Moving season is right around the corner and most movers are starting to prepare now. The industry generally sees a huge increase in moving demand mid-March, which usually stays active until November. With that being said, most movers have two types of seasonal rates: winter (December-February) and summer (March-November). Winter rates are always going to be cheaper than their counterpart. Most movers (us being one) honor winter rates even when someone is moving in the spring/summer. This means that if you’re planning on moving, explore options now and try to schedule with a mover within the coming weeks!
Tag / #MoveDay
Beware! Movers operating legally and under licensure provided by the ICC (Illinois Commerce Commission) are not permitted to offer guaranteed and flat-prices for a local move. Every now and again we come across a client that mentions something to the effect of, “..But X Movers quoted me exactly $500.00! Why can’t you guarantee a price!?” So, if it’s illegal, why do some movers do it?
There are two possible reasons:
- A “mover” isn’t legally licensed to help people relocate within Illinois. Instead they advertise themselves on online classified pages. These guys are simply looking for work. Chances are they’ll show up with a truck, van, or even a rented truck. Since they aren’t licensed, your goods aren’t protected and covered by a movers insurance. If something is damaged…you’re on your own.
- Bait-and-switch! A licensed mover can assure a customer that they will charge them a flat-rate of, say, $300.00 to move their 2 bedroom apartment from River North, Chicago, IL to Evanston, IL. Then the movers show up, begin the move, load the customer’s goods onto their truck, and BAM! “Hi, this is Frank with Y Movers. My crew is telling me that you have more furniture than we expected and that the move is going to take longer. We can no longer honor our quote of $300.00. We’re going to have to charge $700.00.” Well, what choices does a customer really have in such a situation? Not very many. The movers verbally told you they are offering a flat-rate, but in reality, on paper, and filed with the ICC, they charge hourly. You have to pay up, especially since your items are already on their truck.
The takeaway should be to double-check a mover’s reputation online, verify that they are licensed through the ICC, and not believe promises that other movers can’t make.
Resource links:
- Moving Company Reviews – http://www.movingcompanyreviews.com/alternate
- ICC License Search – https://www.icc.illinois.gov/utility/defaulthhg.aspx
hahaha call us instead! (847) 679-4338
MCR (MovingCompanyReviews) changed the moving review’s game for the better when they first launched in 2012. See, the problem movers have (had!) with online review giants is validation. Essentially, and very easily, anyone can hop online and write a review, good or bad. There’s no verification process. It suuuucks. Why does it suuuuuck? Well, mostly because very few customers go online and publish positive reviews and, believe it or not, there was this awful period of time where movers would go and publish fake reviews bashing other companies. THE ORIGINAL INTERNET TROLLS!
Anyhow, fast forward to 2012 when MCR launched. They decided that it was time movers received the praise they deserved. As they so accurately write on their About Us page, “MCR verifies every review with a Bill of Lading (move receipt) to ensure it was written by a real customer for a real move.” They even reward people who post a review with a gift card, or better yet a PIZZA! If only you guys came around sooner!
I’ve seen a lot of good come from MCR. Most specifically, we had the chance to move MCR’s Founder, Doug Breaker. He actually wrote about it here: http://blog.movingcompanyreviews.com/how-finding-a-great-mover-took-me-3-years/. The best part…we didn’t know until after we moved him! Don’t you just love it when someone really believes in their own product? We sure do!
Thank you MCR for trying to fix an issue the moving industry has been facing for quite some time now.
The 6 most common type of boxes are:
- Small (Book) Box
- Medium Box
- Large Box
- Wardrobe Box
- Picture Box
- China (Dish Pack) Box
Small boxes should contain your heaviest items, that aren’t super fragile. Make sure you stuff these guys with smaller items that carry weight, i.e. books, CD’s, bricks, etc.
Medium boxes should hold everything else that you wouldn’t put in a small or large box. All miscellaneous items, such as: contents in your drawers, remotes, cable boxes, kid’s toys, etc.
Large boxes should be filled with anything that takes up a lot of volume, but isn’t too heavy. Common items that go in large boxes are shoes, clothing, linens, etc.
Wardrobe boxes hold articles of clothing that are on a hanger. This tall box has a metal rod near the top that can support 25-50 hangers.
Picture boxes are used to carry pictures, mirrors, and/or TV’s. Depending on a picture/mirrors size, you can fit anywhere from 1-5 pieces per box.
China boxes are meant to hold any fragile items. These range from dishes and china, to lamps and fragile decorative pieces.
Most movers offer a full pack options. Taking this route means that the movers will bring their own boxes and pack every last item in your home. WHOA!
We promise!
We love dogs, too!
