By Julie DeLong, A-1 Freeman Moving Group
Some folks believe that it is a super idea to do a quick internet search and check "hire mover" off their to-do list in fifteen minutes. This is a fun fact. That is not the best way to hire movers. You need to have an actual conversation with your potential mover, since these are the people you are trusting to move all your belongings in a safe, secure and proper way. These are a few 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 have a conversation with a mover. They'll want to know how many bedrooms and living spaces are in your residence, and how many levels your house is on. You really cannot be too meticulous about your rooms, since the mover is looking at a standard template, and every residence is one-of-a-kind.
If your house has a living/dining combination (popular in the sixties and back in the 2000s), don't neglect to include the dining room table, china cabinet, and eight armchairs when you go over your "living room" furniture. Formal dining rooms are increasingly rare these days, so some movers do not even include that room on their normal list--and if you do not remember to tell them, contemplate the overall damper on the temperament of moving day when everybody recognizes the moving van isn't big enough for all those chairs and a table.
Having the dimensions, and if things can be taken apart, is also an important component of a precise estimate. Sofas are normally between 5 and 7 feet long, some have detachable cushions, and some are sleepers. A hardwood full sleeper weighs a lot more than a rattan couch, so be as explicit as you can be with details. Some furniture can be taken apart, so be sure to tell the coordinator so the moving team can bring the specific tools to disassemble and reassemble.
By this time, you might be questioning why the moving company is asking you a ton of questions. Well, they are attempting to calculate not only how many boxes you will require for all of your things, but also how much space in the moving van your possessions will consume. Movers will have estimates for box counts based on number of bedrooms and home size, but that's very rudimentary, and it assumes that you've purged a large amount of old clothes and preschool art.
After you have chosen your professional mover, and had a couple of phone conversations, the mover will most likely schedule an in-home appointment to verify their estimates are correct. People are frazzled in the middle of a move and do sometimes forget items like the gas grill or the lawn mower, because they are not going in cartons, and this is great example of out of sight, out of mind. But, these items will be caught during the in-home estimate.
Developing a working relationship with your mover is key to a smooth move. They don't judge your housekeeping, so call your local mover, pick your appointment date for your estimate and do not stress about the dust bunnies. Click here to get started today!
