Showing posts with label moving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label moving. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Do Your Homework to Save Thousands on Cheap Long Distance Moving


When we decided to move from California to Arkansas we began the search for moving companies that would handle the move. We needed cheap long distance moving.

First we contacted carriers that would do the all inclusive move; a carrier that would come to the house, pack up everything, load and pad and secure all our household goods. The carrier would have to hold our goods in storage until our permanent house had been completed. Then the long distance mover would have to deliver to our site and do all the unloading and unpacking.

We had our pick of many good companies to choose from but discovered we wanted the premium when our budget would not sustain the cost. This was not cheap long distance moving.

How To Find Cheap Long Distance Moving Companies


We went back to the drawing board, looking for a long distance carrier that would do most of the job. We received several quotes from companies that would provide the boxes, tape, special containers for breakables and the option of us doing our own packing and then calling them to come out and load the goods, padding and securing for the long move.

One thing that knocked most of the carriers out of the bidding was that they had no truck service into the area where we were moving. This became crucial. We had figured or assumed that cross country movers would move anywhere in the country but that was not true.

Some of the carriers said they could take our goods to Russellville or Little Rock, store them and when we were ready, we could get a local trucking company to carrier our goods to our location.

Compare Long Distance Moving Quotes To Get The Cheapest Price



Even though in the beginning of the quoting process we had made sure we gave good instructions about the location of the move, many of the carriers (with no service to our location) still quoted for the move. After we had spent the time and effort with them, they then talked about the ‘special needs’ that made it cost prohibitive for us to use the companies.

We had seen an advertisement about a carrier who would leave a container at our home, we would decide the pick-up date and they would store the goods at a facility close to our move to location until we were ready for them to be delivered to our new home, when it was complete. This seemed to be cheap long distance moving.

We gave this carrier option a lot of thought because it was definitely in our budget range. We had lots of healthy people to help us pack up the house and load the containers so we said yes and began the phone call to fill out the forms with the same information we had given the company when we contacted the carrier. The person on the phone stopped us almost immediately and said, ‘We can’t do business in Arkansas.’ Did they not know that when we asked for the quote?

The carrier tried to convince us to have the containers dropped off in Missouri but we didn’t want to waste more time and besides that, the extra cost became almost as much as the long distance mover that would pack and deliver (if they had serviced the area)

We found another very similar carrier at a lower price. We became a little skeptic but after talking to people who had used the company for cheap long distance moving recently, we decided to give them a try.

The company did exactly as they stated. The containers came out on time, we loaded them, called the carrier back and they picked up the goods on time for the closing of our house sale. They stored our goods close by in Arkansas. The carrier even kept our goods longer for no extra fee when the completion of our new home was delayed. We took a vacation cross country in our van, which was something we needed.

Moving Long Distances for Cheap Requires Patience and Research


cheap long distance moversEven if moving at premium rates, it pays to do the homework to save money on long distance movers. It is even more necessary to do your homework if you are planning on cheap long distance moving on a tight budget.

Do the pre-move research, asking all the questions of the carrier, not just assuming what and where is included. Those ‘special needs’ can become a deal breaker in getting a low cost, long distance mover.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Tips for Furniture Moving

If you are relocating to a new location particularly from one city to another, moving furniture of your home may be a difficult task. You will need to get some dependable movers for furniture moving. It is easier to find many furniture movers online, but it is tough to decide on the right one as it may require a couple of considerations.

Your furniture cannot be transported without proper packing to prevent any damages. Moreover, it must be properly handled, loaded, transported, unloaded and re-installed at the new location. The mover should be a professional service and should be able to provide you the complete service. You can get the details about many such companies on the internet. You can even check with your friends or relatives.

How To Move Your Furniture

First, you need to have a look at all your furniture, which is to be shifted. If there is only regular furniture such as, dining tables, sofa sets, cabinets and beds, a regular furniture mover can do it easily. However, you may also have a few big pieces like pianos or counters. There may be antiques and irreplaceable furniture pieces as well. In that case, you have to look for only a reliable furniture mover who is specialized in all types of furniture moving, including big items and  vintage ones. All these items are to be packed and handled safely. Most furniture movers keep trained manpower and necessary equipment to move all type of furniture. The furniture moving company, which you may be interested in hiring, must have the capabilities to move these items.

The furniture mover should have expertise in proper packing of the different items. They must wrap the pieces with proper material like stretch wraps, furniture blankets, sofa covers, bubble wrap, protection bags, etc. It must also be provided adequate padding. Boxing will be necessary in many cases. They must use corrugated cardboard boxes and filling materials like foam, crumpled paper, torn blankets for cushioning in boxes. Fragile items with glass, mirrors or frames and antique items need secure packing. You must take pictures of the furniture before packing. These may be helpful if anything is damaged and you may have to make an insurance claim.

Compare Multiple Furniture Moving Quotes Online

You must get quotes from different companies for moving your furniture.  You can select the most suitable and economical furniture mover. Before giving a quote, they will ask you the details of major furniture pieces to be shifted and may send their surveyor to look at the furniture. It is better to get a brief idea about how they are packing the different pieces of furniture. Before you finally decide, check that they have a proper license and certification. You should also confirm what insurance coverage they provide, to be sure that your furniture would be covered in the any unfortunate event of an accident or other mishap.

Once you have received the quotes from different movers, you need to compare them and consider them in view of the information available with you about their quality of service, dependability and repute. You must only hire an experienced furniture mover. They should ship your valuable items safely, even if you have to pay a slightly higher price.

Fix the date and time with the mover for packing and moving your furniture, and get the confirmation of your order. When you have selected the right mover, you furniture will reach safe at the new destination and it will be installed in same condition as it was in the previous location.