Save Money On Your Move Using A Cube Sheet

Hiring a full service moving company for your move can be expensive but there are some ways to save money.  Because movers use a cube sheet as a big factor in pricing your move then the biggest thing you can do to save money is to reduce the weight of what you’re moving.

By looking at the cube sheet you can easily see which items have the greatest affect your total weight.   Items given a high number of cubic feet per piece are determined to be the heaviest, even if these items are not as large or heavy as indicated by the cube sheet.

Typically on an interstate move, if you are given a binding estimate, the actual weight will not affect your price because the estimated weight will be used to determine your price estimate.  If, on the other hand, you are given a non-binding estimate then the actual weight will be used to determine your final price, regardless of the estimate.  Although intrastate moves don’t necessarily follow this pattern and are governed by a state’s regulations they will still depend on the weight to estimate and determine final cost.

Either way, you can see that getting rid of certain items can drastically cut weight and save money.  If you have a bed, couch, refrigerator, freezer or other large appliance or piece of furniture that you’ve been thinking about replacing, now is the time to do it considering how much you’ll pay to move them.  This is especially true when you’re moving across country or very long distances and the cost to transport large items long distances can be several hundred dollars.

Another consideration, especially when given a non-binding estimate, are those heavy items that aren’t indicated as such on the cube sheet.  Items like boxes of books, china or anything else that is small and heavy really add up.  If you really need or want to keep them you might want to take these items with you in your car if you’re driving because it will save you money.

I’m not suggesting that you just throw these items out, but by being creative you can replace them with new items for very little out of pocket expense.  As discussed in an article from Joshua Zerkel about what to do with your unwanted stuff there are several options when trying to dispose of these items.

I highly recommend trying to sell them using a free online classifieds service like Craigslist where you can likely get a little cash.  If that isn’t an option consider donating them to a local charity and use the donation as a write-off on your taxes.   Finally, if your stuff is in bad shape, post them in classifieds as a free item (or leave them on the curb if this is an option in your area) and you’ll surely find takers.

Finally it’s important to remember that the amount you pay per pound to transport your goods varies greatly and depends on whether the move is interstate or intrastate and the overall distance of your move.  Using California as an example it can cost anywhere from $.30 to over a $1.00 per pound to transport your household goods.  Even with an average of $.40 per pound and figuring a queen sized bed that weighs 560 pounds it can cost you about $224 to move it, and that’s just within the state.

So to save money it makes sense to take a really close look at what you’re moving (and how much it weighs) and make decisions on those items before you move.  A little time spent doing this now can really pay off in the long run.

When it Comes to Moving, Timing is Key

One of the key factors in having a smooth move is when you choose to move.
Why? Because it can affect the:

1. Availability of your Mover
2. Price of your move
3. Quality of service

To prove my point, here is some data from the AMSA’s (American Moving & Storage Association) Industry Trends, a quarterly report on data in the moving industry.

Copyright AMSA 2009¹

Notice that big hump in the middle of the graph from June through August? That’s moving season. The percentage of moves in a year occurring in any given summer month peaks around 11% – 13%, compared to 8% or less for other months. The AMSA also had data on the percentage of moves in a year, broken down by weeks. Sure enough, every week that contained the last days of the month saw a jump in percentages of moves.

The takeaway here is that if you have the flexibility, avoid moving during the middle of the summer and at the end of the month. The further away from mid-summer / end of the month you can schedule your move, the better off you will be.

Reasons:
1. Availability of your Mover
The summer months are when moving companies make their money, so it’s a busy time for them. If you’re moving during the summer, you should contact moving companies early on (at least 2 months in advance) to ensure you can get in their books. As is with anything, the best ones will fill up first.

2. Price of your move
If you can avoid the peak season, the tariffs (the rates that moving companies base the cost of your move on) are actually lower, so you can save lots of money on your move.

3. Quality of service
Even the best moving companies come under pressure to perform when the season gets busy. Moving companies can overbook and have to scramble to find a truck and crew to service your move, or a tight schedule of back to back moves can be easily thrown off by a customer not being ready or other unforeseen events. Drivers and crew members are also tired from working long hours, and that could mean an increased chance of damage to your goods.

While we’re rapidly approaching mid-summer, don’t despair if you are moving during peak season this year. Simply knowing about the issues above means you can plan ahead – and good planning will go a long way in keeping your move smooth and problem-free.

---

¹Resources:
AMSA Industry Trends

---

Moving Your Kids in to a New Home

If you’ve just moved in to a new home with your kids, here are some simple steps you can take to organize their new room, and keep it that way.

1. Give them control
You already know your children are full of ideas, so allowing them to participate in the organizing plan is a great first step. Instead of making decisions for them about where their toys should be stored or how to sort their clothes, let your little ones make the decision for themselves. Maybe they want their clothes organized by color instead of type, when you had planned on doing the reverse. Work with your kids to find out where they think things should go, and use those ideas to find appropriate homes for all of their stuff. Your kids will feel a lot more invested in a system that they can help design, rather than one that is imposed on them.

2. Keep it simple
A common pitfall of people who organize for their children rather than with them is that they create complicated systems oriented toward adults. Keep in mind that for your kids, a simple solution is likely to make the most sense. Try to avoid too many complicated categories and hard-to-use gizmos. Instead, keep categories straightforward and age-appropriate, and make sure that any containers or specialized organizing tools, such as craft boxes, re-closable plastic bags, etc., can be safely and easily used by your child.

3. Make storage accessible
Chances are, your kids can’t reach as high as you, and can’t lift as much either. I’ve gone into a number of homes where well-meaning parents had storage bins full of toys that had been stacked nearly floor-to-ceiling. When I asked how easy it was for the kids to access the toys in the bottom bin, the parents usually say “not very.” If your kids can’t easily access their storage system, they won’t use it. When you’re ready to design your children’s storage system, ask yourself these three questions:

• Would your kids be better suited with easy-to-slide drawers instead of stackable bins?
• Is everything at a height that’s accessible?
• Will they be able to put things away without straining?

4. Label everything
For kids (as well as for adults), a label on something makes it “official.” Once a drawer has a label that says “socks” and a storage container is labeled “dolls,” those become the official homes for those items. As long as everything has a clearly labeled home, the chances of items finding their way back to those homes become much greater.

5. Use color
Finally, kids love color, so use it in their organizing systems! Color-coded storage areas, drawers, and other containers are a creative way of “labeling” functions of your kid’s storage system. Pick colors that are their favorites, and even have meaning to them. For instance, pink can be where your little girl keeps her dolls while red might be perfect for all of their colorful art supplies. Find a system that works, and remember to get them involved in the process.

Spending time with your kids developing organizing ideas and solutions can be a fun and rewarding way to settle them in to their new rooms. Soon, you may find that your kids’ rooms practically clean themselves!

---

Joshua Zerkel, Certified Professional Organizer ® is a guest blogger for One Simple Move and the founder of Custom Living Solutions, an organizing and productivity consulting firm specializing in helping clients maximize their creativity and productivity in their offices and homes. He is the 2009-2010 Chapter President of the National Association of Professional Organizers, San Francisco Bay Area chapter, and speaks nationally and locally on organizing and productivity topics. For more information and FREE organizing ideas, visit www.customlivingsolutions.com or call 415-830-6345.

---

How Movers Price Your Move Using A Cube Sheet

What is a Cube Sheet?

I wrote in an earlier entry about how taking inventory is the first and most important step to getting an accurate moving quote.  That inventory is typically taken using a “Cube Sheet“.  Nowadays more and more movers are using handheld inventory devices to take your inventory but it’s the same basic process and the same math is used to determine the cubic feet and the weight of your belongings.

The document that we’ve provided here has all the information you need to figure out exactly how much your stuff weighs. That weight will be used to determine the estimate given to you by the moving companies.  Exactly how it factors in to that estimate will depend on whether you’re moving interstate or intrastate and if it’s intrastate then also what state you live in and possibly where in that state. But at least you’ll know where you stand with regards to the weight. It can help you make sure you’re not being given an estimate that is too low (“low-ball”) or too high (“rip-off”).

How to use it

The Cube Sheet is a very simple document but it can be a bit time consuming to use as you’ll need to basically take an inventory of your entire house.  As I’ve mentioned in a previous blog article about completing an inventory of your household goods, it is essential that it’s done completely and accurately.

1.  Print the PDF version of a moving companies sample cube sheet.

2.  Walk through each room of your house and make a mark for article in the room in the number of pieces column on the sheet.

3.  Multiply the number of pieces you have by the cubic feet per piece.  Then just carry the numbers down to the column subtotals and add all the subtotals to get a Grand Total for all columns.

4. Multiply the Grand Total for Cubic Feet by a factor of 7 (this is the industry accepted weight of each cubic foot of household goods in number of pounds) and you’ll get your total your estimated total weight.

Optional: Instead of completing steps 3 & 4 by hand you can transfer your written inventory to the cells in this Excel version of the cube sheet found here which will do the math for you and sum up all of the totals.

NOTE:  Remember that this is only part of what goes into the final estimate but it is a very big part.  Additional factors include where the move will occur, the distance traveled, if the movers will have to walk a long way to the truck (“long-carry”) or if there are stairs or an elevator involved.  Additional insurance and other issues may also affect the end price.

4 Ways to Find Hidden Money when Moving

Moving is a great time to clear out clutter and get more organized. Getting organized can leave you with less stuff to move and more money saved. In addition to finding cash or checks buried in a drawer, in an old bag or briefcase, or under an old stack of paper, there are multiple other ways that getting organized can help your bottom line. Here are just a few:

Ask for the discounts.
Gather bills for the various utilities that you use, including cell phone, Internet, land line phone, and any others. Once you have all the bills together, set aside some time to call each vendor and ask for discounts on each of your services. Just the simple act of you calling and asking for a discount can sometimes uncover deals that you never knew existed. Don’t expect your vendors to contact you and offer you discounts – you need to ask for them. I make a practice of doing this at least every six months.

Lose the late fees.
Since you just gathered all of your bills in one spot, look them over for any late fees that you might be paying. Late fees are not only an annoyance that cost you money in the short term; they can also negatively affect your credit rating, which can cost you money in the long term. To help avoid late charges and fees, take a few minutes and sign up for automatic bill payment, which will pay your bills on time every month. I recommend charging all of your bills against one credit card, rather than having your bills debited from your checking account. That way, if a billing error comes about, you can dispute it with your credit card company.

Scrap the extra storage.
An offsite storage unit should be looked at as an expense of last resort, something that you pay for only when you absolutely have to. Most of the clients I work with that have storage units generally have very little sense of what’s actually being stored, and mainly keep renting their storage units out of sheer inertia. Granted, taking time to go through and organize a storage unit is not high on most people’s priorities lists, but if you are currently renting one, I urge you to set aside some time to weed through the belongings that you currently are paying to store. With some weeding and consolidation, you may be able to incorporate your belongings into storage spaces that you already have at home or in your office.

Donate for dollars.
It’s always a good idea to start looking for ways to reduce the amount you owe to Uncle Sam. One possible way to save money on taxes is to donate things that you no longer want, need, or use and receive a tax deduction for your donation. Any money you can save on your taxes is like cash in your pocket!

Of course, this list is not exhaustive–but it’s a great place to start. What are some of your ideas for how to save money by getting more organized?

---

Joshua Zerkel, Certified Professional Organizer ® is a guest blogger for One Simple Move and the founder of Custom Living Solutions, an organizing and productivity consulting firm specializing in helping clients maximize their creativity and productivity in their offices and homes. He is the 2009-2010 Chapter President of the National Association of Professional Organizers, San Francisco Bay Area chapter, and speaks nationally and locally on organizing and productivity topics. For more information and FREE organizing ideas, visit www.customlivingsolutions.com or call 415-830-6345.

---

Moving Tips – What to do with Your Unwanted Stuff

A frequent by-product of moving is usually a bunch of stuff you’ve decided you no longer want, love, or use. Getting rid of all this stuff can sometimes be a challenge – but don’t let that stymie your progress! Here are three ideas of what to do with your castoffs:

Sell them.
If your belongings still have financial value – for instance, electronics in good condition, designer clothes, or antiques – you might be able to recoup some of their cost by selling them. While having a garage sale might seem like the easiest way to sell your stuff, I generally don’t recommend it. Garage sales take a lot of prep work and planning, not to mention the time you have to spend staffing the sale. Unless you live in a densely populated area and expect most of the stuff you’re putting out will sell, skip the garage sale. Instead, try posting your most valuable items on eBay or Craigslist. You can do some research online to see how much you can expect your goods to sell for – helping you decide whether it’s worth your time to sell them or not.

Give them away.
For stuff that isn’t sellable but is still in perfectly good condition – clothes that no longer fit, the extra microwave that’s been sitting in the garage, etc. – it’s best to donate them so someone else can use them. Your local Salvation Army or Goodwill are great places to start, as they generally accept a variety of items – call them before driving over to see what they’re currently accepting. For things they won’t accept, get creative – other places may still value your stuff. For instance, if you’re getting rid of stacks of magazines, why not drop a few off at the gym or at a hospital waiting room? Have extra TVs or VCRs? See if a local shelter could use them. Many things that you think aren’t valuable may in fact be desired by someone else – try posting on Craigslist in the “free” section or on Freecycle – the results may surprise you! With clients, I’ve found that when we match their donations to places which will actually use them, they feel much better about letting those things go.

Recycle them.
Some of your stuff may not have any more useful life left and should be discarded in an environmentally-friendly manner. In many communities, recycling options abound for items like paper, plastic and aluminum, but what can you do with the rest of the stuff you want to recycle? This is where you have to get creative and do a little legwork. For electronics, some Goodwill locations and places like GreenCitizen will recycle your goods (sometimes for a small fee). See if old clothes can be used as art scraps at a local sewing center or school. Try calling your Garbage Company and see if they offer any resources or referrals for recycling beyond what they regularly pickup. Your local NAPO-affiliated Professional Organizer can also be a great resource for recycling and reuse ideas.

---

Joshua Zerkel, Certified Professional Organizer ® is a guest blogger for One Simple Move and the founder of Custom Living Solutions, an organizing and productivity consulting firm specializing in helping clients maximize their creativity and productivity in their offices and homes. He is the 2009-2010 Chapter President of the National Association of Professional Organizers, San Francisco Bay Area chapter, and speaks nationally and locally on organizing and productivity topics. For more information and FREE organizing ideas, visit www.customlivingsolutions.com or call 415-830-6345.

---

6 Quick Tips to Avoid Surprises On Your Moving Bill

There a few basic considerations that will reduce the chance of surprise costs on moving day when the movers hand you a bill.  It all starts when the movers give you your estimate.

1. Get an accurate inventory of your belongings.  Remember, as I stated in an earlier blog entry (linked to from above), it’s far better to get the moving company to do this.  If you miss anything (and you almost definitely will) you will still be charged to move it, it just won’t show up on your initial estimate.
2. Check for any costs associated with packing or wrapping of furniture or belongings.  Although you may have done most of the packing there are other considerations like pictures, lamps and other miscellaneous items that although you didn’t pack because you didn’t think it made sense, the movers won’t move without them being in boxes.  So they will charge you for materials and labor.  Also some movers will charge you for usage of blankets and tape for wrapping furniture like tables, desks, chairs, etc.
3. Be careful if moving trucks can not park close to your home which may result in a “long carry” fee.  This can happen either because a driveway is steep, has sharp turns or a low hanging tree or may apply in apartment or condominium parking areas or structures because of accessibility issues or restrictions.  Even when a “long carry” fee does not apply it will take the movers more time to carry items from your house to the truck so you will pay significantly more when paying by the hour.
4. Know that stairs or elevators which both add time also add fees from $50 to $150 per flight of stairs or for the elevator ride.
5. If you have to make an extra stop at another house, storage facility or anywhere else, be sure to tell the mover upfront.  There will probably be a flat fee plus any additional mileage or time related fees.
6. Be sure to inquire about fees related to disconnecting of utilities such as washers and dryers or dismantling other items of furniture that may be required as a routine part of your move.

Ultimately, many of these charges can typically be avoided by having a moving company come to your house to perform an in home survey of your move but sometimes an in home survey is not an option.  In the end, no matter what the moving company may have told you over the phone, make sure the moving company provides you with a final estimate when they come to your house on moving day.  Then review this in detail and ask specifically about any or all of the issues above you think might apply.

Tipping Etiquette

Every time I walk into my local Chinese restaurant for carry-out I am faced with a dilemma – do I tip or not?  I’ve heard many people asking this same question on moving day when the movers are just finishing unloading the last of the truck.  I think the exact rules are a bit fuzzy, as with all tipping etiquette, but hopefully the “tips” we’ve provided will help alleviate some of that anxiety you don’t need on moving day!

Tipping should be based on the quality of service your moving company provides.  Many question why a tip is necessary considering the high cost of the move.  If you’re receiving good customer service and the movers are taking care of your valuables, not dinging up your brand new hardwood floors and are still courteous and professional, a tip is a nice gesture.  Tipping should occur once the job is complete.

• If the move is an all day job it’s nice to have cold drinks, such as water or soda, on hand for the movers.  Many people provide lunch, such as quick fast food or pizza, for the crew.  This is typically appreciated by the movers allowing them to take a quick break and then get back to work without an extended lunch period.

The amount tipped is discretionary.  Below are a few simple guidelines I’ve stumbled across but, as always, tip with what makes you feel most comfortable.

• If you have one mover lifting moderately heavy furniture and boxes, tip between $20 and $50.
• With multiple movers on the crew the general rule is to tip each mover the same as above but lower the amount by $5 per person.
• On average, most people tip $20 or $25 per person.
• If you’ve had your car shipped it’s recommended to tip the truck driver $20.

Phew!  Now that that’s taken care of go out and grab yourself a beer to relax.  But don’t forget to tip your local bartender $1/drink!

Get Your Moving Day Green On

These days being “green” is in.  You’re already part of the solution each time you take reusable canvas bags to the market, refill your water bottle with tap water and conserve energy.  So why not take it one step further and be “green” while moving!  It’s easier than you think and when it’s all said and done you may have actually saved money.  But more importantly you’ll feel good about yourself!

It won’t happen overnight but if we can provide just a few tips on making that transition a little easier, we’ve done our job.

Purge and Condense

It’s always a good idea to take your upcoming move as an opportunity to sort through your belongings and decide what you want to keep and what you don’t.  If you want to sell your items place them on eBay, Craigslist, or simply have a garage sale.  Don’t feel like it’s worth the hassle?  Find your local donation agency to schedule a drop-off or pick-up.  Don’t let your electronics pile up in the junk yard.  Check out www.aslrecyling.com to find a local agent that will pick up your eWaste for free.

Eliminating extra waste also saves on the number of trips you have to take to your new home.  If you’re moving yourself think about renting a larger truck or maximize your space.  If you’re hiring a moving company you might be interested in www.greenmoversusa.com to find a green moving company in your area.  These companies are rated by just how green they are, including those companies that plant 10 trees for every completed move!

Cleaning

Whether you’re cleaning your new home prior to move-in or doing a final clean for the new homeowners, use green cleaners.  They are safe for your family, safe for the environment and actually less expensive than those products with harsh chemicals.

Packing Materials

Think reusable or recycled.  Ask friends and family for old moving boxes or search Craigslist.  You might also consider stopping by your local grocery store or liquor store to find out what day they normally receive shipments.  These boxes are typically more sturdy than boxes from holiday/birthday gifts.  Instead of plastic bubble wrap to protect your valuables use old newspapers that can be recycled or sheets and towels that can be washed.

Want to avoid waste altogether?  If you live in Southern California check out Earth Friendly Moving at www.earthfriendlymoving.com.  Earth Friendly Moving will drop off plastic, reusable containers for a small fee, then pick them back up once your move is complete!  Avoid boxes and tape all in one quick delivery.

We hope you find these tips helpful and think “green” before your next move!

How to get an accurate moving quote – Step One: Taking Inventory

Although the internet has made instant gratification more the norm than the exception, there are still some things that require a little work to be done away from the computer in order to come to fruition.  Getting a moving quote is one of them.

For a moving company to provide you with even a ballpark figure of how much it will cost you, they need to know what they’ll be moving and how far. Telling them where you’re moving is easy, but telling them what they’ll be moving requires a little more work.

In most cases the moving company will require that they come to your home to take an inventory of the items to be moved.  In the industry this is widely referred to as a Survey.  A Survey is when an individual from the moving company (typically called an estimator) comes to your home to determine what the move will involve.  This service should be offered free of charge and if the moving company you’ve contacted states otherwise its probably best to call another.

The estimator creates a comprehensive record of the items to be moved including all furniture, appliances and estimated number of boxes.  They also make notes of any other issues that may affect the time it takes to load the truck such as what floor the residence is on, whether there are multiple floors within the residence or if a “long carry” is involved meaning that access to the moving truck from the house is further than a certain distance.

The inventory that is created from the Survey is then used to determine the weight of your belongings using a cube sheet.  A cube sheet is a fairly standardized sheet which assigns a number of cubic feet to each item to be moved  (cubic feet assigned to boxes are the the actual number of cubic feet of the box).  The final number of cubic feet is then multiplied by seven (accepted industry-wide as the average weight of a cubic foot of household goods) to establish a weight of your belongings.

The total weight is then used to determine your estimated cost.  Since the method of calculation and actual type of final estimate given varies depending of whether the move is interstate or intrastate and what state it takes place in the details of this final step are best left to a separate blog entry coming soon.

There are some important things to know about taking an accurate inventory of your household goods which will, in turn, help you get an accurate quote.

• Make sure that everything that needs to be moved is included in the inventory.  Don’t forget about closets, garages, basements, attics, outdoor storage sheds and the like.  Don’t try to hide anything because it will get you in the end.
• If you must take your own inventory or if you just want to so that you can get a ballpark quote online, don’t forget about your boxes.  Typically boxes account for 1/4 to 1/3 of the total weight of all your belongings.
• If you do take your own inventory it is easier if you use a sample cube sheet which can be found very easily online.