When you’ve got an entire house to move, your motorcycles and ATV vehicles may fall down the priority list. However, a vehicle moving service can actually take extra cars as well! Whether you’re moving with small children, down-sizing or up-sizing, it’s time to look for safe transport for your “fun” vehicles.
Moving Vehicles While Moving House
If your time is tight, it’s a good idea to contract with a motorcycle shipping company to safely get your bike across the country. Go over the bike and remove all personal gear; storage bags, GPS and extra light clipped to your bike will need to come off. By booking ahead and timing your move to avoid storage hassles, you can get a good rate and easily collect your motorcycle at your destination.
Additionally, you’ll want to fold up the mirrors and make sure the steering column is unlocked. Check your tires and keep the gas tank under 3/4 full for safety’s sake. If your bike doesn’t roll, a shipping service will not work. It’s also important that you be aware that motorcycle and ATV shipping services will not be able to manage any sale data; if you need to exchange funds or get anything signed, you should plan to meet your motorcycle or ATV for that last step.
DIY Options
If you have the time and safe storage at your destination, it could be worth the time to simply ride your motorcycles out to your new home, fly back and rent a toy hauler for the ATV’s. The right toy hauler can also hold your yard tools and other gas-powered items, especially if you already have a pickup that will easily haul an ATV trailer. If you’re moving with a family, taking the time for a solo road trip across the country may not work.
However, if this move is just you and your spouse and you are planning to downsize, you could turn your move into an adventure. The first step is to make the hard decisions on what you plan to move into your new house. Hire an estate sale planner or a moving sales crew to clear out all the things you don’t need in your new home.
Next, hire a packing service. Load a couple of USPS flat rate boxes with the items that you will need in the first few days in your new home and ship them to your new post office for general delivery pick up. Once you know that the remaining contents of your house need to be boxed up to meet you, let the professionals take over.
Obviously, this will take a lot of pre-planning. You’ll also need a cleaning crew lined up to go through your current home to get it ready for showings or to turn it back over to the landlord. If you have a friend or family member on the ground who can help with the last walk-through and in-person connections with the realtor, you’re good to go!
Moving Workshops and Garages
While packing up a house can be quite labor intensive, packing up workshops and garages can be downright dangerous. If you’re up-sizing to a house with a large yard and you need all those lawn tools, you will be transporting gasoline. An open trailer with securing rack-ties may be the best choice for these items.
To keep things safe, consider adding a metal rack that you can chain your tools to. Long tools, from string trimmers to tree saws, need a place to hang straight to avoid damage. As you build up tools and security, make sure you leave room to tie down a tarp to avoid dust and water damage. You might also take the time to find a small engine service and repair shop to go through these tools as soon as you get to your new city and get everything cleaned up and checked out before you load them into your new garage.
There is no reason to think that you can’t easily get your motorcycles and ATV’s to your new home. If your family can figure out a way to move the piano, you can take the motorcycle. Do make sure that your bike has been stripped of all personal items before you deliver it to the shipping point.
