How Long Does It Take to Move?

If you’re POTUS, that’s a straightforward question to answer, since it’s been reported that it takes approximately 95 workers to labor for precisely 5 hours to move one First Family out of the White House every four or eight years on Inauguration Day (aka Moving Day) and another First Family in, with time to spare in between for any painting or repairs needed.

But for the rest of us who don’t happen to be the Leader of the Free World? The time can vary, depending primarily on three factors.

  1. LENGTH OF LOADING

Some people own a little stuff, some people own A LOT of stuff! Needless to say, volume is a factor in estimating how much time to block off for your move, but to get it done right, two things matter most: (1) choosing the appropriately sized moving truck and (2) knowing how to load it most efficiently. If space is underestimated, that can slow everything down as you scramble to find another vehicle or to make multiple trips you weren’t planning on. And if items aren’t loaded properly—if they’re tipping over, if the weight on bottom can’t support the weight on top, if items start rubbing up against each other damaging your valuables—then taking everything out just to bring it back in will turn very frustrating very quickly, eating up valuable time.

  1. DISTANCE OF MOVE

Obviously, driving the truck farther away will take more time than local moves. If you’re going the DIY route to your relocation, though, and try to save a little money by renting a smaller truck to take several trips, you might want to reconsider. Your plan can easily backfire, for any money you save will surely be sucked up in the time expense it takes to repeat the same steps multiple times throughout the day. Not only will you spend more on gas, but you’ll have to switch gears multiple times: loading at the old place and unloading at the new place over and over, driving back and forth and dealing with any traffic or delays you may encounter (not to mention exposing yourself to possible vehicle trouble/accidents more than only one time), spending precious daylight hours in transit, locking up the houses each time, making sure family members are where they’re supposed to be, vacuuming only half the house because the other half is still stacked with boxes … a lot of little details like that that people forget about when they think it’ll be fine to just “take a few trips.” Multiple trips will wear you down faster than just doing it all at once.

  1. AMOUNT OF SUPPORT

This is by far the most important variable when determining how long it will take you to move. Whether you’ve hired a company to move you or whether it’s going to be a group effort among your family and friends, the more support you have—the more hands on deck—the faster the job will go. Much faster. Four arms and four legs get tired much more quickly than ten arms and ten legs. (That’s why the White House hires 95 workers for 5 hours instead of 5 workers for 95 hours!)

You won’t need that many movers to manage your relocation for you, but a professional moving company will surely assign the right number of team members, give you a firm estimate of start time and end time, and make sure that your move goes off as swiftly and efficiently as possible.

Call us today for a free estimate.

BB&D Moving Services
301-57-5447 (MD)  |   571-375-2826 (VA)  |  786-390-4040 (FL)  |  bbdmoving.com/