From A Woman's Perspective: October 26th, 2024 "Hiring a Mover"

Friday Oct 25th, 2024

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Hiring a Mover

 

I recently had the privilege of helping a downsizing client sell their long-time property that had just. Too. many. Stairs. and purchase a big, bright, beautiful condo that was closer to family. They had not moved in decades and were understandably concerned about hiring a moving company. They had heard horror stories about shady operators taking advantage of seniors and wanted my advice about how to protect themselves. 

Here’s the guidelines I came up with for hiring a moving company as a senior downsizer.

  1. Determine the type of move you require
    1. In town - house to condo - not all movers handle moves into (or out of) condos. Check their policy.
    2. Out of town
    3. Out of province, out of country
    4. Move plus storage
  2. Assess the level of help you need to get ready to move:
    1. Self pack, dismantle all the furniture and wrap it ready for transport.
    2. Self pack, and the mover dismantles and wraps
    3. The Mover does all the packing, dismantling and wrapping
  3. Purge purge purge - Ask yourself, “Do I really want to pay $30 an hour for somebody to move this?”
  4. Ask for word of mouth referrals - Poll your nearby friends and family to see whether they can give you a recommendation. This is not always fail safe since different moving crews can be better or worse, but at least you’ll know what the company was like to work with. 
  5. Gather three quotes in writing
    1. Should include name and contact number of company
    2. The date and starting and finishing addresses
    3. Explicit details about hourly rate, number of movers, size of truck, supplies to be provided
  6. Understand potential hidden costs

There are so many possible hidden costs. Be sure you know 

  1. Travel fees - from company headquarters to your home
  2. Transportation fees - kilometers for long distance moves
  3. Fuel surcharge
  4. Bulky item surcharge - pool tables, pianos
  5. Charges for the disassembly and reassembly of furniture
  6. Elevator or stair charges
  7. Long carry fees - extra distance from the property to the truck (like when there’s limited parking downtown
  1. Ask about insurance coverage

When you sign your Bill of Lading, you automatically get basic coverage (called Basic Limited Liability Protection). You don’t have to pay for that basic type of insurance – it’s free of charge – but its meager coverage of 60 cents per pound per item is absurd.

Get this: if something really bad happened to your flat-screen TV (weighing approx. 30 pounds), you’d be compensated with around $18 for its damage or loss.

One of the most frequently forgotten moving expenses is the proper moving insurance, called Full Value Protection. So, when moving valuable items, do consider purchasing this type of moving insurance because it will entitle the moving company to reimburse the replacement value of any damaged or lost items.

  1. Check online reviews - The internet is a good source of information - These are verified customers who can share the good, bad and ugly of their moving experience. 
  2. Secure your date with a deposit - Beware of companies that require more than a 10% deposit to lock down your requested move date.

So there you have it, Marilyn, my very best advice for hiring a mover. Doing your due diligence beforehand isn’t fun or easy, but it is key to avoiding unnecessary stress and added cost should you and your moving company not be on the same page. 

If you’d like a copy of this tip sheet, please reach out to me at 416-460-5636 or visit our website and go to the “Blog” section. You’ll find a ton of other helpful tips geared toward downsizing seniors. There are additional links to other useful moving advice included. 

And, if you’re looking to hire the kind of Realtor™ that protects you from the scammy contractors that are all too common these days, reach out. I would love to journey with you as you make your next SMART move. 

Additional resources 

Consumer Tip Sheet - 10 Tips For A Lower-stress Move

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZOuroYG7f5x8YLP16zoQ0G9OjgFRWiG6uuRCQR-tQGk/edit?usp=sharing

Consumer Tip Sheet – Moving Terms You Need to Know

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ij0w1nrvru1BcWCLGuo6RL5hakf-ICgcGw_jgIZa_LY/edit?usp=sharing

 


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