Tuesday, August 28, 2012

7 Things You Hate About Movers

In the many aspects that movers have which relief your moving experience unfortunately along with moving scam come other circumstances that are not much in favor of you – their customer.

Sometimes moving companies act in a manner that is in your way of a smooth relocation. You cannot always expect these things to happen or know that they will. This is why this article collects several of the most common things that movers do which you may find annoying and – to make the information full – we have added up the possible solutions of the problems and tips through which you can avoid the things that you may find absolutely unpleasant. Ignoring the facts will not change them – facing them and being informed will!

7 Things You Absolutely Hate About Movers

  1. If you have asked for a quote but don’t seem to understand it.
    Solution : Read everything you get from movers before signing it. At first it may seem pointless and you may think those are standard papers but in reality every move is unique and so is yours.
    Tip : Find out what are the types of moving estimates and quotes in advance.
  2. The company acting unprofessional. What happens is you call a mover with the request of getting a quote and with questions you have. You should be getting straight and full direct answers to any question you have. Movers that are unprofessional will not tell you exactly what you need or will avoid giving you information. Instead, they will only try to talk you into hiring them and giving them their deposit.
    Solution: If the moving company you have contacted is vague, unclear or acts rude, just don’t use it. And definitely don’t hire a company if the rep hangs up the phone on you.
    Tip: Research well movers. Part of this research is reading reviews. Find movers in your area and read all about them before hiring them. This kind of behavior is a sign of scam and may make your relocation problematic rather then successful. 
    Being late
    What if the movers are late? If you want to save time you can start packing and have someone help you.
  3. When movers are late. Yes, it happens and you know about this. You have an agreement about a date and time with the moving experts and they seem to be running late. Sometimes unexpected circumstances appear and even if you are informed about the delay it is still unpleasant.
    Solution
    : Depending on what the movers will do – packing or loading only or both, you can try to find helpers quickly if you want to save time. Call neighbors and friends to come and help you with the packing. In this way you will compensate partially the delay. You can also stack all boxes by the front door to save time with loading when movers arrive after all.
    Tip: Try to find a reputable company. Usually movers that are reliable rarely come with a delay.
  4. When movers don’t tell you everything and the final bill is higher than you have expected it seems like there is nothing you can do about it. Unfortunately, this may be true. If you read the contract you will understand that. Movers have the right to charge you additionally for a service you did not request if they need it in order to complete the relocation. This means for example that if you haven’t informed the company that you live on a street not accessible for a truck they will park as near as they can and take a smaller vehicle to reach your home. And you will pay extra for this service.
    Solution: Ask the movers what they charge you extra for. If it is unreasonable as a price don’t use them even if this is moving day. You don’t know how much the costs can go up once they already have your belongings so if you continue with them it may be risky.
    Tip: In this case in order to prevent unexpected costs plan a budget for moving higher than the one you suppose you will need and acquaint yourself with the hidden moving costs and fees.
  5. The high costs. And some movers charge a lot.
    Solution: Once you get multiple quotes from movers compare the prices and ask what the price includes. Some companies will give you an estimate that includes only two men and a truck while others will also put packing, loading and even unpacking.
    Tip: In order to know what your estimate covers in terms of services always ask this question to the moving company. And you should know you don’t have to always go for the most pricey company. A lot of movers make discounts. You can find a cheap and qualified mover and get a lower price, too. 

    If you see that the final price of your move is going to be higher than the initially stated ask the movers why. If you find that you are going to be charged extra more than you should, change the moving company - you don't know how much more the price can go up until you finally get to have your belongings back.

  6. When movers charge for time. A lot of movers that are paid for the time they work will take their time in order to be paid more.
    Solution : If you see that movers are rather taking their time help them. This is why it is always good to have an extra helping hand available on moving day.
    Tip : Find movers that will charge you a flat cost: i.e. you pay for the job to be done irrelevant of the time it will take. Then the moving labor will be quicker.
  7. When things are missing or damaged.
    Solution : Try to discuss the situation with the company and reach on an understanding with them. If you can’t – file a claim against them. You can find a letter sample of such a complaint on this link.
    Tip : Working with a trustworthy mover should make things well for you. The valuation you get from the moving company is valid only if they do the packing for you. If you still want to do your own packing you can ask for extra insurance to actually cover possible losses or damages.

Are you moving soon or in the near future? Moving the traditional way puts an unbelievable amount of trash and other waste into our landfills which are harmful to the planet. Why waste time and money on cardboard boxes and tape that you’re just going throw away when you move into your new place? Instead, consider getting green plastic moving boxes from us at Rentabox. 

We’ll deliver them to you and pick them up from your new address so you don’t have to worry about it. With Rentabox, moving can be a streamlined, pleasant experience all the way around!

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Moving a Household

Moving a household – what is it and what does it take to do it well and with quality? If you have any kind of experience with moving you will know the stress and difficulty of it. However, there are certain ways which if you follow will make your relocation process easier. One of these ways is knowing the potential costs you are going to experience and another one is be prepared with the plenty of little details to take care of when moving. The tips here should make things simpler for you.

Moving Household Goods Estimator

What is the cost of moving a household? There are several factors that define the expenses when moving household goods besides the weight of the transported items, their number and size. These are the distance of the shipment, packing/ unpacking, the number of moving labor you hire for your move which are amongst the main ones, and other factors that belong to the hidden costs and fees you may encounter during your relocation.  

Potential costs will vary – The custom calculations for you though begin by getting a quote. The cost of moving household goods will be clear for you if you try to get as many different quotes as you can. Some movers will contact you over phone to discuss with you what you have for moving. There are companies that provide an inventory list to fill in by e-mail and if your relocation is small this may be convenient to take as an option. In all other cases it is recommended to ask for a visual estimate. This is the best way in which your cost of moving a household will be completely clear as you may miss some things over the phone.

List with Tips on Moving Household Goods

Here are a few helpful tips on moving household goods:
  • Begin decluttering as soon as you know you will be moving. Everything that is broken, useless or worn out can be thrown away or recycled. What is still new but you don’t want to take can be donated to charity organizations. The less you have for moving, the less you will pay for your relocation.

    As soon as you know you are relocating begin decluttering: the less you have for moving, the less your move will cost you.

  • Once you get moving quotes don’t be mislead by the smallest price. Sometimes moving companies that give a lower moving estimate have more extra charges that they make while on the other hand companies that give you a higher cost usually include in it more services – sometimes even packing and unpacking.
  • Far as the packing materials are concerned a lot of people use newspaper. It may be cheaper but it may also leave prints all over your items. If you want to avoid that you can visit the local newspaper and see if they have some blank (unused) newsprint that they won’t use because it is damaged, for example. Or you can just buy packing paper from movers.
  • Consider how to supply yourself with boxes. There are ways in which you can get boxes for free or cheap like taking some from grocery stores. On the other hand, used boxes may not be that strong and may also be a little bit dusty or dirty. Even if you get new boxes it is advisable to tape them around – in this way they will be stronger. After you fill in the boxes tape them again to close them and seal them.

    You can use newspaper for packing but it may leave prints on your belongings. Instead, you can ask to have clear newsprint from the local newspaper or get packing paper from movers.
  • If you decide to pack yourself the obligatory insurance that movers are obliged to provide to you is no longer valid. Another reason for getting a moving company to do the packing for you is to save time. As you can see above, having someone else to do the packing for you is a small price you’ll have to pay compared to the whole relocation and it gives you the convenience of spending your time in more important to you ways.
  • Once your packing is complete you can make a list with your boxes and their content so that when the movers unload you can quickly check if all boxes are there besides examining their condition. Relocating household goods will be more organized in this way.
  • Fill up the boxes completely. If there is no or little space left inside them it is less likely that there will be things rattling and thus broken inside. Also you will need less boxes to use in this way and pay less for packing.
  • Prepare your money. In the beginning you will need to pay a deposit of the company and it shouldn’t exceed 10% of the final amount of your relocation. The rest of the amount is due before the movers unload your belongings.

Are you moving soon or in the near future? Moving the traditional way puts an unbelievable amount of trash and other waste into our landfills which are harmful to the planet. Why waste time and money on cardboard boxes and tape that you’re just going throw away when you move into your new place? Instead, consider getting green plastic moving boxes from us at Rentabox. 
We’ll deliver them to you and pick them up from your new address so you don’t have to worry about it. With Rentabox, moving can be a streamlined, pleasant experience all the way around!