HIring a Professional

Who are those people in my house? You have decided to pay someone else to move your stuff. The problem is: who are they, what will they charge, how competent will they be, and do I want to let them in my house? All good, honest questions and common fears. You are paying someone to provide a service, always a blind leap of faith, and to add to the stress...it involves your most personal possessions! Lets look at "who" to choose. If your move is a corporate one, paid by your company, you may be given the choice of two or three pre-selected professional interstate moving companies your company has on contract. Ask your relocation department staff (or HR people) which one has the best track record, is always on schedule and has the least excuses, complaints, and claims. (Your company may even use an in house "performance report card" for its moves. Ask to review that data.) Network with the people you know have moved, and collect their suggestions...their experience is fresh and to the point. They have gone through what you are about to. If your move is a personal one (called C.O.D. in the industry..."cash on delivery") talk to your real estate agent, other real estate agents, the Better Business Bureau, and the moving companies themselves. Your move can be one of two basic types, and that will determine which type of mover you use. If you are moving "locally", usually less than 50 miles from house to house, the charge for the move is an hourly one. Each town or region usually has many of these small "Mom and Pop" local movers. The Yellow Pages are full of this type. Usually they have no national affiliation, and advertise as "family owned and run" since____(fill in a year). Their market niche is cross-town "on and off" moves, and they can be quite good at these. Your realtor is most apt to suggest this type of company, and if he/ she wants positive feedback from you afterwards, a decent company will be mentioned. The second move type involves longer distance relocation, over 50 miles and even cross-country. While the "Mom and Pop" movers may do some, these moves are best left to Interstate movers. These moves are cost centered around total weight moved, distance transported, and number of cartons packed (by the movers). Your realtor may also suggest one of these companies, and the Yellow Pages are also full of this type. Listed as "interstate" or long distance movers, these companies usually have national affiliations and are part of a cross-country service network.
Based on the feedback you have received, and the research you have done, I would suggest you call three moving companies from the type that matches your relocation. All three companies will come to your house to give you an estimate of time, costs and final charges. (If someone attempts to give you a phone estimate, drop him or her immediately.) All three will attempt to "sell" you their company as the "best". (Note: everyone is "the best", only an idiot would come into your home and say "we are pretty lousy, but please use our services anyway!") Did the salesman or estimator listen to you? Did they spend time walking through your home? Were they clear about schedules? Charges? Did they explain your responsibilities? Were you comfortable with them? Ask them for some literature about their company: moves history, claims frequency, schedule failures. If you are moving around a holiday or in the summer, ask them about their resources during peak seasons. Would you get stuck with some green crew because of staffing problems? Might they not show up at all? If you are moving long distance, ask that the same crew load and deliver you. If this cannot be promised, ask the estimator if the moving company uses casual "day" laborers. If the answer is yes, on occasion, demand that these people not be used on your move. You want full time experienced people in your house. You will be paying good money for this service, demand competent people. (The estimator will note this, and increase the chance that their top shelf people will arrive at your home.) Listen to how they answer these questions. Are they direct, or do they start waffling? Write a quick "hit sheet" for each of the three representatives, and compare them at processes end. Select the one you felt most comfortable with, was most direct, and had the most realistic charges. Don't immediately choose based on cost. Remember...you usually "get" what you pay for!

What are all these charges? Sometimes, moving can be like renting a car. Advertised as "$29.00 a day", why did the midsize "really" cost $52.00 a day, after insurance, fuel, mileage, and incidental airport charges? Remember the two basic move types: Local and Long Distance? Lets look at the charges for each. A local move (under 50 miles, house to house) is charged to you by the hour, for each man used, and for the truck. In the Northeastern US, the cost for a truck and three-man crew ranges from $80 to $160 an hour. The moving company can charge you travel time to and from your home, and additional charges for increased liability coverage (insurance) if you request it, as additional protection for your goods. So, if your move is big enough to take the whole day, it could cost you between $800 and $1600 for a ten-hour day just for the movement of your goods. Remember I said "just" for the movement of your goods. The movers can also charge you for each box they provide, pack, and unpack. These costs are usually fixed, separate, and included in the original estimate. Packing by the mover is very expensive. Be honest with the estimator. Good intentions usually go south and the packing charge increase on moving day because you ran out of steam and the movers had to pack it instead of you. If you want them to pack at all, let it be the high value items; china, glass, lamps, pictures, etc. They are liable for any damage. Invest your time prior to their arrival packing bedding, linens, books, clothing, etc. The Long Distance Move. For this move, the same packing charges apply, as does the same advice; be honest, pack what you can, leave the high value to them. There is a difference in the charge system for the move however. Over 50 miles house to house, the move is based on weight and distance. The charges increase as the weight and distance increase. The moving truck is weighed on a certified scale before it's loaded with your goods and after. The net weight is factored by distance traveled and charged according to a prearranged "tariff" or cost system. It is in your interest to weed out everything unwanted before the move...you will be paying for its weight! The estimator will present you with an estimated cost of services based on what he/ she totals in your home for weight and packing. Be honest and avoid late add on charges. Ask that all estimated charges be explained to you. Don't let that $29.00 rental car become $52.00 because of those killer "additional charges"!

In summary, try to know who will be knocking on your door and how much it is going to cost before the move by making good choices and doing your homework. The good moving companies are out there, and you can find them, with a little help!