The Ultimate Guide For Moving in the Autumn: Here’s What You Need To Know
Autumn is a great time of the year to move into a new home. In most areas of the country, such as New Jersey, the weather is pleasant enough and comfortable for the physically-demanding nature of the process, especially if you compare it with moving during the summer.
Additionally, fall is a less demanding time of the year for many moving companies, which means you can easily plan your move on your schedule and find a team to help you arrive at your new home on time, way before the holiday season.
If you’re planning an autumn move, here’s everything you need to know about the process to make sure it all goes smoothly!
Take the Time to Look for the Right Moving Company
Fall is typically a more relaxed time of year for movers, which means you won’t have a lot of difficulties finding someone to help you out. Being less crowded, many moving and shipping companies will also give out special deals or discounts which could lower the cost of your move by a lot.
Still, it’s a good idea to look into these companies and never go on price alone. Let’s go through some of the factors you may want to look for in a moving company:
1. Reputation and Their Expertise
The reputation of a moving and shipping company is one of the first things you should look into. You are entrusting a team with your personal belongings, some of which have great sentimental value and even monetary value, so you need to know if you can trust them.
Some ways to check a company’s reputation include:
- Online reviews – check especially for reviews outside the company’s website, such as on Google, or online directories to really get a sense of what people really believe of the company;
- Forums – these are great opportunities to get in touch with previous clients and ask them directly about their experience;
- Social media profiles – look at the comments, and how are people talking about the company.
Additionally, look for stories that describe similar situations to what you may also need from the moving company. For example, moving in the fall may present an additional risk – the fallen leaves can make the ground a lot more slippery, meaning the movers need to proceed with a lot more care. Did any of the reviews mention a fall move and, if so, did everything go to plan?
2. Types of Services Provided
You also need to ensure the company you are thinking about hiring can actually help with your specific requirements. Think about what you need the company to help you with:
- Do you need packing services?
- Are you moving out of state, long-distance?
- Are you moving to a big city or somewhere more remote?
- Do you have a lot of belongings that need to be transported?
Not every company is able to accommodate all of these things. For example, you may want to support a small local moving company, but if they cannot handle long-distance moves because they lack the necessary truck fleet or human resources, then you’re better off looking for another company.
3. Insurance
Even with an experienced company, there are always certain risks involved when moving. This is why a big factor that should go into who you ultimately hire should be what kind of insurance they offer.
Now, there are three cases you must consider:
- Local moving insurance
- Interstate moving insurance
- International moving insurance
The cost of insurance will differ based on the type, as well as how much protection you choose for your cargo. If you want to find out more about American Movers’ insurance, you can do it on this page.
4. Hidden Costs
Fees in the moving industry are sometimes difficult to understand because they’re not always set in stone. The moving rate is actually established based on:
- The distance
- Time of the year you need to move
- Cargo size and weight
- The destination
- Other special requirements you may have
Unfortunately, some companies aren’t always honest about how much they charge. They may promote a low moving rate, but inflate the bill with a lot of hidden costs for additional services you may not be aware of.
We’d recommend you look at how the company established its rates, and watch out for any added services that cost extra. Reputable companies do not use this tactic. If you did your research right, then you may already know about the companies that are not 100% honest about how they charge their clients.
Special Consideration: Moving During the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has uprooted many aspects of our lives. If you need to move this fall to a new home, you now have an extra issue on your hands. It’s not about finding the right company to handle your requirements anymore but finding the one that has taken the necessary precautions to lower the health risks and ensure everyone is safe.
Some things to look out for include:
- Whether the company has taken any steps to sanitize their equipment and vehicles, and how do they approach this process;
- How often do they sanitize their equipment and trucks;
- Do their employees receive protective gear, such as masks, gloves, and other?
- What other steps has the company taken to ensure the safety of their personnel and clients? For example, implementing social distancing rules, facilitating job contracting digitally to avoid in-person meetings, etc.
Don’t hesitate to ask the hiring and moving company about these protective measures!
Over to You: Can We Help?
American Movers is the New Jersey company you need to make your autumn move seamless! With decades of hands-on experience under our belt, we can ensure all your moving and shipping needs are met successfully, and ensure the process goes to plan.
If you need to relocate this fall and want to work with us, feel free to use our moving calculator to get a quote or get in touch with us now to get right down to business.
