Today, Movers Vancouver will provide a few helpful hints regarding the search for dependability.
There are several common questions we get at Movers Vancouver. One, which we talked about last time, involves how to save movers costs. The other is this: how can I find a moving company which I can trust? Obviously, since this company will be handling a large proportion of your prized possessions, this is a logical and valid concern. No one wants to go through a move only to find out that their stuff has been damaged, destroyed, or perhaps even lost. Additionally, no one wants to find out, after the fact, that their Vancouver moving company of choice actually had a less than reputable history to begin with.
Now, there truly are no guarantees when moving, in fact, there is always the possibility that something can go wrong. Even the most reputable companies or individuals make mistakes. However, this should not preclude you from doing a bit of research ahead of time to mitigate the chance of choosing a lemon.
Here are a few questions you should ask yourself in order to make the correct decision.
1.Does the moving company provide estimates? Nearly any reputable business these days offers a free, no obligation, estimate. Many moving businesses allow you to fill out your basic needs online; from this information they will calculate an approximate price and email this figure back to you within a few days. Some moving companies will also send trained moving consultants to your house if you show sufficient interest in using their services. These individuals have spent a considerable amount of time in the moving business and are able to create a relatively accurate cost estimate after talking with you and obtaining a visual inspection of your stuff. Ultimately, if you encounter a company which is not willing to provide an estimate, Movers Vancouver recommends that you look elsewhere.
2.When does the particular Vancouver moving company collect its fees? These days, most companies collect their full fees upon completion of the move. In general, this is a preferable situation for you, the client and it is easy to see why. Imagine, for an instant that you have just completed your move and it has been discovered that something has gone missing or something has been broken. Assuming you have not paid the transportation company in full, they will likely feel obligated to helping you resolve the situation. Why? Simply because you still have a bulk of their money in your bank account. Now, if you had decided to pay in full up front, this same company may not feel quite so generous. Despite all of this being said, some movers do require you to pay a deposit, particularly if you book them during a busy time such as at the end of the month. This is to safeguard themselves from unreliable customers who cancel their plans at the last moment.
3.Will the movers provide references upon your request? Before using a particular moving service it is best to check up with previous clients to see what they have to say about their experiences with the particular organization. Ideally, if the business is accredited by the Better Business Bureau then you can check with them (we will discuss the Better Business Bureau in more depth in a future article). However, if they are not, Movers Vancouver recommends that you obtain a list of references from the moving company in question. Some movers provide a few short customer reviews on their website; however, you have to take these with a grain of salt. If you had a satisfied customer and an unsatisfied customer, whose opinion would you use for marketing purposes? Ideally it is best to get 5 or 6 references. You don’t have to call them all but it is wise to call a few of them. Ask them important questions. Was the moving company reliable? Were they careful with fragile items? Were their estimates reasonably accurate? Were they willing to deal with problems after the fact? These types of questions will give you a good view as to the way this particular moving company in Vancouver operates. That is all for right now, but join us next time when Movers Vancouver discusses a few more tips on how to find a trustworthy mover.
Before we leave you for the day, our friends have started a Vancouver storage site which ties in very well with our moving blog. If you are in need of Vancouver storage, Vancouver self storage, or Vancouver mini storage then head over to Vancouver storage. Their site is just starting out; however, they promise us that they will be providing all sorts of useful information, including how much it will cost you in general to store your stuff in Vancouver or throughout the Lower Mainland BC. We might discuss more in the near future. For now, we are done.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Movers Vancouver | How to save money
In this article, Movers Vancouver gives a few helpful tips on reducing your moving costs.
We here at Movers Vancouver know that moving can be a very stressful time in your life. I mean, who enjoys the process of packing up thousands of items, including that dusty old record player which hasn’t been touched since university days and that old disco dress which hasn’t been worn since you were twenty years younger and thirty pounds lighter, just so that it can be moved a couple miles and then subsequently unpacked. Not only that, but during your great escape it is likely that at some point half of this stuff will disappear only to reappear once your ulcer has finally acted up again.
Adding to this already stressful situation is the fact that moving can be an extremely expensive endeavor. That is why we, Movers Vancouver, are here to provide a few handy tips on how to reduce the financial burden of moving whether it be to Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, or anywhere else on the Lower Mainland for that matter.
In order to reduce cost, we must first ask ourselves, where do costs arise? Although it may be obvious, many people forget or do not seem to realize that most cost generally accrues when we hire someone else to do something rather than doing it ourselves. So, for example, many moving companies in Vancouver will clean your house, pack all of your belongings, transport them to a desired location or provide storage for them until your new place is ready, and unpack your stuff. Although this seems like an advantageous proposition to most people, as they have to do little to no work by themselves, it can also be extremely expensive.
Movers Vancouver recommends that you try to perform easily accomplished chores by yourself, assuming expenses are a factor in your decision making process. So:
1.) Instead of hiring someone to clean your house before moving, take some time and do it yourself. It will seem a monumental task at the beginning, however, as long as you start early and ask for help from friends and family it will gradually be accomplished.
2.) Similar to above, pack as much of your stuff as you can. It is often beneficial to hold a garage sale before moving as this will allow you to get rid of as much stuff as possible. If you don’t have time to hold a garage sale then simply give some of your useless things away to the needy. Additionally, give yourself time; packing can be an exhaustive exercise. Don’t expect to complete the task in a few days. Set aside a few hours each day to go through your stuff and put them into appropriately labeled boxes.
3.) Try not to move until your new place is ready. If your new home or apartment is not ready upon your arrival, then you will be forced to utilize storage facilities. Although this may be necessary in certain situations, cost will be reduced if you are able to mitigate the storage time.
Ultimately, cost generally depends upon the amount of time a moving company must spend working for you. Although long-distance transportation is usually billed according to distance travelled, local transportation services most often charge according to some fixed hourly rate (adjusted slightly according to the time of the month as well as the number of workers who will be on the job). Therefore, the less time these workers are dealing with you and your stuff, the less they will be able to charge you. Let’s look at a quick, simple, example before we leave for the day. Say company A spends 3 hours moving your stuff at $90 dollars per hour. How much will you be charged? Well, basic elementary math tells me that $90 times 3 is equal to $270. Now, instead, say, company A spends 3 hours packing your stuff, 1 hour cleaning your home, and 3 hours moving your stuff (all at $90 dollars per hour). How much will you be charged this time? After all the computations are complete, it comes out to $630! That’s more than double the price. Obviously, you as an individual must determine the value of your time, however, Movers Vancouver recommends that you at least think about doing some of these tasks yourself if you are overly concerned with the financial results of your next great journey.
We here at Movers Vancouver know that moving can be a very stressful time in your life. I mean, who enjoys the process of packing up thousands of items, including that dusty old record player which hasn’t been touched since university days and that old disco dress which hasn’t been worn since you were twenty years younger and thirty pounds lighter, just so that it can be moved a couple miles and then subsequently unpacked. Not only that, but during your great escape it is likely that at some point half of this stuff will disappear only to reappear once your ulcer has finally acted up again.
Adding to this already stressful situation is the fact that moving can be an extremely expensive endeavor. That is why we, Movers Vancouver, are here to provide a few handy tips on how to reduce the financial burden of moving whether it be to Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, or anywhere else on the Lower Mainland for that matter.
In order to reduce cost, we must first ask ourselves, where do costs arise? Although it may be obvious, many people forget or do not seem to realize that most cost generally accrues when we hire someone else to do something rather than doing it ourselves. So, for example, many moving companies in Vancouver will clean your house, pack all of your belongings, transport them to a desired location or provide storage for them until your new place is ready, and unpack your stuff. Although this seems like an advantageous proposition to most people, as they have to do little to no work by themselves, it can also be extremely expensive.
Movers Vancouver recommends that you try to perform easily accomplished chores by yourself, assuming expenses are a factor in your decision making process. So:
1.) Instead of hiring someone to clean your house before moving, take some time and do it yourself. It will seem a monumental task at the beginning, however, as long as you start early and ask for help from friends and family it will gradually be accomplished.
2.) Similar to above, pack as much of your stuff as you can. It is often beneficial to hold a garage sale before moving as this will allow you to get rid of as much stuff as possible. If you don’t have time to hold a garage sale then simply give some of your useless things away to the needy. Additionally, give yourself time; packing can be an exhaustive exercise. Don’t expect to complete the task in a few days. Set aside a few hours each day to go through your stuff and put them into appropriately labeled boxes.
3.) Try not to move until your new place is ready. If your new home or apartment is not ready upon your arrival, then you will be forced to utilize storage facilities. Although this may be necessary in certain situations, cost will be reduced if you are able to mitigate the storage time.
Ultimately, cost generally depends upon the amount of time a moving company must spend working for you. Although long-distance transportation is usually billed according to distance travelled, local transportation services most often charge according to some fixed hourly rate (adjusted slightly according to the time of the month as well as the number of workers who will be on the job). Therefore, the less time these workers are dealing with you and your stuff, the less they will be able to charge you. Let’s look at a quick, simple, example before we leave for the day. Say company A spends 3 hours moving your stuff at $90 dollars per hour. How much will you be charged? Well, basic elementary math tells me that $90 times 3 is equal to $270. Now, instead, say, company A spends 3 hours packing your stuff, 1 hour cleaning your home, and 3 hours moving your stuff (all at $90 dollars per hour). How much will you be charged this time? After all the computations are complete, it comes out to $630! That’s more than double the price. Obviously, you as an individual must determine the value of your time, however, Movers Vancouver recommends that you at least think about doing some of these tasks yourself if you are overly concerned with the financial results of your next great journey.
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