Did You Know Local Movers Offer Packing Services and Supplies?
When you’re preparing to move locally, you may be weighing your options when it comes to hiring a moving company to take your belongings from Point A to Point B, or even just whether you need to buy a lot of packing supplies. While it can be tempting to just pile loads of items into your backseat and go back and forth all day (or all week, depending on how much you have), that’s not the most practical way to accomplish your move.
The fact is, you and everyone else in your family will greatly appreciate stepping into your new home with all of your belongings neatly organized in labeled boxes, no matter how short the distance traveled. But did you know that the local moving company you’ve been considering hiring probably offers packing services, too?
Tips For a Local Move: Finding Your Packing Supplies
Obviously the most important packing supply you need is boxes, preferably sturdy ones in good condition with strong bottoms and the ability to close or cover the box. But you also need protection, like bubble wrap or old newspapers, to wrap delicate items before putting them into the boxes; packing tape to seal your boxes; and markers to label your boxes as you go.
But getting the packing supplies you need to prepare for your local movers doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive!
Here are some places to check for packing supplies.
Check Your Own House First
You would be surprised at how many people acquire a ton of boxes for their move, only to find a stash of broken-down boxes tucked neatly away in a corner of their basement or attic from when they moved in, in the first place, or boxes from online deliveries they’ve been saving up for recycling.
Ask Friends and Coworkers
If you’ve checked through your own house and come up short, the next step is asking your friends and coworkers. You never know who may have moving supplies leftover from their own recent moves, and chances are they would be happy to get them out of their own space and give them a useful new life!
Check Your Local Buy Nothing Group
In the event your friends and coworkers don’t have enough boxes to cover you, it’s a great idea to check your local Buy Nothing community on social media to see if anyone in your neighborhood has anything they can give. The Buy Nothing groups are amazing for expanding your network a little and saving money on a lot of different items, packing materials included.
Hit Up Your Local Grocery Store
While you shouldn’t be snooping around behind your local grocery store ready to snatch discarded boxes, you should absolutely just go inside and ask! A lot of local supermarkets have a ton of good quality, large boxes that they don’t need and would be happy to give you for free. Boxes from your supermarket may be less likely to come with covers, but you could always wrap these boxes in plastic wrap after you pack them, which works just fine for a local move.
Ask Your Moving Company
If you’re planning to use a local mover, it’s very likely they have high quality boxes and other packing supplies they can offer you. This can be especially helpful if you’re looking for a very specific type of box for your packing needs, or if you know your relocation will be temporary and want to have a set of quality boxes that you know will hold all of your stuff for the next time. Just ask your mover what they offer!
Where to Buy Packing Supplies
If all else fails and you can’t find any quality boxes and other supplies, most well-known big box stores (no pun intended) sell moving supplies for reasonably affordable prices. You can typically find things like bubble wrap, tape, markers, and a few different sizes of boxes at one of these chains.
Consider Local Movers For Packing Services
If none of those options for finding packing supplies sounds good to you, it might just be that you’re not a fan of packing at all! If that’s the case, you’d be in good company. More and more people are choosing the easy route of having their local movers perform packing services. These services can encompass a variety of different levels of packing help, so be sure to find out exactly what you’re signing up for.
Enjoy Premium Services from Local Movers
Now you’re prepared to implement our packing material tips for a local move. Reach out to local movers in your area for a free, accurate estimate, and be sure to ask about packing services.