Things to Know when Selecting an Interstate Removalist

Moving TipsLeave a comment

Moving companies can vary in the type of services they provide so it is important that you ask up front if they are strictly a local company or if they handle long distance moves to other states.  From there you can use the following guidelines in selecting experienced professionals that will safely and securely handle your property from packing boxes at Point A to unloading at Point B!

Finding Expert Interstate Removalists

  1. The Internet is a valuable resource in finding movers that specialize in interstate relocations so this is a good place to start.  You can check out the websites and read reviews and comments that other customers have posted.  This can help you weed out those companies that have developed a bad reputation for being late, no customer service or unprofessional behaviour.  The website will also give you a good indicator of how they handle business based on the way it looks and operates. Find a Mover is an excellent website for getting removalist quotes and finding professional customer rated interstate removalists.
  2. Once you have narrowed down the list to a reasonable number of companies, it is now time to start checking out prices and getting estimates.  The best way is to see if they can do a home visit so you can show them exactly what is involved as far as number of rooms, square footage of the space, special requests for difficult and fragile items.  If they don’t then you need to be as specific as possible as well as giving them the new location information, timeframe and list of services.
  3. Compare the estimates from all the companies based on the services that they are offering to provide.  Sometimes cheap is just cheap and you may not get the quality of service that you are looking for so ensure that price is a prime factor in the decision but necessarily the only factor.  This can make a difference at payment time if you are paying by the hour or a flat rate.
  4. Ask about their experience and expertise in long distance moves and find out how their schedule works.  For most companies, they can pack several households in one 18-wheeler trailer and then drop them off based on a specific route.  This is an efficient plan as long as they can guarantee timely delivery for your goods and items on the agreed upon date.  This method also requires that everything is packed in a secure and precise manner so that items are not falling on top of each other and breaking while in transit.  They should be able to easily provide answers to your questions so that you are confident in their ability.
  5. If you have decided to use them for packing boxes, loading and unpacking then ensure that they plan sufficient manpower, boxes and supplies to get the job done in a reasonable amount of time.  Ensure that everything is accounted for and that there is documentation for you to sign once they finish loading the truck and that the same number of boxes and furniture are unloaded on the other side.
  6. Professional moving companies should own the trucks that they are using to ensure that they have total control over maintenance, insurance and availability.  This simplifies and cuts out any middle men when you are trying to set up the schedule.
  7. The AFRA (Australian Furniture Removers Association) website is a great way of verifying credentials and validating the selection that you have made.

Another great hint about customer service friendly movers is that they can usually provide you a checklist that will list all the details that need to be accomplished in the process.  This is a great tool for staying on task and shows that they really do put the customer first!

20 great moving tips for a smooth move

20 Great Moving Tips For a Smooth Move

Moving Tips

Moving is hard work and stressful. There’s nothing we can do about that, but we can make things just a little easier by being organised and thinking ahead. Below are 20 awesome tips that will help you with a smooth move.

1. If you’re able to, arrive at your new house before the move and pre-clean the bathroom and kitchen
You’ll probably be dying for a nice hot shower at the end of the day so make sure you have towels stocked. Don’t forget to also stock toilet paper.

2. Pack an overnight bag containing your essentials
You’ll probably be too tired at the end of the day to unpack your things so you’ll want easy access to your essential items. These include a change of clothes and your toiletries. You’ll probably also want to include any devices you use on a daily basis such as a laptop or tablet.

3. Pack the things you will require first in a clear plastic bin
Some of the items might include a Stanley knife, rubbish bags, toilet paper, essential tools, a charger for your phone and essential eating utensils.

4. Use your socks for padding glassware
Clean socks are perfect for protecting glasses and breakables. Everybody has lots of socks so why not put them to good use.

5. In combination with marking what’s inside your boxes, mark what room they will be going in as well
If every room has the correct boxes in it, your unpacking job will be allot quicker and easier.

6. Use a colour-coding system
Label each box with a colour tag that corresponds to a room in the new house. Mark the door in the new place with this colour tag so that the removalists know which room to put the boxes in.

7. Unpack by room
The unpacking task will feel far more manageable.

8. Label the sides of the boxes, not the tops
This way, you’ll be able to see what’s in the boxes when they’re stacked.

9. Pack plates vertically, like records
They’ll be less likely to break.

10. When packing, use sandwich bags for small parts such as screws
Tape the sandwich bags to the back of the item they are for. It’s also a good idea to do this for power cords and adaptors.

11. Vacuum seal your out-of-season clothing
This will take up less space, be easier to pack and fit beautifully into storage in your new place.

12. If you’ve got items that you plan to sell on eBay or Gumtree, then do it at least 4-8 weeks before moving
There’s no point moving items and then having to put them up for sale once you’ve moved to your new place, you might as well get rid of them before you move. You might
even be able to make enough money back to pay for the entire move itself.

13. Give unwanted stuff to charity
If you’ve got items that you want to get rid of but can’t be bothered trying to sell, then give them to charity. Arrange for the charity to come pick them up at least a week before moving.

14. If you’re getting friends or family to help you move, make sure you packed everything before moving day
Seriously, there’s nothing worse than lending a day to a friend to help them move, only to find they haven’t packed yet, aren’t organised and expert you to hang around half the day just packing their stuff. Have your stuff ready to be moved!

15. Number your boxes
Create a list of what’s in each box by number. This will make it much easier to tell if all you’re boxes made it to the new property.

16. If you have a lot of fragile items, hiring a removalist as opposed to asking friends can end up paying for itself
Professional removalists have experience moving fragile goods and many movers come with insurance, which means if something breaks, they have to compensate you.

17. If you’re renting, take photos of your cleaned-out old home and your new home before moving in
This is essential if you ever hope to get your deposit back. It will save you major headaches with difficult landlords who charge you cleaning and repair fees unnecessarily when moving out.

18. Make a list of every company you need to update your details with
There’s more companies to change your address and phone number with than you may think. Credit cards, PayPal, Online stores, magazine subscriptions and the list goes on… So get started making a list of these a couple of week before you move and start changing them

19. Don’t buy too much groceries in the weeks before your move
The more food you end up using before moving, the less you’ll have to throw out.

20. For local removals, get a friend or relative to sit the kids and pets
The very last thing you need is to be worrying about losing track of your kids or pets during this stressful day.

We hope you find this list useful. If you have any other great tips please share them below.