How Long Does the Average Move Take?

Between planning, packing, and transporting inventory, some moves can take several weeks. But, when it comes to the actual moving day, how long does it really take to get all those boxes out the door and onto the truck (and back off again)? For a deeper dive into factors that affect move times, as well as the average times based on square footage, read on. 

What Factors Affect Time Taken To Move?

Do You Need To Help With Packing? 

If you arrive at a job and several things still need to be packed, this can add significant time to the move. 

To minimize the impact of this, reach out to the customer before the move to make sure they are on track to have everything ready to go on move day. If they need some extra guidance, this list of packing tips will make the process as smooth as possible.

Oncue can help with this by sending your customers an automated reminder email (including any packing tips!). 

How Much Inventory Is Being Moved?

In advance of a job, make sure to collect an approximate inventory of a customer’s belongings. This can help you decide how many crew members to bring as well as plan how best to load the truck. 

Additionally, it will give you a rough idea of how long the move will take. If a customer has a lot of boxes, furniture, and other items, the move will obviously take longer. With Oncue, you can capture, store, and save inventory electronically to make the move day easier (contact us here to find out more). 

How Accessible Is The Home?

There are several questions to consider when it comes to how long it takes to transport boxes from the property to your truck. 

1. Is there an elevator? If so, how big is it? A smaller elevator means more trips, and more time. 
2. If there isn’t an elevator, how many flights of stairs will your crew have to climb? 
3. Is there parking out front? If not, how far away will the truck be parked from the building’s entrance? 

An apartment on a fifth floor walk-up with no easy parking outside will have a significantly different move time to a suburban house with an elevator and driveway. It’s important to ask these questions in advance so you can accurately approximate how long the move will take. 

How Big Is Your Crew?

It goes without saying that a bigger crew means a quicker move. Many hands make light work, after all. If you know you’re moving a four bedroom home or a customer with a lot of heavy belongings, assigning a crew of three or more movers will make the process go quicker. 

What Are The Average Move Times Per Square Foot?

While all the above factors are important in developing a precise quote, a quick way to approximate the length of the move is by looking at square footage. With that in mind, here are the averages: 

** numbers of crew members increases with the square footage

The better you understand the factors that go into move times, from square footage to accessibility, the better you can prepare your customers and your crew for the big day!