It can be hard to find a professional mover or a moving company you can trust while keeping costs manageable. You have to be thorough in your research. You have to ask around for recommendations from friends, family and even colleagues from their best experience working with day laborers for moving. Word of mouth and experience are still reliable sources when hiring movers for the job.
Do not automatically assume high quality service just because the rates are expensive.
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Sometimes, even when you pay good money, you cannot expect good service from your day laborers for moving.
If in the end you really cannot afford to spare any amount for hiring professional movers, you can ask family and friends if they can help you on moving day. It would also be easier if they can assist you in preparing before moving day. Packing your entire house can get overwhelming especially if you have kids and a demanding day job.
Of course, your loved ones also have packed schedules, and it might be possible that no one can be there with you for relocation. Instead of painstakingly doing everything yourself and risking leaving something valuable in your old place or breaking an expensive heirloom due to fatigue, there is another cheaper option. You can look for a worker who offers day labor.
Finding reliable day laborers for moving is not that easy. You may want to check out day labor work centers or connect with a temporary agency with access to available day laborers. However, you cannot ensure that labor laws are complied with, or their wages are paid. These are certain risks you will have to consider.
What are day laborers and what are their usual responsibilities?
As the term implies, a day laborer is one who is available for hire one day at a time. Usually, day laborers are limited to local moving and to specific jobs. You can also ask them if you can engage them to do other tasks aside from moving-related tasks. They can assist you in work related to cleaning, repairs, basic construction and renovations, carpentry, and landscaping.
They come with certain skills and experience levels. They also come with risks. Before you hire them for any of your home improvement projects, determine whether you need specialized skills and workers who are well versed with what you want to do.
How do I find day laborers who are reliable?
Although there is a higher risk involved in hiring day laborers than in working with professional movers, one can still lessen the possibility of getting scammed or incurring damage to property through research and planning. Be aware that unlike a full-service moving company, day laborers tend to get hired to provide purely physical labor like carrying heavy items.
To know if you are engaging a reliable day laborer, you can ask related questions you would have asked a professional mover to know more about their job experience and jobs they have handled before.
Here are some guide points you can refer to:
- Hire from a center or organization handling moving related jobs.
- If you can, look for day laborers from a business with access to basic tools such as moving trolleys, storage containers and moving trucks. Although do not expect that they will provide more than labor.
- Do they have preferred working hours, or can you engage them at any time? Keep in mind that there may be instances when you need extra help in the middle of the day or after nightfall.
- If they have another client or other employer, you might need to look for another laborer in case they suddenly become unavailable on your agreed upon date.
- Do they need special accommodations or special equipment you have to supply so they can do the job?
- Do they have certifications and licenses to use moving equipment should you require them to do so?
Are day laborers professional movers?
Most of the time, day laborers are not professional movers who have to set up a business and invest in moving vehicles and tools. Although it is not always the case, there are instances when you find day laborers who do not possess the necessary experience and training.
If you just need someone who will load and unload your belongings in moving trucks or do the heavy lifting if your apartment does not have an elevator, you can choose to hire a day laborer. This other labor only option is especially helpful when you are on a very tight budget.
Aside from budget constraints, hiring day laborers can be a practical option if you only have a handful of belongings and do not have any expensive items you will bring during the move. Day laborers tend to not have the necessary license to do business in a certain location. Hence, you are hiring them at your own risk.
Since they operate in a less structured business environment, expect that day laborers change their staff all the time and you cannot really predict when someone will be available to help you, nor can you ensure that they can be relied on to show up on a moving date.
If you are on a tight schedule and it is crucial for you to reach your new destination on the exact date you intended, the money you save by hiring day laborers might not be worth it. Since they are often lacking in experience and specialized skills, they may move slower than a professional mover. Also, do not expect expert advice on packing or skills in wrapping specialty items to ensure that there will be no breakage of these delicate items.
Do I need to provide moving equipment and supplies for workers who can provide day labor?
If the available day laborers are from a moving company or a temporary agency, this usually depends on the company’s resources and what are included in the fees you are going to pay. Inquire if the service fee and charges already include the cost of packing materials.
Even if these supplies are not really expensive, you will be surprised by how easily expenses can pile up. If you are living in a 2-bedroom apartment full of things, you might find out how expensive buying twenty cardboard boxes is.
Do day laborers have certifications to operate and use machinery?
If you will require a day laborer to use machinery for heavy lifting such as forklifts and excavators or power tools, expect that this may require certifications and licenses. Usually, day laborers do not have these certifications. You might not have any choice but to hire a professional mover.
If you go this route, keep in mind that the expense will prove cost-effective in the end since it will make your relocation journey smoother, more efficient and more importantly, it will help you complete the moving process ahead of time.
Which is better, a DIY move or hiring day laborers?
When funds are low, most people are tempted to opt for a DIY move. If your schedule can accommodate this, try to at least outsource services that can lessen the physical stress. Even if you do not hire full-time movers, you can pay someone to pack your belongings and deep clean your space for you.
Consider outsourcing labor-intensive tasks such as carpet cleaning, gutter cleaning, yard cleanup, fence repair and heavy lifting of large furniture.
What are other advantages of hiring day labor?
What you can take advantage of is the fact that day laborers can be hired for specific jobs and even for only a specific number of hours. Say you only need someone to take over the packing of delicate specialty items in your household.
You can hire a day labor worker for just a few hours to complete the task. Search for movers who are open to providing services which are specific to what a customer needs.
Is it a good option when you are not used to physical labor?
It allows for flexibility in a way that you can control the tasks you want to give the movers or day laborers. If you just need someone to carry your wardrobe to the moving truck and you can do the pre-move and post-move clean up by yourself, hiring for movers or day labor can be a good economical option. This way you avoid any risk of physical strain or injury.
The decision depends on whether you have a lot of valuables, and whether you can afford to risk sustaining damages which can turn out to be more expensive than the fees for services.
Can I save money if I decide to book day labor movers?
Of course, it will be cheaper than a full-service mover. However, since you will need money for wages in exchange for services, this is still more expensive than a DIY move or enlisting the help of family and friends.
If you really need to save money, a good option is to downsize and discard as many items as possible you own. This way you can save on packing supplies, storage containers and even time in packing and moving your stuff.
Conclusion
When you are on a budget, one of the ways to keep track of your spending is by engaging a day laborer. Since these workers often get paid by the day or are paid by the hour, you can decide to hire them only on certain days to ensure that your budget can accommodate their fees. You can request for a private arrangement as long as you ensure the terms will not violate any labor laws.
If you just need someone who can do drywall hanging, basic carpentry for home improvement and other services that can be completed in a few hours, hiring a day laborer may not be that bad or risky. For people who have moved a lot of times in the past, they may not have problems with a one-hour DIY set up.
