We all can agree that nothing beats the convenience of hiring professional movers to help with your house move with Truck Rental.
Despite the temptation to bring in a local moving company to ease the pressure associated with moving, however, some moves are not that big to justify hiring full-service movers. Unless, of course, a) the cost is nothing to you or b) you’re a handy type that loves a good DIY.
If you’re only moving a small amount of possessions, you might opt for an alternative such as using your own car or hiring a truck rental.
Moves You Can Handle with Truck Rental
Below are examples of small moves that you could easily pull off by opting to rent a personal moving truck (or van):
- Studio or one-bedroom apartment move
A move to a studio or one-bedroom apartment is typically considered a small one. That particularly goes for when you’re alone and don’t have much in possessions to transport or you plan to purchase things like furniture post-move.
In that case, this should only take a couple of boxes worth of possessions, so a small truck or cargo van should suffice.
- Local move within the same neighborhood
Another type of move that may make sense to hire a truck or van and move DIY is when your move does not involve swapping neighborhoods. For instance, when moving down the street or to a different corner in your neck of the woods.
A truck rental in this instance makes sense because 1). It saves you expensive moving costs and 2). It can help you accomplish the move in one swoop as you don’t have to move your items in separate stages.
- College moving
The amount of possessions we have with us when moving to college are negligible. So much so that hiring a professional mover doesn’t make much sense.
If you’re not using your car, a small truck rental is an excellent alternative to consider.
- Moving specialty items
Sometimes, we might only be looking to move one or a few sensitive items as opposed to undertaking a full scale move. Examples of such items include valuable artwork, an appliance, a piano, bathtub, pool table, you name it.
There are moving companies that specialize in moving these items, but if you prefer handling the move yourself, a truck rental is a good option.
How to Handle the Move
When you’re handling a small move and do decide that renting a moving truck makes sense, there are a few key considerations you need to make.
- Research personal moving truck sizes
Moving trucks come in different sizes, often measured by the length of their cargo hold. Typically, this ranges from 10 to 26 feet, with options in between.
Rent a truck depending on the amount of possessions you’ll be moving. In the case of the small moves that we’ve highlighted above, a 12-foot truck rental (12 ft. long by 6 ft. wide) should suffice.
However, do an analysis of the amount of items you’ll be moving before hiring the truck. Underestimating the vehicle size will only make the job either inconveniencing or harder for you. Probably both.
- Rent a truck you can drive
In addition to selecting the ideal vehicle size suited to the scope of your move, you also want to hire a truck that you can safely handle.
Hop on the driver’s seat to get a feel of the truck first before signing the rental agreement.
Many modern truck rentals come with automatic transmissions, but just double-check in advance to be sure. As well, it’s a good idea to practice a bit if you’ve rented a larger truck to get comfortable with the maneuverability first. An empty parking lot or any secluded area should do.
- Don’t forget the moving equipment
In addition to renting the truck, also consider if there are any moving equipment or tools you’ll need during the move – a moving dolly, for example, loading ramp etc.
Most truck rental companies offer these at a small extra fee, so take time to analyze your move first and the items involved so you can rent everything at once.
- Get the right moving insurance
If you’re moving sensitive items like the specialty items we listed above, you might want to purchase additional insurance cover since any moving coverage you may be getting from the truck rental company won’t likely be covering that kind of liability.
Nor will your personal auto insurer be covering the moving truck.
Doing so should provide some needed peace of mind.
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