Moving can be very stressful, both on your bank account and your psyche. Here are a few ways to overcome the madness, and save some coin.
Pre-Pack, Label, and Inventory Your Own Stuff
If you can, and even if you can’t, always, always, always pack your own stuff. Sometimes, moving companies will offer to pack your stuff for you for a price. It sounds like a convenient way to move – very hands-off. But, it can become a nightmare because movers will never be as careful with your stuff as you are with yours.
Label everything, and take an exhaustive inventory. That way, you can hand the inventory over to the movers and they can pack up your stuff and move it.
Then, when you arrive in your new place, you have your own inventory and labels to commence “project unpack.”
On Hiring Moving Men – Choose Big Strong Ogres
If you’ve done a good job boxing up your stuff and securing it, then all you need are hired hands. Ask the moving company like Lou Moves You about how much your movers can lift and whether they are outsourced or whether they work for the company.
Also, ask the moving company whether they are insured through the company or whether they have a separate insurance policy. You want to know this just in case they get injured on the job while moving your stuff.
Get Estimates, Then Confirm Them
This guide on planning your home move walks you though the process of moving, from the first week to the day of. One of the first pieces of advice you’re given is to get estimates from several companies. This cannot be overstated. Get estimates from several companies.
Every moving company you talk to will tell you they have the best service, the strongest movers, the best movers, the cheapest prices. The truth is that the moving and transport industry is fiercely competitive because everyone is trying to undercut everyone else.
DIY moving companies are largely winning this game because of their pricing model, so professional movers have to sell their strength, agility, and ability to make moving “hassle free.” It isn’t, but this is what you will be sold.
Movers generally price either by the box, by weight, by volume, or a combination of these things. Make sure you compare pricing based on the same metric. If you can’t get movers to give you a price based on the same metric, make sure you understand how much room your stuff takes up (volume), how much it weighs, and how many total boxes you have. Don’t guess.
Convert all estimates you get to the same measurement and see who is giving you the best deal. Then, think about whether what the movers are saying makes sense. Some companies will low-ball the price on the quote only to show up with outsourced movers who were promised more money.
The independent contractors, expecting to be paid, will demand you pay up, putting you in a bind. Avoid this scam by forcing the company to come out to your home and visually inspect the boxes and other stuff that will be moved.
Then, get an estimate that is good until the day of the move. Finally, get the names of the movers so that there are no surprises when they arrive. Finally, before the movers start the job, discuss the estimate with them and make sure there are no problems. Actually, you should be able to call the company one month out and confirm that everything is as planned, and then a week out.
Feel them out. Does the company seem annoyed by your calling to verify the order? If so, this is a bad sign.
Also, never give the company (or movers) cash or a large deposit before the work has begun. This is how movers catch you in something called a “deposit scam.” Once they have your money, they can coerce you into moving.
And, once they have all of your life’s possessions, they can demand more money.
If you have firm estimates, and everything is written in black and white, it’s harder to come back and demand more money later.
Always Buy Insurance
No matter how good your movers claim they are, people make mistakes. And, if your movers try to convince you not to buy insurance, it’s time to think about going with another company. Insurance is nearly always a good idea because it protects your most valuable possessions. And, the moving insurance offered by the moving company will only ever cover you for a fraction of a dollar on every dollar’s worth of property you’re moving.
So, if your total possessions are worth $5,000, the “insurance” the moving company offers you may only amount to half that.
Lucas Coleman is a real estate associate. He likes sharing his experiences on the Internet. You can find his articles mostly on real estate and finance sites.
