As a professional mover, I always provide my customers with pertinent options and try to find the least expensive way to move their household goods. That said, I also want to ensure the moves are safe and secure.

I covered in-depth tips about writing an effective online review last week, and this week, I’m going to cover some tips about negotiating with moving companies. How much you pay for a move depends on many factors including moving distance, shipment weight, extra moving services if needed and other factors.

Remember that moving from one home to another is that moving prices vary from company to company. Moving services are negotiable and better the negotiating skills you have, the better chance of scoring a great deal with your mover.

Some negotiating tips to use and keep in mind:
• Don’t hire a mover based on the lowest price alone. Why? Because the real low bid and much lower than many others could be a scam. Make sure you do research on the moving company and find out if they are reputable and licensed (USDOT and accredited by the BBB).
• Do your homework by requesting at least three moving bids from licensed moving companies. Also, request an assessor to come in and assess your household goods and provide you with a written estimate. This will help you negotiate a good price with another company that might have a higher bid.
• Determine the number and nature of extra services that you will need from your movers. The majority of those charges are negotiable.
• Always ask to review all fees before the move. Easier you make it for your movers to move your household goods, the less expensive it will be. In other words, if you have narrow hallways, extra flights of stairs etc., there may be extra fees for this so make sure to check with your mover.

Two things you should always do and have when moving, movers should pack your goods for you and make sure to purchase moving insurance. Professional movers know how to pack items for a safe move and by buying insurance, your household goods will be protected financially.

Safe moving!

Last week, I provided you tips on what not to store in storage when you move, this week, I’m going to give you tips on packing hangers, yes, hangers because that can become a challenge at times.

Packing hangers seems like a no-brainer but it really isn’t. If you don’t pack them properly, they can scratch surfaces, break or ruined hangers, torn or damages clothes and improper storage can cost you money.

Here are some simple tips to store hangers:
• Keep your hangers separate from your woods and plastic items.
• Stack them neatly one on top of the other in bundles to not damage your belongings.
• Use rubber bands to secure the hangers and your clothes, it fixes them is place.
• The other option to rubber bands is stretch wrap but make sure to not use packing tape because it will ruin the surfaces of some of your items.
• Once your hangers and clothes are stacked, wrap them in an old bed sheet so they protect your other belongings during the move

Safe moving!

Whether you like it or not, you need to clean your home and make sure your new home destination is in tip-top shape as well. It’s the normal process of moving but if you make sure to schedule cleaning task before you move, it will be a lot easier process when you head overseas.

First, make sure you purchase the proper cleaning supplies so you can use cleaning tools for specific items such as counter tops, appliances etc. Some of the suggested supplies to purchase include some of the following:
• Windex cleaner
• Shower and bathroom cleaners
• Magic erasers
• Duster
• Step ladder
• Paper towels and cleaning rags
• Specialty cleaners
• Trash bags

It is much easier to clean your home when your belongings have been removed. The best way to approach cleaning your residence is to schedule a specific time when you will begin to tackle the cleaning. Once your time has been allotted, move through your home room-by-room and scrub the rooms top to bottom, clean the interior and exterior of your appliances and then save your floors for cleaning them last.

Once your current residence is ready to be rented out or purchased, you will need to ensure the new home your moving into is cleaned as well. Here’s some simple tips:
• If moving into a new home, find out if the former homeowners plan to clean the home before they leave. You never know, it may not happen and the last thing you want is to have your belongings moving into a dirty home.
• If you are moving into a rental, find out if the management company or owners plan to have your new home thoroughly cleaned and be sure to ask when it will be cleaned and ready to move into.
• By chance, if your new residence won’t be cleaned before your move, I would recommend hiring a professional cleaning service. It might be a few more dollars to add to your moving budget but will save you a lot of time and will ensure your new home is totally cleaned.
• If you have to clean your new home yourself, schedule a time in your calendar to make sure you plan ahead and have the proper cleaning supplies on hand. I wouldn’t hesitate to invite friends to help you along with your family members and provide snacks and even dinner for their cleaning efforts.

By being prepared and scheduling time to clean your new home, it will make your move clean and stress-free!

Safe moving