PLAN YOUR LONG DISTANCE MOVING IN ADVANCE

There are so many variables that can sprout in the planning phases of your long distance move. Coordinating your own closing dates of a sale, possession dates of the old (or new) residence, communication with your new landlord if renting, flights, potentially your beloved pets and even vehicles!

This can be so overwhelming! Burly Boyz Moving & Storage has put together some tips and information that should help you organize your long distance move so it goes smoothly.

1. BASICS!

One thing to mention are the utility services such as gas, power and electricity. Make sure to have a disconnect date set up at your current location and have reached out to the companies at your new location for a new set up.

Cable TV and Internet are big ones, too! Likely you would use the same company so it would be a matter of setting up technicians at the new address.

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Bills, banks and other services should be contacted so you can update them with your new address.

Packing and preparation for moving is huge. Anticipate how many boxes you might need and start packing slowly. Start with belongings that you are storing or don’t use day to day, then begin downsizing items. It is a good time to throw out or donate some items that you are not interested in bringing. Certainly do not pay movers to move belongings you do not want – these are costs you can avoid since likely the move will be weight based or cubic-footage based.

2. PICK A MOVE DATE!

You should have some flexibility for long distance moving opposed to moving locally. When moving long distance you will likely have more time to plan and a bigger window to make the pick-up. Moving across the country is much more time consuming in both planning and travel than moving across town.

If at all possible, avoid peak times — truck space will be more expensive and rates are typically higher in the peak season. IF you have flexibility, try to keep your move in Winter or early Spring months. If not, try to avoid weekends or the very end of a month. This should help you save some money on moving long distance.

3. TAKE A DETAILED INVENTORY!

When moving locally the prices are typically by the hour. An inventory is great for local moves as well, but to some customers doesn’t have to be ‘exact’ because they understand that they are being billed by the hour and are okay with however long it takes.

Long distance moving, however, are likely based on the weight. This means the long distance moving company will charge you by the pound. So every little thing you own will have some weight to it, and you will be charged in some fashion to move it. The inventory will help you communicate to the moving company the items you’d like moved, and if it is accurate – the quote will be very close to what the scale ticket says when they weigh the truck.

If it is inaccurate, the moving company would have been unable to quote you on those items and when they weigh the truck you can expect to see a higher price at the end of the day than what you were quoted. There is some responsibility on the customer’s end to communicate their needs for a proper quote. For example, if you call a plumber for a quote to fix a leaking sink and the plumber shows up and finds out they have to fix a burst pipe instead – your costs may increase from what they originally quoted you on.

4. CHOOSING THE RIGHT MOVING COMPANY!

You’ll want to find a balance between cost-effectiveness and quality when choosing a moving company. Make sure the company is proper licensed, has a great standing with the Better Business Bureau and most importantly great Google reviews. If the moving company has 1 or 2 stars out of 5, this means that almost not one customer had a good experience. However, companies like this will typically have much cheaper pricing in an effort to secure business. Rates will vary depending on the quality of the companies you are speaking to.

This is also a personal choice. Were they prompt? Did they answer all your questions? Did they make you feel safe, secure and confident while communicating with them? Customer service is very important, as you’re going to want steady communication all the way throughout your move.

5. INSURANCE!

Speak with each long distance moving company and see what sort of insurance is included in the price and if they offer any additional insurance. Some companies have no insurance, some come with basic insurance, and some offer a type of coverage you have to pay more for. This goes hand in hand with variable pricing between multiple companies. Some may have lower rates but offer no insurance. Some have higher rates but include full coverage insurance.

6. PLAN FOR A ‘DELIVERY WINDOW’

Oftentimes depending on how far you are going across the Country, there will be delivery windows involved. For example, from the pickup date you can expect your goods to arrive any time between 7 to 21 days, or however long the company provides you. This means you should make arrangements to prepare and be without your belongings for up to 21 days. This could mean staying with a friend, AirBnB, family, etc.

The moving company should communicate with you once it has left, once it has arrived in the destination city and once again for final delivery. This is why it is important to gauge the level of communication they provide upfront, as it will reflect the quality of their communication once the job is booked.

Some jobs within the same province or a shorter distance could be ‘direct’, meaning there are no windows (maybe 1-3 days). In that case the moving companies should in all cases be informing you.

Burly Boyz Moving & Storage is more than happy to answer ALL of your questions pertaining to planning a move, provide a quote for your move and/or help explain the process. Please feel free to contact us on our website or call drectly.