Questions to Ask a Potential Moving Company

It is Your Hard Earned Money They Want Do Not be Afraid 

To Ask Questions

Working with a moving company can take a large chunk out of the physical and mental stress involved with moving. The trick is to hire the right moving company to make the process go as smoothly as possible. Part of picking out the right moving company for you is knowing what questions to ask the moving company when you are shopping around for who to use. By asking questions your prepare yourself for what to expect from the moving company, and there won't be any unpleasant surprises on arrival times, additional costs, etc.

The following are some simple questions to ask a moving company before you sign any paperwork with them. You should call various companies to get a sense of who you are dealing with, and what type of moving policies they have.

Questions for Moving Companies

How Will I Be Charged?

All moving companies break down the costs of distance, capacity and time spent in different ways. Some charge by the hours, others charge for works and some by weight. It is good to get a break down of these costs beforehand. Now is a good time to ask about any additional costs that may be added on to a bill after the bill for extra services provided by the company. Moving companies are not always forthright about these costs, so make sure to check your contract for these types of costs before signing anything.

What is the average window of time with estimated moving van arrival and departure times?

There are many stories of people waiting a long time for there moving vans to arrive. Here is a blog where we discuss why moving vans arrive late sometimes. Let the person understand that you know that moving trucks do not have exact arrival times, but you want to know how many hours of waiting you should plan for.

Are your workers covered by workers compensation and liability insurance?

Obviously you do not want to be put in the position where you may be deemed responsible if someone gets hurt on the job. Most larger moving companies will have this policy in place, but if you are using a smaller company you'll definitely need to ask this question to protect yourself.

What kind of liability insurance does your company provide?

If any damage is to happen to your stuff on the move it can be a financial disaster. It is wise to consider investing in the movers insurance that the company may provide. Taking this small cost precaution can save you a lot if any accidents were to happen.

How much work can I do myself?

Some of us may want to do some of the work ourselves to lower the cost. Find out what the company's expectations are from you on this end.

Who does the packing and unloading?

Like the question before, you will want to know what the movers will and won't do. You may choose a company based on what the movers are willing to do, if you do not want to expend the energy or risk and injury during the move.

When do you need me to be there for the move?

Most companies will need you to be there when the movers arrive at both sites and while they are doing any packing. Make sure that you know when the company expects you to be around for the move to avoid any hassles.

Do you guarantee pick-up and delivery dates? What happens if the dates are missed?

Depending on how flexible your move is, this can be a deal breaker for some people. For people who need to move on the exact dates, they should not choose a moving company that does not guarantee your date in some way. You also want more than just the generic word "guarantee", so ask them how they handle situations where they have to reschedule clients.

How do you handle complaints?

Sometimes working with  moving companies does not always go as smoothly as we envisioned. The danger of getting someone else to do the job is always that they will not do the job right. Know beforehand how to process complaints with the company in case it becomes necessary.

5 Tips to Maximize Your Home's Space

A home is a like a puzzle where we have to squeeze all the pieces together to make everything fit. Sometimes there just seems to be not enough space for all the stuff we have, and some people even consider self storage units as an option. Getting rid of stuff by putting it in self-storage, selling it, giving it away, etc., are all great ways to help us better manage the items we need, because we all tend to hold onto a lot of extra items. Before you consider the following tips, clearing out some of the junk may be an option to consider. 

Getting Organized Can Be a Creative Process

For the stuff you do have, creating minimal organization systems will help prevent piles, clutter and disorganization that can make home life feel a bit disorienting all of the time. Consider the following tips to help better use the space you have.  

1. Make Sure Every Item has a Place it Belongs: 

When we have floating items in our homes, they tend to create piles that are scattered all over our home. Make sure you can go around and put everything back where it belongs. 

2. Wall Storage: 

Wall shelves, hooks and racks give you extra space to store items in your home. Make sure that when you put items on wall storage they are organized, because it adds visual clutter when a mess is hanging up on wall.  

3. Go to Ikea for Ideas and Organization Furniture: 

Ikea is a store dedicated almost entirely to affordable items to organize tiny spaces in a way that is livable and even attractive. They offer many items that can help you organize items, minimize your amount of furniture and maximize your space.      

4. Create Multi-Purpose Rooms: 

If you do not have the right amount of rooms that you want for living space, make rooms have multiple purposes. Dining room/living room, family room/rec-room, kitchen/dining room, rec-room/library, bedroom/library, closet/reading nook or any combination seemingly adds space to your limited space. Get creative! 

5. Leave No Corner of Your Home Unused: 

If you have any space in your home you feel is not being used, considering giving it a makeover. You know that closet that nobody uses? It can turn into a reading nook for a child or an adult. That empty wall in the bedroom? Add shelves to store clothes, books or towels.  

Tips on Moving While Pregnant

Waddling around for everyday activities can be difficult enough while pregnant. The thought of moving while pregnant is a nightmare with the physical limitations and emotional instability created by the little bundle of joy (or maybe at this point it feels more like a parasite) inside of you. We can't always plan when we get to move, so sometimes women are forced into the role of superwoman (again) when it comes to moving.

The following are just some gentle reminders to make your move go more smoothly. Remember to always listen to your body. Although you are obviously superwoman, that is no reason to play the hero by ignoring you and your baby's needs.  

1. Talk to a doctor! 

As soon as you know you are going to move, setup an appointment with your physician immediately. They will give you the best tips, advice and guidance available out there. It is important to schedule this appointment to make sure  that you know how to set strict limitations to protect you and your baby's health. Also, some of us have an easier time listening to a doctor's guidance rather than some other non-professional telling us the same things.  

2. Plan early! 

You are not going to get any less pregnant until baby pops out, so the more you get done earlier on the better. Planning early allows move to go more smoothly. The pressure of a deadline may be more of a motivator for you usually, but right now any additional stress that can be avoided will benefit you and the flow of move. As early as possible pack up stuff you don't need, schedule any hired services, find a doctor in the new area, etc.  

3. Put Yourself First! 

You do not need to play hero for once. You may be used to making all the moving parts of your life run smoothly, but now you are a little pre-occupied making a person. Don't be afraid to let go of a little bit of control where you can. If that means letting someone else do some more work or not having things organized to your level of perfection, so be it. 

4. Accept all help offered! If anyone offers you help, take it. 

It doesn't matter if it is a co-worker, a parent, a pesky neighbor or your partner. Getting help is no succumbing to a challenge, it is overcoming pride that doesn't want us to ask for help when needed. 

5. Communicate! 

It is important to state your needs to people helping you. They cannot read your mind or know your physical limitations. Most people are willing to give a little extra help if asked. 

6. Take time for Yourself! 

Take a yoga class, read, meditate, sit outside or any activity that you enjoy each day. Don't get so caught up in the move that you never take time to de-stress. The building up of stress hormones is bad for you and your baby, so try to take time to take it easy whenever you can. 

7. Remember you are crazy! 

No pregnant woman is sane. The hormones make it impossible to maintain complete mental control during pregnancy. Sorry. If you feel things spinning out of control causing you tell bounce for yelling, screaming, crying to laughing just remember that it isn't just your body, this little person has taken over. Do not be afraid to apologize for your hormones later. You may even consider apologizing to your partner before this whole atrocity for misbehavior, and ask them to be accommodating for your mood swings. 

8. Get a New Doctor if Needed! 

If you are moving far away, make sure to get a new doctor in the area before you move. It is better to be safe in sorry in this situation. If it turns out you do not like this doctor, you can always switch once the move is completed. 

9. Go Early! 

If at all possible get yourself to the new location early, this is especially useful for women moving a long-distance. Allowing yourself a couple extra days in the new house to clean or in a hotel relax, because this can will reduce the stress when it comes to your big day- moving day of course!

Couples are Not Usually This Happy When Moving while Pregnant

A Guide to Finding Cheap Boxes

If you are moving on a budget, you can save a little bit by not spending a whole lot on boxes. Buying brand new moving boxes is not necessary, but you may want consider newer boxes if you have particularly breakable or valuable items. The following are some tips to make packing stuff in boxes a little bit cheaper.

1) Dumpster Diving

The cheapest boxes are free! Check behind grocery stores and restaurants for boxes, and even in their dumpsters if you can. It is hard to literally dumpster dive anymore since local business frequently chain their dumpsters down, but if you check during business hours employees will frequently leave the dumpster unlocked.

Many grocery and restaurants still do leave cardboard boxes out for those who may want them. . You can also try asking local restaurants and business if they have any boxes that you could use. Most will be willing to save some boxes for you or give you what they have in back.

2) Save Boxes

If you know that you are going to move, you should start saving any boxes you may receive in the mail. You can also ask close by friends, neighors and family to save some boxes for you. Also, ask around at work to see if the business has any boxes they wouldn't mind parting with.

3) Buying Boxes

If you need to buy new boxes for your move, shop around for the best prices is the key to getting cheap boxes. Just going to the local moving store you will usually get ripped off by their extremely high prices. Buying online, even with shipping costs, is the best way to get cheap boxes. If you do buy boxes, make sure you only get as many as you will need for the move.

4) Do Not Buy Filler

Use homemade filler to cushion any fragile items you may need to put in boxes. Sheets, newspaper, paper, clothes all make excellent cushion in boxes. If you don't have a newspaper subscription look around for local free magazines at stores that usually feature real-estate or car ad listing. You can technically take as many you want, so grab a few if you see them out.

5) Buy Cheap Tape and Markers

Do not buy tape and markers from a location for convenience. Places like your local grocery store or gas station will rip you off. Get the cheapest tape possible at Staples, Home Depot, The Dollar Store or Target for the best prices.

6) Use Grocery Bags

A lot of smaller items you can just put in left over plastic grocery bags. Cleaning supplies, food and papers can be easily transferred to the new location by using these left over bags.

What to Do While You Wait for Your Moving Truck

Before we wrote about why when relocating hired moving trucks usually arrive later than we do at our new homes. This is a follow-up to give you some ideas on what to do while you wait for the moving truck to finally arrive. The further away you've moved, the longer you may be waiting. It can take anywhere from just an hour extra to an entire day. Make sure you know the estimate time of arrival beforehand, so you aren't completely surprised when they show up.

1. Keep Calm

If you read a lot of moving reviews by people, you'll notice a common complaint is the moving truck hasn't arrived when they expected. These people drive themselves crazy by calling the moving company one million times, fretting that their stuff is now being sold at a thrift shop and all sorts of anxiety-inducing activities. None of these things actually help, unless you are looking to raise your blood pressure.

While it is understandable to be freaked out that all of your stuff is in the hands of strangers, freaking out does not make your stuff arrive any faster. You've already expended a lot of energy starting this move, so give your blood pressure and general anxiety levels a break by keeping as calm as possible. Worrying doesn't do anything, it only makes you seem like you are doing something. Take some deep breaths, smell the flowers or whatever to try to make yourself feel better. Preferably plan ahead to have some extra time when you arrive, so that you can make good use of this valuable time.

2. Make Sure All the Utilities are On 

One of the most basic things you can do is make sure all the utilities you planned to have up are on. Sometimes in the mix of a move, utility companies will mess up dates or time to turn stuff back on, and on other occasions we may completely forget to call the utility companies. Go turn on the water, light, a/c, internet or whatever else should be up and running. If something isn't running, you now have time (if not energy) to call utility companies now.

3. Clean 

You are not supposed to pack cleaning supplies in a moving truck, so you should have your cleaning supplies with you. If you aren't lucky enough to be move into a brand new home (most of us aren't), consider giving the house a good move-in scrub. I know people who are move out are supposed to clean up after themselves, but as a neat freak I personally  like to give everything a brief scrub (especially bathrooms).

Unpack your supplies and start scrubbing away. I even like to bleach bathrooms to get rid of some of the nasty grime that can build up with inattentive residents. Make your home to the level of clean you want it to be as part of the move in process.

4. Send Out a Scout 

You will want to leave at least somebody to wait for the moving truck to arrive. If you have a partner, teenagers or whoever can drive send them out on a scouting mission. Find the local grocery stores, schools, hardware stores, pizza shops or whatever other places you will need to learn the locations of. This will also give you a chance to gain your bearings around your new location.

Make sure not to get too adventurous with your exploring. The thing about gaining your bearings is that you should plan a little time to be lost. Even though Google maps says the store is only 20 minutes away, it doesn't account for the 30 minutes you may spend correcting a couple wrong turns.

5. Unpack the Stuff in Your Personal Vehicle or That You Have with You 

Plan ahead to have items with you that you can unpack while you wait for the truck. Doing this means you can begin the long journey ahead of unpacking all of your stuff into your new home. These small items may just seem like a tiny fraction of the entire move, but it is a tiny of a fraction of things you won't have to deal with when the rest of your items arrive.

6. Plan Where Stuff is Going to Go 

Now is a good time to discuss where you actually want some of your stuff to go. While you shouldn't set your head and heart on too specific of arrangements, it is a good use of time to get a general idea of where some furniture and other items should go. You can even get out a piece of paper to sketch out different ideas for each room.

Deciding where furniture goes before the movers arrives gives you a chance to tell them exactly where to put things. This means less moving around of heavy items that you will need to do later.

Where is my Truck?

When you use a moving company one thing you may notice is the moving truck drive takes a lot longer to get your new location than it is going to take you in your personal vehicle. It can be frustrating to arrive at your new home and wait for a long time for your stuff to arrive. Most of us want to get our stuffed moved in as soon as possible, because the sooner we start assembling our new home the sooner the whole move will finally be over with.

Moving truck drivers are not just cruising around during this time to make your family wait. The following is explaining why moving trucks take so much longer to get to a location.

1. No Moving Trucks Allowed

There are many roads that trucks are not allowed on. For that reason moving trucks often have to go on out of the way routes to get to your new location. These routes are usually extremely inefficient, but it is absolutely necessary for moving trucks to take the alternative way due to traffic regulations.

2. Traffic Rules 

The average driver goes around 5 mph above the speed limit. Professional moving truck drivers cannot take this risk of speeding at all. A traffic ticket is a huge threat to their livelihood;l so if the posted speed limit is 25 mph, they are going 25 mph.

3. Slow Down, Speed Up 

It takes moving trucks a lot more time to speed up or slow down. This has a lot of impact on how efficient a drive can be. For one thing, it means moving truck drivers need to drive extremely defensively, because if someone slams on their breaks they need more than enough room to stop. It also means getting started when the red light turn green takes a lot longer. All of these little things add a lot of time onto a drive.

4. The Law

The law is that drivers can only drive 11 hours a day. In addition, they are only allowed to work a total of 14 hours a day. For long-distance moves, these laws make a huge difference. Some moving truck drivers would love to pull all nighters to just get the job done to get home sooner, but doing so can get them and the moving company in a great deal of trouble with the Department of Transportation.

5. Unexpected Traffic 

Remember that unexpected traffic can happen anytime, anywhere. Unpredictable accidents, popular events and many other things can cause traffic to be extremely heavy. While most drivers will try to avoid expected rush hour traffic, incidental traffic is nearly impossible to avoid.

4 Simple Ways to Make Your Move Greener

Many individuals are seeking out little ways to live a greener lifestyle, altering the way we relocate is a great place to start. While we may be in a rush when we move, there are minor adjustments we can make so the move is a little greener and sometimes even easier, cheaper and more efficient.

1) Get Rid of Stuff 

The less stuff you need to move, the easier the move. If you get rid of enough stuff, it can even mean needing a smaller moving truck and/or less trips you need to make with your own vehicle. With fewer trips and smaller moving vans, it means releasing less gas emissions into the environment. 

Go through your home with four boxes. Each one dedicated to selling, donating/giving away, recycling or just throwing away. Now is the time to purge. There is nothing more infuriating then needing to pack up junk, move junk then unpack the junk while you wonder why oh why you even bothered moving any of this stuff in the first place. Just keep in mind what you need versus what you are holding onto for no particular reason. 

2) Greener Boxes 

Buying new boxes can be a waste of money, energy and resources. Instead you can opt to rent green boxes,   

save boxes for your move or dumpster dive for boxes. Cardboard accounts for a lot of thrown away material in recycling and dumps yard. 

Also, remember to get green packing materials as well. If you know you are moving save cardboard egg cartons, newspapers, magazines and other materials to pack up more delicate items. You can also use clothing, bedding, towels and other soft materials most homes already have on hand. 

3) Clean Green 

Part of every move is cleaning up after yourself and cleaning your new home before you start unpacking. Consider purchasing some green cleaning supplies that have less chemicals that can be harmful to you and the environment. Although these type of supplies cost a little more, you can buy them in bulk through Amazon or Costco to save a little money. 

4) Waste no Food 

Before you move eat all the food in your fridge. Don't buy food you are not going to have time to prepare before the move. People frequently will empty everything in the fridge into the trashcan, because it is impossible to move perishable items long distances. Instead of wasting food, it is best to try to plan to eat as much of the perishable items as possible.  

Do not toss non-perishable items! Pack them with you or donate them to your local food bank. With so many in need, it is really a major shame to waste food. Not to mention generating food takes a lot of energy!