The first time doing anything can be unnerving and stressful, especially when you are moving somewhere new and virtually every aspect of your life is about to change.
Hiring movers often alleviates most of the stress of moving, but if it’s your first time hiring movers, then you probably feel that this is another round of unknowns and added stress.
However, don’t stress; this comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about hiring movers for the first time.
Why Hire Professional Movers?
Hiring professional packers is money well spent
What price do you put on an easy and stress-free home move? Hiring a moving company might seem like an expense you could do without, but it is usually a smart, cost-effective decision. Here’s why:
Efficiency: Movers are trained to pack, lift, and transport efficiently and safely.
Safety: Heavy lifting can cause injuries. Professionals use proper techniques and equipment.
Safety: No driving an unfamiliar hire truck on unfamiliar roads
Packers: Hire packers, and you won’t be living amongst piles of boxes for weeks on end
No chaos: Have the movers unpack for you, and your new home will be up and running in hours
Time-saving: You’ll save hours (or days) of labor by letting movers handle the heavy lifting.
Less stress: A good moving team can take a huge burden off your shoulders on moving day.
You may also like to read: The Hazards of a Self-Move. If you are still unsure whether to hire movers, then the risks and hidden costs highlighted in this guide to a DIY move should convince you.
How Much do Movers Cost?
Save up to 40% on your upcoming move and get a quote from reputable moving experts.
Knowing your options allows you to make the right choices and save money, or make life easier for yourself, depending upon your priorities.
Full-Service Move
A full-service move is the most expensive option, but it means the moving company handles everything:
Packing your items
Disassembling furniture
Loading the truck
Transporting to your new home
Unloading and unpacking
Reassembling furniture
It’s ideal for:
Busy professionals
Seniors
Families with children
Long-distance moves
You may also like to read: Full Service Movers. In this guide, we explain in detail what full-service movers do, how much they cost, and how to pick a reputable company.
Labor-Only Move
A labor-only move means the movers just help with the physical work. You provide the truck or container (like U-Haul or PODS), and they:
Load and/or unload your belongings
May help with furniture assembly/disassembly
It’s ideal for:
DIY movers who just need muscle
Budget-conscious moves
In-building or short-distance relocations
You may also like to read: Labor-Only Moving Services. In this guide, we explain all you need to know about hiring labor-only movers.
What Services Do Movers Typically Offer?
Dismantling services is just one way in which movers will make your relocation so much easier
Packing and unpacking
Loading and unloading
Furniture disassembly and reassembly
Storage solutions
Specialty item handling (pianos, antiques, safes)
Moving supplies (boxes, tape, padding)
Vehicle transport
You may also like to read: How Much Does It Cost to Hire Packers? Packing is arguably one of the worst aspects of moving home, and most people would agree that hiring packers was the best money they spent during their move. Find out all you need to know about hiring professional packers and how much it costs on average in this guide.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire Movers?
The only way to get a truly accurate quote for your move is by getting an in-home survey from the moving company. Each home move is unique, but here are some ballpark figures to give you an idea of how much your move could cost.
Local Move (Under 50 Miles)
Average cost: $400–$1,000
Charged hourly: $100–$200 per hour for 2 movers and a truck
Moving labor typically costs $60-$80 per hour for 2 movers
Long-Distance Move (1000+ Miles)
Average cost: $2,000–$6,000+
Pricing depends on:
Distance
Weight/volume of belongings
Services (packing, storage, etc.)
Tip: Always get at least 3 written estimates so that you can compare prices and services.
You may also like to read: The Average Cost of Moving. This entire section of our home moving blog is dedicated to the cost of moving and how to reduce your moving expenses.
How to Avoid Moving Scams
Never sign or pay anything until you fully understand your moving contract
Scams in the moving industry do exist, but with due diligence, you will be safe. To protect yourself from scammers:
Get everything in writing, especially estimates, delivery windows, and the moving contract.
Thoroughly read and understand any paperwork you are given.
Never sign anything without reading it first.
Beware of large upfront deposits; reputable movers may request a small deposit, but never more than 25%.
Ensure a thorough inventory is carried out by the movers, and don’t change it (be sure of exactly what you want moved before they do the in-house survey)
Never pay in cash.
Verify licensing:
Interstate movers: Must be registered with the FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration). Check ProtectYourMove.gov.
You may also like to read: How to Avoid Moving Scams. This guide is dedicated to preventing being scammed by rogue movers and is essential reading.
How to Find Reputable Movers
Ask for recommendations from friends, neighbors, or your real estate agent.
Use trusted platforms like MoveAdvisor or Yelp
Check credentials and look for accreditations like:
ProMover
BBB A+ ratings
Look for transparent pricing and clear contracts.
You may also like to read: How to Choose a Moving Company. In this guide, you will find step-by-step instructions on how to choose the best mover for your relocation.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Hiring Movers
It is essential that an accurate in-home survey is completed
Choosing based only on the lowest price
Not asking about extra fees (stairs, long carry, supplies)
Failing to read the contract in full
Not confirming or understanding insurance coverage
Booking last-minute (especially during peak season: May–September)
Not getting an in-home survey done
You may also like to read: Questions to Ask a Moving Company. In this guide, we suggest 30 things that you might like to ask your movers to ensure that they are the best company to help you move home.
How to Save Money When Hiring Movers
Book early: You’ll get better rates and availability.
Declutter before you move: The fewer items, the lower the cost.
Move during the off-season: Winter or mid-week moves are often cheaper.
Beware of add-on charges so that you can avoid them.
You may also like to read: How to Negotiate with Movers. It is nearly always possible to get a better deal, so in this guide, we explain how you may be able to get a lower price for your home move.
Do I Need to Prepare Before Movers Arrive?
A safe and clear route to the moving truck is essential
Yes! Being prepared makes your move faster and cheaper.
How to Prep for Movers
Finish all the packing before the movers arrive (unless you’ve paid for full-service)
Label boxes by room and mark fragile items
Clear pathways and reserve elevators (if needed)
Ensure the moving truck can park as close to your front door as possible
Make arrangements for pets and kids
Take inventory/photos of high-value items
Unplug appliances and electronics
Give clear directions to your new home
You may also like to read: Things Your Movers Can’t Move. In this guide, we list the items that movers cannot move for health and safety reasons.
Should You Tip Movers?
If they have done a good job, then a tip shows your appreciation
Tipping is not mandatory but is greatly appreciated for good service.
Suggested Tip Amounts:
Local move: $5–$10 per mover per hour
Long-distance move: $50–$200 per mover total
Or 10–20% of the total bill, split among the crew
Give cash tips at the end of the move to the individual movers. Water or snacks are also appreciated!
You may also like to read: Should You Tip Movers? In this guide, we look at the subject of tipping movers in more detail, from how much to when you should tip your movers.
Bonus First-Time Moving Tips
Don’t pack important documents, meds, or valuables in the truck; keep them with you.
Consider packing an essentials box with a change of clothes, toiletries, chargers, etc.
Stay in contact with the driver during a long-distance move.
Ensure you understand insurance and valuation coverage for your belongings.
Always be available to answer any questions your movers may have
Finally, be sure to visit our home moving blog to discover guides that will make every aspect of your home move cheaper, easier, and safer.
I’m glad that you explain how hiring professional movers can be less expensive due to hidden costs, expenses, risks, and dangers that can occur if you try doing it yourself. When choosing a professional, you might want to figure out what services you’d like, such as packing and transporting your items to your destination. This could help as you research local movers so you can make sure the one you pick offers the services you want and they’re reliable in order to help you avoid any issues.
I appreciate your advice to hire a moving company if we are moving with items requiring special handling. My husband and I are moving to the coast to enjoy the warmer weather, but we have a lot of antique furniture and a grand piano. With you information that a moving company will have experience in getting antique furniture and pianos to the destination safely, we will start looking into one near us.
I finally found such a perfect list that too at a place, I am glad now I don’t need to search things anymore, this is really interesting one, else it would have been really hectic for me to keep searching for it.
Your advice to hire long distance movers if you’re going across the country or to another state so that you can get professional assistance is a good idea. This would be important to ensure that you have the help of professionals who have the right experience and equipment to ensure that everything is packed and safe while you travel. When choosing a company to hire, it might help to find long distance movers so they specialize in such situations to know the best assistance to provide for your situation.
One of the most important things to do is to make sure that your entire home is ready–having packed everything away into tiny little boxes even if you have professional movers that are going to be helping with the process it’s always best to get some of the work done and out of the way. Another thing to consider is that when the moving team does arrive on moving day, it’s important to keep communication between the team and yourself open so that no unwanted accidents or incidences happen. If I had the chance to work for a moving company I would want to make sure that everything is ready so that all we would have to do is to follow what they want us to do when it’s time to move their things out.
I love what you said about full-service moving and how it entails that you do no physical work or any kind of effort. Hiring a moving company is a great way to alleviate the stress that comes with a move. When my family moves this next summer, I’ll make sure to find a moving company that has been in business for a while.
I like the tip that you gave to compare the costs of different moving services before you decide on which one you want. My wife and I have been talking about moving to a new home, and it would be important that our moving crew is affordable. If we decide to move, I will be sure to look for a moving service after comparing costs.
Thanks for pointing out that holding a garage sail will reduce the number of items you have to move while also getting you some extra money. My husband and I will be moving to a larger home soon, so I’ve been looking for any tips that could help the move go smoothly. Your tip to have a garage sale should help things in a number of ways!
I like the tip that you gave to ask your family and friends if they know of a moving service who they would refer you to. My wife and I have been talking about moving in with her parents, and it would be important for us to know that we could trust in who we would choose to hire to help us move. If we decide to move, I will be sure to look for a moving service that is referred to us by family and friends.
My sister needs to move to another state because she accepted a scholarship grant. It was explained here that she should consider if she wants full-service movers to help her. Furthermore, it’s recommended to hire a professional out of state moving company for quality services.
I have a large-sized home that has a lot of stuff in it. As far as I know, I have some specialty items that need to be moved. Thanks for mentioning that I should hire a residential moving service if I don’t have enough time to plan and organize a move which is why acquiring help is the best option for me.
You said that it’s smart to hire movers if we have a lot of specialty items that need specific handling needs. I’ll look for a moving company to help me with disassembling my couch next month. I’m moving across town and need help with this.
I totally agree with you that you need professionals if you’re moving out of a big house. I can see that doing this can help you avoid having to move heavy stuff by yourself. Personally, I would want to compare several companies and their reviews before choosing movers.
I liked that you explained that one reason to hire movers when moving to a new home is to ensure safety for your fragile belongings. I would imagine that fragile items could be easily broken if you pack your things yourself. I would consider hiring a professional to help move my belongings safely.
I like the tip that you gave to choose a moving service that has a cost that will work for you. My wife and I have been talking about finding a moving service to help us if we decide to get help with moving this fall, and it would be important for us to know that we could find one who we could trust in. If we choose to find a moving service, I will be sure to look for one who has a cost that will work for us.
We always recommend prepacking all your stuff to prevent aded costs from the moving companies. Moving companies are notorious for this kind of upselling. So have everything already ready!
I like the tip that you gave to compare the costs of different moving services before you hire them. My wife and I have been talking about finding a moving service for if we decide to find a bigger home, and it would be important for us to know that we could get help at an affordable price. If we decide to move, I will be sure to compare moving costs before we choose who to hire, so we could get the best deal.
I’m planning on moving at the end of the month. As you said here, there are a fair amount of things that I don’t want to do. I’d for sure try to find a moving service quick and not wait until the last minute.
I like the tip that you gave to look for a moving service that has a good reputation. My wife and I have been talking about finding a moving service to help us if we decide to move this fall, and it would be important for us to know that we could rely on who we would choose to hire. If we decide to find a moving service, I will be sure to look for one that has a good reputation.
I liked that you mentioned it is recommended to hire a professional mover to move out large-sized homes. My brother will be moving to another city, and we are looking for advice. I will recommend him to hire a professional moving company to help him with his moving.
My favorite part of this article is where you talked about looking at the bigger picture when thinking about choosing to move everything yourself, or hire a moving company. I remember when I was leaving college for the first time, I moved everything myself, and even though I was moving closer to the college, I had a lot of things. One of the lamps that had been handed down to me from my Grandmother broke in the move. It was devastating. Thanks for helping me understand the importance of hiring a moving company to help pack and move delicate items because they are trained to treat everything carefully and make sure things are packed correctly.
It was helpful when you said that you should seek for recommendations. My sister is wanting to find a moving company to help with her as she moves to her new home. I’ll make sure to pass these tips along to her so she can know how to find a moving company.
I liked that you mentioned if you live in a house with too many household items to protect, pack, load, and transport, you need to call a moving company to help you. My husband and I will move to another house, and we are looking for advice. I will let him know about the benefits of hiring a moving company to ensure nothing gets damaged during our moving.
I love that you mentioned that it could be a good idea to get recommendations to help you choose a moving service. My wife and I have been talking about finding a moving service to help us bring all of our belongings to the home that we are going to buy, and it will be important for us to know that we could find one that will be a good hire. I will be sure to consider getting recommendations to help us choose the right one.
I hadn’t thought about negotiating the price with a moving company before hiring them, so I appreciate the tip that you gave to do so. My wife and I have been talking about finding a moving company to help us when we move, so we won’t have to do any of the heavy lifting because I have a bad back, and it will be important for us to get the best price on it. To help us with that, I will be sure to negotiate the price.
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I’m glad that you explain how hiring professional movers can be less expensive due to hidden costs, expenses, risks, and dangers that can occur if you try doing it yourself. When choosing a professional, you might want to figure out what services you’d like, such as packing and transporting your items to your destination. This could help as you research local movers so you can make sure the one you pick offers the services you want and they’re reliable in order to help you avoid any issues.
I appreciate your advice to hire a moving company if we are moving with items requiring special handling. My husband and I are moving to the coast to enjoy the warmer weather, but we have a lot of antique furniture and a grand piano. With you information that a moving company will have experience in getting antique furniture and pianos to the destination safely, we will start looking into one near us.
I finally found such a perfect list that too at a place, I am glad now I don’t need to search things anymore, this is really interesting one, else it would have been really hectic for me to keep searching for it.
Your advice to hire long distance movers if you’re going across the country or to another state so that you can get professional assistance is a good idea. This would be important to ensure that you have the help of professionals who have the right experience and equipment to ensure that everything is packed and safe while you travel. When choosing a company to hire, it might help to find long distance movers so they specialize in such situations to know the best assistance to provide for your situation.
One of the most important things to do is to make sure that your entire home is ready–having packed everything away into tiny little boxes even if you have professional movers that are going to be helping with the process it’s always best to get some of the work done and out of the way. Another thing to consider is that when the moving team does arrive on moving day, it’s important to keep communication between the team and yourself open so that no unwanted accidents or incidences happen. If I had the chance to work for a moving company I would want to make sure that everything is ready so that all we would have to do is to follow what they want us to do when it’s time to move their things out.
I love what you said about full-service moving and how it entails that you do no physical work or any kind of effort. Hiring a moving company is a great way to alleviate the stress that comes with a move. When my family moves this next summer, I’ll make sure to find a moving company that has been in business for a while.
I like the tip that you gave to compare the costs of different moving services before you decide on which one you want. My wife and I have been talking about moving to a new home, and it would be important that our moving crew is affordable. If we decide to move, I will be sure to look for a moving service after comparing costs.
Thanks for pointing out that holding a garage sail will reduce the number of items you have to move while also getting you some extra money. My husband and I will be moving to a larger home soon, so I’ve been looking for any tips that could help the move go smoothly. Your tip to have a garage sale should help things in a number of ways!
I like the tip that you gave to ask your family and friends if they know of a moving service who they would refer you to. My wife and I have been talking about moving in with her parents, and it would be important for us to know that we could trust in who we would choose to hire to help us move. If we decide to move, I will be sure to look for a moving service that is referred to us by family and friends.
My sister needs to move to another state because she accepted a scholarship grant. It was explained here that she should consider if she wants full-service movers to help her. Furthermore, it’s recommended to hire a professional out of state moving company for quality services.
I have a large-sized home that has a lot of stuff in it. As far as I know, I have some specialty items that need to be moved. Thanks for mentioning that I should hire a residential moving service if I don’t have enough time to plan and organize a move which is why acquiring help is the best option for me.
You said that it’s smart to hire movers if we have a lot of specialty items that need specific handling needs. I’ll look for a moving company to help me with disassembling my couch next month. I’m moving across town and need help with this.
I totally agree with you that you need professionals if you’re moving out of a big house. I can see that doing this can help you avoid having to move heavy stuff by yourself. Personally, I would want to compare several companies and their reviews before choosing movers.
I liked that you explained that one reason to hire movers when moving to a new home is to ensure safety for your fragile belongings. I would imagine that fragile items could be easily broken if you pack your things yourself. I would consider hiring a professional to help move my belongings safely.
I like the tip that you gave to choose a moving service that has a cost that will work for you. My wife and I have been talking about finding a moving service to help us if we decide to get help with moving this fall, and it would be important for us to know that we could find one who we could trust in. If we choose to find a moving service, I will be sure to look for one who has a cost that will work for us.
We always recommend prepacking all your stuff to prevent aded costs from the moving companies. Moving companies are notorious for this kind of upselling. So have everything already ready!
I like your moving advice. Our office is moving buildings. I think it would be helpful to hire a professional service to help with the move.
I like the tip that you gave to compare the costs of different moving services before you hire them. My wife and I have been talking about finding a moving service for if we decide to find a bigger home, and it would be important for us to know that we could get help at an affordable price. If we decide to move, I will be sure to compare moving costs before we choose who to hire, so we could get the best deal.
I’m planning on moving at the end of the month. As you said here, there are a fair amount of things that I don’t want to do. I’d for sure try to find a moving service quick and not wait until the last minute.
I like the tip that you gave to look for a moving service that has a good reputation. My wife and I have been talking about finding a moving service to help us if we decide to move this fall, and it would be important for us to know that we could rely on who we would choose to hire. If we decide to find a moving service, I will be sure to look for one that has a good reputation.
I liked that you mentioned it is recommended to hire a professional mover to move out large-sized homes. My brother will be moving to another city, and we are looking for advice. I will recommend him to hire a professional moving company to help him with his moving.
My favorite part of this article is where you talked about looking at the bigger picture when thinking about choosing to move everything yourself, or hire a moving company. I remember when I was leaving college for the first time, I moved everything myself, and even though I was moving closer to the college, I had a lot of things. One of the lamps that had been handed down to me from my Grandmother broke in the move. It was devastating. Thanks for helping me understand the importance of hiring a moving company to help pack and move delicate items because they are trained to treat everything carefully and make sure things are packed correctly.
It was helpful when you said that you should seek for recommendations. My sister is wanting to find a moving company to help with her as she moves to her new home. I’ll make sure to pass these tips along to her so she can know how to find a moving company.
I liked that you mentioned if you live in a house with too many household items to protect, pack, load, and transport, you need to call a moving company to help you. My husband and I will move to another house, and we are looking for advice. I will let him know about the benefits of hiring a moving company to ensure nothing gets damaged during our moving.
I love that you mentioned that it could be a good idea to get recommendations to help you choose a moving service. My wife and I have been talking about finding a moving service to help us bring all of our belongings to the home that we are going to buy, and it will be important for us to know that we could find one that will be a good hire. I will be sure to consider getting recommendations to help us choose the right one.
I hadn’t thought about negotiating the price with a moving company before hiring them, so I appreciate the tip that you gave to do so. My wife and I have been talking about finding a moving company to help us when we move, so we won’t have to do any of the heavy lifting because I have a bad back, and it will be important for us to get the best price on it. To help us with that, I will be sure to negotiate the price.