This guide is designed to help save you some time and let you know what you should look for when moving to a new place.

At Liffey Van Lines, we've pulled together some of the things to consider when you are choosing who trust with your stuff.

Alright, alright - we might be a little biased, but we've built up 45 years and thousands upon thousands of moves across the five boroughs.

We'll try and keep it brief and not blow our own trumpet too loudly...

Speak to someone - and trust your gut

When you are booking movers in New York, we find that the personal touch is really important. You don't want to feel like the Impractical Jokers are going to show up and be throwing your precious belongings to each other.

No matter what happens, discussions with movers should be a two-way conversation.

No-one responds well to being told what to do, particularly at a time that can be as stressful and time-consuming as moving house.

Make a list of the things that are on your mind. You might be concerned about the locations of the place you are moving to and from; you may have fragile objects that you want to make the company aware of beforehand.

Any movers in New York worth their salt will have a customer service line that knows the ins and outs of what moving in NYC means. But the best indicator, in our experience, is trusting your gut instinct. If the person you are speaking to is answering your questions fully and putting your mind at ease, that is a very good sign.

Oh, and Liffey Van Lines are recommended highly recommended on Google and Yelp for customer service among movers in New York.

#JustSayin.

Find a mover that suits your budget

There is no hard and fast rule here. The fact is that movers in New York have - literally - made it their business to move people around the city.

However, that doesn't mean that you should let them dictate a price that is wildly out of budget just because they have experience under their belt.

Beware of a one-size-fits-all pricing policy that charges people the same for 10 boxes as it does 100.

Ask them if they have any hidden charges, like charging more for an apartment move that is three flights up.

Equally, checking out whether how they will handle bulky and fragile items will give you peace of mind from the outset.

Our easy plug-in will get you a quote quickly. Simply tell us where you are, where you are moving to - and when. You can find that here.

Book movers in New York as early as you can

Even during 2020 and early 2021, when the pandemic was rife, movers in New York were among the busiest they have ever been.

However, while there is no one rule on how far in advance to book, the more notice that you can give your mover, the better.

Ultimately, your move should be as stress-free as possible. If you wanted to become the stereotype of the frazzled mover in the baking summer heat, you wouldn't be reading this!

So try and speak to someone about booking as soon as your moving date is confirmed. Also, shopping around is crucial.

Our prices are competitive because we know that we stand behind our service, but let us know if there are services you do and don't need, and we can factor that in.

Why not give us a call and see what we can do?

Picture the scene, your move is almost complete, the foreman is just wrapping up your move and finalizing the paperwork. You begin to wonder how much you need to tip your movers! In our experience, your movers would never expect more than 5-20% as a tip for a local residential move.

For example, for three movers working on a $4,000 move, a $150-$200 tip split between the crew would be more than sufficient. They may not even expect anything at all! So it's a good way to make someone's day!

If your crew worked for a grueling 4 days straight around the clock. packing, wrapping, hauling and loading up the truck for your move to Arizona, then the movers would massively appreciate a tip.

In saying this, it is totally discretionary - we know moving needs to be done on a tight budget and nobody wants to overspend.

Tipping movers: do you need to do it?

Let's see: is tipping movers really necessary if they get paid by the company anyway?

If your movers have shown up on time, in uniform and worked hard and fast throughout your move. Coupled with a positive, obliging, helpful attitude, without incurring a single speck of damage after hauling your items up and down flights of stairs. And then transporting across the city. Tipping movers, in that instance, would be a good way to way to show your gratitude.

Your movers will be so thankful if you gave them a little extra for the work they have done. Tips can be given directly to the foreman of the crew. He will then split evenly among the movers, or you can pass out tips individually.

Like any occupation in the service-industry, movers are appreciative when they get a little extra for the back-breaking work they endure each day. Their professionalism and efficiency should be the main driving force behind your decision to tip your movers.

What if you feel like not tipping movers?

We've all heard a moving horror story. You know one where items have disappeared or where a 200-year-old painting got crushed in the back of the truck. These would be clear no-tip situations, if you had a poor experience in general with a move.

Where the unlikely scenario of your movers turning up late, rude, and careless, then it would be acceptable to not tip.

In saying this, you should always vet and background check a moving company based on their credibility and past reviews. A top moving company, such as Liffey Van Lines, that prides themselves on a seamless customer experience like ourselves would be a safe bet for a top notch move.

So, do you really need to tip your movers?

Moving is tough, physical work. While our movers do get a salary, they do work, on average between 10 and 14-hour shifts every single day. They carry out each move with the utmost professionalism and care as they move you from A to B!

Tipping movers would be a great way to reward a job well done, anything is a bonus, be it a cash tip or buying lunch for the movers, it is absolutely discretionary.

As always, get in touch to arrange your next move, we'd be happy to accommodate, whether you're moving locally, long distance or you're moving your office, give us a call on (212) 410 3500!