Friday, March 7, 2014

Moving is Complicated and Difficult: Let's Make It Less So

After all the marketing, price reductions, paperwork, and meetings, you've finally sold your home. But now that the property is sold, you've got to get your stuff out of there! That can be another ordeal in itself, and might just tempt you to reconsider this whole selling-your-home business. What's the insurance like, are there things they won't touch, will they pack for you or would it be easier to just do it yourself, the list goes on.

This seems counterproductive, Sharon.

But it doesn't have to be such a pain! There are steps you can take to help relieve some of the uncertainty and confusion that goes along with moving, and cut through some of the tape holding up the process.

The article below comes from Melinda Duncan, a Re/Max agent based in Kentucky (check out her website). She's provided us with a checklist of things you can ask the movers or moving company before you decide to work with them. While not exhaustive, this list serves as a good guideline for what to ask and look for when it comes to movers.

Fees
  • What is the charge for packing?
  • Does it include boxes? If not, what do they cost and will you deliver them?
  • Is there an additional charge to deliver some items to a storage unit?
Insurance
  • How is a damage claim handled? 
  • What insurance do you provide and is there a cost? 
  • Does the insurance cover items packed by the owner? 
  • Can additional insurance be purchased? 
  • If items are covered by my Homeowner’s insurance, whose insurance pays first?
Unusual Items 
  • Can you ship my car(s)? Will they be in the moving van or towed? 
  • What are the charges for shipping cars, lawn tractors, etc? 
  • What items cannot be shipped? 
  • If a shuttle truck is needed because of the location of my house or size of the drive way, is there an additional charge? 
  • If packing and loading are on different days, can you leave the beds and other basics out for us to use?
Dates 
  • What dates are available for our move?
  • What date will you pack and how long will this take? 
  • What date will you load the van? 
  • What date will the van arrive at my new location? 
  • If my new home is not ready for delivery, how many days can it be delayed before there is a charge? 
  • What is the charge for additional days or weeks?
Terms 
  • Are there any additional fees that I’m responsible for that have not been discussed? 
  • What are the terms of payment? 
  • Is a down payment required? 
  • When will the balance be due and who is authorized to accept it?

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