You’ve found a home. You’ve started packing up. You’ve realized that hiring a moving company is the best approach to getting you to your new home. That’s a great start!
Then, you start to think about the practical details. How much will it cost? How long will it take? And how many movers will you need to help you get there?
Thankfully, a professional moving company will lend their expertise and help you find the right crew for the job. That said, it’s great to be prepared with your understanding of what it will take. We’ve put together a handy guide to estimate how many movers you may need on your side.
Tips to Estimate the Moving team
General Estimates
Let’s start with a general idea. While this is a high-level estimate and doesn’t take your specific details into account (more on that later), it will give you a rough idea. Let’s look at different spaces and how many movers, on average, you may need.
Studio Apartment
If you have a studio apartment of around 400-600 square feet, you will need 2 movers for the job. For loading and unloading, this will take, on average, 3-4 hours.
1-2 Bedroom Apartment
If your apartment is 1-2 bedrooms and between 700-1,200 square feet, estimate 2 movers for 4-5 hours.
2-3 Bedroom Home
If your home is 2-3 bedrooms and 1,100-1,600 square feet, you’ll need 3 movers for 5-7 hours on average.
3-4 Bedroom Home
A 3-4 bedroom home between 1,500-2,200 square feet will need, on average, 3 movers for 7-9 hours.
4+ Bedroom Home
If you’re moving from a home that is 2,000-3,000 square feet, you’ll need 4 movers and 7-to 10 hours to get there.
Factors to Consider
Of course, there are other details involved in determining the number of movers you’ll need. Each move is unique and has several variables such as the amount of stuff, the items that need special care, and how easy or complex the entry to your old or new home is.
How Much Stuff You Have
Movers calculate the details of your relocation primarily by how much stuff you have. Local movers will charge based on the number of movers and number of hours and your belongings have a big effect on that equation. Long-distance movers have a different calculation, looking at the weight of your overall load and the distance you’ll travel. Either way, how much you have is a crucial factor.
That’s why we recommend downsizing before moving. Not only to save you time (and potentially, manpower) but to save you packing and unpacking boxes of items you don’t use. Give yourself time to go through your items and donate, sell, or throw items you haven’t seen or used in a while. Trust us, future you will thank you when it’s time to unpack.
What Items Need Extra Care
If you have large, awkward, or antique items to move, they’ll likely require some extra hands. Particularly things such as a pool table, piano, hot tub, large artwork, or antique furniture. Also included are appliances like your dishwasher, refrigerator, washing machine, etc. Have large furniture that’s too heavy to carry or too awkward to easily manoeuver out of your home? A large fish tank? You may need extra movers.
Not only will you need extra hands but you’ll need hands with expertise. Don’t assume you can just lend a hand yourself when your movers arrive. Of course, when you’re discussing your move with a professional moving company, they’ll add all of these items to their plan and will understand how many people to bring on the day.
Do You Have Extra Help?
While you won’t be the one helping the moving company haul your life-sized replica of the Venus de Milo, you can still benefit from help in other places. If you have some favors you can call in, you could do some pre-planning that may save you on the day.
Disassembling furniture and arranging all of your boxes in a single place can help your movers with the work of, well, moving. It can be good to have a friend on hand when the day comes but be aware that professional movers get into a flow and are typically more efficient – that’s why you hire them! They’re also insured and have the equipment required to ensure your items are moved safely while also taking care of their physical health.
Entry and Exit Details
Perhaps you’ve lived in your place so long, that it doesn’t register that your entry adds a bit of complication to the moving process. Particularly when it comes to moving furniture and large pieces. If you have a complicated exit to your old home or entry to the new one, you may need more people to move.
Consider factors such as stairwells, the number of flights of stairs, elevators, and paths to and from your building. Narrow hallways or doorways, and tight or awkward corners are also a factor. Inaccessible parking? This will not only add time but potentially the number of movers as they’ll need to carry your things a further distance.
Additional Services
Your movers can do more than just move your things. They can also handle your packing and unpacking for you. This may require more manpower but will help you get the job done swiftly.
Full-service movers will arrive with all of the packing materials you need and pack everything expertly. They’ll disassemble your furniture and load everything carefully in the truck. On the other side, they’ll reassemble your furniture and unpack all of your boxes, taking the packing materials away with them.