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Serving the entire San Francisco Bay Area | Gayle Grace, 510-654-7983

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Move management

One of my organizing clients recently moved. She opted to manage the move herself. She felt that since they were only moving one mile away and using a major moving company with a good reputation she wouldn't need a professional move manager. Today I went to see her new house so we could start planning the kitchen organizing. When I asked how the move went she told me that they lost 15 boxes on the move. Gone, vanished into thin air. The boxes contained her antique Christmas Ornaments and her grandmother's silver. The moving company only pays .60 lb, so they will be sending her a check for $80.00. There's nothing anyone can do about it.

As a professional moving manager, I have learned that no matter who the moving company is, it's so easy to lose things in a move. Instructions that aren't clearly understood causes boxes that were meant to be moved put into a dumpster instead. Someone not paying attention leaves boxes on the street and they disappear. Moving company help who help themselves to your stuff. Boxes left behind in the old house or in the truck when the move is done.

Moving is disruptive and no one person can be paying attention to everything that is going on during a move. If you are managing your own move here are some points to consider:

1. Pack extremely valuable items yourself and if you can take those boxes in your car. If valuables have to be moved by movers, do not label the boxes "Grandma's Silver" or "Antique Jewelry".

2. Inventory your items. Take photos of your stuff so you can prove what you own.

3. Number the boxes yourself. Moving companies do not do inventories on local moves, it takes too much time so it's expensive. That leaves YOU to count the boxes and number them as they go out your door.

4. Have someone at the door watching your things being loaded in the moving truck.

5. Do not let the movers stop along the route (on local moves). Make you sure you have water and food for them so they don't leave the premises with your stuff in the truck while they go off to find the local hamburger stand.

6. Check the truck before they leave. Make sure the truck is empty! Check under moving blankets and in any boxes left on the truck.

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