Very Real Questions to Ask Before Moving

A move is no longer an adventure as in the past: the quality of services has improved, equipment is more efficient and regulations are better respected (price display, quote …). But no one is safe from incidents. To avoid them, or limit the effects, it is necessary to remain attentive to the operations, from the choice of the mover until the reception of the furniture, but also to understand the scope of all the documents which one will be brought to sign.

BEFORE MOVING

1 – What is a “move”?

2 – Who are the movers?

3 – When to move?

4 – What are the different types of moving?

5 – Is it really useful to have several quotes?

6 – How does the relocation contract appear?

7- What is a “declaration of value”?

8 – Should additional insurance be taken?

BEFORE MOVING

1 – What is a “move”?

It is a set of operations that includes at least the loading of the furniture to the old home, its transport and unloading to the new home. The rights and obligations of the parties mentioned relate only to this specific contract. If the operations are limited to transport, it is no longer a move, but a simple transport contract: what will be said about the consignment note or quote, in particular, does not concern him. Conversely, if the furniture is simply moved, inside the same building, for example, it will be a contract of industry lease: the formalities and deadlines to be respected in case of damage, presented here, do not apply to this type of work.

2 – Who are the movers?

It is a regulated profession. Each of the active companies is registered not only in the register of commerce and companies or the directory of trades but also in the register of carriers and hirers, held by the prefectural services. Some House Removal companies are working professionally like House Removal Bromley, and available 24 hours.

3 – When to move?

It is best, whenever possible, to avoid the end of the month and the school holidays which are highly sought-after periods. This makes it possible to put more companies in competition, to take advantage of the preferential tariffs that they offer of grouped moves. It also avoids the problems associated with the use of unskilled temporary labor, which is often used during peak periods. It is advisable to contact companies at least three weeks in advance, and even one month during school holidays.

4 – What are the different types of moving?

There are no standard formulas, and the names used are multiple: “economy class”, “standard”, “luxury”, “traditional”, “dynamic”, “comfort”, “category 1”, etc. Generally, House Removal Twickenham practice three levels of service. At the first level, the customer is responsible for a maximum of operations (dismantling, packaging, unpacking, reassembly), the company limiting its intervention to loading, transport, and unloading. In the second formula, the participation of the customer is limited to the easiest operations (packaging of linen and books …). In the third, the company takes care of everything

Some movers have created more sophisticated formulas that include, for example, the hotel, the furniture repository and the cleaning of the apartment on departure. Before having quotes drawn up, it is therefore essential to have already thought about the question and, in the event that one opts for active participation, to have evaluated the time that it will be necessary to devote to it in the weeks which will precede the move.

5 – Is it really useful to have several quotes?

Certainly: experience shows that on equal terms, the price difference can reach 20 to 50%. The (compulsory) display of prices on the premises of the company allows, of course, a first comparison since the potential customer will find at least the following mentions: price of the labor, price of traction by slice of volume (with a fixed term and a mileage), price of lost supplies and rental price of small equipment. But this is not enough, because the final price will depend equally on the volume of furniture and handling difficulties, as the mover will have evaluated at the customer’s home.

The establishment of quotes is of another interest: the visit of the technician of the company, his questions, his advice, will allow the customer to judge the seriousness and the professionalism of the company to which he will entrust his goods.

6 – How does the relocation contract appear?

In fact, you probably will not have in hand a single document called “contract”, but several documents that will form the contract, namely:

the estimate. This document, mandatory and free, is given to the customer before any commitment on his part. It carries at least the specific conditions of the move: company references, name and address of the customer, period or expected date of execution for the move, place of loading, place of delivery and distance to go, quotation date , volume of the furniture, type of trip (organized or special), exact definition of the chosen service (packaging by the company or the customer) amount HT and TTC of the move. In addition to these mandatory details, the estimate will often specify its period of validity, the total value of the furniture, the maximum value per object and, if applicable, the total value of the furniture mentioned in the declaration of value,

7 – What is the “consignment note”?

It is a mandatory administrative document that will follow the furniture from start to finish. It describes the move as agreed between the parties and includes at least the following:

• the name and address of the company,
• the name and address of the client,
• the mode of execution of the transport,
• the volume of the furniture,
• the places of loading and delivery,
• the deadlines for loading and delivery.

The consignment note is drawn up in four copies, one of which will be kept by the company; a second copy will follow the furniture during transport and will be given to the customer at the end of operations; the third is the delivery note: it is on this document that the customer will mention his discharge or his reserves; the fourth is the double of the delivery note, which the client will keep.

8 – What is a “declaration of value”?

This is a form that the client is normally asked to complete at the time of the quote. It will list the value and the value of each piece of furniture that it estimates to be worth more than the lump sum compensation per piece of furniture that appears in the contract. The contract has two limitations of liability: the total value of the furniture and the maximum value per piece of furniture or object. This document is therefore of major interest to the client, who will require it if it is not offered spontaneously.

9 – Should additional insurance be taken?

To answer this question, you must first remember what happens, in case of loss or damage, when the customer has not taken out insurance. The mover is always presumed responsible, but it will limit its compensation to the figures that will have been fixed in the contract (see the previous question.

The complementary insurance, known as non-life insurance, can be offered as a free or paid option by the mover. Its purpose is to guarantee the customer compensation when the mover’s liability is ruled out because of the cases listed above, or beyond the contractual limitations. Ultimately, the interest of such insurance can be judged only on reading the general conditions of the move, rarely spontaneously communicated to the customer, and its cost, proportional to the declared value of the furniture.