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Real Estate in Essex and Northern Middlesex Counties, Massachusetts

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A UHaul Move, A Good Experience

UHaul MoveI recently helped a friend make a semi long distance move.  My friend was moving a 4 room apartment into storage into a garage about 150 miles away.  We ultimately decided that doing a UHaul move would be the most economical choice, as my friend would shortly be moving again and would have to pay for two moves would be costly.

I started by getting quotes from various companies about doing the entire move.

Being a REALTOR, I called my go to movers, Bresnanhan’s Moving out of Plaistow NH.  I have personally used them and recommended them numerous times to my buyers and sellers.   Bresnahan’s quote was about $1200-1500 with out seeing the place.  Fairly reasonable and I knew I could count on them.

Than local mover to close to the starting point gave me a guaranteed quote of $1800 after filling out an extensive form of items.

Finally several national companies that contract local movers were contracted and I seemed to get quotes between $1200-1300.  I did not get the best feeling because I felt I was just dealing with a middleman.  I felt this was not the way to go.

The UHaul Move

Out of curiosity I called to see what a UHaul rental would be and received a quote for $139.00 for a two day truck rental for a 150 mile trip. Turning 50 this year, the thought of hauling furniture up and down stairs was too much .  I asked you UHaul if they had labor that could be hired for my UHaul move.  Luckily, they have a whole section of contacts to contracted labor on their website.   Though we did not use additional services you could hire people to pack as well as do a final clean!

Quotes started at $150 to $230 for two man labor crews for 2 hours.  We decided on a two man crew for 3 hours at $290.  At the final destination we were just offloading from the back of the truck into a garage.  We just recruited some friends and family members so we did not hire labor on the back end.

My Overall Experience of My UHaul Move

Eady move with UhaulMy overall experience was outstanding.  The truck was ready when it was supposed to be.  The on location person on site was very helpful.   From choosing the right truck size and knowing what else we may need their advice was spot on.  They recommended renting furniture pads and a dolly, which I did not think of myself.

On a side note, UHaul has every type of moving box imaginable.   The boxes are the cheapest I could find and they will allow you to return any unused boxes!

Much to my surprise the hired labor was outstanding!  2 men showed up, a few minutes late but we will call it on time.  They hustled.  More importantly they expertly packed the truck.  Nothing could move around as the items were packed so tight.  They were done in just over two hours, were polite and did their job.  We did not lift one finger at the starting point.

All said and done the UHaul move cost about $530, excluding packing supplies, but including labor, gas, insurance, and rental.  I definitely would consider UHaul again for a small move.

My UHaul Move Perspective as a REALTOR

As a REALTOR, who has watched many home buyers move, with many trying to save a buck by renting a truck and recruiting friends, I highly suggest hiring at least some of the labor.  These guys knew what they were doing and they were fast.  Items were packed perfectly in the truck and nothing was damaged.    Often I see self packed trucks either not packed efficiently so many trips need to be made or packed poorly and items fall over and get damaged.

Another thing I noted was that buying the boxes from UHaul, there was a uniformity to the boxes that made them very easy to pack into the truck.  U can pick up boxes at a location or order online.  A 1-2 bedroom packing kit includes 55 boxes and packing tape for about $125.00. It certainly beat trying to pull together all these oddball box sizes from dumpsters and local stores.

If you are trying to save money on a move consider renting a UHaul and  contracting some labor.  Often loading the truck can be difficult due to time constraints and you can save money on the back end having family and friends help with the unloading.  I did check the reviews from the contract help and they were marginal to good.  At the end of the day my experience was excellent, we didn’t break the bank or our backs.

 

 

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Home Buying Testimonials

"We were first time homebuyers and we immediately felt comfortable with Kevin and confident he'd help us find our first home. He never pressured us to look above the price range we gave him and he was patient with our many questions! In the end, he helped us find exactly what we were looking for. His knowledge & and experience with the entire process through closing helped put us at ease during what is a very stressful time."

"We were first time home buyers, and Kevin made it easy and painless. He has a great deal of experience, and helped us through each stage of the process. He was very responsive over the telephone and email, and very accommodating when setting up appointments."

" helpful in assisting my wife and I to understand the market available as well as helping us clarify our needs and desires. He never rushed or pressured us and provided good opportunities to review, and was tireless working on our behalf. His feed back as we looked (for a number of months) helped us further refine and detail our needs, desires, and interest. Always frank, and honest, while being respectful. Keven lead us through the path to our new home.. And then helped us to make realistic offers.. and to bring the price of the home down as well. I can't say enough good things about Kevin.... I have recommended him to several friends already, and will continue to do so in the future."

CONTACT ME

Kevin Vitali- Massachusetts Realtor Serving Essex County and Northern Middlesex County Massachusetts

KEVIN VITALI

978-360-0422
kevin@kevinvitali.com

Kevin Vitali- Massachusetts REALTOR
Real Broker MA, LLC
90 Canal Street
Boston, MA 02114
cell phone: (978) 360-0422
office phone: (855) 450-0442

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Massachusetts Real Estate

 

Real Estate Services in the following areas:
Northeast Massachusetts, Merrimack Valley, North Shore and Metrowest including the following communities and the surrounding area including
Amesbury, Andover, Billerica, Burlington, Chelmsford, Dracut. Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Lawrence, Littleton, Lowell, Melrose, Merrimac, Methuen, Middleton, Newbury, Newburyport, North Andover, North Reading, Reading, Salisbury, Stoneham, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, Wakefield, West Newbury, Westford

Disclaimer

No information on this website is to be construed as legal advice.  The information is either generalized or state-specific. If you are seeking information for legal purposes please consult an attorney.

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