By Julie DeLong, A-1 Freeman Moving Group
Believe it or not, some people think it is a grand idea to let their fingers do the walking and check "hire mover" off your list in five minutes. This is an interesting fact. That is not the best way to select movers. You need to have an actual conversation with your potential mover, since these are the folks you trust to move all your belongings in a safe, secure and timely way. These are a few of the initial 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 recorded furniture dimensions when you chat with a mover. They will need to know how many bedrooms and living spaces are in your home, and how many levels your home is on. You really cannot be too specific about your rooms, since they're working from a standard template, and every house is unique.
If your house has a living/dining combination (popular in the 60’s and back in the 2000s), don't neglect to list the dining room table, china cabinet, and eight armchairs when you describe your "living room" items. Formal dining rooms are getting rare these days, so lots of movers do not even include that room on their basic list--and if you do not tell them, imagine the overall hinderance on the temperament of moving day when everybody recognizes the truck is not sizable enough for all that furniture.
Having the dimensions, and whether things come apart, is also an important component of an accurate estimate. Sofas are usually between 5 and 7 feet long, some have detachable cushions, and others are sleepers. A hardwood queen sleeper weighs much more than a rattan loveseat, so be as specific as possible with details. Some furniture can be disassembled, so make sure and communicate that to your coordinator so the crew can bring the right tools to take apart and put back together.
By now, you might be wondering why the moving company is asking you all of these questions. Well, they are attempting to figure up not only how many boxes you will require for all of your “stuff”, but also how much room in the truck your belongings will consume. Movers will have approximates for box counts based on number of bedrooms and the square footage of the residence, but that's really rudimentary, and it assumes that you've gotten rid of a fair amount of old clothes and preschool art.
After you have picked your professional mover, and had a few phone conversations, the mover should schedule an in-home appointment to make sure their calculations are accurate. People are stressed in the middle of a move and do have a tendency to forget items like the lawn furniture or the jet skis, because they're not being put in cartons, and this is prime example of out of sight, out of mind. However, these items will be accounted for during the in-home estimate.
Developing a working relationship with your mover is key to a smooth move. They do not judge your housekeeping, so call your local mover, set your appointment date for your estimate and don't be anxious about the dust bunnies. Click here to get started today!
