Ultimate Guide to Moving in the Winter

Ultimate Guide to Moving in the Winter

Moving in the winter has got to be the most difficult move that I can possible imagine – mainly because of parking, snow, ice, dirt, salt, lack of elevators and whipping winds.  The OCD in me is terrified of salty, slushy boots tramping throughout my house.   If you are planning a move during  winter – here are some moving tips and hints to get you through the madness.

Winter Moving Tips
Winter Moving Tips

WINTER MOVING GUIDE

  1. Get Moving Help.  Right now is not the time to look for bargain movers who aren’t going to protect your furniture.  It may cost more initially but save you a bundle in the long run.  Hiring a professional moving company is crucial this time of year. Invest in a quality move team instead of trying to do everything on your own will minimize your time in the cold, decrease your risk of frostbite or injury, and avoid the chance of a friend or family member losing their footing in rougher conditions.  It is important to compare movers and use caution when selecting your movers by verifying their reputation for high customer service and a track record that supports it.  You can do this by looking at verified moving company reviews – not on their own site but trusted sites.
  2. Keep an Eye on Weather Patterns.  The temperature can change quickly in the winter. What starts rain can turn to ice within a few hours – keep salt on hand. Taking a bit of time to shovel and salt may save you a ton of money if the movers have to do this first or if they have to walk through snow to get to your door. Some cities and states do a better job of maintaining their roads in bad weather than others. For example, Massachusetts/Boston is used to extreme winter weather – it salts and plows immediately and regularly. North Carolina, however, only gets snow sparingly, so it doesn’t have the same infrastructure to handle snow and ice. Sometimes that means roads are not fully plowed or sufficiently slated.
  3. Get an Emergency Kit Together. Especially if there is a windchill of 20 degrees or less you will need some blankets, water, etc.  White out conditions can happen immediately in the winter and it is best to be completely prepared.  Things you will need: An ice scraper and a snow brush to clear your windshield of precipitation. Even if it doesn’t snow, ice can form on the glass if temperatures are warm during the day and freezing overnight.  Rock Salt/Kitty Litter
    A shovel — Have a shovel to dig out your tires, should you end up in a snowbank or it snows overnight
    Extra food, water
    A first aid kit
    A flashlight, extra batteries
    Blankets and warm clothes
  4. Make a Pile of Old Blankets/Towels Most movers will have moving blankets for the floors and protections for the walls but sand, salt and snow will find it’s way all over your house during a move.  Wipe any wet areas down immediately to eliminate the possibility of long term damage to furniture or floors. Drying rags and cloths are helpful when walking in and out of a house or apartment. Wipe up any rain to reduce slipping hazards. You can also lay down a few cloths for people to walk on so that they don’t track in water or mud. If any of your boxes get wet, a towel is handy for drying them.
  5. Unpack Wet Boxes Immediately.  Towels are a temporary solution for wet boxes. Even if your boxes dry when in the house the inside can remain wet and wet boxes that sit around for long time can start to grow mold. This problem may not be as much of a concern for easily cleanable items such as pots or pans; however, fabric objects such as your clothes may be ruined.
  6. Layer up. It’s important to dress warmly, even though you will be working hard on moving day. Consider wearing layers you can peel off as necessary. It’s better to start with too many clothes on than to deal with being cold all day. Make sure your ensemble includes a hat and warm gloves.
  7. Gas Up Your Truck Regularly. Make sure your vehicle has a full tank of gas before you put the first box in the truck.  If you are moving yourself, know that fuel lines freeze in moving trucks anytime the temperature hits 30 degrees or below – there is a special fuel solution moving companies use called Iso-Heet ( there are other brands as well) that help keep your gas tank and fuel line ice free.
  8. Call A Moving Company – There is no possible way you want to do a winter move without help – it is just too dangerous.  Hiring movers during the winter is imperative.

The hardest cities to do snowy winter moves in are below as well as local winter moving companies in the area:

  1. New York City – Try these NYC Movers
  2. Denver – Try these Local Movers
  3. Providence Rhode Island – Try these Rhode Island Movers
  4. Boston – Try these Boston Movers
  5. Portland, Maine – Try these Portland Movers
  6. Southern Connecticut – Try these Fairfield Movers

Having moved in the depths of winter multiple times, I can tell you it’s something that will definatly take the winter doldrums out of you – it’s something to look forward to and who wants to spend days moving when the weather is beautiful?

Will My Homeowners Insurance Cover Moving Damage?

Will My Homeowners Insurance Cover Moving Damage?

Homeowners Insurance policies vary completely so the first thing you need to do to see if your homeowners insurance covers moving damage is confirm with your agent.   There is a huge disconnect between homeowners agents we have spoken to and the “google answer” as you will see below.  We have also added a section below on how to completely protect yourself from loss during moving.

Will My Homeowners Insurance Cover Moving Damage

While homeowners does typically cover your personal possessions during a move there is often some ambiguous terms relating to when, where and if your items will be covered.  Jeff Johnson, an Arbella agent states moving damage or loss is covered if it is related to a peril listed in your contract.”  In other words, there has to be a catastrophe to be covered.  These terms conflict with the  google answer:

“gray area of homeowners’ insurance that we discovered: Some policies will cover damage to belongings while they are in your home. However, they will not cover damage that occurs while the belongings are in the possession of the moving company or in transit”

which we found google’s answer to be incorrect.  In fact, homeowners insurance seems to be effective while your goods are in transit if there is a major catastrophe – fire, theft – that is when your homeowners insurance is activated.

 

Johnson has also stated “If the moving truck is in an accident or there is a fire/theft while transporting your belongings and your property is damaged, you’d most likely be covered by your homeowners policy. ”

You are not covered if your moving company damages your furniture during moving.  For example, if the legs of a table are damaged and the table cannot go back together, your homeowner’s insurance will not compensate you – you will have to file a claim with your moving company which you will find specific instructions below.

Another consideration will be your deductible.  Most homeowners insurance policies include a $1000 deductible.  If you claim a computer or TV is stolen from your move – you may not be covered due to the fact that the item with depreciation subtracted may not even be worth the $1000.

Does insurance cover moving damage
Protect Yourself During Your Move

 

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM MOVING DAMAGE?

Moving companies are liable for $.60/lb/article for any moving damage.  Therefore if a table breaks while moving and it weighs 100 lbs.  The amount a moving company is responsible for is $60!  Moving companies are not liable for damage to an actual residence ( i.e. walls, doors, etc.).  Moving companies are not liable for any items they don’t pack.  There are a few movers that offer full replacement value coverage for a move- here is a quick rundown of what you should do to keep yourself protected from moving damage during your move:

  1. Of course, talk to your homeowner’s insurance – and get all of the details.  What, when, and how much they cover.
  2. Find a moving companies that offer full replacement coverage for the instances that your insurance agency will not cover moving damage.  There are only a handful of moving companies that offer full replacement moving coverage.  And only a few of those offer coverage at a reasonable rate.
  3. Compare moving estimates including coverage rates.  Many van lines full replacement value coverage rates are so high – over $1000 for an interstate move which is usually what their deductible is! In which case there would have to be a major issue in which your homeowner’s insurance would kick in.
  4. The best moving companies will allow you to choose coverage when they arrive at your place- not beforehand.  The movers that make you choose beforehand will most definitely have two types of  moving crews – the customers who choose coverage will get the good crew.  The ones who don’t opt for coverage will be be covered only at the $.60/lb so you can only hope for the best.
  5. Always check moving company reviews from verified sources – they can shed light on how moving companies are handling damage.

If there is damage during a move, your moving company will most likely send you through their claims company which is a lengthy process – you won’t see any compensation for 3 months or so.  Your best bet is to offer a reasonable amount for your moving company to credit back to you – it can save a lot of time on both ends.

 

 

Moving Out of State — What is a Shuttle Fee and Will I Be Charged?

What is a Shuttle Fee and Will I Be Charged During my Out of State Move?

Shuttle fees – one of the biggest moving scams in the world – can cost owners hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Most of the time shuttle fees are completely made up and unneeded and the most expensive of all of the “additional charges” moving companies and van lines can hit you with.

What is a shuttle fee?

A shuttle fee is a fee that a long distance moving company or van line will charge to put your shipment on a smaller truck to take it to a larger tractor trailer.  It is usually an hourly rate ( expect approximately $150/hour).  A normal three bedroom will take 6 hours or so.  Out of state movers and van lines will charge these fees if:

  • they think your residence is too far to walk from
  • they cannot park on your road or in your city
  • bad weather
  •  they are scamming you into paying more money – this is legal
  • narrow/unpaved roads
  • sharp turns
  • steep driveway or roads
  • overhead power lines
shuttle fee
What is a shuttle fee?

Here is a typical shuttle scenario involving a van line:

At the pick-up address, the driver will park his truck as close to the pickup address somewhere nearby.  A van line will hire a local origin agent to move the shipment with a  smaller truck and a two man crew to help load the items out of the origin residence onto the smaller truck at an insane rate around $150/hour. The smaller truck will than transport the goods to the over the road van. The driver and his crew of the over the road van will than transfer the household goods from the smaller truck to the over the road van. Depending upon the size of the shipment, this process could take several trips with the small truck. At destination, the process is reversed if there is a need for a shuttle.  Make no doubt about it, van lines want to charge shuttle fees because they make 20-30% off of each of these moves.

This is an opportune time for an out of state moving company or van line to increase their fees for your move.  These days there are private out of state movers that use smaller trucks for efficiency and you will never have to worry last minute that you will be charged a shuttle fee. Please note – even if you have a moving estimate, shuttle fees aren’t known until the driver actually arrives.  Check your paperwork, shuttle fees are legal to charge anytime!

Shuttle Fees for Out of State Moves – Be Aware

Most movers have impractical operation (or shuttle) provisions in their tariff which allow them to legally apply additional equipment and manpower charges to your bill of lading.

Most of the time, your driver will assess the situation but he can charge the shuttle fee at any given point. Even if the charges are not included on the original cost estimate.  Your out of state mover cannot charge a customer for shuttle service if they didn’t use any other equipment or manpower to perform your move.

Cities That Have the Most Shuttle Fees

In these cities you will find movers will charge shuttle fees in most cases:

  •  Boston
  • New York City
  • Denver/Vail/many places in Colorado
  • San Francisco
  • Los Angeles
  • Washington, DC
  • Philadelphia
  • Arlington, VA
  • Providence, RI
  • Portland, ME
  • Austin, TX
  • San Antonio, TX
  • Atlanta, GA

Many smaller, walkable cities like Boston and NYC have laws preventing tractor trailers in many areas.  In NYC,  tractor trailers are not even allowed in Manhattan. Your best bet is to hire long distance movers that won’t charge these unnecessary fees.