What Sort of Mover are You?

In my years as a professional mover, and as someone who has personally had to relocate a lot, I’ve observed that most people who need to move fall into two definite mindsets. Unfortunately neither one is a particularly constructive mindset with which to approach a move. What strikes me as strange is that these two mindsets occur even among those who have already decided to hire professional movers.

The first kind of movers are the “obsessers”, these are the folks who make the already daunting task of moving seem downright insurmountable. They think up every possible thing that can go wrong, and then spend hours just obsessing over every detail. Most of the obsessing is done vocally, and little time is actually spent doing something about their concerns, which range from the number of breakables they will be moving, to whether or not their huge antique beds can be carried safely down stairs. On moving day, the stress they put themselves under peaks, as they haven’t really done much to address their concerns other than to rant about them.

The second kind are the procrastinators, this group is a bit more common, they hate the idea of moving so much that they put off scheduling it, or even thinking about it, till the very last second. On moving day, they are disorganized and even distant. They seem to just want to go to sleep and wake up in their new homes with everything unpacked. Procrastinators are also unduly stressed during a move, because due to their lack of cooperation things don’t go as smoothly as they could.

Ideal moving customers book in advance, they have faith in their movers and the moving equipment movers bring to the table. They know what they want and need, and they communicate. On moving day, things go smoothly, and they are not unduly stressed, what’s more they are quite satisfied with the outcome. In the end they understand that they have to cooperate to ensure they get a totally satisfying experience.

When in Doubt, Count it Out

It's not unusual to come face-to-face with something of a quandary when organizing the packing checklist. Often, when we're rummaging through the corners of the house that we'd almost forgotten about, we find things which have some sentimental connection that's hard to break. The trouble is that it might not be something that we'd even seen for a few years, let alone something that we haven't used in a while.

About two years ago, I came across one client who had an old 3-in-1 stereo system. You know the one; a Sharp that had a tape player, radio dial and a record player on top. The client hadn't used it for almost 10 years but had left standing on a table in the corner of the livingin room. It had literally become part of the furniture, even though it had no practical use anymore. So, when it came to him moving out to occupy a smaller apartment (he had recently retired at the time), he wanted to bring the stereo with him.

That mightn't seem like much of a problem, but the truth is he hadn't any use for the stereo and was moving to a place that had less room than he was used to. So, the question is why not get rid of it.

When you think about it, moving home is a chance to shed the excess elements of your possessions - that is, the items that you no longer use, need or want. Sometimes it can be difficult to let go but prioritizing is hugely important for two reasons: firstly, it lightens the load (by more than you'd think too!); and secondly, it can help alleviate the cost of moving but raising a little extra cash through a garage sale.

Thousands of people that we at Sage have helped to move home (and office too!) have met with the same predicament. They have something they want to bring but they know deep down that they should really just let it go. Our advice to our client two years ago was to let the silver stereo go, but in fact he didn't. He found a place for it amongst his boxes and took it with him. That's fine. It was his choice, but for others getting rid of such a useless item would be the preferred decision.

Just consider what we told him at the time: when in doubt, count it out. Basically, if you really need to think about whether to bring an item or not, then it probably means you don't want to keep it.

If It Seems Too Good to be True, It Is

Who doesn’t want to buy an item or hire a service at the best price possible? Whenever possible, we try save money whenever we can. That’s why stores and shopping malls are the most crowded during sales, the larger the advertised discount, the more likely a sale is to attract customers. If you don’t like paying a lot of money for things as inexpensive as clothes you will certainly want to scrape the bottom of the barrel for the best possible deal when hiring movers.

While it’s a great idea to look for bargains, you can always wind up overdoing it, and in over-prioritizing a low price, you could end up with something of such low quality that the deal turns out to be lousy rather than good. This danger is far more real when it comes to hiring a moving company.

Moving is both a relatively expensive and rather complicated process. Because it is such a large expense, you will always want to talk to and receive quotes from as many movers as possible before making you choice. In moving, as well as with any other complicated and expensive undertaking, the quoted price is derived from adding several costs, in moving these would be things like manpower, distance, packing materials, insurance etc.

When picking a moving company, make sure all the relevant costs are listed and priced individually. Sadly, it is the practice of some less than reputable companies to quote very low prices, by excluding certain items. They then add the items on moving day, often doubling the original quotation. To protect yourself against such practices, look at each quote you get carefully, and remember: If it seems too good to be true, it is.

Don't Neglect Your Paperwork

Paperwork is something that all of us hate to have to do. It's the nature of things, I guess. We'd all (well, most of us) prefer to be active rather than sticking our head in a mountain of forms and files and ticking the boxes or answering the questions. But despite our dislike of it, it is often important and when it comes to moving homes, it is vital that all of your moving documents are in order.

But what are the documents that you have to have in order when moving or preparing to move home? There are three principal documents: a written estimate; the order of service; and the bill of lading.

It has been said before that the estimate is of huge importance, so much so that you must get it in writing. This stands to reason as this document states the estimated cost of moving your things, so to avoid any misunderstanding, having the figure written down is vital. Remember, if it is not a binding estimate, the figure can be changed if the weight of the load is less than was actually estimated.

The second document, the order of service, is a clear statement of agreement between you and the moving company. It puts in writing the fact that the company has agreed to move your belongings and that you have agreed that they are the sole company responsible for the move. So, no third parties can be hired.

Last, and most important, is the Bill of Lading which states in far greater detail the agreement between you and the moving company. It identifies the time and date of the move, the destination address and the overall cost of the move. It is a binding agreement so it is important that you read the Bill of Lading carefully before signing it.

These are just three documents that are very important when it comes to making a move. It might all seem very obvious, and it may even seem a little unnecessary, but over the years, I've noticed that it's those who take documentation with a pinch of salt that tend to get the headaches later.

So, my advice is, don't neglect your paperwork and your paperwork won't neglect you!

Why Replacement Value Coverage Makes Sense

I’m surprised that in this day and age, a lot of people still assume that hiring movers automatically means that the movers can be held liable for whatever items are damaged or lost. In fact most people who get their moves insured with us, something we call mover's valuation, are not really aware of the difference between true value and replacement value coverage. Moving can be and most often is, a logistically complicated process with thousands of variables and things that can go wrong. Certainly in cases where movers are hired, this is the case.

Professional movers are the right people for the job, and because moving is a business where customer satisfaction is everything. For our part, we do the very best we can to see to it that nothing is lost or broken. Because of all the variables involved though, if you want your movers to be held responsible for your cargo, and in particular your more expensive items, it does cost extra.

When you get mover’s valuation, you should always insist on replacement value coverage, especially for expensive items; the alternative “declared value” coverage just doesn’t cut it for things like LCD TVs, Blu-Ray players or high end sound systems. Under declared value coverage, you “declare” the value of your expensive items, the catch is that your movers need to agree on the value you declare, otherwise there is no deal. Under replacement value, your movers will compensate you, not based on the depreciated value of whatever it is you lose, but on the full cost of replacing it with an identical item or something similar. It’s never fun losing good stuff during a move, but you can save yourself a lot of grief with the right coverage.

Out of the Closet, Into the Box

It seems strange to me that so many people who are moving home worry so much about their closets. I know that 'closet space' is generally one of the major selling points when buying a new home, but why is it such a source of concern when you are actually moving out? Is it because most people have so many things hidden deep inside theirs that they fear what they might find? Or is it that the idea of folding, wrapping and packing so much stuff - from shoes to winter coats - gives them a headache before they've started doing anything?

Having seen my fair share of moves, movers and moving equipment, I have to admit that the task of packing away the items that are generally found in a closet has never been easier. The reason is, quite simply, the range of equipment that you can get these days. Not least amongst them is the 'wardrobe box', otherwise known as the closet box.

In case you've never come across this simple, logical and ingenious invention before, the wardrobe (closet) box is a large, upright box that effectively mimics the role of a closet. There is even a bar stretching between two sides to allow you to hang your clothing in the box. This means that you can simply transfer the clothes, already on hangers, from the closet to the wardrobe box. It can all be done within 10 minutes (if everything in your closet is already pretty much organized of course), though it is still important to detail everything in a checklist.

You might think that the facility itself is rather flimsy since it's made out of cardboard but it is re-enforced to protect its contents. Of course, that's one of the key pluses. It's also much easier to organize your packing, since all that you need to do is transfer the things form the closet to the box, then write the closet location (eg: 'Joan's room closet', or 'hallway closet') on its side.

Times may be changing but they are also getting a lot easier, especially in the moving business, thanks to the invention of practical items that makes simple what used to be time-consuming. Getting your wardrobe onto the truck - by that I mean your clothes, shoes and such - in one box used to not be a simple thing but it is extremely manageable these days. Here at Sage, we offer an extensive range of packing equipment and we highly recommend the closet box.

So, never mind the lengthy discussions on how to avoid tackling the closet until the last moment, or those hours of moaning that it's a complete packing headache. It's a lot easier than you might have thought, so the job can be done now!

Store It, don’t Lose It

I had a friend who almost missed out on a great property, it’s a good thing he asked about storage first. A lot of people are under the mistaken option that storage is expensive, and that it would just be better to get rid of stuff that you don’t really need. A friend of mine who recently moved had a rather special, if perhaps not unique problem: He wanted to buy a property three states away, and he wanted to build a house on it. The home he was moving from was a rental, and he really couldn’t afford to hold on to it while building his new house.

The plan was to buy the lot, move to a small place near the new house, then move into the new house once enough of it was built. The problem was that there wouldn’t be enough space for all his families’ furniture at a place small enough for them to afford. A lot of their furniture was rather pricey and very tasteful, and he and his wife really couldn’t imagine letting go of it. Not wanting to give up on the dream property though, my friend asked about storage, and was pleasantly surprised at what he found. Storage prices turned out to be a fraction of what he would have needed to pay to hold on to his old rented home. It makes sense: At a storage facility, items can be stored to maximize space, so they can be made to fit into a much smaller and thus more affordable space. It will certainly beat having to refurnish a home, especially if you have already grown attached to the stuff you own.

Booking Movers? Time is Everything!

When it comes to preparing for a move, there is no secret to the fact that you need enough time to get everything ready. It stands to reason since you'll have a house-full of things to wrap and pack. But, in the midst of all the boxes and bubble-wrap, don't lose sight of the other obligations that you have to make the move happen.

If you have already moved at some time in the past, then you will already know what I'm talking about. The packing is just part of it; it's the tip of the iceberg. This is why I've often described moving as something of a military operation!

I'd prefer not to have it to admit, but there are plenty of times during my time with Sage when prospective clients have simply contacted us too late to secure a booking. You'd be surprised how many people put booking a moving company near the end of their list of tasks to do - usually slotted between notifying their post office of a change of their address, and booking catering for that farewell party they'll have with friends!

The fact is, you need to give yourself plenty of time to find the right movers. There are two main reasons for this: there are a lot of cowboys out there that you'll need to avoid; but also, moving companies are generally busy all year round.

We'll look at the pitfalls of movers-searching another time, but as regards booking movers you need to keep in mind that moving is not really a seasonal business. Certainly, there are some periods of the year that are busier than others (summer vs winter, for example) but for all moving companies the window of availability is limited. Usually, companies have their fleet booked at least two weeks in advance, though don't be surprised if it's two months!

Basically, you should be beginning to look for movers when you're beginning to draw up your packing checklists. That should be around 8 weeks before your move, but certainly no later than 6 weeks.

There is little point in actually booking before you know the exact date of your move, but you should have a shortlist by then all ready. Remember, the movers must come out to see the load they will transport and then calculate an estimate. You should have three or more estimates to consider before making a decision.

All of this means that you have not time to procrastinate, so finding someone to transport your possessions needs to be one of the first things that you do.

As for those who call us too late, we have no option to advise them to either contact another company or change the date of their move. The latter is usually the least possible option, though sometimes they do. But it's a sticky situation for them, so it's best to avoid getting into the same one yourself.

Believe me, when booking movers, time is of the essence!