Explain hiring movers to me like I'm a juvenile

You didn't ask this directly, but I recommend getting personal referrals from friends or coworkers (or even neighbors) for movers. There are obviously tons of moving companies in the city, but you would ideally like to work with one who routinely does moves in your neighborhood(s) so that they're expert with parking rules, one way streets, etc. It might surprise you how many movers try to figure these things out as they go along (while you freak out wondering how it could take hours to drive a mile).

We have used movers for both long distance and local moving. I am sure there is a lot that is specific to NYC, though, so I'm only going to address the more general parts of your question. I have some furniture which I know is going to be annoying to get out of my current building. Am I on the hook for taking it apart and putting it together? Or will movers take care of getting it to a size they can move and put it together? This, like packing your stuff in boxes and other services, are on the list of options that a full-service moving company will offer -- it is up to you if you want the basic "show up and carry the stuff I have packed and ready" or a more luxurious "pack and prep my stuff while I relax." Obviously the second costs more, both because of the labor and because they are taking the liability of packing and handling. A more basic "two guys and a truck" operation probably won't offer the other services, so this is going to depend on who you are working with. - How much do you tip, and how do you tip them? Do you go around to each dude giving them cash, orrrrr...? I don't remember how much we tipped the movers last time, but we did it with cash directly to the dude in charge at the same time we paid the final bill, but in view of the other workers so they knew they had been tipped. Do I just hang out and watch them? I have a cat I know I need to move separately, would it be advisable to move her first or last? Each time we used movers, we packed and moved pets, prescription drugs, jewelry, firearms, and laptops ourselves (because I trust the movers, but I don't TRUST the movers); for a local move that is when you can head over to the new place to be there as they arrive. It is not a bad thing if there are two of you so someone can be at the old place to answer any questions, too, and it also depends on how much stuff you have (and how big their truck and crew are) and if there will be one trip or multiple trips to the new place. It also might be a nice idea to have the cat spend the day at a friend's place or at a cat day care because the movers will leave the door open and all the people and noise are stressful.

http://ask.metafilter.com/282642/Explain-it-like-Im-five-hiring-movers-to-unload-a-truck

I have hired local and long distance movers in NYC and Minneapolis. - How much is a reasonable price to pay? I've found some sites to get bids on, but I don't know what's to expect. This really depends on your location, how far you're going, and how much stuff you have. I've paid from a few hundred bucks to a few thousand. Get two or three bids to figure out what is reasonable and which company you like the best. Some of them allow you to enter in an estimated list of your stuff and some will come out to take an inventory in your home (we only did the latter for our long distance move). - How far in advance do I need to lock down my mover? Start calling now - you can hardly book too early if you're sure you're moving. - I have some furniture which I know is going to be annoying to get out of my current building. Am I on the hook for taking it apart and putting it together? Or will movers take care of getting it to a size they can move and put it together? Depends on who you hire and what level of service you buy. I did everything I could reasonably do myself (like take the bedframe apart) and gave instructions for things I couldn't do (turn the couches over and take the feet off). - How much do you tip, and how do you tip them? Do you go around to each dude giving them cash, orrrrr...? I tipped each guy separately, in cash, each time. The amount depended on what they did: take furniture apart/set up, just deliver stuff, did I have an elevator or did they have to go up a bunch of stairs, what was the weather like (once, it was a snowstorm, ugh). I also provided bottled water. - I have a cat I know I need to move separately, would it be advisable to move her first or last? Get the cat out of your apartment before the movers show up, or lock her in a room that they won't be going in. The movers will not be watching out for her and they will be propping doors open. Make it easier on everyone by having her reliably out of the way. Do I just hang out and watch them? I've done everything from actively helping out (not advised - that's why you're paying!) to cleaning the apartment I'm leaving to hanging out in the truck to keep an eye on my stuff. I would not sit and watch them work. - Any special things I should know about how to pack for movers? They will give you some guidelines, especially for electronics. Pack separately and move yourself anything that you are particularly attached to or need the first night in your new place. FYI, you are generally also responsible for any parking tickets that the truck racks up, although they try to find a legal parking space. Out of all the times I moved, I only got a ticket once, and it was worth it to have the truck double-parked so close to the front of the building.

You should try to schedule as early as possible during the day, ideally the first job of the day for the movers. As other moves can end up taking longer than the movers expected, it will avoid your having to wait hours beyond the scheduled time of arrival, or even have them not show up at all because the previous moves went long.

I can't help you with prices, as all the pro moves I've done have been across several states. But here are one guy's answers to the rest of your questions:Earlier is better, particularly if you absolutely need to move on a particular day, and particularly if you need to move near the turn of the month. I'd be making calls now.I've definitely had movers disassemble & reassemble furniture to make their job easier, without my even suggesting it. I think it's a normal part of the process.I usually tipped $10-$20 per person, depending on how annoying the job was. I gave the cash to the head of the crew at the end of the job. (In my cases, that meant a tip to the loaders and a tip to the unloaders a few days later.)The thing about packing is that there's always a little more to do; I always found last-minute things to pack as the movers were loading up. If you're more organized than I was, you could always start on cleaning the rooms of the old apartment as the movers finish with them.The cat will need to be kept out of the way of the movers. When I moved with a cat, I shut her in the bathroom during move-out and move-in; nothing much else needs to be moved into (or out of) there.Movers will stack boxes into higher towers than you thought imaginable. If there are boxes that should not be placed on the bottom of a stack, be sure to label them as fragile (though even that's not a guarantee.) If you're really flush with cash, some moving companies will pack for you as well; the bonus is that they're then liable for any breakage that occurs.

1 Get two or three bids from companies recommended by people who have utilized them in the past. 2 Make sure you understand what the agreement is regarding liability for damage...

Yeah, find a company that either is recommended by friends who have used them or is otherwise reputable. I got screwed over once by some movers who put everything on the truck and then told me it was a bigger job than I had explained over the phone (it wasn't) and they needed to charge me an extra few hundred bucks.

I've always boarded my cats for the actual moving day for the reasons NoraCharles states. I would actually say it's a really good idea if your cat is at all shy or nervous; I had a friend who didn't want to spend the $50 to board his and one of them actually suffered pretty severe health problems after, most likely from the stress (he had been perfectly healthy before). I moved recently (late April 2015) and was really happy with my mover, so if you want a rec, feel free to MeMail.