Household Buyer's Guide to a Successful Relocation
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Quick Read
This guide is designed to answer all of your questions about your upcoming move to make your experience simple and efficient from beginning to end. Find the answers and tips to all aspects of a household move including:
- Do I Need A Mover?
- What Kind Of Mover Do I Need?
- Choosing the “Best Moving Company” for You
- Types of Moves Keep It Moving Offers
- Hiring Keep It Moving Moving Services
- Make An Accurate Inventory of Your Belongings
- Questions to Ask Keep It Moving Moving Services
- Questions Keep It Moving Moving Services Will Need To Know
- Moving Day: What to Do
- New Location: What to Do
- Post-Move Tips
- Moving Glossary
Do I Need A Mover?
If you find yourself asking “do I need a mover?”, consider these financial aspects when looking at professional movers to hire:
How much does it cost to have someone move you?
- The cost to hire a mover varies based on the inventory of your move and its weight.
- Movers also charge an hourly fee for labor, which includes their travel time.
Keep It Moving Moving Services offers free quotes for our services. Fill out our form today to get an estimate for your move.
How much does packing cost?
- According to HomeAdvisor, the cost to pack a home varies between $270 and $2,200, with the average being $1,000.
- If you’re hiring a pro to pack and unpack, the cost can run from $370 to $3,600.
Do I need insurance for my move?
- When you’ve decided on hiring Keep It Moving Moving Services, our moving representative will be happy to speak with you about valuation coverage. While it’s not mandatory, we recommend insuring some of your high-value items, especially if you’re making a long-distance move.
What Kind Of Mover Do I Need?
Whether you’re looking to move to a new home, or you simply need to relocate your office, we have both residential and commercial moving services that may depend on factors such as:
- The distance of your move.
- The number of rooms you need to move.
- If you require additional specialty service add-ons including: piano moving services, safe moving services, estate cleanout services or senior moving services.
- If there are any pieces of furniture that require disassembly or reassembly.
Choosing the “Best Moving Company” for You
Get quotes in writing.
- Eliminate confusion and miscommunication.
Talk to 2-3 companies
- Compare what they have to offer and at what price.
- Do this about six weeks ahead of time, or sooner if you’re moving during the summer.
Are they licensed and insured?
- Make sure you’re covered in the event of an accident.
- Ask for license and insurance carrier.
Are they family-owned and operated?
- If there is a problem, talking to the owner is best.
How long have they been in business?
- Experience makes a difference
Read reviews.
- Don’t look just at the five-star recommendations. Also look to see the common complaints people reported and how the company offered to rectify them.
Types of Moving Services Keep It Moving Offers
Local & Long Distance Moving Services
Whether you’d like to move down the street, across town or over state lines, Keep It Moving is licensed, insured and bonded to help you and your possessions relocate anywhere you wish to move.
We specialize in doing the heavy-lifting for you, whether you’re moving heavy furniture to a new home or need assistance relocating assets of a commercial business.
Depending on your needs, there are range of service that Keep It Moving can provide to assist you with your office relocation. For our business customers that need to move within a building, load or unload a storage container, or anything that requires professional movers without our transportation services, we can provide commercial labor-only moving services.
We have professional packing and unpacking services for both North and South Shore residents of Louisiana which can be customized to meet the needs of any move, large or small.
We are local piano movers using proper moving equipment and techniques and trained moving crews to expertly maneuver architectural obstacles. We will also ensure that the piano is secured and blanket wrapped so your instrument remains safe, as well as protecting the moving site from any damage
You keep only your most precious items in safes, so why allow anyone but a professional handle yours? We understand the ins and outs of carefully transporting safes and other precious possessions. We are also fully licensed and insured in all the areas we serve. So, you can rest easy knowing your belongings are in careful hands.
Estate cleanouts can be stressful and tedious, but we want to help and do the hard work for you. When you’re ready to get the cleanout process started on an estate, Keep It Moving Moving Services is there to help.
Keep It Moving Moving services has been providing professional and courteous senior moving relocations including senior move management, local & long-distance moving services, labor-only services and estate cleanout services.
Hiring Keep It Moving Moving Services
- What information to have ready before calling Keep It Moving Moving Services:
- Date and times of your move
- What services you require
- If you have any items that require special handling
- Ballpark on how much you’re willing to spend
- Fill out an online quote form
- Most moving companies will have an opportunity to fill out a free moving estimate form on their website. Once you narrow down the movers you are interested in using, fill out their online quote forms to get a quote on your moving cost.
- What type of preparations should I make before the movers arrive?
- If you do not book our packing services, it is very important that you have all of your miscellaneous household items packed in boxes and ready to be loaded onto the moving truck on the day of your move. All of you furniture pieces should be clear of any other items, so that they can be blanketed, wrapped and loaded promptly.
Make An Accurate Inventory of Your Belongings
- Start with a binder or folder
- Create a new inventory sheet for each room
- Put all sheets together in the folder/binder where you can also store receipts and paperwork from Keep It Moving Moving Services.
- Go through each room and note:
- Any furniture that needs disassembly/reassembly
- Items that will be boxed and the shape of the box
- Possessions that require special handling
- Put all sheets together in a moving binder, where you can also store receipts and paperwork from the moving company
Questions to Ask Keep It Moving Moving Services
Do you provide boxes or totes?
- Whether they provide moving containers or not, you should ensure the ones you’re provided (or purchasing) are durable.
What types of moving supplies do they offer (wardrobe boxes, moving blankets, dish boxes, mattress bags, flat-screen TV boxes)?
- Can wardrobe boxes be rented instead of purchased?
Do I have to unpack my dresser drawers?
- If it’s a sturdy, well-made dresser being moved from home to home, you can leave clothes in the drawers.
- Flimsy dressers should be emptied.
- If you’re moving it to storage, the drawers must be empty.
Are there any items that Keep It Moving Moving Services prohibits from transporting?
- Aerosol cans
- Ammunition
- Explosives
- Fertilizers
- Flammable liquids and gases
- Gardening chemicals
- Liquid bleach
- Loaded firearms
- Paints, varnishes, paint thinners
- Poisons
- Pool Chemicals
- Propane tanks
- Toxic substances
Which items should I move myself?
- Any of the items listed above, if it is safe and legal to do so
- Important documents:
- Birth certificates
- Passports
- Mortgage papers and contracts
- Laptop computer
- Medications
- Jewelry
- Money and coins
- Pets
- Emergency kit
- Moving company contract
Can Keep It Moving Moving Services move my car?
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- If you have a collector car or a spare car in storage, you can discuss auto transport options with them during the initial quote consultation.
Questions Keep It Moving Moving Services Will Need To Know
How many floors is your home/office?
- We’ll make sure to bring the right tools and equipment and the correct number of crewmembers
- Stairs may add overall time to the move
- If your building has elevators, reserve one in advance.
Do you have antiques?
- We will outline valuation coverage and discuss how to pack or crate your fragile antique items.
Do you want someone to help you pack?
- We offer full-service packing and partial packing, based on your needs.
Do you want additional insurance coverage?
- Valuation coverage is an optional added liability insurance.
Is your location accessible by our truck?
- If your location is on a hill or in a hilly area, they will need to prepare.
- For inaccessible locations, we may need to arrange for a shuttle service to load items into a smaller vehicle for the destination.
Is there a place to park in front?
- Where will the movers park in relation to your front door?
- Will they need a permit for street parking?
Are there any items you don’t want packed?
- Label the items you don’t want loaded and/or designate a room for these things.
- Be upfront with the mover about all of your items, so we can establish an accurate inventory and estimate
Call Keep It Moving Moving Services
Once you have received your quotes, you should be able to choose a mover that meets your needs and your budget. Once you’ve chosen Keep It Moving Moving Services as your residential or commercial movers, here’s how you can prep for moving day and make a few simple preparations for your post-move relocation.
Moving Day: What to Do
On moving day, you’ll need:
- To be present for questions and direct the movers where to go
- Review documents
- Create and review your own inventory checklist
- Sign the driver’s inventory list
- Provide payment
New Location: What to Do
Set up cable, phone, Wi-Fi and yard maintenance
- Talk to the cable installers and other utility-related services for your new home four weeks ahead of the move to arrange for connection
- Have utilities turned on a day before your move
- Arrange to have utilities turned off at your old home a day after you move out
Do you need a cleaning service?
- The best time to deep clean a house is before you move in
- Consider scheduling a cleaning crew a day or two ahead of the move
Do you need people to unpack?
- We offer unpacking services to help you move in quickly
- We can place your items on a counter for you to put away or place them in the cupboards and closets
- We can haul away and recycle empty boxes
Post-Move Tips
For broken/missing items:
- File a claim by contacting us on our site or calling us at (855) 795-6683
- Consider filing a claim with the moving company.
- Have any proof of your items, such as photos from the move or your inventory list.
Here are some pro tips when it comes to preparing for a claim:
- Be sure to keep your broken items.
- Don’t throw them away, but set them aside in case the damage must be inspected for your claim. Submit claims as soon as possible in order to expedite the process.
- If you notice a missing or broken item on the day of the move, be sure to say something to your movers right then to protect your rights. If you don’t it’s hard to prove who is at fault.
How much will I recover as compensation?
- Don’t expect to get the full value back for your lost or damaged item. The moving company may ask how much you paid for the item or what the condition was like before. You may be able to negotiate how much you receive back, but this is up to the moving company itself.
- Movers are able to limit their liability coverage on more expensive items. However, the exact cost of value protection varies by the mover, so it is beneficial to ask your mover about their plans and have a clear understanding of your rights before signing the paperwork.
Let the company know if you are not happy. Or leave a positive review online.
- Bad experience? Contact the moving company. More than likely, they will have policies and procedures set in place.
- Good experience? Leave a review for them on Google or Yelp to let others know they are a great company to work with. Informing the moving company about your experience also helps them to better serve their customers by informing them what they did right and what they can do better.
Moving Glossary
Moving is a specialized industry and you’re likely to come across terms you’re unfamiliar with. We’re here to break down commonly used moving terms and what you need to know:
- Accessorial/Additional Charge: Charges for additional services, such as packing/unpacking.
- These charges may show up for unexpected issues during your move, such as having to use a shuttle service.
- Bill of Lading: This is your receipt or contract with your mover.
- Read the bill of lading before you accept it.
- Ask your moving company questions if you don’t understand something.
- By signing this bill of lading, you are entrusting all of your belongings to the mover for transportation.
- Binding/Non-Binding Estimate: this is what is provided before the move as an estimation of how much the move will cost. The full charge amount will be given after the move is completed.
- Binding: The mover quotes a flat price based upon a given inventory. No matter how long the job takes, the flat price is always paid. It is given only when an onsite estimate is performed
- Non-Binding: These estimates are based upon the movers’ previous experience of jobs similar to yours. As the name suggests, these estimates are subject to change
- Carrier: the mover or company you’re working with.
- C.O.D.: stands for “cash on delivery.”
- Payment is required at time of delivery (before the move),
- Some movers take cash, cashier’s checks or money orders.
- Be sure to discuss payment options with your mover before your moving date.
- Full or partial valuation: if you opted to pay for full valuation for your moving company, you will receive more compensation for your item. Valuation is typically dependent on the weight of your items and can be as low as receiving back $0.60/pound of your item.
- High-Value Article: an item valued at about $100 per pound.
- You might need to fill out an inventory form for each article valued as a high-value article.
- INTERstate Move: Any move that crosses state boundaries regardless of miles.
- INTRAstate Move: A move within the state.
- Moving Counselor: A moving professional assigned by a moving company who provides guidance during the moving process.
- Order for Service: The document that authorizes the moving company to move your items.
- Order Number: The number used to identify and track your shipment. It will be found on your order for service and the bill of lading.
- Shuttle Service: When a smaller vehicle is used to transport your shipment to its destination. This usually happens when a road is too narrow or there isn’t enough parking to get the moving truck to its destination.
- Valuation: This is not insurance, but a specific amount a moving company agrees to pay if the item is damaged or lost by the mover.
- Options for minimum or full coverage
- Federally regulated
- Often determined by weight of goods
Use What You've Learned!
Now, you’re fully armed with all the knowledge you need to make a successful move. You know what to look for in movers, what to pack, and some frequently used terms to help you navigate your moving contract. You are at an advantage–you’re going into this process knowing more than the average Joe.
Moving is stressful. But you’ve got this!
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