O.K. Now that we have negotiated a fair price for either your current home or your new home, it will soon be time for you to pack up your current residence and prepare to move into your new home.

The days of using your best friend's husbands and their trucks and trailers are a thing of the past for savy movers, especially when you consider the potential for damage and loss of you most precious personal items, furniture, etc.

I just wanted to share seven things that you might want to consider about the moving process and using movers to help you get through this time.

1. Beware of a low estimate - it might not be all it seems.

A very low estimate for moving your belongings could be a sign that you are dealing with a rouge mover. In this scenario, the comany quotes you a rock-bottom price - usually over the phone of via e-mail - loads your goods in a truck, and refuses to deliver or unload them until you cough up a much higher fee.


2. The company should make a house call.

To make sure you get an accurate estimate, require the company to send a representative to your home to assess your move. Most legitimate companies will take this step. Although a refusal by a company to perform an in-home inspection does not mean that company is operating illegally or improperly, it should however, cause you concern.


3. Movers must tell you your rights.

Your mover must give you an information pamplet when you hire them. For moves withing Texas, you will get, Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move in Texas, and for interstate moves, you should receive Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move. The term interstate is defined as your goods crossing state lines at any point, even if they start and end in the same state.


4. Movers must be registered somewhere.

Companies that transport goods within Texas must register with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). When you are deciding which company to choose for your intrastate move, call TxDOT at 1-800-299-1700 to verify whether the mover is properly registered. The department can also give you information about the mover's complaint history. Interstate movers are not regulated by TxDOT, but must instead register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). You can check information about those companies at www.ProtectYourMove.org.


5. It may be better to pay for packing.

Packing your own boxes might save you money, however, if the articles you pack get damaged, it might be more difficult to establish your claim against the mover.


6. Insurance is usually paid by the pound.

The default insurance that movers carry - released value insurance - covers 60 cents per pound per article. That likely is not the best option. If your five-pound antique lamp worth $200 gets damaged, you would get $3. Any addition liability for intrastate moves (e.g. transit insurance) is not regulated by TxDOT, however, it it usually available for a fee. Interstate moves must also offer full-value protection, which means the mover must repair, replace, or pay for any damaged item. This coverage, although regulated by the FMCSA, varies in cost and level of protection from company to company.

And lastly,

7. Report any loss or damage promptly.

For intrastate moves, you have 90 days from the delivery date to get your written claim into your mover's hands. If you are unsatisfied with your moving company's response, you may file for mediation through TxDOT. Federal regulations give you nine months from the date of delivery to file your written claim against interstate movers. Similarly, you can file for mediation of an unsolved claim through the FMCSA.


I hope this article (taken from the November 2006 issue of Texas Realtor) is helpful in making your decision about how you decide to move.

For all of your Real Estate Needs, please give me a call at 903-571-8033.

100% Service, 100% of the Time!