By Julie DeLong, A-1 Freeman Moving Group
Some folks believe that it's a grand idea to type “find a moving company” into the search bar and check "hire mover" off your list in five minutes. This is a fun fact. That is not the best way to choose movers. You need to have an actual conversation with your potential mover, since these are the folks you are entrusting with moving all your things in a safe, secure and timely way. Here are some of the initial questions a professional mover will ask on the introductory phone call.It is a marvelous help if you have pictures of your rooms and have recorded furniture dimensions when you chat with a mover. They will want to know how many bedrooms and living spaces are in your residence, and how many levels your home is on. You really cannot be too meticulous about your rooms, since they're working from a standard template, and every home is one-of-a-kind.
If your residence contains a living/dining combo (popular in the 60’s and again in the 2000s), don't neglect to list the dining table, china buffet, and a bunch of armchairs when you describe your "living room" furniture. Formal dining rooms are increasingly rare nowadays, so lots of movers don't even mention that room on their normal list--and if you don't tell them, contemplate the overall damper on the ambience of moving day when everybody grasps the moving van isn't large enough for all that furniture.
Knowing the dimensions, and whether things come apart, is also a key component of a precise estimate. Sofas are usually between 60 and 84 inches long, some have detachable cushions, and others are sleepers. A hardwood queen sleeper weighs much more than a rattan loveseat, so be as exact as you can be with details. Some furniture can be disassembled, so let the coordinator know so the moving crew can bring the right tools to disassemble and put back together.
At this point, you might be wondering why the moving company is asking you all of these questions. Well, they are making an effort to figure up not only how many boxes you will require for all of your things, but also how many linear feet in the moving truck your possessions will take up. Movers will have estimated guesses for box counts based on number of bedrooms and the square footage of the residence, but that is really basic, and it assumes that you have purged a fair amount of old Christmas decorations and preschool art.
After you've picked your professional mover, and had a couple of phone conversations, the mover will schedule an in-home appointment to make sure their estimates are right. People are stressed in the middle of a move and do sometimes forget things like the gas grill or the lawn mower, because they are not being put in cartons, and this is prime example of out of sight, out of mind. However, these items will be caught during the in-home estimate.
Developing a working relationship with your mover is vital for a trouble-free move. They do not judge your housekeeping, so contact your local mover, select your appointment date for your estimate and don't worry about the dust bunnies. Click here to get started today!
