendations

It’s important to get several opinions before making a decision. This company will be moving your personal belongings after all, so it’s best to be confident you’ve made the right choice. Take a look at Yelp! reviews, as well as testimonials from the the website of the companies that you’re looking into. Get in the ear of local real estate agents, friends and coworkers too.

Get Your Estimate In Person

Do not rely on online services to find estimates. It is best to get in-person estimates from each moving company. Once you have a list of 4 or 5 recommended options, you can weed out movers based on the way they provide estimates. Don’t rely on someone who is giving an estimate without seeing your house, there’s no way of getting a proper estimate that way. Make sure to get estimates from a few companies, big corporations and the little guys too. You never know who will have the best offer.


If you are moving to another state, ask for a bind estimate or binding-not-to-exceed estimate. These estimates limit the amount you can be charged. For moves within the state of California, movers are required to provide a signed binding estimate. Unlike non-binding estimates, movers can charge you for a binding estimate, though most movers give it to you for free.

Do A Background Check

Head over to the Better Business Bureau and get a quick background check on each company. You can also contact the American Moving and Storage Association to see if they are a member. While it is not necessary for a moving company to be a member of AMSA, it certainly speaks to their professionalism. For more in-depth background checks, the Better Business Bureau also has a scam tracker on their website. 

Be Thorough

When it comes time for your in-house estimate, make sure to show the movers absolutely everything that is moving with you. Show them the closets, the garage, the backyard, the attic, the basement, and every corner of the house.


It is also crucial to show the movers any areas that might complicate things on moving day: tight corners, grand pianos, stairs, or antique furniture. This will remove any possibility for movers to increase the estimate on move in day. While you’re at it, find out as much as possible about the logistics of the move:

Is the company physically moving you or will they be contracting that work out (opt for a company that is doing it itself)?

Do you have the full name and contact information of movers, including references?

License information (USDOT)

Moving guide pamphlets (Movers are required by law to provide you with something).

Compare Bids

Now that you have your bids, it’s time to compare. Be skeptical of super cheap bids, but don’t assume the highest bid is the best value either. Look for hidden fees and don’t hesitate to call the company if you have any questions. If a company doesn’t want to answer a question, or keeps handing you off to someone else to speak to, cross them off the list. If you have a few bidders around the same price, go ahead and negotiate prices. Palo Alto movers are familiar with negotiations because the competition is so high. It’s called an estimate for a reason. 

Double Check Licensure

Once you select the right moving company for you, double check to make sure they have all of the licensure necessary to move you. This includes the U.S. Department of Transportation license. Search the company’s USDOT number and check the following important information:

The names on this document should be the same as the names the company gave you.

The truck to moves per month ratio should be realistic (it’s not likely a company owns 2 trucks and does 150 moves per month).

They should be authorized for hire.

They must have bodily-injury and property damage insurance (BIPD).

The safety reviews must be “satisfactory” or better.


Congratulations on your decision to move, we hope this information from Palo Alto movers at Moving Forward was helpful for you.