By Julie DeLong, A-1 Freeman Moving Group
Some folks believe that it's a grand idea to do a quick internet search and check "hire mover" off your list in fifteen minutes. This is a fun fact. That is not the ideal way to choose movers. You need to have a real human interaction with your potential mover, since these are the people you are entrusting with moving all your things in a safe and timely manner. These are several of the fundamental questions a professional mover will ask on the introductory phone call.It's a big help if you snap pictures of your rooms and have written down furniture dimensions when you talk with a mover. They will need to know how many bedrooms and living spaces are in your residence, and how many levels your house is on. You really can't be too meticulous about your rooms, since they are working from a standard template, and every home is unique.
If your residence contains a living/dining combination (popular in the 60’s and back in the 2000s), do not forget to include the dining room table, china hutch, and eight armchairs when you describe your "living room" items. Formal dining rooms are increasingly rare nowadays, so lots of movers don't even include that room on their basic list--and if you don't think about it to tell them, contemplate the overall hinderance on the ambience of moving day when you grasps the truck isn't sizable enough for all those chairs and a table.
Knowing the dimensions, and if things can be disassembled, is also a vital part of a precise estimate. Sofas are usually between 5 and 7 feet long, some have detachable cushions, and some are sleepers. A hardwood queen sleeper weighs significantly more than a rattan couch, so be as exact as you can be with details. Some furniture can be disassembled, so make sure and communicate that to your coordinator so the moving team can bring the correct tools to disassemble and put back together.
By now, you could be questioning why the moving company is asking you all of these questions. Well, they are trying to figure up not only how many boxes you will require for all of your things, but also how much room in the moving truck your belongings 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's very general, and it assumes that you have thrown out a fair amount of old shoes and preschool art.
After you have chosen your moving company, and had one or two phone conversations, the mover should schedule an in-home appointment to confirm their numbers are right. People are stressed admist a move and do have a tendency to forget things like the kid's swing set or the lawn mower, because they're not being put in boxes, and this is great example of out of sight, out of mind. But, these items will be included during the in-home estimate.
Developing a working relationship with your mover is important for a trouble-free move. They don't judge your housekeeping, so contact your local mover, select your appointment date for your estimate and don't stress about the dust bunnies. Click here to get started today!
