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It sounds as if you still have some sorting and culling to do with your stuff. (The fun part!)
To answer your questions, I'll try to go in order by how you asked them.
1. They will label all the boxes they pack with the name of the room they came out of. At the new house, somone either needs to direct them to the appropriate rooms or take a piece of paper and label the door to each room. (i.e. "Master Bedroom," Juniors bedroom, Office, etc....) Mind you, near the end of the packing process, some items will start to migrate into boxes from other rooms in order to fill them completely.
2. Go to Lowes or Home Depot (the flooring department) and buy this clear floor runner. It comes in a roll and has an adhesive backing. The roll is about 50' long and you can spread it out in the main walkway areas to help keep the carpet semi-clean. If they spread out blankets, they could trip on it while carrying grandma's irreplaceable china.
You can always get the carpet cleaned after you've finished unpacking and setting up the house the way you want it.
3. Plants can be very delicate and don't always travel well. It really depends on what type you have. Mine are pretty hardy and I watered them well before the trip and carefully placed them in an open top box so they wouldn't tip over. Some plants do NOT like bright light so put a lightweight towel over them to protect them from the fierce sunlight coming through the window in the car.
4. Some valuables can be labeled with the room name and a number underneath it. The numbers are on a list that only you have that will tell you exactly what is in the box.
5. A 3 day event, huh? This sounds like a bit too much for a 2.5 hour move. The movers I used packed on one day, loaded, drove 5.5 hours and unloaded the next day. I'd question why they want to do this. Unless you have a lot of stuff, there's no reason they can't shorten this, IMO. My movers drove back home the same day and we didn't pay to put them up at a hotel. Every mover is different though. We used a small family-owned mover. Without seeing how much you have to pack and move, I can't help much with this one.
Can you make a couple smaller trips yourself to the new house? I'd borrow somebodys pick-up, rent a flat-bed trailer and haul a load to the new house myself since it's fairly close.
Another alternative is to pack everything yourself, which is time-consuming BUT you know exactly where everything is and can work it around your schedule. It'll save a few bucks but you have to ask if the savings are worth the time and headache.
THANK YOU so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I am taking excellent notes. I feel alot better with all of this information.
I will try to answer these questions one by one as well.
1. I would like to be very clear regarding packing. You will save yourself alot of money by doing the packing yourself. If you want to do this, you can. If you need packing services, you do pay by the box in some states. It depends on the state you live in but some states have flat-rate packing or packing by the cwt. These are by far a better scenario than packing by the box. It is a conflict of interest if the packer gets paid by the box in my opinion. If you are moving interstate, you do have the right to either of these options as well according to the interstate tariff. If this mover is not offering them, get one who will. When it comes to damage to a box you have packed (commonly referred to as a PBO-packed by owner), if it is determined the damage is due to packing negligence, you will eat the claim yourself. However, no matter who packs a box, if the damage is determined to be movers negligence (if the box is crushed, dented, has a hole in it, was dropped by the mover, etc), then the mover has to pick up a large share of the liability. That is the law! I don't care how well you pack a box of china for instance, if someone drops that box, its their fault if there is damage. Most movers will try to get away with telling you, 'if you pack it, you own the damage', but that is not the case when it comes to movers negligence and they know it! (Replacement coverage is a different story and I don't want to digress. Please see my blog on coverages with movers if you have any questions regarding this.)
2.Unfortunately, a good estimator needs to look in cupboard and closet to estimate an accurate weight. (I assume your job will be done by the weight and not hourly) However he didn't need to be looking into drawers. When they bring in the boxes, someone needs to be by the door telling them where to put things. If the boxes are clearly marked, they should be able to put them in the rooms where they go without trouble. The first thing they should do when they get to the new house is get the grand tour and familiarize themselves with the place. A good tip here is to tell them on that initial walk-thru where the big furniture is going (like the beds, dressers, sofas, etc) that way they won't put boxes in the way and have to move a bunch of boxes in order to put the bed on the wall it belongs. Any good mover will have rug-runners with them. If your representative didn't mention it, make sure they put these down before any work is started at origin and destination. Door-jamb pads as well. Insist on all furniture being pad-wrapped in the house and then carried to the truck, and all upholstered furniture should be shrink-wrapped. IF this mover won't do this, get one who will.
3. You absolutely need to take the pets and plants. They don't do well with movers. All high value items and irreplaceable and sentimental items need to go with you unless you complete a 'high-value inventory form'. The mover should know what that is and he should have gone over that with you already.
4. If you have anything over 6,000 lbs, I highly recommend you have them pack and load on different days. It is very labor intensive and detailed work to pack and the last thing you want is to have packers being rushed. It won't cost you any more money having it done on different days...it is just a better process and you will be thankful if you have it done over two days. Also loading and unloading on the same day with a 2.5 hour drive is untenable with anything over 6,000 lbs. In my opinion, it should be a 3 day process. However, make sure they itemize and inventory everything that gets put on the truck. Make sure everything gets inventoried as that is the only proof you have that you own it. IF they 'accidentally' forget to inventory your plasma TV and then it doesn't get delivered, it is your word against theirs that you even owned it at the time of loading. IT MUST BE INVENTORIED!
5. Did you get a list of items from his walk-thru? If you do business with a mover, you need to get a guaranteed, not to exceed price based on a list of items in your house at the time of the survey. That list needs to be in writing. Did he give you one? A mover will call it a 'table of measurements' or a 'cube sheet'.
6. If you are being charged by the weight, the only charges that should be applicable are transportation and accessories (such as packing). You do not pay for their housing...ever.
Good luck on your move and let me know if you need any more help with more specific questions.
Scott, THANK YOU so much. You're a wealth of info and a huge resource for everyone. Great information that I've added to my collection. I feel better also about the move taking 3 days.
I had no idea about shrink-wrapping stuffed furniture or padding the door jambs. This is all sounding terrific. I think they will do a good job. Its a major mover that has been in business for a long time. I still dont have the estimate yet. I thought I'd have that today, but I'll probably get it tomorrow or I'll call.
THank you, and everyone that generously offered advice and tips - I know how busy everyone is and I appreciate the time you've taken to write!
Scott, THANK YOU so much. You're a wealth of info and a huge resource for everyone. Great information that I've added to my collection. I feel better also about the move taking 3 days.
I had no idea about shrink-wrapping stuffed furniture or padding the door jambs. This is all sounding terrific. I think they will do a good job. Its a major mover that has been in business for a long time. I still dont have the estimate yet. I thought I'd have that today, but I'll probably get it tomorrow or I'll call.
THank you, and everyone that generously offered advice and tips - I know how busy everyone is and I appreciate the time you've taken to write!
One more thing though. Make sure you ask your representative regarding these issues I've brought up. If he didn't volunteer these points to you....I would hate to assume why he didn't. Make sure they will provide these services to you. Just because the carrier is a big name doesn't mean anything. Lets say it's United or Mayflower....those names have standards of performance where all their agents have to provide the aforementioned services. That doesn't mean the local agent, who could be a very small agent, will follow through with these mandates. Please ask about the residence protection, furniture reassembly and placement, furniture protection, etc. so there are no surprises on what your expections should be. That way, if these things are not being done, you have someone you can call on loading day to hold accountable.
I will try to answer these questions one by one as well.
1. I would like to be very clear regarding packing. You will save yourself alot of money by doing the packing yourself. If you want to do this, you can. If you need packing services, you do pay by the box in some states. It depends on the state you live in but some states have flat-rate packing or packing by the cwt. These are by far a better scenario than packing by the box. It is a conflict of interest if the packer gets paid by the box in my opinion. If you are moving interstate, you do have the right to either of these options as well according to the interstate tariff. If this mover is not offering them, get one who will. When it comes to damage to a box you have packed (commonly referred to as a PBO-packed by owner), if it is determined the damage is due to packing negligence, you will eat the claim yourself. However, no matter who packs a box, if the damage is determined to be movers negligence (if the box is crushed, dented, has a hole in it, was dropped by the mover, etc), then the mover has to pick up a large share of the liability. That is the law! I don't care how well you pack a box of china for instance, if someone drops that box, its their fault if there is damage. Most movers will try to get away with telling you, 'if you pack it, you own the damage', but that is not the case when it comes to movers negligence and they know it! (Replacement coverage is a different story and I don't want to digress. Please see my blog on coverages with movers if you have any questions regarding this.)
2.Unfortunately, a good estimator needs to look in cupboard and closet to estimate an accurate weight. (I assume your job will be done by the weight and not hourly) However he didn't need to be looking into drawers. When they bring in the boxes, someone needs to be by the door telling them where to put things. If the boxes are clearly marked, they should be able to put them in the rooms where they go without trouble. The first thing they should do when they get to the new house is get the grand tour and familiarize themselves with the place. A good tip here is to tell them on that initial walk-thru where the big furniture is going (like the beds, dressers, sofas, etc) that way they won't put boxes in the way and have to move a bunch of boxes in order to put the bed on the wall it belongs. Any good mover will have rug-runners with them. If your representative didn't mention it, make sure they put these down before any work is started at origin and destination. Door-jamb pads as well. Insist on all furniture being pad-wrapped in the house and then carried to the truck, and all upholstered furniture should be shrink-wrapped. IF this mover won't do this, get one who will.
3. You absolutely need to take the pets and plants. They don't do well with movers. All high value items and irreplaceable and sentimental items need to go with you unless you complete a 'high-value inventory form'. The mover should know what that is and he should have gone over that with you already.
4. If you have anything over 6,000 lbs, I highly recommend you have them pack and load on different days. It is very labor intensive and detailed work to pack and the last thing you want is to have packers being rushed. It won't cost you any more money having it done on different days...it is just a better process and you will be thankful if you have it done over two days. Also loading and unloading on the same day with a 2.5 hour drive is untenable with anything over 6,000 lbs. In my opinion, it should be a 3 day process. However, make sure they itemize and inventory everything that gets put on the truck. Make sure everything gets inventoried as that is the only proof you have that you own it. IF they 'accidentally' forget to inventory your plasma TV and then it doesn't get delivered, it is your word against theirs that you even owned it at the time of loading. IT MUST BE INVENTORIED!
5. Did you get a list of items from his walk-thru? If you do business with a mover, you need to get a guaranteed, not to exceed price based on a list of items in your house at the time of the survey. That list needs to be in writing. Did he give you one? A mover will call it a 'table of measurements' or a 'cube sheet'.
6. If you are being charged by the weight, the only charges that should be applicable are transportation and accessories (such as packing). You do not pay for their housing...ever.
Good luck on your move and let me know if you need any more help with more specific questions.
So, it turns out that they put runners down on the carpeting, and they are excellent packers. They will pad the door jambs, etc.
They charge by the weight, but there is an additional charge for packing and unpacking if we choose that option - which I'm seriously thinking of doing, thoughts on that? They will cart off the used packaging and boxes, etc...that would be awesome.
Question for you that I'm not clear on: Should we keep and pack our cleaning solutions and various aerosols and so on, and make room for a box like this in our car, or should we label it "garage stuff" or "odds n' ends" etc, and let them take it? Is it really that dangerous if they take it? We have so much that will be going in one of our vehicles (pets, kids, plants, jewelry boxes, suitcase, files) that it doesnt leave much room for things like WD-40 and Lysol spray, etc.
I think you're taking a chance packing those items. Should there be a problem (fire) you probably will lose everything and insurance won't cover it. We ended up buying new when we arrived at our new home. Good luck!
Question for you that I'm not clear on: Should we keep and pack our cleaning solutions and various aerosols and so on, and make room for a box like this in our car, or should we label it "garage stuff" or "odds n' ends" etc, and let them take it? Is it really that dangerous if they take it? We have so much that will be going in one of our vehicles (pets, kids, plants, jewelry boxes, suitcase, files) that it doesnt leave much room for things like WD-40 and Lysol spray, etc.
movers won't take that, it really is dangerous. Freecycle it or throw it away and buy new replacements after you get to the new house.
yes,they will not take anything like that at all. No nail polishes or nail polish removers either.... we brought some of our cleaning supplies with us in a box in the car,the rest of the things we had our town pick up with their chemical recycles.
So, it turns out that they put runners down on the carpeting, and they are excellent packers. They will pad the door jambs, etc.
They charge by the weight, but there is an additional charge for packing and unpacking if we choose that option - which I'm seriously thinking of doing, thoughts on that? They will cart off the used packaging and boxes, etc...that would be awesome.
Question for you that I'm not clear on: Should we keep and pack our cleaning solutions and various aerosols and so on, and make room for a box like this in our car, or should we label it "garage stuff" or "odds n' ends" etc, and let them take it? Is it really that dangerous if they take it? We have so much that will be going in one of our vehicles (pets, kids, plants, jewelry boxes, suitcase, files) that it doesnt leave much room for things like WD-40 and Lysol spray, etc.
I've packed for one long distance move myself and the other one, I hired the movers to do the packing.
Personally, I would let the movers do it since it is a distance move. It will save YOU loads of time and headaches. You will have your hands full trying to wrap up last minute details and will be pressed for time if you have a full-time job also.
My advice would be to cull and donate what you can first. Carefully inventory and gather up your valuable items then pack them yourself. Bubblewrap is readily available and MailBoxes Etc., Lowes, Home Depot, U-Haul, etc...See how many boxes there are total and make sure they can fit inside your car along with your files (insurance papers, financial documents, medical records, etc..), plants, pets and "The Survival Box" I mentioned in a previous post. Set these things aside with a big sign on it that says it is being transported by the homeowner, so the boxes don't get mixed in with what the movers pack.
The boxes are usually put out to the curb and you call the trash company for a "Bulk Pick-up" which is usually no charge.
The household chemicals can be put in a plastic storage tub to prevent spillage. My mover taped the lid on and moved in in their truck. Of course, every mover is different. Ask them what their policy is on that. I would not throw these things out though. The expense could be pretty high if you have a lot of lawn chemicals, bug killers, spray paint and household cleaners.
You CAN always rent and small u-haul trailer to pull behind the car if you have a tow hitch. You can also get one installed on the car if you don't already have one. I used one when I made my first move to haul a motorcycle and I loaded some other boxes, like the chemicals on there too. The trailer is then dropped off at the U-Haul store near your new home.
We had three out for estimates. They all saw boxes that we already had packed and basically said, "Hey, that's great. The more you can box and move yourself, the better. It will save you $". Our new house is by where we both work so we plan on taking stuff up on each trip during our two week rent back of the house we are in now. They are also very willing to deal on their pricing. The national moving company we ended up going with said right of the bat that he would match or beat any other estimate we had from other movers. Plus, he is giving us things like the mattress bags (not much $ anyhow for those) and a TON of boxes without charge.
Two of the 3 estimates were pretty good. I'm not speaking specifically of cost, its more the quality of their work that I'm referring to. I was impressed and felt a sense of relief that they work would be good. The 3rd one was just not trustworthy, according to my gut feeling.
I suppose I will try my best to make room for the chemicals (typical garage shelf items, nail polish remover, etc) and all things liquid. The movers have said they will not transport liquids such as cooking oils or shampoos - nothing. So rather than repurchase, I will create a tub for these items and transport them. It all adds up - $5 for this, $7 for that - I'm too frugal to toss it and I dont want to risk fire in the truck. Thanks so much for all your responses, much appreciated.
One company said they would unload into closets, cupboards, etc. Another said they would, if I really wanted that, but that usually they just unload onto countertops, tables, floor, etc and they haul off the packing and boxes. I am leaning towards having them put stuff away and reorganizing it later, just to have a sense of peace and less chaos from the get-go. Anyone have varying experiences with this sort of thing? It seems indulgent but I just cant help myself, the thought of putting up my feet at the end of move-in day, with most of the big stuff 'put away' is almost too good to be true.
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