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Before you even call a moving company it’s important that you are clear about what you’re looking for. Start by asking yourself what’s important to you when moving (imagine that your whole house is upside down and being swept away in front of your very eyes, what would the ideal move look like to you?). A lot of people bargain hunt when choosing a moving company but there are so many other factors to consider. Lots of things can go wrong on the day and it’s important that you go with a company that you trust and who can properly meet your needs.
Moving house should be something exciting, a new beginning, not something you dread doing. Follow easytruck’s tips on choosing the right moving company for you and don’t let moving be one of the most stressful things in your life mamas!
1. What time will the moving company finish your move? Will they finish in one day? Some people prefer to move over two days but most people prefer to get it ‘over and done with’ in one day. It’s completely possible to move a 5 bedroom house in one day if the moving company sends a large enough crew.
2. Good customer care - do you get a designated customer care advisor who understands your needs? What happens when something gets broken? Are you confident that the moving company you employ for the job will support you and deal with issues like breakages etc on the day of and after your move?
3. What type of insurance do they provide? Are you offered a total loss or fully comprehensive insurance policy? If the truck carrying your items to your new home is involved in an accident and your belongings are damaged then you would need insurance to cover any loss that occurs. Equally, if any of your items are damaged on the moving day then the moving company usually isn’t liable to cover this. Make sure you read the terms and conditions carefully.
4. What are their wrapping standards like? Do you feel confident that they can professionally wrap and pack things like your glassware, clothes and TV? Have they explained to you how they will handle high value items like a piano or a chandelier? A lot of companies will say that they can move these kind of items safely but ask them exactly how they will do it you will be the best judge of their credentials once you probe a little. How do they handle wrapping of mattresses and sofas? Some companies may use blankets (good for an outer layer) but it’s important that they use a protective film first to avoid spreading parasites like bed bugs. Beware of the “yes man”! A lot of companies will say that they can move these kind of items safely but ask them exactly how they will do it you will be the best judge of their credentials once you probe a little.
5. Do they reconnect white goods, dismantle and reassemble your large items (beds, dining room tables etc)? These kind of services are what is known as a full service move and are essential to ask if you don’t want is to be left trying to figure out how to reconnect your washing machine and dish washer.
6. Do they provide a handyman service (for hanging pictures on the wall, TV or curtains)? Moving house means moving everything that hangs on your walls! An extremely important element of your move is relocating the curtains in the bedrooms (especially kids rooms) to ensure you all sleep well on the first night in your new home. Most moving companies can take curtains and blinds down but you need to ask if they can hang them back up for you in your new home this is considered quite a skilled job. Having a handyman to put up your pictures, mirrors, TVs, shelves and so on will not only save you time but will help you to settle into your new home a lot quicker (it’s one of those jobs we think we can do ourselves but never find the time to do or don’t have the right tools).
7. What add-on services do they offer to make the move less stressful for you? DEWA disconnection/reconnection? This question all depends on the kind of move you want. If you want a full service move where you don’t lift a finger then there are a select few experienced and professional companies out there who can handle your move to the very last detail.
8. What will you do with the items that you don’t want to take with you? Will the moving company take them away for you? There is a really reliable company called Take My Junk in Dubai. They collect unwanted furniture (from as small as lamps to as large as sofas and beds) and donate them to labour camps. Easytruck will take away any furniture you don’t want to take with you to your new home and bring them to our warehouse in Al Quoz for Take My Junk to collect.
9. Do they provide unpacking of your boxes? A lot of companies provide this service (some
at an additional cost) but it’s important to ask if they will actually do this on your move. Some customers prefer to unpack their own boxes (in the kitchen and their bedroom for example) so that everything is unpacked to their own, personal standards. Having all of your boxes unpacked for you, especially if you’re not there to supervise, can in reality work out to be more work for you. When moving into your new house it’s sometimes better to do some of the things yourself so that you know where things like phone chargers and shoes are.
10. Is there an English speaking team leader or supervisor on the job? This is very important when you need to communicate what to do and what not to do on the day of your move. You know your items better than anyone (for example, the glass on the top of the dining room table needs to be removed) and it is vital that somebody on the job understands you!
11. Short-term or long-term storage? Whether you’re considering moving your items into storage on a short-term or long-term basis, there are a range of different options available from some moving companies directly. Some offer lockable units (i.e. do it yourself storage) and others will rent you open space in a managed warehouse. As an alternative option, Easytruck mobile storage offers a new approach by bringing the storage to the customer’s door. With this modern approach to storage, a professional packing team will pack, wrap and load the customer’s items directly into their own lockable storage pod, lock it and then give them the key. This means people can completely avoid ever seeing a storage warehouse!
There are a lot of moving companies out there but our advice to everyone looking for a moving company is that you get what you pay for. It’s a matter of weighing up what’s more important to you pay a little bit more to have everything done in a reasonable amount of time to your standard or, be up until 1am as you watch 3 tired men trying to reassemble your bed. Wiki Answers puts moving in their top 5 most stressful things in life (before marriage and relationship problems!) so it’s most certainly not the time to cut corners! Easytruck likes to think that they are bringing this statistic down delivering full service, stress-free moves in one day!
For moving visit www.easytruck.ae
For more details on Easytruck mobile storage visit www.easytruckmobilestorage.com
Natalie is mama to a little boy, owner of Easytruck and founder of Baby Bazaar. A modern day superwoman!
