How to reduce your Moving Cost

When we talk about household moving we have two options, one is to do it by ourselves which is by far the cheapest method and the other is to hire a moving company. Depending on you move type you can choose a local or a long distance moving company. Moving companies have different rates and vary in the services that they offer. For example a moving company may offer you free moving boxes and another moving company might give you free storage. It’s up to you to decide the company based on your requirement. Above all this the most important thing is the cost factor. You need to look out for a mover who is giving you a reasonable rate. Beware of moving companies who give you extremely cheap moving quotes as they might scam you in the end. It’ always good to compare rates with a few different companies. Try to have a mover come home and do a visual estimate. It will help you in determining how much it will exactly cost you for the move.

Searching online is the best place to look out for a moving company in your area. Once you get quotes from a certain number of relocation companies, the next step is to check the reputation. There are many websites out there who give ratings and movers reviews of top moving companies. Check them out. Bring it down to the company that has the least complaints. The Better Business Bureau and the US DOT websites are good places to check if you have trouble in finding moving company reviews. Once this is done, asks the moving company to give you references of people who they have moved in your area. You can also ask for references from friends and relatives on which moving company to choose.

Moving to a new place can be expensive and strenuous. We all can still take the stress factor but it’s the cost which kills us in the end. The best and simple way to move is to rent a truck or borrow one. You can seek the help of friends in packing, loading and unloading.

If you have a lot of items to move then you might consider hiring a moving company. If your move is within the state then you need to find a local mover in your state. On the other hand if you are moving out of state then there are a number of long distance moving companies who can give you their price quotes. It will be good if you find a national moving company to do your move as they will be having a wider network.

Moving companies provide two types of estimates, binding and non binding. Try to go in for a binding estimate so that your price does not change at the time of delivery. A non binding quote is likely to change at the time of delivery. Avoid wasting time during the move, if you have all your items boxed and marked the movers will take less time to load. You can also try to get some cheap used moving boxes so that you need not buy new ones.

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Getting Cheap Moving Boxes for your move

Your primary target should be to acquire as many as you can. Once you accumulate these boxes you are going to save a lot of time and stress in running around for them as your move date nears. Moving boxes are so important to your household moves.The first step is to inquire with neighbors and friends. There might be a few boxes lying around in their homes and they might be generous enough to give them away to you for free. You could also inquire for people who have moved in recently to your community and they might be more than happy to get rid of the boxes that they used to move in.

There might be a lot of grocery stores in your locality who would be willing to sell boxes at a cheap price. Off peak hours is the right time to visit these shops and it increases your chances of getting these boxes quickly. The next step would be to approach companies who sell moving boxes. You can also purchase them online. There are many websites out there who give you the option to choose the size and dimensions of the boxes based on your needs.

Start looking out for networking websites. You might find a lot of people wanting to sell their moving boxes at a very cheap price. Once all this is done, if you feel that you are short of moving boxes, don’t worry. Your moving company will be more than happy to sell them to you at the time of pick up. There are many moving companies who give free boxes along with the move. Ask for it when you get the price quote.

Settling Down at Your new home:

Once all your household items are unloaded at your new home and you see off the moving company’s truck driver, the stage 2 in your relocation process begins. After you have unpacked all your items and arranged them the way you want it, life seems a lot peaceful, but wait , not just yet. Settling Down at a new place can be a nerve-racking. New people, new surroundings, new life style, everything is going to be new. It does take a while to get used to the new place; however we can try to reduce the moving stress as much as possible. Getting acquainted with your neighbors and surrounding can be simple if you do it systematically.

First of all start looking out for your basic needs and the places where you can find them it makes life a lot easier. For example, find your nearest grocery store or medical store. Start making friends, one friend can lead to another, so start talking! Ask the people who you get acquainted with for the things and shops you need. You can also use the internet. Google maps will be extremely handy during the initial weeks. Be it a short drive to the nearby theater or a coffee shop around the corner, identifying the place before hand helps a lot.

It’s only the first week after your move that’s going to be rough and then you would be knowing what to look for and where making you more at ease. Start inviting the neighbors over for dinner or lunch.

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Do I Have a Right To File a Claim To Recover Money for Property My Mover Lost or Damaged?

Should your move result in the loss of or damage to any of your property, you have the right to file a claim with your mover to recover money for such loss or damage.

You should file a claim as soon as possible. If you fail to file a claim within 9 months, your mover may not be required to accept your claim. If you institute a court action and win, you may be entitled to attorney’s fees if you submitted your claim to the mover within 120 days after delivery or the date delivery is scheduled (whichever is later); and 
(1) The mover did not advise you during the claim settlement process of the availability of arbitration as a means for resolving the dispute;
(2) A decision was not rendered through arbitration within the time required by law; or 
(3) You are instituting a court action to enforce an arbitration decision with which the mover has not complied.
While the Federal Government maintains regulations governing the processing of loss and damage claims (49 CFR Part 370), it cannot resolve those claims. If you cannot settle a claim with the mover, you may file a civil action to recover your claim in court under 49 U.S.C. 14706. You may obtain the name and address of the mover’s agent for service of legal process in your State by contacting FMCSA. You may also obtain the name of a process agent via the Internet.
Go to http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov then click on Licensing and Insurance (L&I) section.

In addition, your mover must participate in an arbitration program. As described earlier in this booklet, an arbitration program gives you the opportunity to settle certain types of unresolved loss or damage claims and disputes regarding charges that were billed to you by your mover after your shipment was delivered through a neutral arbitrator. You may find submitting your claim to arbitration under such a program to be a less expensive and more convenient way to seek recovery of your claim. Your mover is required to provide you with information about its arbitration program before you move; if your mover fails to do so, ask the mover for more details.

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Storing Household Goods in Transit

During your long distance move, you might need your mover to store your household items for period. This happens when you are relocating and haven’t found a suitable house at your new location. People store their belongings for a duration ranging from a month to even a year. Now what happens when the storage in transit period is getting over? Your moving company must notify you on the following:

• The exact date as to when your storage in transit period will be converted into a permanent storage.
• The nine month period since the start of the permanent storage. This nine month term allows you to file a claim or complaint against your mover for any loss or damage to your household goods.
• The date as to when your moving companies liability will end.
• The regulations and charges that will be governing your items under the supervision of the warehouse man.

These notifications must be made at least 10 days before:

1. The last day of the specified storage duration which you agreed upon.(or)
2. The maximum storage duration which the moving company has included in the tariff for storage in transit.

All these notifications can be by fax, email, certified mail, overnight courier or in person. If your moving company holds your household items in his storage unit for less than ten days, then he must notify you of the same one day before the storage-in-transit period gets over. Your moving company will be maintaining a record of all the notifications pertaining to your household goods that he has sent across to you. If your mover fails to notify you on any of the above mentioned points, then his liability will be extended until the end of the day following the date when he actually notifies you.

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Moving Companies Scams- How to Avoid

When we relocate to a new home , the first thing that we do is find a moving company. Most of us who have moved in the past must be well aware that there are different types of moving companies in the industry. Be it a local movers or a long distance movers the reputation counts a lot. There are a number of people who get scammed by moving companies.

Compare Moving Cost: It is always good to compare prices. “If you don’t want to be cheated, ask the price in 3 shops”- A Chinese Proverb. In this case we recommend more than three. Not necessary that one should go in for the cheapest price as a very cheap price could be a low ball estimate to scam you. If you are Moving within the state look out for Local Moving Companies.

Be precise with the Moving Quote: There are companies who offer different types of estimates such as binding and non binding. Be sure you ask this to the company during the estimate. A binding estimate is safe when compared to the non binding as there are chances that the price could go up in a non binding agreement. Also make sure that you are giving the proper inventory if you getting the estimate by phone.

Get References: Most top moving companies will have a lot of happy customers. Ask for references of people who they have moved in the past in your area. No harm in speaking to these customers, it is something you will not regret.

Be clear with the agreement: Read before you sign. If there are any points on the agreement make sure you clear it with the company. It will always be better to speak to someone highly placed in the company. It will get you that extra attention. Do keep in touch with the company periodically after finalizing the move until the actual move date.

Make sure you are there: Be available during the move. Your physical presence is very essential at the time of pickup and delivery. You might get charged for waiting time if you are not there at the time of move. It also helps you in noticing damages if any at the time of delivery.

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Source: Movers blog