Would you let your friends clean your teeth, pour the foundation for your home, or re-shingle your roof? Then why are you letting them move your home? If you are not in college anymore, then it is time to quit paying for moves with pizza and beer. As they say, you get what you pay for, including broken heirlooms, wandering workers, and added stress.
If you’re like most people, you probably have little time, a home full of a lifetime’s worth of your treasures, and need a lot of help moving. Follow these five steps to enjoy a stress free move.
Tip 1: Hire Professional Movers
The right movers will do everything from pack, haul, move, and unload your belongings. Gold Coast Removalists have been moving Gold Coasters for over 40 years. We’d like to think that we know a thing or two about moving!
Tip 2: Evaluate Needs
Next, take a look at the kind of move you are making. Is it long-distance? Is it overseas? Is it down the block, or interstate? There are different types of movers, but whatever companies you consider need to have proper licenses, liability insurance, and only employ drivers with clean records.
While it is great to do everything online without ever talking to people, that is a liability when it comes to movers. You need a company that will come over and take a look at your furniture. They need to estimate the weight and dimensions of everything you are moving.
Tip 3: Binding Contracts
Beyond packing, moving is stressful partly because finding reliable and trustworthy movers who are effective is difficult. Getting contracts that protect you from price variances is an even bigger challenge.
Binding agreements are the preferred type of contract because once the contract is signed it is a done deal. That means that the movers cannot charge you more for gasoline or extra weight on the truck, over what they had estimated. Price changes after the fact is hard for most people to do when they are moving.
Choose binding not-to-exceed estimates over any other types. Second to that just go for a binding contract.
Tip 4: Pay For Additional Services
Packing, getting boxes, lifting, stuffing boxes with paper, and wrapping items is involved. It is exhausting, and adds a lot of stress if you have a family and a full-time job. Solution? Hire our professional packers.
It is helpful to get it as a part of the moving package because then you know how much it will cost, and it is covered by the insurance from the moving company. Part of this process involves a good coordination of efforts, because they need to have a manager in place who can plan how long it will take and oversee the work.
Having efficiency built into the packing, and being prepared are keys. It is important that the packers are prepared with sufficient supplies on hand so they do not have to start and stop to get more packing materials.
It is ideal if the packers are experienced, and in the business for the long haul, rather than seasonal workers or kids home from school for the summer. They will not have as much of a commitment to securing your items as truly professional packers would.
5. Always Check References
Before hiring anyone, always check references. It is one thing to get a handful of them. It is another entirely to find out the truth about a company from actual customers who used their services. It can make the difference between a good experience and a nightmare.
The top five tips to enjoying a stress free move should make for a smooth move. Look forward to your new place where you can make new memories.
