“An entire moving guide just for people with allergies? Isn’t that a little… niche?” Yeah, sure, but we think everyone deserves a shot at a pain-free move. Including you folks out there who are sniffling, sneezing, coughing and wheezing your way through the booking process.
At Moving APT, we’ve been helping our customers move for over 20 years. We’ve seen a lot of crazy stuff over those two decades, but watching folks bravely try to DIY while they’re waylaid by a spot of the ol’ hay fever is never a pretty sight. If this sounds like you, you’re in luck: We built this guide for your own good.
Seasonally congested? Incredibly dust and dander-averse? Read on to make your move easy on the allergies, and easier than ever.
Here’s Why It Sucks to Move When You’ve Got Allergies
Moving with allergies isn’t just inconvenient. It’s something that warrants thinking about far in advance, especially if you’re the type of person who gets bedridden or otherwise completely laid-out during allergy season.
There are two types of allergies that can really disrupt your move.
1. Dust, pollen, and dander allergies
When you’re packing up all your stuff (or moving in to a new place), guess what’s getting kicked up into the atmosphere? Tons of dust, and all the other allergens it can carry. This is going to make packing pretty unpleasant.
2. Seasonal allergies
If you’re loading up a truck and trying to DIY as much as you can, you’re still going to have to march outside with all those boxes. If it’s allergy season, those few moments outside can trigger some nasty allergic responses.
Whatever the trigger, you’re going to be dealing with runny noses, itchy eyes, hot flashes, and that crappy “I just swallowed a paperclip” feeling in the back of your throat. This is bad enough when it keeps you from hanging out with your friends outside. It gets even worse when you actually have to do something.
Moving takes a lot of cleaning up. It also takes a lot of packing. All of this activity can kick up a bunch of dust and dust mites, which had otherwise been lying dormant and relatively harmless.
And when you have to carry all of your belongings outside and into the truck, that’s a one-two punch of both flavors of allergies.
By the time you finish sneezing from the dust, you’ll be breathing in all that ragweed pollen in the great outdoors. Time for another attack.
Seasonal allergies require their own planning, and so do those other allergies to dust and dander. Let’s keep both these triggers in mind as we move through this guide.
Preventative Measures: Save Your Sinuses with Some Prep
Fortunately (if you can call if “fortunate” at all) there’s a sort of dependability about allergies. It’s like knowing you’re going to get sick. This means you can take care of some preparation ahead of time to make moving with allergies a little less painful.
- Mask up. Remember COVID times? Yeah, us too. If you’ve still got a few N95s left over someplace, you may want to use one of those when you’re digging through all your stuff – especially when you’re packing up that one room you never spend time in.
- Clean beforehand. Most people don’t realize this, but there’s a huge amount of tidying up before you actually get moving. Take this time to dust, vacuum, and toss out any old, unused, and unsellable items. Besides, it means less crap to move on the big day.
- Dust off your boxes. If you’re DIYing your packing, make sure you dust off your boxes before you start packing them. Ideally, you’d use new packing supplies. In any case, make sure you give everything a good wipe-down beforehand.
- Use a staging area. If you’ve got seasonal allergies, the great outdoors is your greatest enemy. Before you load the truck, try to put your items in one corner or spare bedroom. Nothing collects pollen by sitting outside, and you’ll minimize time spent outside, too!
- Schedule smart. True, some people don’t have the luxury of a flexible schedule, but if it’s at all possible, try to book your move outside of allergy season. Spring is usually pretty affordable for moving, but for you, that means an extra cost in terms of health.
- Book the pros. Finally, we’ve got the nuclear option. Book professional movers to do the packing, transporting, and even junk removing. This means you’re totally hands-off the whole time. It sounds expensive, but with some smart shopping, it’s actually not bad!
A Brief Step-by-Step Guide to Moving - With or Without Allergies
There’s plenty you can do to avoid having an allergy attack on moving day, but the basic structure of a move is pretty much always the same. Here are your main steps you’ll have to take before your move.
1. Downsize
The more stuff you have to move, the more stuff you’ll have to pay. When you get rid of your old, unwanted items, you’re making moving day easier and cheaper. Just make sure you do this step ASAP so those old items don’t appear on the moving quote!
2. Make an inventory list
Once you’ve trimmed the fat, it’s time to make an inventory list. You don’t need to include literally every single item you own, but you should include everything that takes two people to carry. This list will help when you shop for quotes.
3. Think about your services.
What special services will you need? Some people want to DIY as much as possible, and some people want some extra help with packing, loading, or hauling. Think about it realistically, and remember each service costs extra.
4. Shop for movers
Weirdly enough, shopping for moving companies shouldn’t be your first step. You should only start searching once you know how much you’re hauling, and the exact services you want. This will narrow down your options.
5. Compare quotes
We always recommend getting multiple quotes to compare prices. This does two things. One, you get a better idea of “industry standard” pricing. And two, it helps you weed out any scammers. If a price looks too good to be true, it could be a trap.
6. Book
You’ve done your homework, you’ve done your downsizing, and you’ve narrowed down your potential moving companies. Now, it’s time to book your movers. Make sure you get a binding quote/binding estimate so they can’t adjust the price afterwards!
7. Prepare for the move
Packing, paperwork, and partying. Depending on the level of service you’ve booked, you’ll have to do some of your own packing. You’ll also need to finish up the paperwork (transferring utilities, etc.) before hosting your goodbye party.
8. Moving day
This is zero hour. When it’s finally time to move, get a good night’s rest before the movers show up. Don’t forget to stay hydrated and well-fed. It helps to schedule breaks after mini-milestones, like loading up major items.
9. Post-moving
Once the transport’s taken care of, you’ve still got a bit of work to do. Items need to be cleared out of storage, and furniture needs to be reassembled and rearranged. Fortunately, some moving companies can handle this, too.
Book These Moving Services for an Allergy-Free Move
You can make your move way easier if you pick and choose the right services. And if you’ve got horrible allergies, some of these services may be real life-savers. We don’t want to seem too salesy, but with our à la carte moving services, you can pick and choose the exact add-ons you want for a custom-tailored relocation.
1. Full Service Moving
Full service moving means your movers take care of everything. Packing, wrapping, loading and transporting – it’s all included.
If you’ve got bad allergies (seasonal, or just to dust and dander) full service moving is the best way to avoid all those bad triggers. Heck, even if you don’t have allergies, full service moving is pretty sweet. It’s a total VIP experience.
The downside? Price, mainly. Most people assume full service moving is out of their budget. But depending on your move distance (and how much stuff you have) you can get a completely hands-off relocation for about a thousand bucks – maybe even less if you’re some kind of minimalist weirdo.
2. Specialty Item Handling
Do you have any idea how much dust has accumulated on top of that bookcase, or has sunken into the felt of your pool table? We didn’t think so – and we figure you don’t want to find out, either. If you’ve got big items that don’t get moved (or deep-cleaned) very often, specialty item handling can save the day.
Specialty movers are usually well-equipped to handle all those high-value, bulky items that you can’t move yourself (or don’t want to risk moving for fear of causing a very expensive accident). They usually show up with all the materials they need for custom crating also. If it won’t fit in a normal box, they’ll build a box around it.
3. Junk Removal
We mentioned this earlier, but people don’t realize how much cleaning they have to do before a big move. If you do your own packing, you’ll realize how much junk you’ve gathered over time, even if you’re an already-pretty-tidy person. Fortunately, junk removal services can help you get all that dusty stuff out of the picture.
Junk removal services are also super useful if you’re trying to tidy up an apartment and get your security deposit back. Some of these guys even offer cleaning packages.
And when you’re moving in, they can also take care of your discarded boxes and packing supplies. In any case, it’s one more layer of defense against dust and other allergens.
4. Full Service Storage
If you want to keep your allergies from acting up, unpack things in easily-manageable batches. This way, you won’t be dumping dust into your new carpet, and you won’t be exposed to too much allergens all at once. When you’re taking this slowed-down approach, you can put the excess in a storage unit for a later time.
A trip to a storage unit sounds like a one-way ticket to sneeze city, which is why we recommend full service storage instead. This is a really useful arrangement: Instead of making your own trips to a storage unit, your movers will keep your items in a safe and secure location, and when you need those items, they’ll deliver everything straight to your door.
Book Your Move with Moving APT
Look, there are allergies, and then there are allergies. This isn’t a couple sneezes you can hold at bay with some claritin for kids. We’re talking hard to breathe, eyes so itchy you wish you had a melon-baller allergies. Packing up your stuff can be hard enough already, but if every speck of dust sends you rushing for the kleenex, maybe it’s time to let the pros handle the heavy lifting.
At Moving APT, we’re here to help. Tell us more about your move, check out our moving cost calculator for a detailed quote, and book with us when you’re ready to hit the road. We’ll take care of the rest.
Allergy-Friendly Moving FAQs
How much does professional moving cost?
Full service movers can cost from as low as $400 and up to $12,000. Don’t freak out: That $12,000 is strictly reserved for big, five-bedroom homes with tons of furniture. It all comes down to distance and dimensions. If you have to move more miles (and more stuff) you’ll pay more.
How far in advance should I book my movers?
We recommend booking movers between two and three months in advance. This sounds like a long time, but think of it in terms of weekends. Two months is like six, eight weekends for all your packing and paperwork. When was the last time you had six weekends in a row without something unexpected coming up?
What’s the cheapest way to move out of state?
DIY moving. Seriously. If you’re really trying to pinch pennies, DIY moving is the best way to save money. However, you’ll have to stay extra disciplined. Between a truck rental, gas, food, lodging, and all those missed work-hours, DIY savings can melt pretty fast.
Do I really need moving insurance?
We’re not going to go on record and say “Don’t get moving insurance.” That’s grossly irresponsible. Besides, most moving companies offer basic coverage for free. It may only be good for $0.60 per pound of broken items, but it’s better than nothing. If you think your PS5 is worth more than six bucks, pay for full-value insurance coverage.
What is a binding estimate?
When a moving company gives you a binding estimate, your price is fixed. Think of this as flat-rate moving. The number on your quote is the amount you’re paying, and they can’t adjust your price before, during, or after the big move. Of course, a binding estimate also outlines the services you’re getting. You get what you pay for, and you pay for exactly what’s on the quote.
