Fast efficient moving in Northeast Pennsylvania

If renting and driving a truck turns out to be less costly, BestDarnMovers gladly provides the labor.

Looking for a full-service mover, no problem, call on BestDarnMovers in NEPA.

And BestDarnMovers works with you to find the best, most efficient option to make your move a great experience.

Efficient Teamwork from BestDarnMovers

BestDarnMovers finds two or three person teams work best to keep costs down and speed up where the entranceways and exit ways are limited like apartment moves.Four or five person, or more, get the job done most efficiently moving homes or other venues where numerous entranceways and exit ways allow the team to more quickly move your home.
Seasonal factors affect rental truck costs. In the summertime and around the Christmas package delivery season, rental truck prices are at a premium.

Renting or supplying your own truck, (using us for labor only), is always an option and if you can save some money by doing it that way, by all means...

Please keep in mind that our calendar fills up more quickly as we roll into the spring and summer. If you have a specific day in mind for your move it may not be available if you wait too long to book. As always we try to be as flexible as possible

We do our best to realistically estimate all costs but the final invoice may be more or less.

The more accurate information you give us the more on-target your quote is likely to be. Regular, normal and expected'  Unless you tell us otherwise we'll assume that the things we will be moving for you are 'regular, normal and expected' and that refers simply to the degree of ease or difficulty to move your items. Unexpectedly oversize items, small doorways, sharp hallway turns, unusual stairways, low ceilings, long carrying distances at the load or unload points, inclement weather and small children or pets in the movers' way, in addition to a host of obstacles not mentioned could add to the cost. Loose items not adequately boxed up will add to the time and cost as well. Some homes are easier to move than others and s

Jewelry and small, precious personal items

Please handle these things on your own. We cannot, will not and do not want responsibility for these types of things.

If you have a standing jewelry cabinet, please have it wrapped up and taped before we arrive or ask us to plastic-seal it at the very start. Its not that jewelry goes missing that often, (thankfully), but three years down the road when you discover that a diamond pin is missing, (it's probably under a dresser), we don't want you thinking, 'the movers did it'. Additionally, please keep wallets, watches, purses, hand bags and small items of worth hidden safely away.

TV, Air Conditioner and Bed Remotes

please gather these up and pack them away on your own, where you will know exactly where they are- that is if you ever plan to again watch your TV. Over the years too many have been misplaced, then found months or years later in a box in storage.

Moving Safety

Occasionally, we arrive at a home (1) that is in total disarray, hardly prepared for a move. (2) Some times the home is so unkempt that it raises health issues for the movers.

(3) Lastly, sometimes there's a direct safety issue at the physical location where the guys are working; rickety basement steps, floors rotted away, the smell of natural gas, the extreme odors that may have been caused by numerous unkempt pets, or any similar unsafe condition. We reserve the right to not move certain things, or in the most extreme of examples, not move anything where the safety of the movers may be in question.

Travel Fee

The Travel Fee is the charge that compensates movers for the cost of travel to the pick-up from the drop-off and clean up including refolding furniture blankets.

You pay BestDarnMovers for the time used to the next quarter hours

Labor charges begin generally when we ring your door bell- when we arrive for the load. The charges end at job completion.
We don't have 'minimum hours charged'; a lot of the movers in this area do. If we finish the job in one hour that's all you will be billed for.

We invoice in 15 minute increments so if the job goes over by a bit you won't be charged for an entire next hour.

Why? Cause 3 guys fit in a truck. Not very scientific. But that's what normally works best, However, sometimes it's advantageous to add on a 4th or even a 5th mover. The hourly rate will increase accordingly to accommodate additional workers but in fact the move will get done quicker and your cost will be about the same or less. Some homes just lend themselves to the use of a larger workforce and if it doesn't raise your costs disproportionately then we reserve the right to put additional workers on the job. The guys work at a pretty good pace. I know you will be pleased.

It's been business on a handshake since we started eight years ago. We like it that way and so do our customers. We need to be certain however, that the items we'll be moving for you are within your actual authority to move. In some instances like during a domestic dispute, there may be an issue about who really has that authority so we do require a signature authorizing us to execute the move that we've been hired for.

Leaving Clothing in Drawers

We get this question all the time. The answer is generally yes- no need to repack clothing from dressers. If the drawers have items like books, paper files, coin collections then they should be removed cause of the weight they add. But clothing is generally not a problem. Take a moment to hand-tighten bottles or jars in nightstands so they don't drip during transport.

Appliances

Sorry we cannot disconnect or reconnect gas appliances. We will gladly move them once disconnected and then reposition them where instructed but liability concerns have put the kibosh on us taking our wrenches to them.

Quick Note on electric dryers. Check to see if your dryer has a 3-prong or a 4 prong and compare it with the connection at your new place. You may need to replace the cord.

Its simple enough for you or your electrician to do. While that's another thing we cannot do for liability concerns, my guys can show you what needs to be done

Disconnecting and Reconnecting Your Washing Machine/Refrigerator Water Line.
As a courtesy, we will gladly reconnect the hoses on your washing machine and water line for your refrigerator at the new place with this important caveat:

PLEASE keep an eye on the connections for the first few weeks, especially the first few loads, to make sure that the hoses are on tight and not leaking, either at the connection or anywhere else.

Re-connection  of appliances should be performed by a licensed/insured plumbing professional and although we've done this a thousand times without incident, (and I bet you have a few times as well), please remember that we reconnect as a courtesy only. In the case of any adverse events following the hook up; the responsibility will lie solely with you

Now is a good time to get a set of the new steel-encased hoses to replace those old rubber hoses, especially if your washer is on the first or second floor. A washer tub beneath the machine can also save you a pile of heartache. Automatic shut-off valves are common attachments in newer homes but many older homes are not so equipped. Water can do a lot of damage. Please talk with your plumbing professional.

Please tape the bottom of boxes.

Simply folding them over at the bottom invites breakage. Also, duct tape doesn't stick to cardboard for very long. Please use the plastic clear packaging tape.

Books and records should be packed in smaller sized boxes or no one will be able to lift the boxes. (If they are able to then they'll be asking for either a raise or a doctor, neither a welcome event.)

Open Boxes

Sure, its ok to leave some boxes open at the top but if they are all open then it makes it impossible to stack them in the truck.

If saving money on your move is part of your game plan, feel free to handle as much of the smaller, more fragile items on your own- small pictures, table lamps, clothing etc. Don't get me wrong- we are happy to do as much or as little of the move as you want. After all, we are servants of the people. But we have no qualm about handling only the heavier items after you've moved the smaller things. You don't really want us hanging around any longer than we need to anyway, do you?

Payments

Cash or check preferred; We take credit cards as well. Visa, MC, Discover and AXP. We add 2.9% to credit card payments.
Sometimes payment in advance of the move is warranted; we reserve the right to collect the cost of the move in cash, before we begin.

Overflow

Remember that childhood saying, 'last is best of all the rest'? That doesn't apply to overflow. Overflow is the stuff that doesn't fit on your truck on moving day even though we thought it would. Unfortunately it's you the customer that will bear the additional costs of getting those things to the new place. On local moves we'll just double back for the extra items or we can put those things into an additional truck. Longer distance moves are more complicated. At this point let's just thank the stars that it doesn't happen often, and while the customer does bear the additional costs we'll do our best to keep those costs as low as possible.
Secure Your Truck

You are invited, in fact encouraged to  place your own padlock on the back of the truck. We want every customer to have absolute confidence that what goes into the truck at the pick-up comes out of the truck at the drop-off. So far as we can tell, no other mover extends such an invitation.

Need Boxes? For Free?

We have a few sources for free boxes so don't hesitate to ask. They aren't always available but if we have them, we're happy to pass them along to you.

FYI- our first and best source is Keefer's Army-Navy in Kingston; Don Keefer stacks them up in the back for us, so oftentimes they are used but they aren't abused, nor are they boxes from food sources, which have the potential to attract bugs.

The following items are moved only on a best-efforts basis:

(1) composite furniture aka 'RTA', (ready to assemble). Sure we'll be careful with it but it's not made to be moved and it starts to weaken and flake away.*
(2) standing floor lamps with clay bases. The bases get old and dry, crack and fall out- (similar to me since I turned 65).
(3) flat screen TV's that are not safely packed in a box for transport.*
(4) analogue TV's ten years or older. The electronics on these behemoths will last forever but the plastic shells dry and crack especially if they've spent their useful lives near a heat source.
(5) garden pots with plants or dirt, or plants, (especially cactuses) over 4 feet high.
(6) packed cardboard boxes that are only folded beneath but not taped,
(7) antiques, paintings, art works and glass pieces not prepared properly for transport.
(8) the new front load washers and dryers that require drum bolts during transport, if those bolts aren't available, (check your manual)
(9) lamp shades not boxed. They won't survive the trip if they aren't boxed.
(10) veneers on older furniture and pianos; they get brittle and crack right off.
(11) Grandfather clocks. Older mechanisms may not start back up once interrupted.

Rest assured that no matter what we are moving the utmost care and every precaution will be taken to assure their safe delivery.

Composit Furniture

A note about COMPOSITE FURNITURE. These furniture items like Sauder don't travel well.

Its best that you empty the drawers or storage compartments so they are lighter, thus less chance of breaking. Plastic wrapping them, which we will do, helps a lot but sometimes even that doesn't work 100%.

Flat Screen TV's

We stand behind our work. If we drop or mishandle a TV we will compensate for the loss or make arrangement for repair or replacement.

But these TV's, especially the new ultra-thins are just so touchy; sometimes they just don't turn back on after the move for no apparent reason- from the mere act of moving them it seems.

Maybe its a change in temperature; maybe it's the road vibration that shakes an inner component loose.

All flat screen TV's are moved on a best efforts basis only. Please advise us of (1) how many flat screens you are moving and (2) their sizes so we can bring supplies to wrap them properly. AND ITS NOT JUST TVs.

The electronics in the new appliances, similar to the new flat screen TVs, have become so sophisticated that once moved, for whatever reason- they may just not fire back up.

If we mishandle an item you can count on us to stand by it; otherwise a repair at your expense or a replacement may be in order.

Tipping

If you only knew how many years I put off mentioning this subject. Here goes:

some customers tip, some do not. No customer is ever required to tip. Surely the guys appreciate tips when they are given. If you believe that the level of work warrants a tip- by all means.

It is entirely up to the customer. If one of the guys EVER asks for a tip, (and so far as I know it has never happened), I hope you will let me know.)

(I think I did pretty well here. Don't you?)

Gifting

There may be things that you don't want to drag to the new place and you'd be just as pleased to see them gone.

Maybe the new location has central air so you won't need that window unit. Maybe a set of nite stands because they never matched anyway.

Maybe dad's old rocker. Maybe those two odd-sized tires.

Sure- it's fine if you want to offer things to the guys, that's very kind of you. Please just be certain that no one else in your family was planning on taking those things. More than once we've