So you have decided to pick up and move to a brand new place. That is an exciting and scary thing to do. Moving all of your belongings from one home to a new one, can also be very stressful. If you are moving in the dead of winter, the stress levels will increase dramatically. If you are in a place that has harsh winter weather, or moving to a place that does, you have many potential hazards and obstacles to encounter in your move. There are some ways to prepare yourself to combat frigid or dangerous conditions while moving into a new home.
The first key to doing this efficiently and successfully is to plan. The weather outside means you will want to avoid going outside until you absolutely have to. Begin packing and preparing your belongings as far in advance of the move as you can. Pack little by little so you do not get overwhelmed; one of the best ways is to go from room to room. This way you can note the progress and feel accomplished; you can also be sure that you do not miss anything, and you can clean as you go. Once you are packed, cleaned and ready to go, you need to plan transport.
The ideal form of transport in the winter months would be something that could move all, or at least most of, your belongings in one trip. This will save you the hassle and stress of having to go and come back; multiple trips will just keep you out in the cold longer and put you at risk of injury or sickness. Move as much as you can in as few trips as possible. This could mean renting one large moving truck or even getting all of your friends and acquaintances with trucks to show up at the same time. Having a lot of helping hands for the move will also be beneficial. Bribe your family and friends with hot chocolate or cheap food or guilt them with the “I’m family” line so that you have as many able-bodied people around during your move. Teamwork will make your move smoother and more efficient, and can also be an opportunity to bond with people you may not get to see as often as you like.
The key is to plan and pay attention. Figure out what you need to do first, and then figure out the best way to do it. Optimize your time, and get as much help as you can. Make sure that there are warm drinks, clothing and blankets available to that no one gets sick. You want to move as quickly as possible so that you can settle into your new, and hopefully very warm, home.
The article was provided by MoversCorp.Com, an online marketplace of local movers and labor providers. You may follow them on twitter at MoversCorp or get connected on Facebook here MoversCorp
There are a lot of people who are choosing to move out of their current state of residence do to either the desire for the change of environment or simply for a job opportunity. Whatever the reason, long distance moves are not as easy as it sounds so it normally makes sense to hire long distance moving companies. For, unlike a city to city move, long distance moves mean that you would have to plan way ahead of time to be able to move cross country without feeling flustered or frustrated.
When moving long distance, you would more than likely be spending a lot of time packaging your household items to ensure that you do not forget anything. Of equal importance when moving is tying up loose ends with your service providers so that you won’t be stuck paying two bills.
Just a week or two before you move out of state, you should contact the utility company to get them to transfer your bill from one state to the next. Usually to get that done you may have to come up with a down-payment. That down-payment would cover the credibility costs for the next utility company that you subscribe to. Remind the utility company to disconnect your service at the old place when you have moving day confirmed; this would avoid double charges until your name.
Similarly, your telephone and cable services should also be disconnected some three weeks before you move. If you are keeping your telephone and cable services provider, it would be wise forward all your new information to the companies so that they can get your services turned on prior to moving in.
If you have valuable items such as heirlooms or paintings, then you can either hire a professional who is experienced in packing delicate items such as these or you can purchase specific cardboard boxes that are specific for these items and get them done yourself.
Following the packing of all your household items in sealed and labeled boxes, you can then get the mail company involved by asking them to change your address to the new address. Usually if you change your address at the USPS website, you would incur a charge of $1 to make complete your mail forwarding.
Remember moving pets and plants can be tricky for a low distance move. If you are driving your vehicle to the new state, you may want to keep the dog with you. However it is not advised that you take along your plants as the Department of Transportation (DOT) forbids it especially since your plant could contain a disease that could contaminate an entire crop when replanted in another state. Similarly, when moving with your pets you can drive cross country with them in the car however don’t expect the inns and bed and breakfast establishments to accommodate your dog; they do not usually do so without an extra fee. An extra fee is also required to fly your pet to the new state as well.
Finally, get help from a few friends so that you can clean up the old place and put it back in order so that when inspection time comes, you would pass it with flying colors and get your security deposit back. Make sure the walls are cleaned, the electric outlets are in tact and the floors well mopped and vacuumed.
This article was provided as a guest post and was written by FindGoodMovers.com, moving portal for local and long distance movers.
We all know how stressful moving can be. In fact the statistic shows that moving is the third most stressful event in life, following death of a loved one and divorce. Finding reliable cross country movers can reduce the stress and make it a little bit easier for you.
Choosing the right company
But how to choose between all those cross country moving companies our there? How to make the right choice? Here is a small guide for a smooth moving experience:
- The first step is to request multiple professional moving companies to estimate moving costs for your upcoming move. That way you will be able to compare all the movers and receive multiple price estimates to choose from. Going with the lowest estimate is not always a good idea, since the overall quality of the service might be significantly lower.
- Select two or three from the moving companies based on your observations by speaking with the representative and the price estimate. Make sure all these companies have provided you with written estimates with all the taxes and fees included. Also do not forget to ask for a price list of the packing materials provided by each of the movers in advance.
- Check if the companies are licensed and insured with the US Department of Transportation. Every professional moving company should have a DOT number of registration to operate as a carrier.
- Research the selected movers online. Reading reviews on the cross country moving companies before hiring in multiple review sources is a must. Companies with 4-5 star ratings are ok. Avoid using companies with one or two stars ratings. Another thing you might want to research is if the companies are BBB accredited.
- After having all your findings in place, you can easily select your mover and you can be sure you will get professional attitude for your upcoming state to state move.
No matter if you are looking for reputable Boston movers or affordable cross country moving companies cost to California or New York, make sure you have selected a moving company with acceptable moving reviews and ratings. As there are so many moving companies out there, you have to be sure you make the right choice.
Preparing to move across the town and it is as complicated as moving to another state. The hardest job is boxing up your belongings and transporting them to the new home. Furthermore you would also be consistently worrying about trusting your valuable items to strangers. Finding a dependable moving company would certainly cause the stress levels soar. So it is best to comply certain steps for choosing a proper moving company.
Choosing a moving company is the thing you should do and this is not a complicated process as it appears to be. Ask your friends, neighbors and family members about movers that they have employed in the past. Sometimes the estate agent that you deal with can provide you with a list of local companies since they deal with movers all the time.
When you have gathered some phone numbers and names, you should call those companies and ask some questions such us offered services, prices, insurance coverage, policies and etc. Ask for their DOT number and check up on it on Department of Transportation website. Make sure you hire a company that is accordingly licensed with your state. The next step is check the dependability of the company with Better Business Bureau or any other consumer organization.
Then cut down your list to the movers with good reputation and get the address of at least two or three companies. You will be able to avoid scammers by easily voiding companies that do not have a physical address.
The next main thing is to get the quote for your move. It is always recommended to arrange on-site estimates which are normally provided at no cost. Keep in mind that some moving companies will give the moving quote over the phone without evaluating the possessions to be transported. The moving companies apply a broad variety of rates. Some companies would charge by an hourly rate while other would go by total weight. Usually local moves are charged by the hour and long distance moves are charged by the weight of the shipment. Some movers would charge extra for large furniture, supplies and stairs, make sure to have all this information in writing
With the moving quote in your hands, it is time to select the moving company that is right for your needs and budget. You should evenly deliberate your feeling, provided services as well as the price while making the final choice. Get a written agreement from the movers before the moving day. Now you will be able to relax and spend more time on other things.
The number of moving companies is increasing like never before. This is because thousands of people are relocating every day. But how to find a dependable moving company is among the most asked questions by the consumers. You have to be precise while selecting movers since some of the local companies do not have right equipments or even a moving truck. There are also stories when people were scammed by so called movers. Some companies would win over with their low moving rates or professional services, but the reality is that they may not have the true signs of reliable company.
The important thing to be mentioned is that the moving company has to prove themselves that they can offer professional services to their customers. There are positive measures that show towards reputable movers. The most important sign of a fine company is that they would take moving inventory before the moving date. Usually they carry a pre move inventory if they take the job seriously. They would provide you with a moving quote after evaluating your household items instead of pressuring you to hire their services. Most of the moving companies will do this for free. Therefore if any company that you call are not willing to go over your items, chances are there that they are not serious about your move.
Normally the movers offer their customers with three types of moving estimates; the binding, nonbinding and binding not to exceed estimate. You can be certain of the trustworthiness of the moving company if they provide at least two type of estimates. It is crucial to verify if the company would offer you with a copy of “your rights and responsibilities when you move” if it is an out of state move. Generally a good moving company would provide their customers with this booklet. You certainly would like to know about additional charges for other supplemental services provided by the movers. Be sure that you clear up everything referred with additional charges with the movers. The best part is that a professional moving company would advise everything about extra fees in the first place. They would not ask for extra money at last and make a hassle there.
Before hiring any moving company, you need to make clear all the questions with them. If the company has nothing to hide they would always answer any questions you ask. Also inquire about the damage claim process if anything would happen to your possessions during the transportation. Professional movers would certainly satisfy you with correct answers.
If you are planning on moving anytime soon then this should be the first thing you should need before contacting the movers. For there are many common mistakes to be made during the move and by reading this, we can tell you how to avoid them and save yourself the added stress.
According to some moving experts, one of the more common moving mistakes that people make when moving is that they neglect to do conduct a thorough search on their movers’ company. It goes without saying that when one is anxious to move, you want to get it done by any means necessary; the cheaper the better and not to mention in the quickest way. Therefore one is likely to contact and go with the first moving company that possesses the aforementioned features. If you have not already moved and you are deciding to do so, you need to get information about your moving company to see if they are licensed by the Department of Transportation in your neck of the woods to get the job done. Also check with the Better Business Bureau as they would also be able to provide you with information that could tell you if your moving company is in shoddy business or if it is indeed legitimate with no client complaints.
If you are moving on a budget then you would want to check out ways in which you can save money on your move. There are a lot of free resources that you can take advantage of such as getting free boxes either from the grocery store or from someone who is giving them away for free via newspaper ads or even on websites such as Craigslist.org and Backpage.com All you have to do is to keep looking under the “free” section.
After you have selected your moving company and you complete the transaction by signing off on a Bill of Lading document, do all you can to keep this document in a safe and secure place as it is the only form of a contract that you have from your mover. This document can save you should something go wrong during the move and that’s why you want to put it away safely. You can place the document in an envelope labeling what is inside of it so that you would not forget and throw it away. Ideal places for storing the Bill of Lading document could be a locked storage box which you can easily transport when you move.
Do not forget to change your address with the people at the USPS. The postal service makes it very easy for one to change their address if they are doing it online. One dollar for verification would be charged to your credit card for this service. Then you are able to put in information which includes your old address and the new one and information about the date that you are moving so that the postal service can get your mail redirected from moving day onward. Of course you also need to contact your utilities company as well as your cable, internet and phone service providers letting them know about your moving date as well.
In closing, make sure that you understand the tax deductions as it pertains to moving. If you are not clear about it then you should call IRS to get more information. One of the things they would ask you to do is to save a copy of all your moving receipts for filing. These documents too can be placed in a locked storage box. Above all be nice to your movers on moving day and remember to keep snacks and drink handy to serve them on moving day.
No one sets out to get scammed by a scam moving company when they are relocating but unfortunately these are the risks that some people face especially when they are trying to move on the cheap. If you are desperate to move from your current home to another, you may be compelled to go with just about any company that is willing to move you at a fraction of the cost that you would pay with other movers. Desperate moves also mean that you would not have had the time to do your research on your scam moving company to see if they are actually registered with the Better Business Bureau.
When you enter a business transaction with a scam moving company, you are no doubt setting yourself up for a massive headache, for scam movers are known to change the original business transactions before your eyes; something that you would have never seen coming. Scam moving companies are smooth talkers and are quick to talking you into a sweet deal that you cannot refuse. Most of these deals are non-binding which gives the company the authority to increase the moving cost for no particular reason.
There are a lot of people out there who have had to endure situations where the movers are requesting that they pay more money than they were originally quoted in order to get their household items returned. If you have recently been part of a moving scam the first thing that you should do is to report the matter to the police and have a police report made. If you are in a situation where your furniture is being hostage then you should gather up all your documented transactions between you and the moving company so that you can make a case against them in court. The documents could consist of all the emails, text messages even snail mails that you have received from the company prior to your move. Also you should compile a log of the names of the persons that you may have interacted with from the moving company as well as the date and time that you spoke to them.
If the moving company concludes that you may want to negotiate with them rather than pay the full price to get your furniture, you would soon realize that they would no longer be too accessible by phone. If they start avoiding your phone calls you can easily mail the company a registered letter requesting the return of your furniture. Whatever correspondence they mail back to you, you can use it against them in court.
Most local movers will likely give you the alternative of moving at an hourly rate or an itemized quote. Which option is better? Let’s break down the dissimilarities and advantages between these two options.
Hourly rates:
If you are paying the mover by the hour, usually they start the clock when the moving crew arrives or when they leave their office and ends when they complete the move. Most moving companies require minimum number of hours and at most cases it’s 2 hours. Even if your move takes only an hour, you still will be charged for 2 hours. After the minimum hours has been met the additional time is prorated in 15 minute increments.
One of the advantages of selecting an hourly rate is that you don’t need to prepare an inventory list for your possessions. This is valuable for people who are relocating out of a storage unit. No one wants to pull everything out of their storage unit to take an inventory, put it all back in, and then have the movers pull it all out again on moving day.
On the other side, stairs/elevator and distance from one home to another are something you should to acknowledge with the hourly price. If you are moving from a third floor apartment and don’t have a close parking for a moving truck then all those stairs and the distance are going to make a big difference in a time. If you live in a busy part of the city, make sure your movers will not get stocked in traffic, because they are on clock.
Itemized quote:
An itemized quote is where you need to make an inventory of everything you want the moving company to transport, you should let them know if there are any stairs on the way and also let them know the distance from your home to their moving truck. This is a good option for people who want a fixed price. It doesn’t matter how long the process takes, you only being charged for what the movers are moving. If you live in a small apartment, this option may work out to be less than the hourly minimum. This type of move might be good for people who are relocating across city.
Most moving companies will not estimate how long your move might take, because unexpected things happen on moving day. The final conclusion will be yours to select between the two different moves.
Moving from one home to another is not an easy process. The moving process itself can be quite complicated and annoying. However there are tips that will help you to make the process easy for you and your family.
The most important part is to hire the right company to transport your goods.
Before shopping for movers you should decide what you are going to take to your new home and what you are going to leave behind. Then determine how much of the packing you are able to do yourself. This step is required in order to get accurate moving quotes from moving companies.
As anticipated, moving budget is a contributing point when hiring any type of service. The moving estimate must be provided in writing, never accept a verbal quote as your given estimate. In addition, the moving quote should also be arranged only from a mover who has thoroughly gone through your home and made a list of items that needs to be transported. Don’t accept quotes over the phone, you will be able to get general idea about the moving company, their provided moving services and prices. This type of quote cannot be accurate.
Ask the representative if they will disassemble and reassemble your furniture. Another thing you should pay close attention when comparing moving companies is what service it provides for your money are what types of payment they will accept. Some companies do not accept credit cards or personal checks, you should be aware of it.
Ask your friends family members of their opinion with local movers they may have hired in the past. Ask the representative how long the company has been in business.
Once you narrowed down a few moving companies, check with your local Better Business Bureau to inquire of any past complaints and resolution. It is also very essential to check with Department Of Transportation, most of the US States require movers to be registered. Long distance movers are also required to put out their rate list and have it readily.
All licensed moving companies are required to provide basic liability coverage at no extra charge. Make sure you understand the level of protection and the course of action in the event of a damage or loss.
You will have a lot of preparations to handle for the big day and it will take a lot of time for one or two people to handle. Some movers even have storage units available for the customer to store their unwanted items. You will not have the bother of trying to find room for them. There are some movers that do more and others that only provide minimal services. For some of the companies, you will even have to load the boxes and packages up on the truck. This will include the wrapping of items, boxing them up, loading and unloading the truck and driving to the new location. If this is the case, you should look for movers that provide all the services of moving.
Movers can usually be found in most US cities. This will also cost extra, but it again is worth the cost when it comes to making things a lot easier for your move. Most people find it a lot easier to hire movers to take care of all these things for them.
They may expect the movers that they hire to do all the work for them in order to make their life easier. For this service, however, you are going to have to pay more for the cost. This great feature will be a big help in most moves. When you are preparing for a move, you will find that there are a lot of details that have to be taken care of. Movers can make it a lot less stressful for everyone involved. In the long run, it is usually worth the expense. Some moving companies only provide the transportation part of the move. This means that you will have to do all the packing and the wrapping. A lot of people want this full service in their moving companies. The items will be safely packed away in a storage container until you want them.
Think about all the things that you are going to need done and what you are going to be willing to pay for. You will need to decide what you are looking for in the moving company that you hire. When you know what is in each box and where it goes, you will save a lot of time and work in the end. This great time saving step will help a lot of people with the unpacking in the new home. In some companies, they will provide different services. This step will let you store the items that you do not want or cannot use in the new home. Most movers will even go the extra mile to pack one room at a time and then they will label them and put them in the rooms that they belong in the new house. This may not be what a lot of people want in their moving company.
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