There are a few things that every person needs to survive. Besides the obvious items like food,water, and air, what are some of the other items that a person needs to survive? Everyone needs a roof over the head. For some it could be an apartment, and for others is could be a home.

In recent years, it has become harder and harder to purchase a home. Banks are not so eager to hand out home loans like they were just a few short years ago. If your credit is good though, then you only have one obstacle to face, and that is the down payment. There is some good news though. The cost of homes has fallen again. This is the sixth month in a row that the average price of a home in the United States has fallen. Many people see the lower prices of homes as a bad sign in the real estate market. These people are real estate investors who have purchased homes in the past and watched their value diminish over the last couple of years, but lower priced homes seem to give other industries a shot in the arm.

The lower price of homes has really helped the moving industry. Moving companies are seeing record numbers of people moving, and it is not just because the moving season is upon us. For the past several years moving companies have seen a rise in the amount of moves that they are doing in a year, and with this moving truck rentals are up as well. It may be more difficult to get financed for a home, but the lower prices are making it much more appealing to buy a house, and most of the times buying a house means that someone or even two different sets of people will have to move.

Extremely low mortgage rates are also getting more people interested in buying a home. Mortgage rates are currently the lowest that they have been in almost five years, and industry analysts are predicting that interest rates could get even lower.

Where will you find the biggest drop in home prices

There are some very popular cities out there where the cost of owning a home has dropped big time. The jewel of the south, Atlanta just so happens to be one of these cities. There are plenty of other great cities where prices have fallen as well. Chicago and Cleveland are also reporting very low numbers.

Why do the prices of homes continue to fall

The prices may be falling because of all the foreclosure sales. These sales are always very, very low, but they have to be factored into the total sales in an area. Their lower price can drastically reduce the average selling price of homes in an area where there have been a lot of foreclosures. Regardless of what the average prices may be, there has never been a greater time to buy a home and hire some movers to move away.

Clutter. It is something that just seems to slowly grow over time. You may not even realize that your home has become cluttered. It is such a slow and gradual process that many people never even realize that their house has become a big cluttered mess. The definition of clutter is a collection of things that are not organized, or in a mess, but clutter could also just refer to too much stuff in one space. Clutter and moving are two things that don’t really go together all that well, and here is why.

In order to move you are most likely going to have to sell your house. The very first thing that a real estate agent is going to do is suggest that you remove some, ore even all of your existing clutter. It will help the house sell quicker, and it will make it easier for the real estate agent to show the house to prospective home buyers. Clutter can also make life a little harder to deal with. If you can’t get around in your own home, then it will be difficult to relax when you are at home amongst all of your clutter. So what can you do about it? You will have to get rid of that clutter. Think of it as a sort of Spring cleaning.

There are a lot of people that have a difficult time getting rid of their clutter, and there is one simple reason for this. These people have become emotionally attached to their clutter. In some way or another, they have become connected with their clutter, and this makes it very difficult for them to get rid of it. So the very first step in removing your clutter does not have anything to do with actually physically removing the clutter. You need to remove any type of attachments that you have with the clutter. Let go of it. You don’t need all of these things, and if you are moving it will make things much easier if you get rid of most or even all of it. You can start over when you get to your new location.

If you have quite a bit of clutter you made need to do what is called a pre-move. This is exactly what it sounds like. You will need to get your clutter together, and get rid of it. The easiest way to do this is moving truck rental. Once you get the moving truck home, it is time to start loading it with all of your clutter. Do a good deed and donate all of your clutter to a charity that could use it. There are plenty of charities out there that are willing to help people, and donating to charity is also a great tax write-off.

If you don’t want to donate your clutter, then you can have a sale, but if your really want to get rid of it, you will need to sell everything for low prices. The real question is, are you up to that?

Moving and damage are two words that most people would rather not hear in the same sentence. Sometimes it happens, and it is beyond everyone’s control. You could take the wrong road and get very upset about it, or you could understand that sometimes accidents happen. It really all boils down to how you moved in the first place.

If you did not hire a moving company, but instead chose to rent your own moving truck, do all of the packing yourself, and drove the moving truck to your new destination, then you have absolutely no one to blame but yourself.

It really depends on how your personal items got damaged in the first place. If your items got damaged as a result of your own reckless driving, or less than adequate packing, then you are to blame, but if your items got damaged because someone else drove their vehicle into the rental moving truck while you were driving, then it will be up to the insurance companies to decide who has to pay for what.

Insurance company battles are never fun, and neither is moving, but insurance is for times like this. It is the whole reason that you have insurance to begin with. Your insurance company may even make you jump through hoops to get your claim, but if that is what it takes to get your damaged goods replaced then do it.

Having to deal with someone else’s insurance company is a completely different ball game all together. Hopefully everything will work out smoothly, but be prepared for battle because most insurance companies will not give up a claim without a fight.

Determining which state you were in at the time of the damage will also help to determine who is responsible. Some states like Florida for instance are declared a no fault state. It does not matter who caused the accident in Florida because it will be no ones fault. Someone will get a citation, and that is usually enough to make an insurance company pay up as long as you are not the one getting the traffic citation.

If you chose to hire a moving company instead of doing all of the work yourself, then the moving company may be liable for damages caused during the move. Once again you might be doing battle with an insurance company to get things straightened out. In most cases the moving company will do what it takes to make things good.

The moving company does not want or need any type of bad press, and they will try their best to avoid any type of accidents, but accidents do happen sometimes. If something has been damaged during the move be prepared to fill out some paperwork. Hopefully you have some sort of proof that will help everyone understand the true value of the damaged goods.

In a perfect world accidents would never happen when you are moving, but unfortunately our world is far from perfect and there are way too many things that are beyond our control to make everything work smoothly.

Moving is not something that most people do every day. Unless you deal with moving companies, moving truck rental companies, and auto transport companies on a daily basis then chances are you will run in to some words or phrases that you are not too sure about. This article will try to shed some light on some of these terms and help you fully understand them, how they pertain to your move, and what they may mean to you.

Accessorial or Additional Services

That already does not sound too good. The only time you really want to hear the word additional is when it involves money being deposited into your account. When you pair the word additional with the word charges you are bound to turn a smiling face upside down. In this case, this term refers to extra services that may need to be performed during the move. Things like packing and unpacking.

Advanced Charges

This one does not sound very good either. Anytime you are expected to pay for services in advance it can make you feel a little uneasy. When it comes to moving, this term refers to any services that are performed by someone other than the moving company themselves. Typically the moving company will pay for these charges and then add them to your bill.

Appliance Service By Third Party

You may have appliances that are in the best shape in the world, but when you have them moved, they may need special services done before they can be loaded onto the moving truck. That is what this term is referring to.

Booking Agent

No this one does not have anything to with traveling or gambling. In the moving industry, the booking agent is the agent that accepts the order for your move.

Bulky Article

Contrary to what you may believe, this article that you are reading right now has absolutely nothing to do with the term bulky article. In the moving industry, a bulky article is an item that is large an bulky. Here are some great examples of a bulky article: pool tables, fish tanks, cars, or pianos.

Cash On Delivery or C.O.D.

This term refers to when a customer must pay cash when the mover delivers their items. This should have all been worked out prior to the move, and before anyone created and signed any type of moving documents.

Deadhead

This term is not what you may think it is. When it comes to moving, the term Deadhead simply means, the total number of miles that a truck driver has driven their empty truck to get to the location of the move.

Elevator Carry

This is one phrase that you don’t want to see when you are moving because it means that you will have to pay some extra charges. Elevator carry is when the moving company must move items by way of an elevator. Extra charges will be incurred.

Knowing what these terms mean will makes it easier when it comes time to move.

In order to avoid becoming the victim of a moving scam it really helps to understand how these moving scams work. Here is how the typical moving scam operates.

Illegitimate moving companies like to use the best possible bait to lure in unsuspecting people into their traps. What do you think the best possible bait would be? In most cases it is extremely low estimates. People want to save money, and estimates that appear lower than all of the competition are the perfect bait for unsuspecting consumers. Here is a great tip, and this tip can be used for anything in your daily life. If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

Offering lower prices does not sound that bad does it? You have to understand that the low prices are just bait. They are not the real price that the moving company is going to charge. Once the unsuspecting consumer signs on the dotted line, the moving company will do their job. Everything seems like it has worked perfectly, and just when you think that you have just gotten the best moving deal in the world, the moving company shows up with the moving truck and they hand you a bill that is much higher than the original estimate, and when you refuse to pay the bill, they refuse to deliver your goods. This is how the scam works and unfortunately people are becoming victims of this sort of thing every single day. There are signs that will help you to identify a moving scam like this. Here they are.

The very first thing that you should look at is all of the paperwork that is associated with the move. Make sure that you read and understand everything on the estimate. The estimate should include everything related to the move. It should include the name of the moving company, the FDOT number, their contact information, and most importantly, it should include all of the details about your move.

If the moving company shows up and asks you to sign a blank document, calmly refuse. Say that you forgot your pen. Do anything you can to get out of the situation. Once you are far away from the moving company, report them. This is the number one sign of an illegitimate moving company. It is a big red flag that you should avoid at all costs. When you sign a blank moving document, you are signing a contract that the moving company can then fill in after they have moved your stuff. The moving company will then just fill in the blanks and make the prices much higher than the original estimate. By signing a blank document, you have just given them the right to do what ever they want.

All of this could be easily avoided. You can do the move yourself. Rent yourself a moving truck and start packing it up. Then there will be no one to answer to you but yourself.

Moving is not a perfect business. Unfortunately accidents do happen from time to time, and it is just the way things work, but what do you do if you have a legitimate complaint about a moving company? Who is there to protect the consumer when things go wrong?

Contact the mover

Moving companies are required by law to answer any complaints or inquiries that you may have, and they are required to do it in a timely manner. The moving company is the first place that you should go. If you went through a local moving agent, then contact them first. If there was a sales representative that helped you finalize the move, then you should try to contact them second. The last person that you should try to contact is the driver that is responsible for the move, but understand that the driver is just the driver. They will most likely have to call their local headquarters to get everything squared away.

If you do not get a satisfactory response from any of the above people, then you should try to move up the ladder by getting in touch with the moving companies main office. When you do get in touch with the head office, you will need to have some very important information ready. Make sure that you have all of your shipping documents in front of you especially your bill of lading. You should have also bee given a shipment number. This number can often be found on the shipments bill of lading. This number will help expedite your problem.

If you are not able to resolve your situation in a diplomatic manner, then you and the mover both have rights that are protected under law. Your complaint can be escalated to legal actions. As a consumer you may seek court action under 49 U.S.C. 14706. This is the law that governs the general liability of all motor carriers and freight forwarders.

If all else fails you can always go to your local Better Business Bureau. This organization will mediate the complaint between you and the moving company. The moving company does not want to have any type of negative record with the Better Business Bureau. They will do what they can to remedy the problem, and calling the Better Business Bureau should be a last resort.

The moving company should have no problems meeting your requirements as long as they are within reason. The United States government is starting to really crack down on moving companies that are taking advantage of people, and the moving companies know this. They know that they are being watched very carefully, and they will do what they need to do to protect their business.

The same goes for the consumer. They should be doing what they need to do in order to give their personal belongings the best protection that they can find.

Accidents happen that are beyond our control. It could be weather related, or it could simply be the fault of another driver on the road. Your moving company will work with you if an accident does happen. Remember, you are both protected.

Nobody likes moving. It can be a very difficult thing to go through. You will not have a place to call home for a while, all of your things that make you feel like you are at home will be packed up, you will have to find a mover, get packing supplies, rent a moving truck, inform everyone that you know about the move, and more. It can be enough to make you forget a thing or two. After everything is said and done, you will have one very important item to take care of, the moving bill.

Finding a mover is pretty easy, but you may have some questions about how and when you are expected to pay them. Not every moving company is legitimate. When are you supposed to pay the mover? Will you get an estimate? Will it cost more than the estimate? Here are the answers to those questions and more.

When will I be expected to pay the moving company for its services

Most moving companies will expect payment at the time of delivery. This should have already been discussed and worked out prior to the move.

How should I pay the mover

The very first thing that you should do is get an estimate from the moving company. This estimate will give you an idea of how much the move is going to cost, and it should also clearly state the method of payment. The mover or any agents associated with the mover, must honor the method of payment that was chosen at the time of the estimate. There is one exception to this rule. In order for the mover to expect you to pay with a different form of payment than what is stated on the estimate, you and the mover must have both agreed to this change in writing.

Will my estimate be the amount that I pay

There may cases when you will be expected to pay more or less than the amount of the estimate. It really depends on what type of estimate you received.

If your estimate is a non-binding estimate, then you can expect to pay as much as 10% more than the estimate. The moving company also has the right to charge you more for services that may have been requested by you after you signed the moving contract.

This is where you need to be extra careful. Some moving companies out there are trying to scam people by adding false charges to the bill. If the moving company is adding extra things to your move like: plastic wrap, boxes, moving supplies, or tools, then make sure that you are not going to be charged for these extra items. If someone tells you that all of these extra services are included in the bill, don’t take their word for it. Make them put it in writing. Then the moving company has no choice but to honor everything that was discussed.

There is a law in place that states that the moving company can not charge you more than 15% of the original estimate for additional services that happened after the moving contract was created.

Knowing your rights, and when and how you are expected to pay for your move will make the moving process much easier.

The fine month of May brings many different things, but very few people know that the month of May has been officially called national moving month. This claim was made by the American Moving and Storage Association. People that are looking for a mover may just find that the month of May will bring them the best prices. Movers all over the country are gearing up for national moving month. They are slashing prices and launching great deals every single day during the month of May. It is time to try and get into the spirit of moving and nothing motivates people quite like good prices.

Why May

Traditionally Summer has always been the busiest time of the year for moving companies. May kicks off the moving season. More people move in the warm Summer months than any other time of the year. It only makes sense that moving companies would take full advantage of this situation. People that are anxious to move will become even more anxious to get things done if they see that there is a special deal going on, and for those people that are undecided, a special deal will help them make up their minds much quicker.

Keeping it cool during a Summer move

Summer may be the busiest time of the year for movers and the moving companies, but you will have to keep things cool. Too much time in the heat can literally wear you out faster than you may anticipate. Here are some tips that will help you keep everything cool during a warm Summer move.

Moving can be stressful. Moving in the heat can make things even worse. The only way to battle stress and heat is to make sure that you have plenty to drink. Staying hydrated will help you cope with the heat and the liquid will also help your body deal with the stress better. The human body is made up of about 60% water. When that level starts to drop, the human body does not function normally. The first thing to go is clear thinking which can make stressful situations even worse. Make sure that you and everyone else that is moving stays hydrated.

Dress lightly

You will not be dealing with the Winter cold anymore, so there is no need to wear those warm boring Winter clothes. You need to make sure that you dress lightly. If you are doing a lot of the moving work yourself, then lighter clothes will make everything a lot easier. You don’t want to sweat out all of your water in the first few minutes of moving. You need to conserve it.

Conserve your energy

Not only will you have to conserve your water, but you will also need to conserve your energy. Take everything nice and easy. The heat can really suck all of the energy and strength right from your body. If you start the move at full blast, you will run out of steam before all of the work is done.these are just a few ways to keep your cool during the warmer Summer months.

Things seem to be picking up with the US economy. Could this be the economic recovery that we have all been looking for, or is it just because it is election year? The trucking industry is seeing a rise in usage as well. The demand for rental trucks has grown in the earlier part of 2012, and the growth is expected to continue through the rest of the year. With moving season fast approaching the demand for moving trucks is going to help fuel this growth. Spring is here and with it more people want to start moving. When Summer arrives moving season will be in full swing, and the demand for moving trucks will be in full swing too!

Even with this high optimism there are some unsettling things that the trucking industry has to think about.

Drivers

During times of need there may be a shortage of workers. Truck drivers will be in high demand, but will there be enough truck drivers to fuel the demand. A shortage of drivers could cause problems in more than just the moving industry.

When the economy was at its lowest point a few years ago almost every single trucking company was forced to downsize their personal. This also included truck drivers. Many of these trucking companies are still operating with nothing more than a skeleton crew. Will they be able to keep up with the demand with such few employees?

Federal regulations

The government is enforcing strict regulations for the trucking industry, and they are coming up with new ones every single day. It can be a challenge for truck drivers and rental truck companies to keep up with all of these constantly changing rules and regulations.

One such regulation that is set to go on the books would force truck drivers to have a 34 hour rest period at least once a week. During this rest period, truck drivers would not be allowed to drive their trucks. This rule is obviously being enforced for safety reasons, but it would also force truck drivers to drive their trucks during peak traffic times. Traffic on most interstates is already bad enough. The extra traffic of these larger trucks during rush hour will only make things even worse.

Fuel cost

This is the biggest worry for the trucking industry. With fuel costs rising, can the trucking industry manage to keep their prices affordable, or will the high price of fuel push them over the top. People from all walks of life are already feeling the squeeze that is being caused by high gas prices, and the trucking industry is one industry that really depends on fossil fuels.

Finances

Truck companies need to borrow money from time to time. They may need some new trucks, new parts, or a new garage. The current problem is that most banks are not loaning any money. This prevents the trucking companies from expanding.

Even though the economy is starting to show some good signs, the trucking industry still has quite a few hurdles that they must overcome.

Winter has definitely decided that its time is up for this year. That means that Spring is here. Things are turning green and the birds in the trees are singing loud and clear. Everything seems to come to life in the Spring, even moving. More and more people are starting to move now that Spring is here, and that means that Summer is right around the corner. Summer means that moving season is here. It may be more difficult to find a good moving company in the Summer. If you need to move, then you may be better off doing it now.

Keeping things cool

With Winter gone, the temperature is going to rise. There are several ways to keep things cool, and several different things that you may want to keep cool including your head. Moving can get stressful, and the added heat just makes things much worse. Here are several ways to keep things cool moving in the warmer months of Springs and Summer.

Make sure that you have plenty of water on hand at all times. You may not realize it, but you are going to need to drink a lot more water when the heat gets turned up. Staying hydrated is one of the most important things that you can do if you are moving in the heat.

Try to keep your stress level down too. Moving is a challenge, but it is not really that difficult of a challenge. Keeping everything in a positive light will make moving a lot easier on everyone.

Finding a moving company

If you are going to hire a full service moving company, then you need to make sure that you have plenty of time in advance during the busier moving season. Moving companies will get swamped during Spring, and in the Summer, they will be even busier. If you are doing a last minute move, then you may be out of luck. You need to make sure that you have plenty of time for the moving company to schedule you in.

The best way to find a qualified moving company that you can trust is to, look online. Fill out one quick and simple form, and you will have several moving quotes sent right to your phone or email. This gives you the opportunity to choose which moving company best suits your individual needs. You will quickly learn how much it is going to cost to move, and you will also learn which moving companies are available when you need to move.

If you are going to be doing the moving yourself, then you will need to rent a moving truck. Moving truck rental companies can be very busy during the Spring and Summer months. Give yourself plenty of time to schedule your moving truck.

Once you get everything all squared away, it is time to get ready to move. If you chose the full service route, then you are pretty much done. If you chose the self service route, then it is time to start packing.