Moving Sydney to Melbourne? How to Find the Best Interstate Moving Company
However, finding the best interstate moving company is not an easy task due to the abundance of several moving organizations in the country. We have listed several criteria to observe and watch out for when you want to hire a moving company for your relocation services.
How to Find the Best Interstate Moving Company
Are you willing to avoid frauds and shoddy practices whenever you are relocating? In Australia, there are millions of moves, whereby people transfer to other parts of the country and even internationally. Therefore, you need to ensure the moving process goes smoothly with no hassles, by hiring the best hands to manage your goods and belongings.
Here are some reasonable steps to follow in knowing how to find the best interstate moving company available in the country.
Taking Inventory of All Your Belongings
Before you embark on your moving project, the removalist should take an inventory of all the belongings in your possession. This process will help them to ascertain the bulkiness and weightiness of all the properties to be moved. The amount of money you will pay to the moving company depends on the weight of the goods and the volume of space they will occupy in the truck.
Therefore, the moving company should be very meticulous and careful in checking all your garages, bookcases, cupboards, drawers, and other storage places thoroughly to ensure that proper inventory is taken and the record kept discreetly. This will help to prevent loss of valuables such as jewelry, books, and other relevant belongings.
An Estimator will Note the Things You Want to Move
Every moving company has an estimator whose duty is to ask questions about the things or properties in your current residence that you want to move to your new home or office. The personnel will access your belongings, as he walks through your apartment and takes notes. In most cases, he may place a mark on the respective goods; you want to carry over to your new abode.
On the other hand, other belongings you may not want, he will also mark them differently, either to be taken to charities, leftover for new occupants of the house or to be sold off in a yard sale.
Reliable Movers don’t Demand Cash or a Large Deposit
One good way to detect reliable movers is that they don’t demand cash or a large deposit of money before they commence their moving job. The payment process is ‘pay upon delivery.’ A request for an advance payment is suspicious and should be refused immediately. Paying in advance could make you lose control of the timeframe your goods will arrive, because the company may not be in a hurry to deliver the goods since they have already been paid.
However, it is advisable to use your credit card in making payments whenever you make a payment to a moving company. This approach can protect you from unsuspecting fraudulent activities that should have been avoided.
Find out more about the Company’s History
Finding out more about the company will help you to know their local address and mode of operations. You will also tell whether the firm is licensed or not, and if they have insurance partners. Another fact to find out is whether the moving company has other names, which they are using to do business.
Most companies do businesses using various names to avoid being examined by Better Business Bureau. Therefore, even the employers tend to answer phone calls without mentioning the full names of the company. Avoid moving companies with a name switch. Get to know if there are other names; the company is using to do business. Again, find out their state and federal license numbers. You may also search for details about the company online to see if there are complaints about their services.
Look for Recommendations or References
Ask family and friends for recommendations and references about reliable moving companies in the city of Sydney. Another way to get these references is through associations such as the state associations of movers and the American Moving and Storage Association.
Furthermore, the companies may give you names, addresses, and phone numbers of customers that have enjoyed their services satisfactorily. You can contact the individuals for further inquiries on the capability of the moving company to handle your properties successfully.
Find Ways to Reduce Packing Costs
Every phase of the moving processes such as packing and unpacking, offloading, insurance of goods in transit, and storage attract additional charges. However, if you want to avoid some of these fees, you may decide to handle that particular process by yourself. For example, you may choose to pack and unpack your belongings yourself.
However, if you do this and damages occur to your properties, you will bear the cost yourself. Whereas, if the moving company handles it, they are liable to pay for any damage to your goods, but you have to pay the extra fees for the service, including packing materials and boxes.
Although the success of this service largely depends on the experience of the packers, which you should also inquire about, to avoid careless packing and stuffing of your belongings in a way, there will be unnecessary breakages and damages.
Be Prepared for Extra Fees for Moving in or out of Story Buildings
Are you moving in or out of a story building? This may attract additional charges because the moving company would have to negotiate for the stairs and elevators, especially, if you are living in a fifth-floor apartment or higher story buildings. The higher the building where you live or intend to move into, the more the fees, you will pay.
Moreover, if you were relocating to a building in a narrow street, where the big truck may not pass over quickly, they would have to transfer your belongings to a smaller truck. But, be prepared to pay for the small vehicle and even the service of moving your properties to the small truck. Nevertheless, it is advisable to inquire about other negligible fees that you may be asked to pay during the moving process.
Ensure all Your Agreements and Arrangements (the Contract) is Written Down
After you have concluded discussions with the mover, let all agreements and arrangements about the contract, including delivery and pick-up dates be written down, signed, and sealed by both parties. That is, both you and the company, before commencing the job. This is necessary to avoid disagreements and delays in delivering the goods on the agreed date, as the case may be.
Do not forget to list all your belongings that will be conveyed by the movers on the document before signing the contract. This exercise will help to ensure proper accountability, and no item on record should get missing. However, if you were unable to register any item on the inventory form before the truck leaves, it will be very difficult for you to get back that thing when your belongings arrive. The most pathetic aspect is that you won’t be able to file a claim
because you do not have any evidence supporting your case, as the item is not on the inventory.
Understand the Type of Contract Before you Sign the Documents
Most persons don’t understand that there are various types of moving contracts such as a binding estimate, a non-binding estimate, and a non-binding to exceed the estimate.
A Binding Estimate
When you make a binding estimate on your moving contract, it means that you have agreed for a guaranteed price for the move, including other additional services that may arise during the process.
However, if you decide for the company to handle other duties such as unpacking and storage, you will have to pay for such charges within thirty days after the date of delivery of your goods.
A Non-Binding Estimate
If you make a non-binding estimate on your moving contract, it means that you will not pay more than ten percent over the initial agreed price or estimate given to you by the company.This implies if you demand extra services, but you have to pay for the surcharges in thirty days from the delivery date of your belongings.
A Non-Binding to Exceed Estimate
This type of moving contract ensures that if there are additional charges or overages on the original fee you paid, you are not liable to pay for them again. Therefore, the estimated amount you would be asked to pay is the highest fee, any customer should pay for moving his or her properties, and any other contingencies that may occur during the moving process.
Note any Issues on the Mover’s Bill of Lading before signing it
When your goods arrive on the date of delivery, check all items in the boxes to ensure they are complete before signing the bill of lading. If you notice any issues while opening the packages, you should report the matter to the moving company within nine months after the delivery of the luggage. Then, you can file an insurance claim accordingly.
However, if you delay to open the packages or to report the matter to the company, after nine months, you may not be able to make claims again from them. As the truck arrives with your belongings, try and check the boxes for breakages and note such damages on the bill of lading, which will be sent back to the company.
You shall be notified of receipt of your complaint within thirty days. Nevertheless, the company will accept responsibility for such damages or deny it within one hundred and twenty days.
The Moving Company Must Undertake Liability for the Goods in Transit
Typically, every moving company undertakes liability for the goods they are transporting. That means, if such properties are stolen or damaged, they will pay back the value for such commodities.
Therefore, they undertake insurance policies to cover the value of such properties until they are delivered at their final destinations. There are extra fees applicable to these insurance policies and different plans you should choose from such as alternative level of liability and full value protection or full replacement protection.
Alternative Level of Liability
This type of insurance on your belongings is very affordable, as it offers minimal cover for your goods in transit. The moving company will be responsible for repaying up to sixty cents per pound of the value of each damaged item.
In this case, damage claims or loss claims are settled based on the ‘pound weight’ of the commodity multiplied by sixty (60) cents accordingly. That means, if an item weighing twenty pounds worth $500 were damaged or stolen in transit, the moving company would pay the owner $6 (10 pounds × 60 cents).
You are not paying extra fees for this plan since the compensation is minimal. However, on the bill of lading, you will be requested to sign an acknowledgment, accepting all the conditions before the contract begins. If for any reason, you do not give consent to this plan, the shipment will be made on full value protection or full replacement protection, but you will pay all fees attached to the insurance scheme.
Full Value Protection or Full Replacement Protection
If you want to ensure comprehensive protection of your belongings during delivery, then you should embark on this insurance plan. This scheme transfers the full liability of the loss or damage of your properties to the moving company. Therefore, if the item is damaged, the mover will pay the cost of repairs or fix it for you. Again, if the property is lost, they will compensate you with money equivalent to the value of such commodity, or replace it with an item similar in quality and functions.
The moving company is obliged to settle claims for damage or loss on items of immense value or any other commodity that is listed for such indemnity. Things with a value above $100 are those listed in this category. Some of them include electronics, jewelry, antiques, silverware, rugs, furs, etc.
With this mover’s guide, you will inevitably move your belongings to your new accommodation successfully. Nevertheless, ask the moving company for explanations on how they will settle claims or liabilities that may occur during transportation before you sign a contract with them.