Protect Youself
Hiring Professional Movers...
There are several reasons to choose professional movers over the do-it-yourself moving, not the least of which is the fact that professional moving companies can
save you lots of effort, time, and hassle/stress. If you are moving a 3-bedroom house clear across the country, you might want to consider going with professional
movers. While it may appear that hiring full-service movers is more expensive, you might want to also take into account that doing it yourself may require you to
miss work and quite possibly a large chunk of your paycheck. Hiring professional movers will free you of the hassles of planning, packing, loading, driving and
unloading, and thus allowing you to concentrate on the more important issues on hand such as making sure you and your family settles comfortably in your new
home & town
It is also important to remember that your personal belongings are important to you, regardless of their worth. While you may take every precaution in packing and
loading your furniture and fragile items, you are not nearly as skilled and experienced in these as professional movers. These movers do this for a living and are
quite skilled in handling your personal belongings. Should something happen to your items, the professional movers will be responsible. However, if you should
damage your items while moving yourself, you have no alternative recourse.
How to Pick a Moving Company
• Firstly, even before talking with a mover, decide in advance which goods will be shipped and which will be sold or given away. Then consider whether or not you
would like the mover to pack and what other type of additional services you may want. Remember that packing is always a separate bid from moving. An estimator
may come to your home and create a bid, or make an estimate by talking to you over the phone. Moves that are less than 50 miles away are usually priced by the
hour. For longer distance moves, estimates are based on weight, usually per 100 pounds.
• Call or email the movers you are considering for the job and ask for an estimate. Get involved in the estimating process and try to meet with the relocation
consultant to survey your home and prepare a written estimate. Ask each prospective mover how long his or her estimate is valid for and question whether the
estimate is a binding or a non binding. For the difference between binding and non binding estimates see VanLines.com’s guide on estimates. Never accept an
estimate over the phone and do not consider using a company that offers you this service.
• Inform the mover of any possible unusual situations on either end so your estimate can be more accurate. Make the mover aware of any problems that he may
encounter at the delivery such as parking problems, road access, street accessibility, delivery time restrictions or if there are any stairs or elevators involved. The
cost of your move can increase for such occurrences. Try to reserve a “parking space” for the moving van if your new home is on a congested street. If the moving
crew has to carry your load more than 75 feet from the moving van to your door you may be charged for excessive distance. Some neighborhoods may prohibit
trucks over a certain weight. The driver will offload your possessions into a smaller vehicle and the charge for that can be quite high. Advise the relocation
consultant if you anticipate this situation arising. In addition, advise the consultant if you are moving to a high-rise building where an elevator reservation is
required. This can cause problems for the delivery schedule if the mover does not know about this in advance and additional charges will likely apply.
Ask all movers for references.
Be sure to understand the coverage for loss or damage of your shipment. All licensed movers must provide liability for the value of goods they transport. There are
different levels of liability that you need to be aware of. You need to understand the amount of protection provided and the additional charges that may apply.
• Ask the right questions such as:
1. Does your company subcontract its moving services?
2. Which subcontractors could be used to move my home?
3. Will the contents of my home be on one truck the entire time? (Moving goods between trucks increases the potential for damage)
4. What services are not listed on this bid, and what do you charge for them?
5. What training do your movers and/or packers receive (especially for packing and moving fragile items)?
There are several reasons to choose professional movers over the do-it-yourself moving, not the least of which is the fact that professional moving companies can
save you lots of effort, time, and hassle/stress. If you are moving a 3-bedroom house clear across the country, you might want to consider going with professional
movers. While it may appear that hiring full-service movers is more expensive, you might want to also take into account that doing it yourself may require you to
miss work and quite possibly a large chunk of your paycheck. Hiring professional movers will free you of the hassles of planning, packing, loading, driving and
unloading, and thus allowing you to concentrate on the more important issues on hand such as making sure you and your family settles comfortably in your new
home & town
It is also important to remember that your personal belongings are important to you, regardless of their worth. While you may take every precaution in packing and
loading your furniture and fragile items, you are not nearly as skilled and experienced in these as professional movers. These movers do this for a living and are
quite skilled in handling your personal belongings. Should something happen to your items, the professional movers will be responsible. However, if you should
damage your items while moving yourself, you have no alternative recourse.
How to Pick a Moving Company
• Firstly, even before talking with a mover, decide in advance which goods will be shipped and which will be sold or given away. Then consider whether or not you
would like the mover to pack and what other type of additional services you may want. Remember that packing is always a separate bid from moving. An estimator
may come to your home and create a bid, or make an estimate by talking to you over the phone. Moves that are less than 50 miles away are usually priced by the
hour. For longer distance moves, estimates are based on weight, usually per 100 pounds.
• Call or email the movers you are considering for the job and ask for an estimate. Get involved in the estimating process and try to meet with the relocation
consultant to survey your home and prepare a written estimate. Ask each prospective mover how long his or her estimate is valid for and question whether the
estimate is a binding or a non binding. For the difference between binding and non binding estimates see VanLines.com’s guide on estimates. Never accept an
estimate over the phone and do not consider using a company that offers you this service.
• Inform the mover of any possible unusual situations on either end so your estimate can be more accurate. Make the mover aware of any problems that he may
encounter at the delivery such as parking problems, road access, street accessibility, delivery time restrictions or if there are any stairs or elevators involved. The
cost of your move can increase for such occurrences. Try to reserve a “parking space” for the moving van if your new home is on a congested street. If the moving
crew has to carry your load more than 75 feet from the moving van to your door you may be charged for excessive distance. Some neighborhoods may prohibit
trucks over a certain weight. The driver will offload your possessions into a smaller vehicle and the charge for that can be quite high. Advise the relocation
consultant if you anticipate this situation arising. In addition, advise the consultant if you are moving to a high-rise building where an elevator reservation is
required. This can cause problems for the delivery schedule if the mover does not know about this in advance and additional charges will likely apply.
Ask all movers for references.
Be sure to understand the coverage for loss or damage of your shipment. All licensed movers must provide liability for the value of goods they transport. There are
different levels of liability that you need to be aware of. You need to understand the amount of protection provided and the additional charges that may apply.
• Ask the right questions such as:
1. Does your company subcontract its moving services?
2. Which subcontractors could be used to move my home?
3. Will the contents of my home be on one truck the entire time? (Moving goods between trucks increases the potential for damage)
4. What services are not listed on this bid, and what do you charge for them?
5. What training do your movers and/or packers receive (especially for packing and moving fragile items)?
