The purpose of this handy guide is to give you some tips and reveal you a little bit of the overwhelming feeling when you think about your moving day. :)
1. How to search companies?
Finding reputable moving companies can be hard work. It takes time to research and compare the right companies. Whether you are looking for local movers or long distance moving services, this article will lead you in the right direction.
There are couple of ways to find the right company to cut down on the stress of moving by getting the right help.
1. You can ask your friends around any references they can share with you. The science of statistics tell us the more samples you have the more realistic data you can get. So if you get a five star feedback on one company from a friend and at the same time a no-go for the same company from another friend, then you’ll not know what to do.
2. You can google moving services online. But be careful! The rise of Internet-fuelled scams have opened up opportunities for companies to take advantage of consumers at a vulnerable point in their lives. A lot of “moving companies” are setting up sophisticated Web sites, but there isn’t a proper bricks and mortar company behind them.
3. There is one more alternative method to find a good company which is combining both options in to one. mrUsta.com helps you to get the list of the companies with one click and read many reviews on them from many different users such as yourself. (Tip: One more advantage of using mrUsta.com is that you can post a job online, your job will be automatically sent to all the listed companies and you’ll wait the moving companies contact you and compete for your job rather than you spend all your precious time calling them one after another.
2. Which company?
With hundreds of moving companies operating in UAE, it’s not easy to choose the right one.
So here’s a few criteria you should consider while deciding on the right one:
Customer Ratings: Customer reviews and feedback are a good way to determine the quality of moving companies. Check their ratings and reviews on mrUsta.com and also contact some of the reviewers to ask details on their experience, if you wish so.
Tools and materials: Check/ask the tools and material the company is using. Good moving companies have new closed trucks, use strong and branded packaging materials, and usually have their own warehouses for storage.
Company Staff: Good moving companies have good English-speaking teams in uniforms. They come to moving day fully prepared and with sufficient number of people.
Age of the company: Check out how long the company is in the business. Especially in the UAE, where moving companies can start and close within the same year, old companies in the market will be more reliable.
3. How to get prepared?
1. Get ready to ensure everything goes smoothly on the day.
2. Before the moving day make sure you and the mover agree to all terms and conditions of your quote before signing anything.
3. Give the moving crew clear directions to your current residence and new destination before the day of the move.
4. Arrange for a cleaning service to clean your new home first and then your old home once everything is out.
5. Pack your first-night box.
6. Take care of your food. Consume everything beforehand or arrange for a cool box to store all the items in on the day of the move.
7. Ask neighbours to take care of your pets on the moving date. Cats and bubble wrap, or dogs with packing pellets isn’t the greatest combination.
8. Set aside valuable belongings, like passports, jewellery and wallets, before the move date for you to transport personally. You don’t want anything getting packed away in one of the boxes by accident.
9. Set up a “For Charity” box for everyone in the house to use as they organize their belongings for the move.
10. Get cash to have on hand to tip movers.
4. How to decide what should stay behind?
The upside of moving is that it forces you to make a clean sweep of the house, getting rid of items that you no longer use or need. Before moving, it's a good idea to sort through your things so you don't end up moving stuff that you don't need and have never really used. Not only will it save you time in packing and unpacking, but it will also save you money; the more stuff you have to move, the more expensive it will be.
Get rid of the things you don't want or need before you start packing. It's not an easy task, but one that's necessary.
1. Remove everything from the storage space. Take out all the boxes, the clothes, the shoes, the tools - everything. If you're sorting the garage, remove everything and place it in the center of the room or outside the space. Removing everything will give you a sense for the amount of stuff you have and what you really do need from that pile.
2. Place the items into piles. Make two piles: "keep" and "don't keep". You can even go a step further and sort the "don't keep" into a sell or donate pile and a recycle pile.
• What should go into the "keep" pile? To decide if an item should be kept, ask yourself how often you've worn or used the item in the last year. If you want to keep the item "just in case", then don't; usually that means you'll never use it and maybe someone else can. Go through each one to make sure you'll use it again. If you're hesitating, add it to the "donate/sell" pile(s).
• What should go into the "donate" pile? Items that you haven't used or are unlikely to use and that are still in good shape, add them to the donate pile.
• What should go into the "sell" pile? This pile should contain items that you know you could fetch some money for, things that you can imagine someone else using.
5. How to save money?
Moving is expensive when you take into consideration all of the factors leading up to. Here are a few insider suggestions for making the most of your moving budget:
movers are always busiest at the beginning and end of the month. Weekends are also busier than weekdays. If you have flexibility, a mid-week, mid-month move can save allot.
• Book well in advance–If you have the luxury, book your movers early. Moving companies can price their moves based on availability. If you lock in your reservation early you’ll have more leverage for negotiation.
• Pack yourself–While it is wonderful to have professionals pack up your household for you, you can also do it yourself.
• Do not pay to move things that you don’t use. Donate or discard unnecessary items. Moving is a good opportunity to clean house. Really scrutinize your goods to make sure you want to bring them along. Reducing your volume reduces your price. You’d be surprised how much it will cost to take your broken desk or old office chair to your new apartment. It might be worth leaving behind. Here is a nice organization to help you: http://www.takemyjunkuae.com. Don’t forget; One man’s junk is another man’s treasure.
Ibrahim Colak
Founder and CEO