Movers in Indiana

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• 
  Nov 12, 2021 12:00

  Moving Tips

  It’s finally moving day and you’re getting ready to get into your home. The first thing that you need to do is a complete walkthrough. But what should you do after that? How do you start making your house into a home?

   

  There are a lot of different steps you need to consider when it comes to making your new house into your family’s residence. Here are just some of the things that you need to do when moving into a new house.

   

  Moving Checklist to follow before moving into new location.

   

  Check the Entire House Out

   

  Obviously, you checked out the home before you bought it because you decided to rent or buy based on your visit. But, you also need to be sure that you go ahead and check out your new home before you move anything in there.

   

  You want to be sure that there are no repairs that need to be done or things that may be of concern before you move into your new place. See if there’s anything you or the home inspector didn’t notice. You also want to be sure that they didn’t leave anything behind and that no one and nothing is in there that shouldn’t be.

   

  Do a Deep Clean

   

  While the previous tenants or owners of the new home should have put some time and effort into cleaning the house, they may not have done so. So, it’s worth your time to get in there and make sure that everything is clean and looks as good as possible.

   

  You can deep clean in one of two ways – first, you can do it yourself, which will take the time that you may not have for the process. Or, you can work with a local moving company that specializes in move-in/move-out cleaning and have them take care of everything.

   

  Either way, this allows you to move into your new place with a clean slate. It’ll make it easier for you to clean up after everything is moved in, as well.

   

  Determine What Rooms or Spaces Will Be Used for What

   

  Do you want to make the moving-in and unpacking process as simple as possible? If so, then it’s in your best interest to put together a “map” of sorts. Whose bedroom is whose? Which room is going to be the office? Will you be using the basement for anything?

   

  Then, you want to use this “map” as a guide for when you’re organizing boxes during the packing process. Instead of labeling boxes for the rooms that they were in at your old home, you can label them with the rooms that they are going into.

   

  If you have this level of organization, then your movers are going to be able to unload your boxes into the appropriate rooms. Then, you aren’t stuck moving boxes around to where “they’re supposed to be,” which can save you a lot of time and effort on moving day and the days after.

   

  Find the Circuit Breaker Box and Water Control

   

  Accidents happen everywhere, and they could happen in your home. Because of this, it’s important to know where the circuit breaker box (or fuse box, depending on your home) and the water valves are. You want to be able to safely turn on and off your electricity and your water if something were to happen.

   

  Get the HVAC System Serviced

   

  Your heat and air conditioning are essential for keeping your family comfortable all year long, and you want to know that they’re working correctly before moving into a new house. So, unless the previous owners/tenants tell you that they just got everything serviced (and can show you proof), you may want to call in an HVAC pro to check things out.

   

  Your HVAC pro should check out everything about your system, including cleaning and replacing filters and ensuring that things work as they should. If you’re on the cusp of a new season (spring to summer or fall to winter, in particular), then you want to go ahead and get it weatherized, as well.

   

  Now maybe the time to talk to your HVAC specialist to see what they recommend about your system and if you want to consider any upgrades. On top of that, you can talk to them about making your home into a smart home, if that’s what you’d like to do.

   

  Consider Landscaping

   

  Your outdoor spaces are another important part of making sure that you’re happy with your home. If it’s been a while since the lawn last got mowed, you may want to call someone in to take care of landscaping before moving day.

   

  It could be something as simple as calling them in to take care of your mowing, or you can start looking at potential upgrades to those outdoor spaces. You at least want to get things trimmed and taken care of properly so that your movers don’t have to walk through the jungle when they’re trying to unload your items.

   

  Always wait to make big landscaping changes until you’ve been in your home for a week or two. You may even want to wait until the following spring so that you can see how things look during the rest of the year (unless you’re moving in at the beginning of spring).

   

  Switch Out Your Locks

   

  While typically it should be safe to trust the people that you bought your home from, that doesn’t mean that they’re going to be able to do everything possible to ensure that there aren’t spare keys floating around. Plus, if they aren’t trustworthy, they may keep a key to try and break in (this can be common with apartments where they were evicted).

   

  So, what you want to do is get a locksmith in to change all of the locks in your home as soon as you possibly can. Have them go through your entire home and deal with both the windows and the doors. Don’t miss spaces like your basement and/or your attic. This will cost some money, but it will also give you peace of mind.

   

  You should also schedule some time with your locksmith to talk about other security measures that you can take to increase your home security, as well. They can help you to determine what types of locks are going to be best and may even be able to help you set up a security system that works for your budget and the needs you have.

   

  Make Things Safe for Children and/or Pets

   

  Pet-proofing and child-proofing your home is also a big priority. Make sure that all open electrical outlets are covered as they should be. Do you want to child-proof doors or make sure that there aren’t any areas where pets and small children can get stuck? Deal with that as well.

   

  The earlier that you are able to make everything safe, the less stressed you’ll feel when your family finally moves into your space. Plus, you won’t need to race around safety-proofing everything in your home on the day of your move, which is stressful enough as it is.

   

  Frequently Asked Questions

   

  Why are people telling me to bring bread, salt, and honey into my house before anything else?

   

  There is a folk belief that, if you bring bread, salt, and honey into your new home, it will bring you blessings and/or good luck upon moving in. The bread and salt are so that you “never know hunger;” the honey is so that you can enjoy how sweet life is supposed to be. This is, obviously, not necessary – but many people decide to stick to this tradition.

   

  When should I get my utilities turned on in my new home?

   

  As soon as you have a date you’re moving in, you want to schedule for your utilities to get turned on. You’ll want to turn them on 2-3 days before you move into your new home. That way, if there is some sort of delay or issue with a certain utility, you can get it taken care of before moving day.

   

  How do I deal with food and shopping before moving day?

   

  Buy as little as possible in a week or so before moving day. You want to take as little food as possible, especially if it’s a long-distance move. Finish things up as best as you can. Plan to order dinner on the day that you move into your new place, and then go grocery shopping as soon as you can after that. It’ll make it less stressful.

   

  Are You Ready for Moving Day?

   

  Moving day is a huge undertaking, and if you plan things out well, you can get to your new home and make sure that everything is ready to go as soon as possible. Do some research and take your time sorting everything out. In the long run, a little preparation can go a long way.

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• 
  May 28, 2019 14:46

  Moving Tips

  Finally, you have gotten a new apartment after all the stress. Now, you are wondering how you will move. Out of every moving phase, one of the most important parts is the mover. If you have a crappy mover, you may have a crappy moving job in your hands. This is why it is of great importance that you look for a good mover.

   

  How can you tell a professional from a scam? When you get the local moving company, you have to be rest assured that they will do the right job. This is why it is advisable to run a background check on the moving company. How good are they? Have they had clients that complained? Have prior clients complained about things getting missing? It is important to know that the mover you use will have access to you, your properties, and your new home.

   

  1. Large Down Payment

   

  Usually, a lot of legitimate movers only request that you make a bit of a down payment before the job is done. They do not ask for everything to be paid before they move your things.

   

  After asking for a small down payment before they start the job, they expect that you make the rest payment on delivery, immediately they are done with the job.

  This allows the firm to be held liable for ensuring that your properties get to their destination quickly and in a safe manner.

   

  If you see a moving company that requests that you make a large down payment, you should consider taking your business elsewhere because that screams a scam.

   

  Once they get the entire sum before movement, what will make them come over on D-day and move you?

   

  2. Cash-Only Payments

   

  One thing you should know is that if you made a cash payment, you tend to get a higher value for your cash, but once you notice that it is only cash payments that the movers accept, you should be careful. If they don't accept anything else, apart from cash, you should run to the hills. It is advisable that you opt for credit card payments because it leaves a paper trail. If you have some disputes, how can you prove that you made payments if you opted for cash? The paper trail of a credit card can act as proof.

   

  One can tell a legitimate mover from those that are scammed by looking at how many payments forms they have. If they don't have more than one, you should consider taking your business elsewhere. Ask them if they accept credit payments, as a legitimate one should. After that, you can decide to use such a payment form or cash.

   

  3. Extremely Low Rates

   

  A company that asks for a large down payment should leave you suspicious; the same can be said for very low rates. If you notice that the rates are too low, your red flag meter should start waving.

   

  One thing you should know is that moving is not a job that is done for a very affordable price. No one can do that, that's the basic truth. One thing you should note is that moving is not affordable, and once you find something like that, there is a great chance that it is a scam.

   

  The moving firm has vehicles to take care of and fuel; it also has employees that it has to pay for and so on.

   

  Whatever estimates a moving company gives you should be compared with different estimates from another firm. What does it look like? Are the estimates too cheap for now? One thing you should know is that scams will give you a very cheap estimate at first, then on a moving day, they tell you that the rates have increased because of one flimsy reason or the other. At that moment, they know that finding a moving company will be almost impossible for you.

   

  4. No Logo

   

  It won't be a bad idea to look at their moving trucks. If you can, please do. See what kind of moving trucks they use. Are their logos on the trucks? Do the trucks look good or seem like things that came out of a freak show? These things should be considered. If you can't see the trucks, you can ask around. Who has used the moving company before? Did they use a marked moving truck or not?

   

  If you notice that your moving company comes on D-day with a truck that is not marked with their logo, or a rental truck, you should become suspicious.

   

  Every legitimate mover embeds its logo on its moving truck, and that's the basic truth. Many of these movers use a rolling billboard to advertise their firm, while they get paid to move your properties around. If you notice that your moving company doesn't have a logo on the truck, and you can't see their phone number on it, there is a great chance that it can't be termed a legitimate one.

   

  5. No Address or Office

   

  A lot of companies, especially the movers, have running and updated websites. Their online presence can give you a hint if the company is legitimate or not. The internet is a perfect place to find scams. Sometimes, it is advised that before you use a product or service, you search the internet to see how legitimate it is. You can start by searching the name of the product or company and putting 'scam' on it. There is a great chance that you will get hits if the company is a scam. Look at the moving company's website. How does it look like? Did you notice reviews? How genuine do they look? Do some companies fake their reviews? Do they have similar wording?

   

  Does the website have the address of the mover written there? Is the address just a city or a P.O. box? Whatever moving company that you opt for should have an address.

   

  Once you see the address, it is important to find out if it is genuine. You can track out if an address is really a building that houses companies or merely an empty lot. Find out yourself if you don't want to be scammed or be offered crappy services.

   

  6. No Bill of Lading

   

  Every legitimate mover will ask to sign a contract with you. Immediately you agree to use them; they will expect that you append your signature on their contract, this is usually called a Bill of Lading (BOL).

   

  What the bill of lading contains are things like estimated price, delivery date, as well as the needed supplies. Whatever BOL that you append your signature on should have words that specify that you won't have to make extra payments like driver's fee or compulsory tip. What you agreed on should be what is paid. This should be written on the contract.

   

  The BOL shouldn't be ignored because it ensures that both your properties and interests should be protected. You don't want your properties missing.

   

  7. Many Extreme Reviews

   

  Look at the reviews of the company, what are they like? Before you hire any moving company, you have to look at their reviews? Are they commendable or scary? If you notice that they have amassed a lot of negative reviews, you should consider running to the hills. This most likely means that their services are nothing to write home about and should be avoided.

   

  If you notice that every review there seems too positive, then there is a great chance that the reviews were faked.

   

  Look at the reviews that were written concerning a moving company on a popular review site before you make that decision.

   

  A great way to see if a company is legitimate or a scam is to see if they have been certified as a ProMover at American Moving & Storage Association (AMSA).

   

  This program was created in a bid to find scam movers while telling clients what movers are professional and reputable.

   

  If you can't find your moving company there, then you know what to do, run for your life.

   

  8. Scheduling Trouble

   

  If you notice that the movers keep postponing the move, then you should become very suspicious. Sometimes, a change of schedule may occur, but it should only be once. Once it becomes more than one, you should consider running to the hills, when the scheduling changes become a lot, there is a high tendency that it is a scam. Try and look for another mover.

   

  If you wait for this moving company, you may notice that in the end, you will be frustrated. One thing we advise people to do is never tolerate tardiness that occurs more than once because you may end up paying for it. This is why when you sign a contract, you look at the conditions attached to it. Are there any hints that you can't back out of the contract as long as you give them the necessary notification? If there are, this may affect you later when you notice that they are tardy. At that moment, you won't be able to do without them because you agreed to unfavorable terms. Whatever contract you sign should have terms that are beneficial to you.

   

  9. Lax Phone Etiquette

   

  When you call them on the phone, how do they sound? Do they sound like they are bored and irritated by your call? Do they sound professional? Once you call them, what do they say? Do they state the name of the moving company? If you call a cross country moving company, and they answer with 'movers,' or 'hello,' you may be onto a rogue mover. Are they nice? Or rude? No matter how nice they are, and there is no level of professionalism in the way that they interact with you, they are most likely a scam.

   

  Call them on the phone and listen to their tone. What did you notice about the interactions? Are they too playful? Too serious?

   

  One thing you should note that is if they are either too playful or too serious, then there is a problem. They should be friendly and professional at the same time.

   

  Try to hear what's happening at the background while the conversation is ongoing. Is the person on the other end, shushing someone close to him? Can you hear kids playing about it? What of screaming? It is quite easy to find out if someone is a scam or not by listening. Sometimes, the signs may be there, but since you are not alert, you may not notice them.

   

  This saves you from falling into the arms of a scam.

   

  10. No On-Site Quote

   

  A lot of moving firms are known to send their representative to your home before they come up with an estimate. This is done because the moving prices usually are not dependent on solely the distance between the old house and the new one. It also encompasses the number of properties you have, and how much they weigh.

   

  A lot of homeowners usually possess more properties than they may have thought. A professional representative looks at the house and tries to draft a quote that is dependent on the estimated weight.

   

  If you get a mover and they don't come to see what you have in your apartment, your red flag meter should be moving. A good mover must come to your house to look at what you have, and make estimates from there.

   

  Why is this important? If they don't come to see what you have, they may end up giving an estimate that's not realistic.

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