Your house is sold and now you are on to your next adventure! YAY! oh but wait...you have to pack. Where do you begin, how do you begin?
How to Hire a Moving Company (even if you are just moving from Sarasota to the West Villages)
Questions to ask :
Are you certified by the ICC?
Do you charge by the pound or by the hour?
How much insurance do you carry?
Are there any items you charge extra to move, such as china, pianos, pool tables and the like?
Are you bonded?
Can I call to find out the location of my things during the move?
Once you’ve hired a mover, there’s still more work to be done.
Make yourself a checklist of things to do every week for eight weeks prior to the move. What Ray and I tell our sellers; while your house is on the market, a designated area with boxes and packing supplies simply tell buyers you are serious about moving. It is not a problem.
Stay as organized as possible.
Ask your moving company to assign three movers to you—two to load and unload and one to guard the truck to prevent theft.
Talk to your insurance agent about liability. Does your current homeowner’s policy cover your possessions during a move? Moving companies’ basic insurance coverage usually allows a set amount per pound per item, and it’s usually not enough, so find out how much the company carries and then buy extra insurance if necessary. Remember that most companies don’t accept liability for breakage of any items you pack yourself.
Confirm the arrangements with the moving company a couple of days before your move.
You know the ol'adage "Plan for the worst and hope for the best!"
Ray and I have resources that we can recommend for you; movers, cleaning folks, folks who will take care of "stuff" you don't know what to do with.