Valuing your items for a Moving Insurance

Valuing your items for a Moving Insurance

You can do this by (1) writing down all significant pieces of furniture; glassware, appliances, electronics, personal effects, etc…, (2) give each a mark and an approximate weight. If you have a large number of books that you’ll be packing into boxes, (3) assign each box an approximate weight and state it on the outside of the box. This can be applied to clothes, kitchen items, tools and other loose items. (4) mark each box an approximate replacement value, it would only aid you in the workers handling of your items. Be careful when you price a high value item as the mover may not give you a value you would be comfortable with.

In case you are moving specific and expensive items like works of art or jewelry you must be exact in your details of the item. Some movers would require you to produce an appraisal by a third party of their choosing. Upon approval you must provide specific instructions regarding the handling of the item.

Replacement value means the cost to replace the item with another item of comparable material and quality. The replacement must be used for the same purpose. This applies unless the cost to repair or replace the damaged item is less at the discretion of the insurer.

It is a good idea to take photos of all pieces, especially items of sentimental value or high appraisal. This will assist in keeping track of your inventory despite the list supplied to you by the mover. The idea is to have your own independent system to countercheck the movers and keep them honest. This will help if you need to make a claim.

Claiming on your Moving Insurance

Claiming on your Moving Insurance

If you are deliberating on a need for insurance before you relocate, remember that no matter how careful you are in selecting a moving service, accidents can happen. Boxes can be dropped and will shift during transport, nothing will guarantee the safe arrival of your goods like a proper moving insurance. You cannot control how effective your moving company will be at reimbursing your claims but you could make sure you’re adequately covered should something happen.

When your items have arrived, pay extra attention to your decision making. Before you sign the inventory sheet, report the facts in detail on the original inventory sheet. If you notice damage after unpacking, a claim must be filed usually within nine months after delivery. It is best to report any complaints as soon as possible. The mover must acknowledge receipt of your claim within 30 days and issue a reply; a denial or an offer within 120 days of receipt of your claim.

Refer to the liability amount you declared on your shipment when making a claim or considering a settlement. For example, if the value declared on your shipment was $8,000 and the mover’s maximum liability is $5,000 then your claim for more than the liability amount will be declined. Make sure you’re adequately covered with a separate and independent third party moving insurance policy.

It’s good to know that most moving companies automatically provide “valuation” not insurance. Valuation is the negotiated and agreed upon limit of liability as stated on the moving contract and/or bill of lading. By default, this is part of the contract at no extra cost. In most cases, valuation has no relationship to the actual value of your goods as movers tend to undervalue your items for the benefit of their liabilities.

Securing Furniture during a Move

Securing Furniture during a Move

Furniture is what props up various human actions like sitting, lying down, holding objects at convenient heights or simply as storage devices. They are such an integral part of life that they have been classified under ‘mundane’ things. They add comfort to our lives and make relaxation possible. They make the living room habitable. One should take special care of it if one desires to enjoy them for long. Furniture can be made from many materials like wood, metal, plastic or hybrid material. Whatever type of furniture one has, one must ensure that the right kind of care is given to it during relocation. It is from the early Mesopotamian civilization and the Egyptian civilizations where movable furniture was first made. Thus it can be seen that today’s concept of light weight movable furniture has its roots in ancient days.

When moving from one place to another one should give careful thought to the methods of packing and transportation involved. One must personally oversee the packing if hired hands do the job. If one has coffee tables or tea tables with glass tops, one must make sure that the glass is carefully removed from its framed setting. It must then be wrapped in packing paper and placed in telescoping cardboard boxes. This means that one places the glass sheet in successive cardboard boxes – in other words, like a box within a box. If one does not have these materials, curtains, blankets, quilts and other large pieces of cloth can be used to securely wrap these glass table tops. The metal frames and legs can be dismantled and wrapped in packing paper or thick newspaper and then placed inside boxes. Care must be taken to label these boxes properly with the word ‘Fragile’ neatly stenciled on it. When placing them in the van or truck, care must be taken to see that no weight is placed on top of these boxes. The best way to transport glass table tops is to stand them upright.… Continue reading

Long distance moves

Lond Distance Moving

If one is moving from one state to the next or if the distance is more than 100 miles, the move is termed as a long – distance move. Long distance moves can be stressful as one would not be aware of many things in the other state. At this juncture, moving companies specializing in long distance moves can be of great help. One point which the customer would do well to remember is that long distance movers are required to be registered with the United States Department of Transportation in order to execute interstate moves. This makes customer checks easier as one can go through the DOT website to find if they are registered members.

The company must also have all the necessary licenses in all of the states they drive in the course of the entire trip. The drivers they employ must be skilled people holding a valid driving license and must be responsible people. However it is the duty of the moving company to cross check and ascertain the skill of the drivers they employ. … Continue reading

Interstate and Intrastate Moving

Interstate and Intrastate Moving

Interstate and Intrastate Moving

When transferring into a new location, it requires a lot of consideration especially when it comes to the distance where you will be relocated. Aside from the cost of moving, laws and regulations to be followed will also take part. Below are basic informations on the difference of interstate and Intrastate moving in terms of distance, cost and security.

Moving Intrastate or In-state

A 50-mile or below move is commonly well-thought-out as local move or interstate move. In this moving type, states’ jurisdiction is to be considered. Cost for this move is normally on hour basis and other additional surcharges. If intrastate shall require longer travel hour, charges shall be based on the weight of the packages. Pricing for such move is only a simple one. It shall depend on the size of your current home, whether how many crew shall be needed to do the job. No need to worry since prices is documented on file and ready to be given to interested customers for review. Prices may vary on the number of crews, though having more crews means greater cost, it will ensure that the transfer cost will be much easier and faster. It is advisable to compare pricing of selected moving companies before engaging on them. More often, high paying moving companies are those with experienced, well-trained crews.… Continue reading