Know Your Options
When it comes to choosing a storage facility, choose wisely. Not every storage facility is alike. There are several options to consider when it comes to the type of units available:

- Do you want a unit that is climate controlled?
- How about a unit that is indoor or with drive-up access?
- Do you want your unit monitored by surveillance cameras?
- What type of lock do you need?

Research all of your options. StorageFront.com provides an in-depth listing of the storage facilities in your area, enabling you to compare facilities. Choose the one that best fits what you need and want.

Choose the Right Size
Start out on the right foot by choosing the correct size storage unit. Storage facilities offer units varying in size, so choose the right fit for all that you have. Nothing is more stressful than trying to “stuff” all of your items into too small of a unit. This will result in items being damaged because they’re not placed into the unit properly. Check out this free self storage calculator for precise calculations. This tool will take the exact measurements of your items and put together a map of how much space is needed. Don’t just take a shot in the dark hoping you’ll get the size right. Use the online tool for accuracy.

Let Go of Your Inner Pack Rat
Don’t be afraid to get rid of stuff that you know you will never use again. There’s no need to hold onto items just for the sake of holding on. By getting rid of items you do not need, you will save yourself a lot of time, storage space, and stress! A Lifehacker article mentions the common idea to “toss it if you haven’t used it in the last year.” Throw away items that are damaged and worn out, and donate to a charity or church the items that you have no need for anymore. You will make others happy by giving them an item they may really need, and you will make yourself happy by not wasting any of your storage space!

Go Label Crazy
Feel free to go crazy with labeling everything you own. Put items such as dishes, photo albums, winter clothes, kids’ art projects, etc. into boxes and storage bins marked with the proper label. Labels are an excellent way to organize, making items easier to find when it’s time to pull them out of storage. Saying good-bye to your items becomes much less stressful when you know you can find them quickly and easily when you need to in the future.

Prepare Your Items Properly
Research how to store your specific items properly. Make a list of the supplies you will need, as well as which furniture items will need to be specially prepared. Some things to remember:
- Blankets and draperies need to be cleaned beforehand and then placed on hangers in wardrobe boxes.
- Dishes and breakables need to be bubble wrapped.
- Most furniture items need to be broken down.

You will need to follow specific storage instructions for some of your items to prevent damage. Read more self storage tips from the professionals at StorageFront.com on how to best store your items.

photo credit to Tim Patterson on Flickr

Hi world wide web. Just wanted to say, as I was reading through moving-related news today, I noticed most the articles were about moving scams. What frustrates me the most is that we’re now going on decades of this behavior without a clear end in sight. You’d think at some point the criminals would be caught and locked up leaving the rest of us a little less stressed about our next move. Moving is stressful enough even if it all goes perfectly. So I put together a quick note with some tips on how to avoid moving scams.

1. Get a quote in writing.

Ok, so not necessarily in the literal sense. There are lots of companies out there that will email you a quote. And if you’re just getting the big stuff loaded into your Budget rental truck, then an emailed quote on a couple movers for a couple hours will do just fine. Just make sure to have something documented, written, emailed or printed. If the need arises, God forbid, then you’ll have helpful information to show authorities what you SHOULD have paid. Don’t pay more than what was quoted, unless any extra charges (like extra hours) were also clearly quoted ahead of time.

2. Pay with your credit card.

Your friends over at Visa will be happy to work out any disputed charges between you and the mover before the movers get to go spend any of your money on their weekend. Visa (and most other credit card companies) have a strict policy to support the customer in case of fraudulent charges to the point of putting the money back where it came from. Cash doesn’t quite work that way. Once it’s handed over, it becomes significantly harder to get back. Plus, there’s something about seeing that green come out of your pocket that makes less-than-honest movers even less honest as “extra travel fees” start showing up on the final invoice. We (HireAHelper) charge for the whole order up front for two major reasons: (1) so that at the end of your move you know you don’t have to worry about handing over cash or a check for some erroneous amount the mover makes up on the spot, and (2) so the movers know this is a paid for job, no flakey customers that may or may not have enough cash at the end to adequately pay. Which usually results in the movers working harder, knowing you, the customer ultimately have to call HireAHelper to release payment.

3. Check their street cred.

Did I really just write “street cred”? I meant, instead, to write “reputation”. Time for another cup of coffee. But seriously, there are a few organizations out there that might have more info about your mover.

• The Better Business Bureau - even in light of it’s paid “accreditations” and complaints about it’s rating policies,  takes complaints on several thousand companies across the country and posts a grade for most companies.
• The American Moving & Storage Association – also a paid membership model, but definitely more committed to trying to raise the quality and ethical standards of the moving industry. Just because a mover is not a member of the AMSA doesn’t mean they’re a terrible mover. But movers that are members commit to adhere to a set of moving industry performance standards.
• www.ProtectYourMove.gov – a government site with one goal: to protect the consumer. This is by far my favorite place to vet movers. You can get all sorts of information about what a mover can and can’t do or can and can’t charge in extra fees. Definitely something to comb through before making your move. Get a copy of your moving company’s DOT # or Motor Carrier # (MC #) then you can check them out online by clicking on the “Search Movers/Brokers & Complaint History” link on the right of the page.

4. Call the Cops

Ok, I know this is supposed to be How to AVOID Moving scams, but just wanted to tack this on. If you think that a mover’s behavior is fraudulent, call the cops. If a mover asks for a dollar amount significantly higher than what was quoted, make them show you why. Did the shipping weight come in as more than the estimate? If it was an hourly quote, did it take longer? Or are the movers just scum bags trying to rip you off. If it sounds like the 3rd, politely let them know you’ll be calling the cops to help sort it all out. If the movers threaten to keep your stuff locked up, call the cops. You change your role from victim to hero when you participate in getting these rogue scam artists out of the moving industry.

Have you been scammed? What’s your story? Got any other tips to fight the growing tidal wave of scams out there?

**Photo Credit: pumthuggee.com

We’ve been hearing some disturbing news that a group of Gypsy Moths have banded together to create a plot to take over the world. No this isn’t a twisted Pinky and the Brain cartoon, and while I might have exaggerated a little in saying they’re trying to take over the world, the truth is, Gypsy Moths are harmful to new eco-systems. When people move it’s easy for these little guys to travel too, stow-away style. Thanks to the USDA for this cute & cuddly video of little fuzzballs reminding moving families to check their stuff before bringing these little monsters with them to their new home. For more info check out http://yourmovegypsymothfree.com/

Photo credit: godzilla.wikia.com

The post highlights a warning that demanding for payment upfront is a sign of a shady business. I’d have to respectfully disagree as our company charges before each move to protect the customer (and have done so on the several thousand moves we’ve booked over the past 4 years). When booking a move, HireAHelper takes the customer’s credit or debit card info and charges the card 1 day before the order, eliminating the worry of having to hand the helper cash. Pre-charging the customer’s card also stops the mover from coming up with bogus extra charges at the end, as many movers do when they see cash come out of a customer’s pocket. And the old trick of holding a customer’s items hostage in the truck till they pay no longer works because the company knows their payment doesn’t come directly from the customer, but rather through HireAHelper – a neutral 3rd party, bringing accountability to the situation. Payment isn’t sent to the movers till the customer calls HireAHelper to confirm the move was completed successfully. On top of that, every customer gets to leave an honest review on their hired company’s profile. HireAHelper has a strict company policy to never edit customer reviews.

Through this method, movers on HireAHelper are NOT allowed to add any “surprise costs” or fees to a move! On local jobs, movers are simply paid based on total hours used, not an elusive weight that might change upon arrival. The only extra charge would be for extra hours which can be purchased at the end of the job for the hourly fee that was clearly printed in the customer’s email confirmation when the move was booked.

Many HireAHelper moving companies WILL do an in-home estimate IF they believe it is needed after seeing the job description. For example, if you are moving a 4 bedroom house from New York to Florida, they might want to let you know how long it will take! Ask a friendly HireAHelper customer service representative to see if this may apply to your move! Helpers are not required to do an in home estimate on labor jobs (for example loading a truck) and a high majority of move jobs booked through HireAHelper are completed in the time estimated without an in home visual estimate.

On our last exciting adventure I told you all about a company called Move For Hunger – they collect canned food to benefit local food banks and feed hungry Americans. Today I am reporting that Move For Hunger’s crew just completed a road trip across America collecting food and visiting food banks! You can check out quick video updates from each stop and read Adam’s thoughts on his experiences at their Mover For Hunger Events page. Their last stop was Phoenix, AZ before heading home, back east. Please do your best to help the starving people of America and donate to your local food bank or contact the people at Move For Hunger. Even a little bit can go a long way!

Check out the most recent events and posts on their facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/moveforhunger or read my write up about their cause. Check out some other people doing good for others.