Boston Movers Blog

I was hesitant to use a moving service, but I had such a great experience with Marathon Movers that I would definitely use them again in a heartbeat. The movers were extremely polite, friendly, and efficient. Kudos to the whole team!

- Camilla Reteki

All moves are stressful, it really doesn’t matter how far you are going. You still have to disassemble one home and then assemble another, regardless of if it is a local move or across the state.

A local move is a move that begins and ends within the same state. The main difference is in the way these moves are priced. With Marathon Moving, a consultant will do an inventory of all of your belongings that you want to move.

After it is determined what you want to move, we will see what size truck you’ll need, how long it will take, and how many movers you will need. We will then provide to you a cost for your move which is tailored to your budget, you decide what services best suit your needs. Most local moves are based on an hourly rate. This is everything from start to finish. We know that since you are paying hourly, you want it done fast, but at Marathon Moving; you will not have to sacrifice speed for care.

For a quote on your local move, contact us.

You may have heard this about movers, some companies under bid and then hope to find a reason during the move to bump up the cost. Marathon won’t do this, they’ll give you the correct price up front. They’ve moved me twice into and out of storage and each time they did an excellent job. I have a very heavy and larger armoire and the previous company I used, Gentle Giant, brought a crane because it was too big to go up the stairs. I had a window taken out and they dangled it in to my bedroom.

When we moved out of that house to storage, Marathon had a crane scheduled to do the same. But on my move day, the foreman took a look at the situation, canceled the crane (saving me a bunch of money), had his guys dissemble the armoire and took it down the steps. On delivery from storage to my new house, he reassembled it in the new bedroom. I’m not sure many movers would have done that as it reduced their final bill a little.

They are excellent.

- Kevin G. Flannery

When we consult with people who are moving, we get a lot of questions and many of the same types of questions. But there is one we often get, that we have not yet addressed.

We often get questions about the movers, the actual men and women who go into your home and pack and move your belongings. Who are they? Do we trust them? How long have they worked for us? We hold all of our employees to the highest standards which has allowed Marathon Moving to maintain a company of moving professionals that provides outstanding service from start to finish.

At Marathon Moving, we don’t just hire anyone. Our movers are interviewed and checked out. We put a lot of faith and trust into the people we send into your home. We are comfortable and confident in the men and women we hire, and we want you to be as well.

For this reason we can provide you with references. You should ask all the moving companies you are considering for references. We are in charge of your personal possessions, the most important things in your life outside of your family, we take this very seriously. For information or references, contact Marathon Moving.

Full-service:  Hiring professional movers

Of all the moving strategies, hiring movers is usually the most expensive option. There’s a lot involved with this service. With a full-service move, professional movers do all the back-breaking labor and planning— loading, unloading, and driving —you can sit back and relax. Another option to the full-service move is to have them pack up your belongings and unpack them at your new place. This is very convenient and relaxing, for a higher price tag.

Mid-range:  packing yourself and having a moving company move your boxes and belongings

When you compare costs, packing yourself is the middle ground between an inexpensive do-it-yourself moving truck rental and a pricier full-service move.

This type of move can be really affordable because it offers some of the convenience of a full-service move, but still leaves you in charge of some of the labor. In this type of move, you pack your belongings. Then the moving company comes to your home with the moving truck. After the truck is loaded, the moving company picks up your belongings and moves it — across Massachusetts or across the country.

The price is based on distance and the size of the truck you need.

Budget option:  Packing yourself and renting a truck

Renting a moving truck is the cheapest option. Renting a truck puts you in charge of all the labor:  packing, loading, driving, and unloading. You also need to find others to help you with your move.

When you rent a moving truck, you pay based on the size of the truck.
For information on the type of move that would be best for you and your budget, contact Marathon Moving Company.

Many people opt to pack themselves in order to save money. Before you decide this type of move is the one for you, ask yourself a few questions first.

Make the reservations?
When you move yourself you need to manage the details. Make all of the necessary reservations. If you are packing and moving yourself, be sure to reserve the truck. And, be sure you reserve a truck that can fit all of your stuff.

If friends or family are helping you move and/or pack, be sure you have reserved their time as well.

Do you have what you need to pack?
So several weeks before the actual move, it is time to pack. Do you have your packing boxes and other supplies in order? You need all of the necessary packing tools in order before you begin to pack. Buy moving boxes from a local moving company. In addition to moving boxes, you’ll need packing materials to protect items inside the boxes. You might also purchase packing peanuts.

Be sure you have the right materials to pack fragile items like dishes and glassware. You need packing paper and the right moving boxes. For you other possessions, be sure to have on hand, mattress bags, bubble wrap and packing tape.
 
For packing materials, packing help and videos or assistance with your move, contact Marathon Moving.

You may be moving, and you are trying to decide if the new city and you will get along? Or perhaps you have moved to a new city, and now you are trying to figure out how to get to know it. Whether you are contemplating a move or have already made one, get to know the city and make your transition easier. Here are some tips for investigating cities.

Read about it

One of the simplest ways to get to know a city without visiting is to subscribe to local publications before you move . Many cities have homegrown magazines that highlight local happenings and give a sense of the community. If you are moving to a smaller town, look for a regional publication. Many of these are available online.

You could also subscribe to local newspapers and business journals and learn about the local politics or business. Also sign up for online newsletters. Look for specialty sites, such as blogs about cool restaurants, hip neighborhoods and the social scene.

Find Deals

Another way to discover what residents enjoy is to sign up for a discount service in the city. Groupon, LivingSocial and Scoutmob alert you to local deals that are valuable to residents. And, you can use these deals when you visit!

Visit

The best way to check out a city is to go there. If this is a local move or if you are moving across the country, If you are seriously considering relocating, spend more than a short vacation checking out the place. If possible, take a week and go hang out. Spend half day in each neighborhood that you are thinking about moving to. Walk around, eat at local restaurants and get a feel for the area. If you find a neighborhood you really like, visit it at  various times of day.
 
One you move, get involved

Once you move, get involved in local activities. Join a local club. Find clubs organized around books, wine, running, or whatever intrigues you. Become a member and pay attention to the types of events being hosted.
You might sign up to volunteer with groups who perform projects you are passionate about. Volunteering will help you network and make friends, which could lead to job opportunities or to finding folks to hang out with.
Have fun test-driving your new city! Pretty soon, you’ll be an expert.

Original article – Moving Today

Some of your New Year's Resolutions may include: Get in shape, spend less and … update your self storage space? Not a typical resolution, but assessing what you need for storage space and researching new storage options might get your new year off to a smart start.

Take a step back and look at your storage units. Get rid of items that you don’t need or use anymore. This may include items in your storage unit or at home, so block out some time to organize both locations.

At home, make some piles for trash, recycling and donations; make another pile for a storage unit. If you already have a storage unit, is there anything you should throw or give away that is stored there?.

After you have trimmed down your possessions, see what items need to go into storage. Since you have already cleared out extra space in your current storage unit, (if you have one) it will be easy to bring in the new goods.

Do you need to add a storage building to your plan? If you don’t have a storage facility, and have found you need one, create a storage budget and start researching storage companies.

It’s easy to forget about your storage unit since it is out of sight and out of mind. Make a resolution this year to assess your storage needs and start off fresh with the right storage space and budget. Contact Marathon Moving and Storage for more information on long and short term storage at our facility.

By visiting our web site's "About Us" page, you can learn the essence of why Marathon Moving Company, year in and year out, remains Boston's most trusted moving company.  However, we'll take just a moment in this blog post to get straight to the point.  We are a company based on integrity, trust and service.  We celebrate these traits, and so do our customers who selflessly refer us to family, friends, and acquaintances.   

Because our customers so generously refer us to others, steadily over the years we've been fortunate to reallocated almost our entire marketing budget toward employee education, training, and salaries.  This means the same face that moved you ten years ago will likely be the same face that moves you next month.  OK, maybe that face may sport a new wrinkle or two, but it will also represent up to 12 years of moving experience with our company.

The company has grown and new team members have been carefully vetted to ensure they had the desire to be the best. Holding employees new and old to the highest standards allowed Marathon to maintain a company of moving professionals that provides outstanding service from start to finish. Marathon chose to invest in its employees over advertising and starting in 2003 began removal of most advertising in favor of a strong benefits package for its employees. This decision was rewarded by our winning the 2004-2011 Super Service award from Angie’s List, the BBB Gold seal for excellence, and several other awards. The greatest testimony however would be in our customers. Marathon now completes 2000 moves a year with over 90% coming from repeat or referral sources.

When it comes to the critical (and often irreplaceable) value of your personal household goods, trust and professional skill of your moving company is of paramount importance.  On both fronts, your friends at Marathon Moving Company set the standard for Boston and New England moving companies.

For all of you who we are currently working with in preparation for January and February moves (and for those just now starting your move planning), your friends at Marathon Moving we want to remind you that you have some distinct advantages over all of you summer movers.  

Now be honest with yourself.  How many times while down there wrestling with Christmas decorations did you uncover stored items and conclude you absolutely have no to keep that stuff.  Old clothes you’ll never wear again, old or non-functional electronics, fragile and broken old furniture, etc.  You now have the time to lighten your load (think SAVE MONEY) on your upcoming move.  You also have time to donate to charity thus lightening your load and increasing your tax-deductible charitable contributions. Don't forget, we offer a host of moving tips out on our website.

You now have the time to size up your moving supply requirements  and get those things ordered, delivered, and have them ready for you when you're ready to go to work.    Of course if you choose not to deal with any of it, know that we understand and are ready to provide 100% of your packing services.