Moving Tips & Cautions

Moving can be a stressful experience for many. Trying to pack your life’s belongings into boxes and living ou= t of these boxes for a period of time can be a real challenge. Of course the level of difficulty = will be different for someone who has lived a few years in an apartment with pac= ked closets as compared to someone who has spent 20 or more years in a house wi= th packed attic, basement, garage, yard and who knows what else. If you are the latter, one of the = most important and maybe most difficult things you will have to do is decide wha= t to keep and what to get rid of. = Have a garage sale, give to a charity and friends, throw it out, but don’t t= ry to move it all. This is the t= ime to organize and trim down.

If your move is loca= l, you will be able to make multiple trips with the car or truck, which will m= ake moving and locating frequently used items easier. However, for a long distance move = where you make only one trip, you should pack frequently used items and necessiti= es (toiletries, medicine, work clothes, etc) in clearly marked boxes that can = be located and opened easily. Remember, you will be tired when you get to the new house and it may take weeks (or months) to unpack and organize all your belongings. Having your necessities available = will allow you to function effectively during this process.

Moving Companies-

If your move is local and you plan to rent a U-Haul or use a local moving company like Two Men an= d a Truck you should have few if any problems and your biggest concern may be o= ver extending yourself physically during the move.

However, if your mov= e is long distance and you plan to use a long distance moving company to make the move, you have some shopping to do. All moving companies are not “created equal” and if you pick the wrong one your move can bec= ome a nightmare. There have been stories shown on “20/20” and other programs where people’s furniture and belongings were held host= age on a packed truck until the moving company received additional charges that could run into thousands of dollars. A good deal of helpful information can be found on the U.S. Government website - ProtectYourMove.gov.

One of the keys to avoiding surprises is to get a firm price for the move (in writing) that is guaranteed to stay firm, or not to exceed a certain limit, regardless of any weight changes found after the move. Moving costs are based on the we= ight of the truck. Some companies will give you a low estimate on the weig= ht up front to get your business. They than = have the truck weighed on route to your new home and demand you pay the addition= al charges before they unload the truck. When you read all the print in = the contract you will find that the “firm” price they gave you orig= inally was based on their weight estimate and since the weight estimate was off, t= hey have the right to adjust the price to cover the corrected weight.

Bottom line is to us= e a reputable company with a good track record and no complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau or other agencies.&= nbsp; Then have a contract drawn up that clearly outlines how firm the pri= ce is and what factors would cause it to be increased after the move. Big name alone is no guarantee as = some of these companies may be franchises run by local independent operators. Recommendations from friends and satisfied customers would be a better indicator.

There are many good companies available and our intent is not to scare you but to simply caution you as to one of the possible pit falls of moving that can be avoided with = some knowledge and planning.