Sunday, July 10, 2011

Moving for the first time

If you are moving for the first time then stop and read this article before you proceed. There are a lot you need to know about moving that goes beyond packing and loading boxes; the more you know the more equipped you would be to come away from a moving experience all stress-free and of course with all your household items intact and your moving bills accurate.
If you do not have a set time to move like say you haven’t been evicted or have to leave urgently because of some issue with your home, then you should try to move within what movers refer to as their peak and off speak months. You must understand that the mover’s peak months are usually around summertime. And while the predominant sunshine provides gorgeous weather that makes your move run smoothly, it is also a season where movers and moving vehicles are in high demand. What this ultimately means is that you will also be charged a higher fee to move. Moving is also expensive especially during the holidays or at the end of the month so try to schedule your move during the week to save money.
If money is low, then you may want to move around the off-peak season which is usually in the colder months of fall and winter. As the temperatures drop low in most states, so do the prices to move so moving during these months may be a good idea for those who are strapped for cash.
Once you get your financial issues straightened out for the move and you decide on a date then you should start calling up a few moving companies either through the telephone directory or via a friend or family referral. The Internet is also very resourceful for searching for a right mover; you also get the opportunity to research the company to read what their past clients are saying about them.
After the research, narrow down your list of six prospective movers and call each of them with questions; the one mover you feel comfortable with you should schedule an immediate appointment. While at the mover’s office do not forget to ask him for a list of referrals but also check to see if he is certified to conduct such business.
What would usually happens after you select your mover is that they would send one of their moving consultants to take inventory of your household items so that they can give an estimate of how much it would all cost to move. The estimate can be a binding or non-binding estimate or a binding not to exceed estimate.
With a binding estimate you are asked to pay the exact amount that is quoted to you by the evaluating consultant whether or not the shipping costs is more or less.  With a Binding Not to Exceed estimate, the consultant would not only evaluate your items but he would also weigh the items as well. Sometimes at the weighing the shipping price on your items may be higher or lower than what was originally quoted by the moving consultant. By law if the price turns out to be lower than what you were originally changed then the consultant is obligated by law to charge you at the lower cost.
A non-binding estimate is the initial quote you would get from the consultant without them even visiting your home to see your household items. Usually they can guesstimate just by finding out how many rooms you have in your home or by the size of the home. You will pay nothing to the movers until they give you a final price which is yield after the move.

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