Our Best Moving Hacks and Tips
Knowing how to efficiently move your belongings to a new residence is vital for a stress-free, successful Moving Day. Here are some common moving flops and our easy hacks to avoid making them.
Moving Fail #1: You hired a moving broker, not a moving company.
A moving broker is typically a third-party vendor who takes your information for your move and auctions it to a moving company. They take no part in your move, and do not take responsibility for any scheduling problems or damage caused by the moving crew.
Moving Hack and Tip #1: Do your research.
Research the company you are going to hire for your move. Don’t be fooled by the word “mover” in the “company’s” name. This is a common trick of brokers. Check their credentials, website, and physical location to ensure they are an actual, hands-on moving company that hires and trains their employees, owns their own trucks and equipment, and will be the enterprise responsible for the safe transport of your belongings.
Moving Fail #2: You are not finished packing on Moving Day.
A common mistake that many people make when moving is not leaving themselves enough time to completely pack their home before Moving Day. Even with the best of intentions to pack a few boxes every night, the weeks can get away from you as you address the other tasks of moving homes. Before you know it, there is only a week to go and you still need to pack most of the house.
Moving Hack and Tip #2: Hire a mover and put a Moving Day checklist together.
There are two hacks you can do to make sure you’re ready for Moving Day. First, you can hire a full-service moving company to come, pack your things, and move them to your new location. A professional packing crew can typically pack a home in one day.
The second way to avoid this moving mistake is to create your moving checklist and timeline planned out. The Camelot Moving & Storage timeline is an excellent guide to help you follow a clear path to being completely ready for your moving crew on Moving Day, which means your wall décor is removed and packed, all your boxes are sealed, your lamps are disassembled and packed, and every counter and surface is cleared.
Moving Fail #3: You do not complete your move on time.
Your Moving Day has come and gone, and you are not completely out of the house yet because there are still items to move! Not being out of your home on time could incur penalties and late fees.
Moving Hack and Tip #3: Clear communication is key.
When scheduling your move with your moving company, make it a top priority to clearly communicate the details of your move. From access to quantity, if your moving crew’s expectations are off, they could come with the wrong size crew, wrong size truck, or without all the needed equipment. Your crew will shuffle to handle what is needed in time, but it will take much longer, possibly requiring another day to completely move you out of your home.
Make sure your moving company knows the answers to the following questions when you are reserving your Moving Day:
Access: From and to what floor are you moving? Is an elevator required and/or available? Are stairs required? How far is your front door from the stairs/elevator? Does either home have a long driveway? How far away must the crew park?
What items will you need your moving crew to pack or prepare for Moving Day? Will you be hiring a full packing service? Or a partial pack? If the latter, which items will the crew be packing? (Partial packs often include flat-screen TVs—which must be packed in a box before they are loaded onto a truck—lamps, and artwork.)
How big—and full—is your home? For instance, a three-bedroom home with an empty garage will take much less time than a three-bedroom with a full garage. Do you have a storage shed whose contents will need to be moved? Does the shed need to be moved? Do you have any large plants that you expect the moving crew to transport?
Moving Fail #4: Not having enough coverage.
There are a number of ways to arrange for the transport of your belongings from one home to another, from hiring a licensed professional moving company to renting a truck and moving yourself. No matter how your home is being moved, if you don’t address matters of liability and coverage, you will be leaving yourself vulnerable.
If you hire a licensed professional moving company, basic moving coverage is included in the price of the move. However, your belongings might best be protected by valuation coverage, which can be purchased for an additional fee. Additionally, if that company hires their employees, who will be handling your belongings, those employees are protected from injury by workman’s comp insurance. But what if the company uses day laborersNot knowing your mover’s liability policy could land you with the responsibility of replacing damaged or lost items without compensation. If the moving company does not insure the employees it sends, you may have an injury claim on your hands if a worker gets injured on your job time.
Moving Hack and Tip #4: Do your homework.
While making arrangements for your move, address matters of liability and coverage, which includes damage to your property, damage to another’s property, and damage to persons.
If you hire a licensed professional moving company, basic moving coverage is included in the price of the move. However, your belongings might best be protected by valuation coverage, which can be purchased for an additional fee. Ask your mover which option is best for you. Additionally, your mover will be responsible for any damage they cause to another’s property, such as the apartment building or the neighbor’s vehicle. And if that company hires employees for their moving crews rather than paying day laborers, any injury to their employees will be covered by their workman’s comp insurance.
On the other hand, if you move yourself or pay a few guys to rent a truck and move your belongings, your items are not protected from mishandling, any damage to property will fall on you to cover, and you will be responsible for personal injury.
When arranging your move, ask yourself and your moving company the applicable questions below:
Is the moving truck I am renting insured?
How will I cover potential damage to another’s property?
Does my moving crew consist of hired employees or day laborers?
Are my possessions covered if mishandled during the move?
Hire Camelot’s Professionals
You can avoid moving stressors with our moving hacks and tips. Planning ahead and knowing what to communicate will make for a successful Moving Day. Camelot is here to help with your moving and storage needs. Contact us today to schedule your move.