Month: July 2014

What to Ask a Moving Company Upfront Before You Hire Them

Moving begins with shopping around for a moving company. Your first instinct may be to ask family, friends and colleagues about their experiences with moving companies.

However, you can and should speak with prospective moving companies about what they can do for you. Here are some specific questions you need to ask that only the company can answer.

  • How exactly is my moving fee calculated?
  • What if we are delayed for some unforeseen reason? Will there be extra charges? If so, what would those costs be?
  • What if we had to cancel our move for some reason? Are there fees that are not refundable?
  • What process do you use when hiring the actual movers? Are they bonded? Drug tested? Have you run background checks?
  • What sort of insurance policy does the Gainesville Moving company have? Do I receive a copy of proof of insurance?
  • What protections does your insurance coverage offer me in case of loss or damages?

Acquiring the company’s proof of insurance is a smart move and worth investigating. Sometimes answers to insurance coverage questions are not always clear prior to the move. It is best to obtain a company’s proof of insurance and call the insurance company directly. A few questions you will want answered include:

  • Is the policy current and in effect? Does the coverage extend to include your moving date, and are any further payments required prior to that time that will affect coverage? If so, on what date?
  • What happens in case there is a claim? Who will deal direct with the insurance company? What is their process?
  • Does the coverage require special riders for larger or heavier items? If so what are those fees?
  • Is the coverage based upon the declared value for each item, or a total lump sum?
  • Will I need to verify purchase prices of items lost or damage to prove value in order for coverage to be in effect?

Preparing to hire a Gainesville Moving company may seem a bit overwhelming with all the things you want to investigate prior to the move date. However, you will be glad you verified the above information in case of some unforeseen problem.  UF Mover Guys has proven time and time again to be the best in the business, and has an honest policy with all of their clients.

Sticking with a reputable and verifiably reliable Gainesville mover will alleviate stress and help the transition be a smooth one.

Deduct Moving Services from Taxes

Would it not be nice to subtract your moving expenses from your taxes?

You potentially could if you are moving because of work. These deductions include the cost of hiring a professional moving company.

Obviously you cannot subtract the entire expense of your move from your taxes. You need to research what you may be eligible for.

UF Mover Guys has provided a checklist of where to begin your search. Following our advice can help you deduct heavy moving costs from your taxes to help you reduce the amount you have to pay and increase the amount you get back.

The two factors that determine whether you can subtract moving expenses from your taxes are time and distance.

You need to have worked for a minimum of 39 weeks after you have changed locations to be eligible. You are only eligible for a deduction if the move is solely for the purpose of business relocation.

Moving to deal with the death of a family member or to be closer to a family member due to medical issues does not warrant  a tax deduction. Also, divorce and other forms of involuntary separation do not count either.

The second criteria is the new workplace needs to be at least 50 miles from where you previously lived in order for it to count. You cannot merely pack up your possessions  and buy a house a few blocks down the road.

As long as you pass these two tests, you should be good to go. If you have satisfied these two requirements then you have several types of deductions you can make for the move.

These deductions include the cost of you and your family’s trip to your new residence. The trip counts as a moving expense because  you are investigating where to buy a house and the neighborhood.

The cost of moving your belongings from a storage unit and the cost to connect or disconnect utilities is also covered by the deductions. These deductions apply to both your current and new homes.

You can also subtract the cost of shipping a boat or vehicle. You likely can deduct the cost of moving other business material as well as the cost of packing and unpacking.

In most cases, you have 30 days to deduct the cost of using a storage unit or locker. If you miss the 30-day mark, however, you will have to pay for it yourself.

How To Check a USDOT Number

When moving, you can come across some stressful times.

What can you do to make life simpler? You could hire a company called Gainesville moving company.

UF Mover Guys will make sure that everything gets done and in a timely fashion. They take care of the heavy lifting, so you can concentrate on other things.

If you decide to hire a moving company, you should check their USDOT number.

The FMCSA requires relocation companies to be registered. When a moving company registers, the organization administers them a USDOT number.

If you see the word marked “out of service” when to search for the number, you need to pick a new number. This label means the company is not operational or cannot be operational for a certain period of time.

The word you need look for is “active” or “authorized for”. When you see the words “authorized for,” you must check to see what the company is authorized to move.

This number also includes all of the contact information for the relocation company you are choosing to go with. The number also includes the MCI fields.

These fields also give authorization for the move to happen. This information is supplied by the Interstate Commerce Commission.

You can also find it by checking out the ICC site. All you have to do is put in your number. The information should pop up.

Something else to look into with this number are the power units. Power units refer to the amount of trucks or vehicles it will take to transport cargo to the new location.

These vehicles are usually leased. The number of vehicles used depends on the time of the year.

For example, more vehicles are used in the summer because more people move during this season. Moving traffic is high in the summer because hazardous road and weather conditions are minimal.

An important item to pay attention to with the USDOT number is the number of accidents or crashes the vehicle has had. After all, would you like to be handled by a relocation company that has had quite a few accidents?

Look into this before you go with the moving company. If the moving company and the vehicles it uses has a history of accidents, then you might want to go with someone else.

Be sure that safety ratings are up. Stay away from moving companies that have lower ratings.

To find out more, you can always check out a few place online. You can check things out with the BBB and the AMSA.

Talk to neighbors and friends to see who they went with. It’s the baby steps that make all the difference. These baby steps will add up to a more relaxed and stress-free move.

Short on Moving Supplies? UF Mover Guys Offers Boxes!

custom box
UF Mover Guys offers everything from boxes to storage to ensure you have a perfect move. Leave the job to the most trusted moving company in Gainesville, Fla.

Determining how many boxes you will need for packing up your household items can be quite a challenge. With a little effort and a thorough review of your possessions, you should have a general idea of exactly what you need in a very short time.

Professional movers use many methods of estimating how many boxes you will need for each area of your home. The truth of the matter is that only you know the extent and sizes of all of your possessions.

Some homeowners are minimalists and enjoy the simple spareness of uncluttered rooms. Others hoard their many possessions for years.

Some will have large amounts of computer and stereo equipment, which will require larger boxes. Others own bookshelves full of various sizes of books and knickknacks, which need medium and small cartons.

An effective method for homeowners who are getting ready to move is to go from room to room and eyeball what needs to be packed. Write down an estimate of small, medium and large boxes that you feel will be needed for each area.

A kitchen would need several small boxes to pack food items and dishes. A garage may need larger boxes to gather lawn supplies and athletic equipment that is stored there.

Most rooms will require a variety of box sizes. A bathroom, for example, would need just a few medium boxes for towels and larger supplies and smaller boxes for toiletry items and small beauty equipment.

Tour the entire house, and write down the estimates for each room. Don’t forget porches and yards where toys, outdoor games, barbecue tools and lawn equipment tend to be found.

Add a few extra boxes to each size category to cover any extra items that will pop up during your packing. Total the number of small, medium and large boxes you feel you will need.

Add other necessary items such as packing tape, box dividers, markers, bubble wrap and newspaper to your list of moving needs. Be aware that some items such as televisions and stereo equipment will need special care and special packaging materials

These items are delicate. You need to take the necessary precautions to ensure that they arrive in working order at your final destination.

Depend on Gainesville Moving to provide you with the know-how to have an incident free transfer of your possessions. Gainesville Movers can help you decide on any other special needs you may have before your moving day.

The more organized you are and the more assistance you hire from movers, the less stressful your experience will be.

UF Mover Guys Offers Partial Load Moving

No load is too big or too small. Image is from eclecticlivinghome.wordpress.com.

Maybe you decided to downsize to save some cash. Maybe you did it for some type of spiritual cleansing. Maybe you had no choice at all.

Whatever the case may be, partial load moving is one type of service that Gainesville Movers provides customers. This service is intended for someone who is moving to new house that might be smaller and only needs to move a partial load.

The key to partial load moving is organization. If you need this type of service, check out the following tips that will help make the process much easier for you.

Start by choosing what you are planning to take with you. You need to know so you can plan what type of packing paper, boxes and bubble wrap you may need.

Think about what items are most important to you. To help with the move, you may even want to rent a truck, van or a small moving trailer.

Next, you will want to get at least three quotes before you sign a contract. With several quotes, you will be able to choose the best price and service.

Keep in mind neither the highest nor the lowest price might not offer the best service or value. A good rule of thumb is to choose the quote that is the average of all the quotes provided.

It is also a good idea to learn more about the company you are interested in hiring. You will have more peace of mind knowing your belongings are in good hands as they are transported from one location to another.

Read reviews, get references and make sure the company is able to transport items out of state if you are moving out of the state.

Search on the Department of Transportation’s website to find this out. An “X” next to the “interstate” section will indicate this.

You will also want to make sure the company is registered with AMSA movers and listed on the Better Business Bureau.

Once you choose the company, you need to find out if you need to provide any packing material or boxes. You also need to know if you will need to rent moving trailers or a one-way van.

Additionally, make sure you understand all the conditions before signing with a company. Think about your fragile items and any special belongings like art pieces that will need extra care.

Moving is a big life change so take your time and choose a company wisely. Gainesville Moving can help.