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Interviewing a Mover

Tuesday, January 21, 2014
by The Mike Parker Team

Interviewing a Mover

 

“I’d wish I’d know that before I made a decision.”  If you’ve ever regrettably said this to yourself, having a checklist might have prevented the issue in the first place.  This list of questions can provide you with things to discuss when interviewing a moving company.

Fees

  • What is the charge for packing?
  • Does it include boxes? If not, what do they cost and will you deliver them?
  • Is there an additional charge to deliver some items to a storage unit?

Insurance

  • How is a damage claim handled? 
  • What insurance do you provide and is there a cost? 
  • Does the insurance cover items packed by the owner? 
  • Can additional insurance be purchased? 
  • If items are covered by my Homeowner’s insurance, whose insurance pays first?

Unusual Items 

  • Can you ship my car(s)? Will they be in the moving van or towed? 
  • What are the charges for shipping cars, lawn tractors, etc? 
  • What items cannot be shipped? 
  • If a shuttle truck is needed because of the location of my house or size of the drive way, is there an additional charge? 
  • If packing and loading are on different days, can you leave the beds and other basics out for us to use?

Dates 

  • What dates are available for our move?
  • What date will you pack and how long will this take? 
  • What date will you load the van? 
  • What date will the van arrive at my new location? 
  • If my new home is not ready for delivery, how many days can it be delayed before there is a charge? 
  • What is the charge for additional days or weeks?

Terms 

  • Are there any additional fees that I’m responsible for that have not been discussed? 
  • What are the terms of payment? 
  • Is a down payment required? 
  • When will the balance be due and who is authorized to accept it? 

7 Moving Mistakes that Can Cost You

Thursday, November 11, 2010
by The Mike Parker Team

Keeping your household organized is a challenge in the best of circumstances, let alone when you're in the midst of dealing with the disruption of moving.

As a member of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, I always take the extra steps necessary to help my clients experience a stress-free, successful move. Throughout my years in the real estate business, I've witnessed many common mistakes that people make during the course of a move.

Here are seven to avoid:

  1. Packing everything. Prior to moving, it's important to take a look around and decide what you don't want to keep. This will cut down on costs by not having to transfer unnecessary items.
  2. Sending it all to storage. Storage is usually expensive and just delays the inevitable. Eventually, what you store will need to be moved into your home, so try and bring it all the first time.
  3. Shopping on the Internet for move quotes without dealing with a live person. This is one instance where dealing with a live person is necessary. You need to be able to ask specific questions and have your estimate explained to you line by line so that you can see where costs can be cut.
  4. Not looking into what your homeowners' insurance covers. For a nominal cost, these types of insurance policies may cover your goods in transit.
  5. Not taking photographs of items before disassembling them for the move. You will be unable to process an insurance claim if you don't have proof of what the item looked like before you packed it.
  6. Overlooking the box count. If you are paying for boxes by the piece, keep track as things are being packed as each box has a different price attached to it. You don't want to end up with 300 boxes when you only needed 200. Also, if the moving company sees that you're keeping track, movers will be less inclined to hit you up for additional costs when the job is done.
  7. Forgetting to take inventory. If you don't create an inventory, there's no fool-proof way to know if you've left something behind or if it somehow got lost in transit.

Work closely with your real estate professional to help avoid these and other common pitfalls of moving. You can also e-mail me for more information. Please share these moving mistakes with friends and family, too, so that the journey to their new home is a happy one!

How to Ensure Smooth Moves

Thursday, April 22, 2010
by The Mike Parker Team


If you’re one of the many who have recently taken advantage of the first-time or move-up home buyer tax credit, there’s a happy move in your future. Unfortunately, I’ve seen the stresses of moving cast a cloud over the excitement my clients feel about heading to their new home, making for a nightmarish experience instead of a momentous occasion.

Thanks to my network of leading real estate professionals, the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, and my relationships with top moving experts, I can offer several tips to make moving a more streamlined, more palatable experience:

• Put your move details in writing.
Use a large notebook or binder to centralize all the important details of your move. It should contain detailed lists, including an inventory of boxes. Supplement this with a computer printout of box contents and e-mail it to yourself and a couple of other trusted sources as a back-up.

• Order boxes and moving supplies as far in advance as possible.
It’s never too early to start packing as we all have items that are not currently in use—think winter clothes, your baseball card collection, holiday decorations. Moving companies may allow you to return unused boxes, so order more than you think you'll need, by 20%. Invest in the right tape to keep boxes securely fastened, some new Sharpie pens, and labels to color-code your move.

• Document your AV details.
Take photos and notes on how your media equipment is set up: television, sound equipment, computer equipment, etc., in order to avoid an AV nightmare in your new home. Label all remotes and wires as well.

• Plan for your pets.
Moving can be particularly stressful for animals. Consider leaving them with a friend or at a reputable pet boarding service.

• Plan for valuables and critical documents.
Most homeowners insurance will not cover property in transit, so consider insuring certain items separately. Take photos for documentation to support loss or damage claims, and carry irreplaceable and legal items, like passports and birth certificates, with you.

• Choose a reputable moving company.
Good companies that can guide you through the process will have a proven track record. Ask your friends and your real estate agent for referrals.

• Keep your moving receipts for income tax deductions.
In many cases, moving expenses are deductible from federal income taxes. If you are moving because of a change in employment, you may be able to claim this deduction even if you do not itemize.

For more information on making your move as painless as possible, please e-mail me—and please feel free to forward these tips to any family and friends with a move in their future.

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Mike Parker - CRS
HUFF Realty
60 Cavalier Blvd.
Florence KY 41042
859-647-0700
859-486-3300
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