Thank you for considering Seniors On The Move. When estimating a move, we try to be as accurate as possible based on the size of your home, the items we see and the average price of moves of a similar size we have done in the past. We have found that several unexpected variables can come into play, which take extra time, and of course extra time, costs extra money. We have made this list to assist people in saving time and money in the process.
Sorting – Sorting can be one of the longest and slowest parts of the process; that is why we created the colour-coded sticker system to save time and money. By placing colour coded sticker on items priorto our arrival, speeds the process immensely. We are always available if you need help with sorting and we enjoy hearing storing about unique or special items but if each item has a story it, it adds considerable time to the process. Before you know it, a room that we thought should take 2 hours might take 3 or 4. It doesn’t seem like a lot but if we scheduled 6 hours and it takes 10 we may have to book an extra visit to get the job done.
Packing – We understand that friends and family like to help, when they are available. We just ask you share this page with them before they start. We had one lady who packed the entire house herself….everything looked great but she didn’t tape any of the boxes, just cross folded the flaps. On moving day, the bottom fell out of the second box we picked up and contents went everywhere. Needless to say that really slowed down the process, because we had to stop and tape the bottom of every box! And please use packing tape, one lady used masking tape which just doesn’t hold up once the boxes are heavy and full. Or when the boxes are so full the tops can’t close and things are sticking up out of the top. Although people think they now have less boxes to make the process quicker, we can’t stack those boxes on a dolly or in the truck so they take more far time to load and more far space in the truck. If the boxes can’t be stacked high in the truck and they take extra floor space, we might end up making an unexpected second trip with the truck which of course takes considerable time and adds a really big expense if we weren’t expecting 2 trips.
If family and friends are helping you pack, we ask that everything be packed before the truck arrives. There have been times that people are running around feverishly throwing things into garbage bags and hampers; often those are the times something gets broken. That’s usually the same house where paper, clothing, shoes and other items are laying on the floors or stairs. The movers cannot see the floor when they are carrying boxes and a trip or accident could really slow down the process, especially if someone gets injured. There have been times the movers have needed to gather and pack items; they don’t mind, but they don’t usually carry boxes and it slows down the process considerably.
Buildings with one elevator or really slow elevators….and long hallways. Sounds silly but when people are coming and going, not only is the wait time increased considerably; one of the movers has to stay with the items placed on the elevator while waiting to fill it, to ensure they aren’t taken to another floor for both safety (fall or damage) and to prevent theft. Long halls – seems trivial but long halls can add 2-3 minutes to each trip…30 trips…adds an extra hour. And 30 trips with a 3-5 minute wait for the elevator ads up really quickly.
Large over sized furniture in tight corners/doors/stairwells. If you had a hard time getting it in, chances are we’ll have a hard time getting it out. Please let us know so we can be prepared to take doors off the hinges etc.
Labeling cupboards- When we are unpacking and setting up your new home, it makes it quicker and easier if you label the cupboards and shelves where you would like the dishes, glasses, canned food, pots etc. That way the kitchen is setup the way you’d like it right from the start.
Weather- No matter how hard you plan, no one can control the weather. Snow and even heavy rains, can sometimes slow down a move. We will do our best to move everything closer to the door while waiting for the worst of the storm to pass, but sometimes we need to shovel/clear the stairs, and at times, the weather can slow down our travel time. Where we could normally use a dolly, perhaps in heavy snowfall the wheels won’t work properly and we have to carry boxes individually, which takes extra time…believe me…at the end of the day, we would much rather use a dolly if we can.
Pets – We all love our pets, but moving day can be very stressful for pets; with lots of strangers coming and going for hours through open doors. Some pets are fine in the bathroom during this time, but some pets are happier staying with friends or family until the chaos is over. We once had a move, where the lady was so distraught thinking her cat had escaped, she had us all go searching the neighbourhood…only to see the cat run down the basement stairs an hour and half later. It had been in the house the whole time… while we were out searching…and the clock kept ticking.
Time of day traffic- When we predict travel time to your new home, it is usually predicted to be mid-day but if something slows down the process and it might turn out to be during heavier traffic or later when the school buses are constantly stopping…time of day traffic could easily add extra time to the process, which we can’t always predict at the time of the estimate.
Family, friends and neighbours who stop by to help or welcome you …but end up standing in doorways talking and blocking the path of the movers…seems silly but it happens all the time…over and over again…at the same house…sometimes for an hour at a time. J If neighbours pop in please try to lead them to a room or area, the movers aren’t passing through, to provide privacy for you and a clear path and quicker move for the moving team.
The key to remember is, if something slows down loading the truck, (elevators, friends, open boxes, pets, things still needing to be packed), it slows down the entire process. We have scheduled a team who waiting at the other end to unpack and set up your new home. When the process slows down, it makes for a longer, later day for everyone. We cannot predict many of these things but we are doing our best to prevent them.
An estimate is just that….an estimate.
If things happen beyond our control, which slows down the process, we still need to pay the staff, so please remember…the longer it takes, the more it costs.
