Archive for the ‘moving from california to az’ Category

Moved at Last

Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

Well, the move is now complete and the we’ve arrived in Tucson. Mistakes were made and lessons learned, but more importantly we had good, experienced movers to help us.

A few interesting events occurred during this move. things did happen during this move. First, the movers were on time and fast. They moved us from Orange, CA to Tucson, AZ in 48 hours. That included the packing, loading of the truck, and the unloading at the new residence (this was a fully furnished 5 bedroom home). The packers showed up and wrapped EVERYTHING in a protective plastic coating. They disassembled many of our furnishings and had the truck loaded within hours of arriving. Contents loaded, they embarked on the long journey with all of our worldly possessions safely packed away. We left shortly after.

The movers had mentioned they would be arriving in Tucson at 8:30 AM PST. They arrived within 5 minutes of this time and after a 10 minute break, they quickly unloaded the truck. Within a few hours, they had re-assembled the furniture and placed our boxes in our home. They were gone before lunch.

While they were there, we found that the refrigerator would not fit through any of the conventional entry ways into the kitchen. The 2 guys moving the refrigerator found a way to lift the refrigerator over a large window that faced the living room from the kitchen. It was amazing to witness. These guys were pros.

We did encounter a few problems:

We purchased a gas dryer for the new home. Unfortunately, the new home only had electric hookups. Of course, we asked our “realtor” prior to making the trip and she didn’t have the answer of the motivation to find out. Apparently, electric dryers are all the rage on Tucson and gas dryers are in the minority.

Despite having help, the move was still exhausting and we are still in recovery mode. My wife was a champion throughout this move and she is still doing the lion’s share of the work while I commute back and forth from California.

In any case, I’m not sure how difficult this move would have been without professional movers who knew what they were doing, but one thing is for sure - it wouldn’t have been pretty.

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When it comes to Moving Quotes - Get it in Writing!

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

Before hiring a moving company, it is wise to get at least three to four quotes. A moving quote is an estimate that provided by a company that will tell you what your job will cost. Acquiring a moving quote will give you key pieces of information about the credibility of a company, not just help plan the moving budget. Before shopping for estimates, however, be aware of the following four important factors about the nature of the quote and how they relate to the moving companies that provide them.

Is it Binding and Non-Binding?

Binding quotes are those that are legal contracts and cannot be changed unless extra services are added. Binding quotes almost always involve a representative coming to your home for a visual inspection of the home contents. This type of estimate that is set in writing is legally binding. As such, you are guaranteed to pay the rate you are quoted unless other services are negotiated.

Non-binding moving quotes are not considered legal contracts and do not have to be honored by the service provider. Typically, the moving service operator does not pay a visit to the home for a visual inspection, and sometimes the quote is low and designed to bait a prospective customer with a low price. In many cases with non-binding moving quotes, customers of these companies end up paying far more than the quoted price.

Be as careful with low moving quotes as much as the high quotes. If you don’t want any surprises, get your quote in writing and make it a binding quote.

The Bait and Switch

If a quote is far lower than the average quote, and it is provided strictly over the phone, it may be a “low ball” quote designed to get a commitment from the buyer. Or, perhaps it is a great deal. In the case of an abnormally low moving quote, get it in writing. Federal agencies fine hundreds of moving companies every year for bad business practices. Many victims have reported companies that will offer you very low moving estimate and then raise price up by more than double before your goods are delivered. In some, more egregious cases, the moving company puts the furniture in the truck and then hits the customer with double or triple the cost of the original estimate.

Check the Service Inclusions

When a binding quote is acquired, it is important to review the specific services that are included in the move. Estimates that might seem high could include additional services that are valuable but not specifically listed in the moving quote. Try to ask as many questions as possible about your moving quotes and request maximum details from your prospective movers. In some cases, moving company operators fail to disclose all of the additional services they will provide. Also, you may not want all the packing services that the moving company assumes you will need. For example, perhaps you want to pack a good portion of your personal belongings. By doing this work, you can shave down your cost and moving quote.
Communication and Common Sense

When seeking a quote from a professional moving company, do not underestimate your moving needs. If your garage is filled with three tons of miscellaneous books, then it will be an important factor in the cost of moving. Use good communication and common sense when contracting with a Los Angeles moving provider. Moving is not something we do every day, it is expensive, and very stressful. By paying attention to detail when hiring a moving company, everybody wins, and your move can will be far less stressful than it already is.

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Tips for Finding a Moving Company in Los Angeles

Friday, February 20th, 2009

Before you hire a moving company do your homework. Every year, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration fines more and more moving companies for various violations. Last year, their investigations resulted in over 300 fines for safety violations among moving companies in the U.S… Some unethical moving companies sacrifice safety and scruples for better profits. Don’t be daunted by this, there are several steps you can take to find an ethical moving company.

First things first - do your homework on choosing a suitable mover. Picking the wrong movers could result in major financial losses due to bait and switch tactics, as well as damage to your precious personal treasures - not to mention potential theft. Prior to engaging a moving company, you will want to see if there are complaints against them at the Better Business Bureau. Also, check out this new website called www.movingscam.com, designed just for monitoring bad moving companies.

The Department of Transportation reports that there are specific signs that your moving operator may be less that ethical:

1. The mover doesn’t offer or agree to an inspection of your household goods prior to giving an estimate. These estimates are often too good to be true - a bait and switch tactic.
2. The moving company demands cash or a large deposit before the move - anything more than $100 should be cause for concern.
3. The mover doesn’t provide you with a copy of Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move, a booklet movers are required by Federal regulations to supply to their customers.
4. The mover claims all goods are covered by their insurance is not likely being candid.
5. The company’s website has very few details about the licensing or physical address.

Long time moving company owner in Los Angeles, Stan Korski, says, “Many moving companies prey on last minute movers - most legitimate companies require weeks of advance booking, so when a last minute mover calls, some movers take advantage of the situation.” An integral part of a low cost move is clearly advance planning.

At Los Angeles Professional Movers, they recommend booking at least six weeks in advance, which means you should start researching your moving company at least 7 weeks prior to your planned move date. Another advantage to booking early is that you can often negotiate the cost of the move and other details, as well as make special requests from your selected moving company.

Industry experts recommend avoiding summers and weekends when booking your move. Increased demand during those periods result in higher costs and diminished availability of quality moving services. In 2008, most violations, in proportion to the total number of moves, were discovered by the FMCSA. Poor planning blended with a move during a busy season could significantly narrow your moving service alternatives and make you more vulnerable to predatory operators.

Almost all moving companies charge additional fees for special requests or contingencies sometimes not totally disclosed, so prepare for it. It is important that you ask pertinent questions about extra costs, insurance policies, license numbers, and the mileage that is or is not included.

All in all, the most important thing to remember is not move without a plan. Sometimes a move is decided on impulse. When it comes to hiring a moving company, impulsiveness can be expensive.

This is an article written by Sydney Welkinson - I thought I would share these tips on my blog.

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Found the House

Monday, February 9th, 2009

Well, we did book our move with a reputable moving company who we hope will help us with our packing and long distance move.  They arrived at our house last week and did a survey of our furnishings and provided a competitive quote.  We had shopped for 3 other quotes and found this company, LA Pro Movers, to have a professional demeanor, proper credentials (insurance ppw), and competitive price.

Recently, we read an article that helped us identify red flags with moving companies:

“The mover doesn’t offer or agree to an on-site inspection of your household goods and gives an estimate over the phone or Internet—sight-unseen. These estimates often sound too good-to-be-true. They usually are.

  • The moving company demands cash or a large deposit before the move.
  • The mover doesn’t provide you with a copy of Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move, a booklet movers are required by Federal regulations to supply to their customers in the planning stages of interstate moves.
  • The company’s website has no local address and no information about licensing or insurance.
  • The mover claims all goods are covered by their insurance.
  • When you call the mover, the telephone is answered with a generic “Movers” or “Moving company,” rather than the company’s name.
  • Offices and warehouse are in poor condition or nonexistent.
  • On moving day, a rental truck arrives rather than a company-owned and marked fleet truck.”

This is a great article that can be found at: http://moving.about.com/od/hiringamovingcompany/a/research.htm

We followed these steps when finding our moving company.  We’ll see how it works out. We have 2 weeks to complete the packing and get moved into our house in Arizona.

We’ll see  what lies in store.

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