Choosing a good moving company is difficult. Wherever
you live, you can guarantee that there will be various moving companies just
waiting to help you out. Your hardest task is choosing one that's right for you
- it's vital that you get this choice right. Getting it wrong can cost you time,
money and heartache. Choosing a moving company is very much an individual choice
and your decision should be tailored to your actual needs.
Moving companies can offer you a wide range of services on
top of their basic removal competencies.
These can include packing, the sale or hire of packing
materials, unpacking and storage facilities.
Some companies will even pack your possessions, transport
them, clean your new home, unpack your possessions and arrange them at the other
end according to your instructions.
These additional services will obviously cost you more
money.
When you choose your mover, be sure you understand:
•
The rates and charges that will apply.
•
The mover's liability for your belongings.
•
How pickup and delivery will work.
•
What claims protection you have.
Introduction
Nothing will make your move go smoother than diligent planning. This handbook will help you prepare for one of the least favorite tasks in modern life, moving!
Top Five Tips – Garbage or Good?
1. Give it the two year rule. Attics, closets and basements are notorious traps for stuff you just can't seem to throw away. You don't need to cart clutter to the new house. If you haven't used it, or looked at it, for the past two years – get rid of it.
2. Clean out the "junk drawer". Every house has one – a drawer, or shelf, or basket that holds the contents of emptied pockets and items that have no other spot. These things can pile up around the house making a move a heavy process. Save your back, throw out the stacks.
3. Check the expiration date. Refrigerators and pantries are magnets for leftovers. Check the expiration dates on items like prescriptions, vitamins, and toiletries and throw out everything that's past the date. Throw away everything perishable in the kitchen – it will probably expire by the time you move anyway.
4. If it's broke – don't fix it. Every garage and tool box contains at least one thing that's broken – and probably has been broken for a while. As you clear out these rooms, ask yourself if you really plan on fixing the broken items. If you're not going to fix it, toss it -- including those things that are past the point of being cleaned.
5. Question the value. Most of the excess stuff in your house is accumulated for good reason. As you pack up the house to move, ask yourself what is "valuable" to you – sentimentally, aesthetically or monetarily. Make a decision whether it will seriously come in handy some day or if you're just holding on to it "just in case". If you can't see yourself using, wanting or needing it in the future – let it go.
