"My bags are packed, I'm ready to go..." Well, before you close the door to one home and open the door to another there are a few things that need to be moved.
Let us talk about your plans to move your household goods from Home A to Home B and how you can best accomplish that task. Below are a few simple things to take into consideration when planning to move.
1. Create a moving timeline. Unless this is a small move across town with just a few important items stuffed in the backseat and trunk of your car, creating a moving timeline is unimportant.
But if you are like most families, you have accumulated more than enough stuff that a professional moving service is a requirement.
A. create a list of the items that you want to move. Items not on the list can be given to relatives, donated to Good Will, Salvation Army or Habitat for Humanity, or discarded.
B. About a month before the move, start packing non-essential items. Label each box with a brief description of the items inside, i.e. library books, or the room where the item will be placed, i.e. bathroom.
2. Hire a moving professional. Uncle Joe with a box truck is not a professional mover. Seek recommendations from neighbors, real estate agents, or search the yellow pages for nationally recognized moving services. Get a competitive bid for the number of rooms you are moving. Compare bids before signing a contract.
3. Understand the movers protocol. If you think a mover is going to bring his big rig to your home to pick up your belongs you are wrong. Most professional movers have smaller trucks collect your items and bring them to a warehouse for consolidation with other clients moving to an area near you. Items may remain in the company's warehouse several days before moving to your new location.
4. Purchase insurance from the mover. Your belongs are you and you want to ensure that they all arrive in pristine condition. Bumps along the road to your next home may happen. Insurance gives you peace of mind that damages and repairs will be covered by the insurance policy.
5. KEEP ALL MOVING DOCUMENTS CLOSE AT HAND. The mover will provide you with a count of the number of items you are moving and an approximate weight of your goods. Keep those documents safe and with you. They are a record of your household inventory and proof that the mover received them from you.
BOTTOM LINE: Professional movers are there to assist you with your relocation. They have a different timetable than you do so coordination with all parties is important.
No comments:
Post a Comment