Packing up and = moving on=A0-=A0Metropolitan=A0-=A0The Washington Times, America's = Newspaper

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April 4, 2007

Metropolitan=20

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Packing up and moving on

By Christian Toto
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
April 4, = 2007=20

    The law says movers operating under a binding = estimate must unload their trucks after being paid 100 percent of the = estimated=20 cost, he says. For nonbinding estimates, the movers must unload their = goods=20 after being paid no more than 110 percent of the estimate.=20
    Extra costs do pop up sometimes. If a = person's new=20 home is on a very narrow street, a mover might have to transfer its = client's=20 goods to a smaller truck to maneuver properly in the tight space.=20
    Federal law also covers lost or damaged = goods.=20 Movers must provide full replacement or repair the goods in question = unless the=20 customer waives his or her rights, Mr. Sparkman says. In disputes, a = third-party=20 arbiter will declare the worth of the damaged items.=20
    Vernon Rosemin, marketing company president = for=20 U-Haul's District headquarters, says planning, or the lack thereof, is = the=20 biggest problem bogging down people on the move.=20
    "They're selling their house, acquiring = another=20 house. They forget to plan out properly for boxes, the right types of = boxes. ...=20 You end up with stuff being broken," Mr. Rosemin says, adding that a = lack of=20 preparation means a rental truck might not be available for last-minute = movers.=20
    He recalled one person who forgot he had to = move his=20 car as well as himself.
    "He delayed his move = because=20 he wasn't prepared," Mr. Rosemin says. =
    Planning=20 ahead means more than counting off the number of boxes needed for the = move.=20
    Homeowners should visit the rental company = where=20 they plan to pick up whatever truck or equipment they will need, Mr. = Rosemin=20 says.
    "Make sure you're comfortable with the = equipment," he says, especially if renting a large truck.=20
    "It's just a big car, really," Mr. Rosemin = says,=20 adding that the customer should discuss what driving modifications are = needed to=20 stay safe on the road, such as going one car length farther than normal = when=20 making a turn.
    "If you're towing a car, know = how to=20 connect it so you have peace of mind," he says.=20
    Planning a move involves more than just = knowing how=20 to bubble-wrap a plasma television or protect china plates.=20
    Sachin Gadhvi, vice president for sales and=20 marketing with L.A.-based Starving Students Moving Co., says finding the = best=20 moving company takes its toll.
    "Everybody's = heard a=20 horror story of moves gone bad," Mr. Gadhvi says. =
    He=20 suggests visiting the American Moving and Storage Association's Web site = (www.moving.org) to find a licensed mover.
    A = reputable mover will have either a Department of Transportation number = or a=20 motor carrier number.
    Consumers typically = shop=20 around for the best prices, but Mr. Gadhvi cautions homeowners against = going=20 blindly with the lowest price available when hiring a moving team.=20
    "It's your life's belongings in there. It's = probably=20 not the time you want to go with the cheapest person," he says.=20
    Better still, keep your most important items = close=20 at hand while moving.
    "If you have things = with=20 emotional value, like family heirlooms ... you want to make sure you = pack it=20 yourself and let the movers know, 'This is really valuable to me. Let's = keep it=20 separate,' " he says.
    The more such items = that can=20 be carried by the homeowner, be it jewelry or something to be stored in = his or=20 her car during the cross-country trek, the better.=20
    "You want to make sure it's under your = control," Mr.=20 Gadhvi says.
    Many homeowners prefer taking = all=20 moving matters into their own hands.
    John = Tompkins,=20 president of Atlantic Coast Portable Storage, which works in conjunction = with=20 movable PODS (portable on demand storage) containers, says his clients = tend to=20 be do-it-yourself types who work on their own schedules.=20
    "They don't have to be ready, exactly, on a = certain=20 day," Mr. Tompkins says.
    It's the goal of = any=20 reputable moving company to make the move as smooth as possible, he = says, adding=20 that movers and homeowners alike often need to get creative before the = job is=20 wrapped.
    "You'd be surprised how ingenuity = plays a=20 hand," he says, adding that movers will do everything from building a = frame=20 around a difficult-to-move piece to using a crane to get their mission=20 accomplished.
    Those seeking more tips on = moving can=20 visit www.moving.org, the American Moving and Storage Association's = consumer Web=20 site, or U-Haul's EMove.com or www.jkmoving.com/residential/faq. htm by = JK=20 Moving & Storage, which serves the Greater Washington area.=20