Real Estate Dilemma;
Moving or Not Moving
(by Yourself),
That is the Question!
REinfo4me.com
Moving headaches allieviated here!
Should you hire a professional now your real estate has sold, or do it yourself?
It depends on quite a few things:
Expense: How much do you have budgeted?
Time: How quickly do you want to do it?
Distance: How far are you going?
Preparation: How prepared are you?
Doing it yourself:
If you are on a limited budget and/or under a close deadline, then "self serve" is for you.
You can rent a truck one way from your local rental center.
You can hire casual labor (or your kids) at both ends to help you load and unload the truck. (It is stressful enough without wrenching your back doing it.)
Doing it yourself also means you have to plan and pack everything ahead of time.
You can get boxes from your local market or, for your more delicate items, you can purchase boxes and moving supplies online.
Doing it yourself, you can obviously time things to suit your own schedule, but remember if you are going a long distance, you should plan on having someone to share the driving.
We will cover Moving Tips on the next page.
Okay, remember I am a Real Estate Broker and Appraiser, NOT a moving consultant. However, I'll try to get through "this tangled weave" of professional movers as best I can, so here goes!
Professional Companies: Interstate truckers are governed by the ICC (Interstate Commerce Commission) and the DOT (U.S. Department of Transportation).
Intrastate firms (local only) are governed by the PUC (Public Utilities Commission) and the DOT
Here is a link to the DOT where you can check "motor carriers" license, problems and insurance info.
Department of Transportation
WARNING!
Just because a company's license, insurance and safety record are in order does NOT mean that you won't encounter any problems!
You have seen on TV and the internet horror stories about the experiences some people have had.
There are rogue movers out there who will hold your shipment hostage until you pay an inflated rate, in CASH, to get them to unload!
BEFORE you hire ANY company, carefully check them out!!!
Check the BBB.
Check their licensing and insurance.
Check online by doing a Google search and check for complaints.
Just remember, even legitimate companies especially large ones, will have a few dissatisfied customers.
Be on the lookout for reports of price gouging and holding shipments for ransom.
Check the company's policy on damages or loss
Insurance: You should definitely take out the extra insurance the company offers against damage or loss.
If you don't, and something happens, you will likely only get a fraction of what your things are worth.
Packing: This is an extra service and will cost you more but it might be worth it if you have a large number of fragile items.
Most companies will only cover breakage from boxes that were packed by themselves.
Timing: Most companies require you to schedule your move 6 to 8 weeks ahead of time, so as soon as your real estate has sold and you and your real estate buyer
have an estimated closing date, start shopping around.
How Much: Interstate truckers charge by "official weight" which you can check by looking at the weigh scale results.
If someone quotes you by cubic volume, get another quote as you have no way to verify this accurately.
Most legit firms will all be in the same ballpark regarding price, and if you get one that is way below this price range, watch out!
This is how the rouge movers get your business.
Deposits: Legit companies will ask for a small upfront "good faith" deposit.
One of the tactics of the rogues is to collect a large deposit.
Payment: Most companies require payment in cash, cashier's check or travelers checks when they unload your shipment, unless prior arrangements have been made.
BROKERS, no, not real estate brokers but moving brokers.Be Careful, you may want to deal with a moving company directly. When you call or go online for a quote, ALWAYS ask the question "Are you a Broker?"
There are some very good brokers who can save you some money, but there are some unethical ones who will place your move with one of the rogue companies.
Be very careful, you do not have any recourse against the broker as far as the ICC and DOT are concerned as they are not the carrier!
Now, on to the moving process, page2
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