How to Get the Most Out of Relocation Services
Reputable relocation services always try to deliver the quality of service they have been known for. But they can still enhance their services for you if you plan and organize your move and if you coordinate properly with them.
For instance, the relocation company you have chosen can meet your desired packing and moving dates if you call earlier. Choosing and negotiating with relocation firms one to two months before your desired moving date will enable them to accommodate you. This is crucial if your lease is expiring or if you need to close your home purchase in your destination state.
Be prepared also when your relocation firm makes a survey of your possessions. The household goods that will not be transported should have marks that indicate they are not to be moved, but will be sold or given away. This will make the estimates of shipment costs more accurate.
Good relocation firms will remind you that the written estimates they will give you are only estimates, especially for interstate shipments which base charges on the distance traveled, the actual weight of your possessions, and additional services that you want for your shipment.
But some relocation services also offer binding estimates – precise estimates of relocation costs given in advance to you based on standard services and on additional services you require. These are usually valid for 60 days and can increase if you require an additional service on shipment day at origin or destination.
So you can have your preferred moving days or you can get all the services you want, plan your move so your moving day does not fall at the end of a month, the peak of summer or at the December holidays. These dates are the times when moving vans, personnel and equipment get the most demand.
Nevertheless, if you choose and call your relocation firm months in advance, you can have the exact dates you want.
Big relocation firms have tariffs – their lists of rules, available services and charges. These are part of the requirements of the U.S. Department of Transportation for motor carriers they authorize and certify to move household possessions across the 50 states.
Good relocation companies also offer you several insurance options for your protection in case of loss or damage to your possessions: basic coverage, full-value coverage without deductible or full-value coverage with deductibles.
All in all, you can get the most out of relocation services if you know the kinds and charges of services offered so you can make informed decisions.
