Understanding the different choices your client has in moving can help you help them.

“Moving is a personal experience meaning that each shipper has specific needs on their move,” says Kelly Bennett, director of marketing/account executive for Boerman Moving & Storage, an Interstate Agent for Bekins Van Lines in Woodridge. “Understanding the level of service needed to effectively complete the move will help the shipper set their expectations correctly.”

There are basically two choices on moving:

• Do-it-yourself – “This is where you literally do it all – pack, truck rental, load and unload,” says REALTOR^® Melea Snyder, a broker and relocation director at Jim Maloof/REALTOR^® in Peoria. “This is the most affordable way to move.”
• Professional moving services – “There are many companies to research and interview,” says Bennett. “Professional movers will come out to perform a specified level of service needed by the shipper including full or partial packing, loading and unloading, custom crating, transporting and more.” These companies also offer options for damage and loss protection.

Movers are one of the top categories of companies searched on the Better Business Bureau website, which features more than 20,000 moving-related companies. Whether moving near or far, it is important for clients to choose a company they can trust.

Bennett suggests visiting the websites of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) or the American Trucking Associations (ATA) to find the right moving company. Find a Certified ATA ProMover. The ATA awards the certification to moving companies only after they pass a thorough background check, including their operations and previous work. Moving companies agree to abide by ATA’s Code of Ethics and a set of honorable business practices.

Go even further with researching companies by asking your circle of friends and family for the ones they loved or even hated, so you can eliminate the ones with bad reputations.

“Talking with people who have had a personal experience moving will get a great idea of the ins-and-outs of the current process, especially if the shipper has never moved before or it has been years since they have last moved,” Bennett says.

Hiring a moving company should be similar to a job interview, she says.

“Reading a resume is a great start, actually meeting the person for the job gives the interviewer a better understanding of the person they may hire,” she says.

Most of her clients opt to unpack the boxes themselves, so they can go at their own pace. However, it is a welcome timesaver and stress reliever when movers reassemble the beds at the new home.

One of the best ways to save money on a move is to go through your stuff with a critical eye one more time before the final date of moving, Bennett says.

“The less there is to move, the less expensive the move will be,” she states. “Be sure all the items being moved are worth a trip to a new location.”

Moving companies that transport across state borders charge by the weight of the shipments. Inside state borders and locally, they bill you by the hour, Bennett says.

Rates are determined through supply and demand, so prices can fluctuate. The peak season for moving typically runs from May to September, and rates tend to be higher on Saturdays than on weekdays.

Brooks works with a lot of families and always advises them to declutter and give away, sell or throw away items that don’t need to go to the next home.

“Now would be a good time to sell their extra rooms of furniture. Are there still boxes unpacked from when they moved in five years ago?” Brooks says. “It may be time to reconsider if they really need those items and want to pay to move them again.”

Snyder recommends starting early and booking movers or a moving truck as soon as you know your dates. And if you look for free boxes and pack things yourself, you’ll be saving even more bucks.

“Your linens and clothing can be used as packing materials to save on purchasing bubble wrap and packing paper,” she states. “Laundry baskets and suitcases are great for packing and can help cut down on boxes.”

Brooks says many closings take place the last few days of the month. Movers are much busier those days.

“Moving a closing up a few days or weeks can help alleviate some of the stress of finding movers or even rental trucks available during those times,” she remarks.

If you are packing things yourself, inventory every room and write the contents on boxes, Snyder suggests.

“It is best to keep each box at a weight they can carry themselves. Pack an overnight bag filled with essentials,” she says. “Add a change of clothes, toiletries, medications and more so you are not looking for items like your toothbrush when you arrive at your new home.”

Pack and move your own small, high-value items in your personal vehicle when possible, such as jewelry, important papers and photos.

“Most clients elect to move their most precious belongings on their own whenever possible,” Brooks says.

If you do hire movers, she says to “keep in mind also that packers will pack everything unless directed otherwise. I have had clients have their car keys, garbage cans full of trash and half-eaten cakes packed.”

Moving valuation is the protection plan offered to customers from movers, says Bennett.

The minimum coverage required by the Illinois Commerce Commission includes the basic liability option. This coverage costs nothing to the shipper and will cover 30 cents per pound per article. For example, you’d get $3 in compensation for a 10-pound lamp if it is destroyed or lost.

Companies offer other options, too, and they range in levels of coverage. Not everything is automatically covered because each customer has different needs, she adds.

“Before choosing an option for loss and damage reimbursement, it is important to give serious thought of the value of the household goods,” she says.