Tag: DIY moving

Categories
DIY Moving Projects How To

How to Hire the Right Movers for Your NJ Move

How to Hire The Right Movers for Your NJ Move

Doing a DIY move when you’re young isn’t so bad. You’re still in decent shape and you likely have some nearby friends and family who are available to help out. However, as you get older moving everything yourself can put a serious toll on your mind and body. Not to mention most of your friends and family are probably too busy with their own life to help out (and maybe they also just don’t want to get hurt helping you move).

Whatever the case, you now need to hire right movers. Even if you’ve gone through the process in the past, it can still be a daunting task. After all, there are so many companies to choose from and not all of them will fit your needs. In order to find the right one moving company for you, you’ll need to do some planning. Luckily, the following guide will help walk you through the process.

Need to Calculate Your Moving Cost

Before hiring NJ professional movers onboard, you first need to figure out if you even have enough money. In order to do that, you need to figure out how much they cost. While there aren’t any universal rates, most movers tend to offer similar prices. If you don’t want to guess how much movers will cost, you can simply reach out to a few that offer the service you need and get a quote. So long as you provide accurate information and include any additional services you might want to include, the quote should be fairly accurate.

Your best bet is to reach out to a minimum of three NJ moving companies, ideally more. You should be suspicious if an estimate is significantly lower than the others as it might be a sign of a scam. And while it used to be a red flag if movers don’t do an in-home visit, thanks to COVID-19, many can provide estimates if you send them pictures and/or video.

Check All the Important Documents

Whether you’re making a local move or long distance move it’s important that you make sure the company you hire is licensed and insured. The US Department of Transportation (U.S. DOT) requires all professional moving companies to have a U.S. DOT number. In order to receive this number, the movers must enroll in an 18-month education program to learn about carrier safety and hazardous material regulations. During this time, the company must maintain safe operations and pass a safety audit. To maintain their number, movers must comply with all Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) safety regulations.

Some states, like New Jersey, also require registration with the state’s Department of Transportation for additional security. Moving companies are required to post both their state and federal DOT numbers in an easy to find location on their website. You can then check the moving company’s numbers on the FMCSA website to ensure their numbers are still valid.

In addition to having the appropriate registration with the state and federal DOT, you also want to make sure the moving company is properly insured. You can ask for a certificate of insurance (COI), which is a form that shows all of the necessary insurance the movers have including umbrella, general liability, automotive, worker’s compensation, and more. When you look over the document, pay close attention to the expiration dates for the insurance as well as the name and address listed for the business. You want to make sure the insurance is still valid up to the date of your move and that the name and address matches what is listed on the company website.

Read Reviews Online

Thanks to the beauty of the internet, you can now easily find reviews on almost everything, including NJ moving companies. Don’t let this resource go to waste! Simply search the name of the company and you’ll be able to pull up reviews from multiple sources including Yelp and Google. You can always arrange reviews by the most recent and even drill down to see specific ratings like one-star reviews. From there, you can determine whether the negative and/or positive reviews are a good representative sample.

In addition to customer reviews, you should also check out the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if the company has a report. You can check out the letter grade the BBB has assigned to the mover and read any complaints, reviews, and government actions. Besides the BBB, you can also review the company’s complaint history on the DOT website.

You shouldn’t always trust online reviews though as some companies will pay people to post positive reviews. If you know people who have used a moving company you are considering, ask them questions on the cost, professionalism, etc. See if they have any complaints and see if it matches up with the online reviews.

Ask Questions About What You Want to Know

Once you’ve narrowed down your NJ moving company search, you should take some time to ask them questions. You don’t want to go in there without any preparation, so make a list of questions beforehand. Below are some questions you should ask:

  • Can you provide a certificate of insurance? You want to make sure the movers the insurance is up-to-date and that they have enough coverage. Usually, insurance should go be at least $2-5 million
  • Are you a broker or carrier? Brokers outsource their services to other companies while carriers handle all moving services in house
  • What coverage option do you offer? All moving companies must offer partial liability coverage for free. This only insures your items for $0.60 per pound per item. Professional moving companies are required to have full value protection, but you will need to pay extra for this
  • What services do you offer? Not all movers are created equal. If you need additional services like packing and unpacking or storage, make sure you ask if they offer these options.
  • How do you calculate prices? Most companies charge customers on several factors including weight, distance, season, and hourly rates. If you’re moving locally, most movers stick with a flat hourly rate, but that’s not always the case so it’s important to ask.
  • What about cancellation fees? There are plenty of reasons why you might need to cancel or reschedule your move. Some companies will let you cancel free of charge so long as you do it far enough in advance. Others might charge you a fee on top of your deposit so make sure you ask!

Hire Right Movers NJ

Once you’ve done your research and found the right movers for you, make sure you book them! Ideally, you’ll want to reserve your movers at least a month beforehand, but you might be able to get in a last-minute move if you’re lucky. Still, the more lead time you have, the better as you’ll be able to start the moving process in advance.

Looking for some movers in NJ, then reach out to NJ Great Movers for a quote!

Categories
General

What to Do After Moving into a New Apartment

What to Do After Moving into a New Apartment

You’ve finally signed your lease, paid your deposit, and received the keys to your new place. It’s an exciting time. It might be tempting to dive into the process of unpacking and getting settled, but before you unpack your first box there are a few things you should do beforehand. These shouldn’t take too long, but by taking the time to follow this checklist you can make your first few months much easier.

As tempting as it might be to kick back and relax,  take the time to follow these new apartment tips to know what to do after moving:

Document Everything and Revisit the Apartment

If you’re renting an apartment, chances are you had to put down a security deposit. If this is your first place, a security deposit essentially is money your landlord/building owner can use to fix your apartment if there is excessive damage. Unfortunately, many landlords do their best not to pay back security deposits after a tenant moves out. If you don’t take pictures of how the apartment looked before you moved in, you could be on the hook for damages made by the previous tenant.

It might seem silly, but take the time to take pictures of absolutely everything no matter how small. Note every knick or scratch you find and create a folder on your phone and compute for later reference. You should also email these to your landlord/building manager so that you can have a paper trail in case they say that you changed the timestamp on your photos. Many bad landlords and building managers will pull every trick in the book to keep you from paying back your security deposit. Be vigilant!

While you’re documenting everything, also make a note of items that need to be fixed such as:

  • Leaky faucets
  • Clogged drains
  • Windows that won’t shut properly
  • Doors that don’t lock
  • Bug infestation
  • Broken heating system

And so on. Immediately report these to your landlord to get them fixed. If you let these issues fester until you move out, the landlord can withhold your security deposit! A more serious problem like the last two are very important to document to your landlord immediately. Should they not fix it ASAP, you can take your landlord to small claims court.

Get Friendly with Your New Neighbors When You Move

You don’t have to bring over homemade cookies to your neighbors, but it’s a good idea to say hello to them if you happen to come across any when you first move in. Simply say hello and let them know what apartment you’re in. You don’t have to chit-chat too long, but don’t just ignore them. Your neighbors can be your biggest allies and can help you out in times of need, but that’s only if they know you. You don’t need to become their best friend, but make the connection and maintain it for as long as you are living in your new apartment. You never know when you might need help.

Better yet, people are less likely to be jerks to neighbors when they know them. If your neighbors are loud, they are more likely to turn down the volume if they know the person complaining. After all, no one wants to be considered a jerk by people they know! This goes both ways, of course. You must be also a good neighbor. Even if you’re a night owl, avoid doing loud things like hanging paintings or vacuuming late at night. Your neighbors are just trying to enjoy their lives as they normally do so save the extra noisy stuff for earlier in the day.

Organize Your Belongings by Priority

You don’t need to unpack everything yet, but if you went the DIY moving route then you should at least move all the boxes into the appropriate rooms. You can even organize the boxes by order of importance in the rooms so you can focus on unpacking essential items first. So whether you unpack all at once or over the course of a few weeks, it’s much easier to do so room by room than darting between the different rooms. If you hire professional movers you should direct them where to put the boxes so you don’t have to do the work afterwards.

Speaking of unpacking, make sure to take out and arrange your daily items. This includes items such as:

  • Toiletries
  • Towels
  • Coffee-making supplies
  • Cooking utensils
  • Bedsheets
  • Pillows
  • Clothes for the next few days

And so on. Even if it’s only a handful of things, organizing and placing these items can really make your apartment feel more like a home and encourage you to keep unpacking. Plus, you won’t have to worry about digging through boxes to find your toothpaste or hairbrush before going to bed the first night in your new apartment. Speaking of, you should also take some time to pick up some essentials you might have tossed for the move such as body wash, soap, hair care products, and so on.

Update Your Information and Note the New One

The best time to your address for various bills, insurance, etc. was before you moved. The next best time is right when you move. It’s easy to let your address change fall through the gaps especially for things like your regular mail. After all, who gets paper mail anymore? While you can set up mail forwarding with USPS, it will only continue this service for 60 days. After that, they will stop the service so it will be up to you to update your address directly with these companies.

Beyond the obvious ones such as banking institutions, insurance companies, etc. don’t forget to notify your place of employment and update your tax documents. You should also update your favorite shopping sites and medical providers. If you have kids, make sure to notify their school of the address change if you are still going to the same school.

Speaking of updating information, if you have rental insurance, you might need to adjust it. If you don’t have one, now is a great time to get it as it can protect you against fires, floods, theft, natural disasters, and more. Rental insurance costs vary based on location and amenities, but the average cost is around $180 a year.

Try to Finish at Least One Selected Room

Yes, you might be exhausted after the move, but try to set up at least one room the day of the move. Choose an important space like the living room or bedroom to tidy up. Unpack the boxes and place the items in the appropriate areas while also noting any storage solutions you might need for that space. You don’t have to hang up all the decorations at this stage, but you do at least want to get the majority of the boxes out of the way.

Don’t get too carried away! The goal is to complete a single room as much as possible. That way in the coming weeks of unpacking, you at least have one spot in your home where you can relax. As you continue to unpack, follow this same method where you unpack to completion. That way you’ll see the progress you’ve made as each room comes together in the coming weeks.

Hire the Best Professional NJ Movers

Moving apartments can be a daunting and tiring task. If you want to make it easier one yourself, why not let professional NJ movers take the load off your shoulders and do the moving part for you.  Heck, many also offer packing and unpacking services so all you need to focus on is making sure you document everything in your new apartment and updating your information. Whatever option you choose when moving, following these tips can make your life in your new place go a lot smoother.