Apps to Help With Your Move

Moving can be an exciting and stressful time.

Planning Your Move

The most dreaded of tasks when packing for a move is creating a plan. If you are relocating from an apartment or a four bedroom home, having a plan will make sure you get packed in no time. There are some great apps to help you create a plan or checklist allowing you to pack each room with ease.

Move Planner- This app will allow you to create a checklist for your entire move. Keep track of what has been packed, which room has the most items and sort through your inventory in a snap.

Sortly- Never forget where any of your possessions are with this app. We all have items in the attic, storage and closets that we need, but have completely forgotten about. This app provides an easy solution to enter and track all of your possessions when you are planning your move.

Moving Day

The day is finally here. It is time to have everything packed and load it on the truck. But what is in each box? You need a way to keep track of what is in each box and these apps provide the solution.

Moving Day- This app will help you keep your items and boxes organized on moving day. Create your own inventory. Now you can make sure that everything is packed, loaded and delivered without skipping a beat.

Moving Van- Now you can easily identify what is in each box. You can forget about tearing into a box to see what items are in it. Create a label and identify the contents of each box. It will make unpacking as simple as it can be.

For The Drive

If you are moving cross country you will need some help during your travels. Stopping to fill up, finding a place to eat or just needing to stretch your legs, it is important to find the best places along the way. These apps will provide the necessary assistance to help you on the road to your new home.

Road Ninja- Why read each exit sign with anticipation that there will be affordable gas and some good food? Road Ninja will just show you where they are. Now you can find the best gas prices, your favorite food and whatever you may need on your journey.

Fuel My Route - Moving is already a financial burden, so why pay even more in gas during your drive? This app will help you find the best prices on gas throughout your drive to help you keep more cash in your pocket.

So don’t go through moving alone. After updating your status, go ahead and download one of these apps the make your life a little easier. There are even apps that will help you with moving your pets, moving overseas and tons more! Use that smart phone for what it was made for!!

Top 10 Tips For Cross-Country Moving

Relocating to another state is no easy task. To help make your transition as smooth as possible, we’ve broken down the top 10 tips you should know when moving cross-country.

1. Plan Ahead

Good movers’ calendars fill up fast, especially during heavy move season (June through August). To reserve the mover of your choice and save yourself from last-minute headaches, start planning for your move at least eight weeks in advance.

2. Investigate

It’s crucial that you hire a licensed, reliable mover when trusting them with your stuff across state lines. Check the following credentials when researching possible movers:

• USDOT License: Movers that cross state lines are required by the Department of Transportation to have a USDOT license. You can easily find a mover’s USDOT number on their MCR listing, website or on the written estimate they provide you. Always make sure the USDOT number is accurate and up to date at Safersys.org.

   

• Reviews: Read reviews to learn about other customers’ experiences with the movers you’re considering. All of our reviews are verified, so you can trust that they came from a real consumer for a real move. Look for review referencing interstate moves in particular so you know what to expect in terms of timeliness, communication and professionalism. 

3. Know Your Options

Request quotes from at least 3 qualified movers; keeping in mind the cheapest option may not always be the best. Be aware of any hidden charges and the type of estimate offered

Don’t trust estimates over-the-phone. Insist on an in-person estimate to help prevent surprise costs come move day.

Bonus tip: Watch out for another “catch”; be sure you understand the difference between a mover and a broker. Your best bet is to stick with a mover since you’ll know exactly who is handing your stuff, and because brokers aren’t covered by current consumer protection laws.

4. Put It On Paper

After selecting a mover, obtain hard copies of the following documents:

• Estimate: This document describes the services for which you’ll be charged.

• Bill of Lading: The receipt for your shipment and the contract for its transportation. You’ll receive this from your mover on moving day, if it doesn’t look right, talk to your mover before signing it.

• Inventory: The detailed list of your household goods showing the number and condition of each item.

Having these documents on hand will ensure if something does go wrong, your bases are covered.

5. Consolidate Belongings

Consider this your chance to rid your home of extra junk. A good rule of thumb is to ask yourself if you’ve used the item in the last 3 months; if not, it’s time to purge! Most interstate movers charge based on weight, so, the less stuff you have the cheaper your move will be. Don’t know what to do with your unwanted belongings? Think about donating to a charitable organization or hosting a moving sale!

6. Pack Accordingly

The further you move, the more potholes you’re likely to encounter along the way. To ensure your stuff is safe and secure, use durable moving boxes and packing supplies. Many movers will insist on certain types of boxes since they’ll need to fit well into the truck and sustain a long haul. Make sure to check with your moving company on any requirements. Move day kits can save you a bunch of time and money and usually come in standard mover-approved sizes. Kits contain boxes, tape, packing paper, markers and box cutters. The best part? If you order online, your kit will arrive, at your door in 1-2 business days.

Bonus tip: Some items are far too dangerous to be put in your moving truck, especially for a long-distance move. Be sure to ask your movers what they will not transport.

7. Protect Your Move

Even with great movers, accidents happen with 1 out of 4 shipments. In the event of loss or damage to your property it’s important to know your mover’s liability. Most moving companies are only obligated to compensate 60 cents per pound, and this often excludes boxes you packed on your own. Think about this… if your 46″ television gets damaged, you’ll only receive $20! We offer additional coverage to you to give you peace of mind. You may also want to look into 3rd party coverage or check with your home owners insurance.

8. Moving Day

Be present on pick-up day to watch and direct the movers as they load your belongings. Typically, this is when your inventory sheet will be filled out. Be aware of the condition of your items and DO NOT sign your inventory sheet until both you and your mover agree on the condition. After your truck is loaded, walk through your home to be sure nothing was forgotten. Last but not least, exchange numbers and any important information with the drivers!

9. Be Available

As soon as your mover hits the road, have your cell on you at all times. Interstate moves are often done on a large tractor-trailer, possibly with other household goods shipments. In these cases, movers need flexibility, so you’ll more than likely be given a “delivery spread,” the timeframe within which your shipment will be delivered. When given a delivery spread, you’ll be contacted by your mover 12-24 hours before delivery day. Arrange travel plans to meet the movers at your new place. If you’re unable to be there, you could be charged extra to have your items stored.

10. Delivery Day

Make the unloading process as smooth as possible by following these steps on delivery day:

• Have your payment ready. Typically you’ll pay your mover on delivery, before your goods are unloaded.

• Use your inventory sheet to check all items were delivered, and in good condition. Don’t sign any documents until you’ve confirmed this.

• When finished, don’t forget to tip your mover for a job well done!

 Good luck and don’t forget to come back and review your experience to help others have a happy move too!

Avoid Moving Day Pitfalls

There are ample ways to make your moving day disastrous; however, there are just as many tricks to make your moving day triumphant.  Something that many people don’t realize is that the process of moving is not inherently hectic, it only becomes frenzied when certain steps of the moving process are improperly executed.

The first thing our movers will mention is preparation over procrastination; if there is ever a time not to procrastinate, this is it.  The longer you wait to start the planning and the packing, the more stressful moving day will become because packing will most likely be somewhat unorganized and rushed, or you may not have the right packing materials, and you may simply run out of time and end up having to pay extra for the movers to work longer than expected.  You should also buy more boxes than you think you need; it’s almost inevitable that you will need more boxes than you bargained on. Or have us do the packing for you!

Start early by making a list of your responsibilities as someone moving, like remembering to pick up a change of address form, making a master inventory list of the items in each room and the type of packing those items required, and making a list of people to notify of your move.  No one wants to be left on moving day still having to call the cable, internet, phone, and whatever other providers to cancel the utilities. 

This may be the most important rule, LABEL, LABEL, and LABEL!  You really must label all of your boxes with what’s inside them, what room they belong in, and whether or not they are fragile.  Moving day could be a shattered day if you don’t properly label the china box and accidentally treat it as if it were filled with pots and pans.  On moving day, the new house could turn into a confusing traffic jam for the movers if each room and box are not labeled accordingly.  Each room in the new location should be labeled as well; this way if the box and room are labeled the movers will know exactly where to place each box and they won’t have to perpetually ask you where each load belongs.

Double check everything before you leave the old location.  You may be a bit stretched on moving day, running back and forth between the movers, and you simply don’t want to forget anything.  Once all the items are in the truck, but before you hand the keys over to your old landlord, do one last walk through.  Check everything to make sure there is nothing that you’ve somehow forgotten. Same goes with your new destination. Be sure to go over the inventory list with the movers to make sure nothing was forgotten on the truck!

To Pay or Not to Pay for Packing, That Is the Question

 Moving isn’t a cheap undertaking, so it’s understandable that people want to cut costs whenever possible.

Take packing services, for example. Are they worth the money?

We’d like to give you a definitive yes or no answer, but it truly depends on your individual set of circumstances.

But make no mistake: Packing services do offer several big advantages.

First, they save you time and effort. Anyone who’s moved knows that packing can be a full-time job. Leaving a time-intensive (and back-straining) task to the professionals is a real plus.

Also, packing isn’t as easy as it looks, especially when large or breakable items are involved. Anybody can pack up their books or throw pillows.

But say you have a large mirror you’d like transported. After realizing you don’t have a big enough box, you may throw a blanket over it, wedge it in the back of the truck—and hope for the best before winding up disappointed.

That said, not everybody needs a packing service. If you’re well-versed in how to safely pack breakable possessions (and have the right boxes and padding), you may not need it. Ditto if you don’t have many precious items—or if you simply don’t have that much stuff to pack.

If you do elect to use a packing service, you’ll have to decide if you want the movers to pack everything in your home or just the things you can’t do yourself.

One last tip: Even if you don’t hire a moving company to physically move your items, you can still investigate packing services. Many companies will come to your home, pack your stuff professionally and then leave it to you to get it to its destination. That’s ideal for the DIY person who doesn’t want to risk a broken mirror.

After all, who has time for seven years’ bad luck?