Furniture Pads And Protective Plastic Wrap: Which Do You Need?
You've likely seen the pads and plastic that movers use to protect your furniture when they move everything from place to place. If you've got another move scheduled and are trying to lower the cost as much as possible, you may want to talk to the movers about the supplies they add on to their estimates. Sometimes these costs and supplies are included when they tell you how much the move might cost you, but other times, they can be extra, especially if you're working with smaller moving companies.
Is the Cost of the Wrap Included?
Moving companies vary in terms of which accessories are included in the moving cost they give you. This goes for both binding and non-binding estimates. The use of pads is often included because those are not things you keep; the moving company doesn't lose anything physical if they use pads to protect your items. However, they still have to clean the pads, especially if something spills or breaks during your move. For this reason, you always need to verify if pad use is included in the cost or if you'll be charged extra if you request that they use the pads.
Plastic wrap is a different story because you keep that. They don't unwrap your furniture and roll up the plastic to reuse at a later date. The wrap is similar to boxes that you get from the moving company; these are consumables, and it's very possible that if you want your furniture wrapped up, you'll have to pay extra.
Pads and Plastic Wrap Serve Different Purposes
First, you have to understand that pads and plastic wrap have different purposes. The pads are meant to prevent scratches and bumps that could cause the veneer to crack, and plastic wrap is meant to both keep dirt off the item and keep any drawers or doors closed as the movers wrestle with the piece. You can use both at the same time -- plastic wrap to protect against dirt and then pads to protect against dents -- but you can't substitute one for the other. So, if you need to cut down on costs and want to eliminate one of these, you need to identify which one is going to be more helpful for you. Keep that one and let the movers know you don't want the other one.
Plastic Wrap Can Be Left on in Storage
Remember that plastic wrap can be left on in storage; pads usually can't because they belong to the movers (and they don't seal the item against dirt, so they aren't that useful in storage anyway. If you're moving items into a storage unit instead of your home, you may want to choose plastic wrap so that the items are already protected against any dirt or dust they may come into contact with there.
When you get bids from the movers, verify which accessories and supplies are free with any move and which result in a higher cost to you. Try to get a binding estimate for long-distance moves, too, to avoid unexpected charges after the move is done.
To learn more, contact a moving company.