You may think all moves are created equal, but they are not. While on the most basic level, residential and commercial moves are similar, there are some key differences between the two. Here’s what to know when you need to hire one or the other.
Residential Movers
Moving from one home to the other is stressful. You have a lot to think about, from organizing and purging to packing and transporting. A full-service mover can handle many of those tasks for you so you can concentrate on more important things. If you hire them for packing, they will bring all the materials and supplies required, pack up each room, and even disassemble your furniture.
On the other end, they will unpack everything in the right rooms and re-assemble all your furniture. They will even haul away all the used packing materials so you don’t have to worry about disposing of them.
In any residential move, your biggest task is deciding when you should move and then coordinating your family’s schedule to make sure it gets done on time. This process is made easier if you have the advantage of time. If it’s a last-minute relocation, the rush can be overwhelming.
Commercial Movers
The basic premise is the same here – you hire movers to get your stuff from point A to point B. But there’s a lot going on in between that necessitates the hiring of a commercial moving company.
Commercial movers specialize in moving offices, corporate locations, factories, retail spaces and warehouses. The planning of a commercial move is done on a much more intense level and requires a lot of attention to logistics to ensure it goes off without a hitch.
Here’s why commercial moves are so unique:
Planning
Planning is key here, as you will have to schedule the bulk of the move outside of business hours. You also have to give your employees plenty of time to prep themselves for the move, organize their departments and start packing. If the move is far enough away that your employees will have to relocate their homes, even more time is needed so they can notify their families, begin the house hunt, and close on a house – all by the time the move takes place.
There’s also a lot more equipment and manpower required for a commercial move. The exact items you will need help with will depend on what kind of business you have, but you’ll likely have heavy items that require hand trucks, dollies and even forklifts, says Unpakt. These are all necessary to move your machinery, furniture, cubby walls, desks, chairs, computer systems, appliances, and more.
Unlike residential movers, you will find that commercial movers may offer 24/7 availability, or at least after-hours and weekend hours to accommodate businesses that can’t afford to close their doors for several days while they move.
Sensitive Items
When moving your house, it’s relatively easy to keep the important stuff with you, such as money, passports, documents, birth certificates, and electronic devices. You can take those things with you in the car and the residential movers don’t have to touch them.
But as a business owner, you don’t have that luxury. Employee documents, financial records and more must be stored in locked filing cabinets. Even digitized documents stored on servers and hard drives still require the safe and confidential shifting of technology.
Data protection laws are designed to protect sensitive data at all times – even during a move.
Electronics
Residential movers know how to secure and relocate fragile electronics such as flat screen TVs, computers, and appliances. It only takes a couple of movers to get these items loaded onto the truck.
But with a commercial move, you likely have a lot more electronics to deal with, such as computers, monitors, servers, printers, copiers, and your whole IT department. You may also need to have some vending machines, coffee machines, and refrigerators moved.
Your commercial mover will bring all the proper equipment to ensure all these items can be moved safely and efficiently.
Heavy Lifting
Sectionals, sofas, pool tables, artwork, antiques, and pianos are bulky items that need some extra muscle to move – whether as part of a residential or a commercial move.
Many businesses have large machinery and product inventory to move that takes more than the standard amount of manpower. Commercial movers will bring special equipment backed by a unique skill set to get all those large items moved.
In the end, hiring the appropriate type of mover for your home or business move is critical.
Contact Around the Block Moving Company
If you need a free quote on a residential move or a commercial move in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, call us at (214) 433-6734. We specialize in both types of moves for your peace of mind.
