Moving Tips

Below is an article with some great moving tips to help you with your move. Be sure to visit our packing materials page for the supplies you will need, and our moving links page for information to help make your move run smoothly.

Article by Joe Planson
Changing Spaces Moving, Inc.

MOVING CHECKLIST TIPS

Careful planning of a move can help reduce the stress of relocating to a new home, apartment, office or retirement center. The scope of a move may include moving up to a larger home or downsizing to a smaller home. Downsizing is one of the hardest moves to make because it requires one to divest themselves of treasured possessions. If the downsizing is not properly handled on the move-out phase, the move-in portion can reach gridlock for space and make for a disorganized, costly time consuming move.

Eight weeks before the move:

Establish where you are moving from and to:

There are three types of moves one can make:

Type 1 is a move within a thirty mile radius of the Birmingham area. There are approximately sixty regulated and unregulated movers that are available in the Birmingham metropolitan area. Unregulated movers may not carry any or all of the proper insurances. Check to see if they have insurance. These insurances include:

You should check with the mover at the initial call to verify that they really do have all the insurances. “We are properly insured” doesn't get it for insurance verification. Check references to get recommendations on how a mover performed. The move within a thirty mile radius is usually handled on an hourly basis. The time usually starts when the truck leaves its home base until it returns, so there is a drive time component in the cost. There is usually a two hour minimum time for charging on a move to be fair to the employees and to control costs. Moving is a business of logistics. It takes as much coordination for a two hour move as it does for a ten hour move. Movers will set the crew size as a function of the job size and conditions. Beware of the mover that sends three or four men for a small move by the hour. These men are spending their time riding in the truck.

Approximate moving hours for a two man crew for the average size home without a lot of boxes, stairs, clutter and long and walking driving distances are:

Stairs, tight turns, long walks and travel distances all come into play for moving time. A rule of thumb, add one hour to the move per flight of stairs. Not being prepared for the move day will “greatly affect move times”. Movers will usually send a man to quote the move free of charge, when the scope of work is large enough, or going out of the thirty mile radius.

Type 2 is the second type of move and is outside the thirty mile radius of the respective metropolitan area (say Birmingham), but within the state of Alabama. Operating authority for a moving company is granted for intrastate moves by the Alabama Public Service Commission (ASPC).

The ASPC requires cargo and general liability insurance prior to issuing operating authority and numbers for trucks. Move rates are strictly regulated by the ASPC based on actual move weights, travel distance, and a multiplier from a moving company filed and approved rate sheet. The way to find out if a company has operating authority in the state is to ask for the ASPC number (ASPC #C3822). This number, by law must be on the truck door. If someone shows up with a moving van or rental truck, and no numbers on the truck door, you may have a mover that has no intra or interstate operating authority and proper insurance coverage. At this point you should ask to see insurance coverage certificates.

Type 3 is the third type of move and is outside the state, and is called an interstate move. Moving company operating authority is obtained from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The two numbers they issue that must also be on the moving van cab doors look like USDOT #1164437 and MC #468173 as well as the company name. You should check to see that your mover has these operating approved numbers at booking time. A good way to check is to ask for their DOT and MC numbers over the phone. The same insurance are required by FMCSA as the APSC mandates. Tariffs for interstate moves are mandated, but are highly inflated, and then steeply discounted (around 62%). This pricing and discounting is not allowed within the state of Alabama by the APSC. Pricing discount percentages are seasonal related. Moving industry capacity is in short supply from May through August. When you move during this time frame, expect to pay more for the move.

Six weeks before the move:

Select the moving company that you feel most comfortable and secure with your worldly possessions. Determine if they are flexible to change move dates if closing does not happen as scheduled. One third to one half of the move dates change. Pick a mover that will change with you:

Start the purging process by taking an objective look at what you want to keep and what must go, or be left behind. What is your clutter factor? The longer one lives in a home, the more clutter there is to divest:

The extra weight of items that are thrown out at the unload side costs you money. Some people pack unwanted items, then discard them at the unpack time. DON'T PAY TO MOVE THINGS YOU WON'T USE!

Four Weeks before the move:

Three weeks before the move:

Two weeks before the move:

One week before the move:

The week of the move:

One day before the move:

Move-Out Day:

Move-In Day:

Moving is hard work. The moving crews usually work hard, fast, careful and courteous. If you feel that your movers did a good job, it is customary for them to be tipped. This is, of course, a function of their performance. The amount is up to the customer.

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