FAQ

How should I start planning for a move?

What is involved in a pre-move survey?

A pre-move survey is an in-home interview between the moving consultant and the customer. Your Tippet-Richardson Sales Representative will schedule a visit to your home at your convenience to discuss the details of your move. This pre-move survey should take 1–1.5 hours.

The interview and survey have a few purposes:

• Go step by step through the moving process to discuss your individual needs and concerns.
• Offer suggestions and options that will meet your needs while remaining in your budget.
• Estimate the weight of your shipment.
• Estimate your packing requirements — i.e. appliance servicing, crating, shuttle service etc.
• Determine logistics — i.e. access to residence, elevators, stairs, etc.

How can I save money on my local move?

Local moves are charged by the hour. Therefore, the cost of your move is directly related to how long your movers spend on the job. There are plenty of tasks that you can do prior to moving day to make the movers’ job quicker and easier. Here are two simple ways to save money on your move.

• Pack all of your moving boxes on your own. This will cut the movers’ work in half.
• Bring all your furniture and anything else going on the moving truck to a designated area at the front of your home. This will significantly expedite the process of loading the truck.

How can I save money on my long distance move?

Long distance moves are priced based on weight and the distance you’re moving. Therefore, be aware of the amount you’re bringing and try to cut down on excess weight whenever possible. Here are five ways to save money on your long distance move.

• Dispose of old items you no longer want or need.
• Do your own packing. When the movers arrive, have all your items well wrapped, in boxes and ready for loading.
• Disassemble heavy belongings such as shelving units, desks, pool tables, etc.
• Disconnect gas appliances and ice maker refrigerators.
• Be sure the drums of the washer and dryer are blocked and ready for loading.

How and when should I pay?

Due to tariff requirements, all charges need to be paid before your shipment is unloaded at your new address. If you’re paying upon arrival, we accept cash, money order, or cashier’s cheque. We also accept Visa, Mastercard, and American Express with advance approval prior to loading.

If you’ve received a non-binding estimate and your actual moving costs are more than the estimate, you will be required to pay no more than 110% of the estimated cost at delivery. If your actual costs exceed the estimate by more than 10%, you will have 30 days after delivery to pay the remaining amount.

What is transit/cargo protection and is there a cost for it?

Included in the cost of your move is a basic mover’s liability insurance which covers 60 cents per pound per article. Most customers don’t feel this offers them enough protection in the event of loss or damage. Most moving companies will offer a full replacement protection plan with a reasonable premium cost that can be customized to meet your individual requirements. At a minimum, this plan provides for coverage of $10.00 per lb. times the weight of your shipment. However, you can always declare a higher value based on your personal circumstances.

Rarely will your homeowner’s policy cover your possessions while they are in transit, that’s why it’s wise to consider purchasing the mover’s full replacement coverage. You can ask your insurance broker for some guidance as to the value you should place on your goods.

Items of greater value should be declared separately. It is a good idea to have a current, written appraisal done in advance of the move since you’ll need to substantiate the value if you make a claim for loss or damage.

A separate declaration should also be made for any motorized vehicles that are being transported. Remember that protection coverage on automobiles, snowmobiles, boats, motorcycles etc. is limited to the current market values (depreciated) at origin on the date of shipment. As a guideline, movers generally refer to the Canadian Used Car Valuation book or similar publications to assign a value in case of loss or damage.

Can any of my belongings not be moved?

For safety reasons, there are several items that cannot be moved in our vans. Your moving consultant can provide you with a more comprehensive list but in general, they fall into the categories of aerosols, flammables, cleaning agents, combustibles, perishables, plants, ammunition, and paints.

There are a few other items that we can move but aren’t covered under a mover’s transit protection policy. It’s best to take these belongings with you. These items include jewellery, coin or stamp collections, stock certificates, rare items, currency, important documents.

What about my appliances?

Items like washers, dryers, refrigerators with ice makers, gas appliances, grandfather clocks, and pool tables need special servicing before they can be moved. You can service these items yourself or your moving consultant can give you a price estimate and make arrangements for you.

Do movers disassemble beds?

Movers are happy to disassemble beds and bed frames! They will also disassemble any other items that need to be taken apart for safe transportation. If the movers disassemble these items they will also reassemble them at your destination. If you disassemble it, you will need to reassemble it at your new address. However, movers will not remove items that are affixed to walls or ceilings (i.e. drapery tracks, light fixtures) due to the possibility that they may damage your property.

Is there anything I should know if my shipment is going into storage?

If possible, try not to put items in storage that you’ll need to access. Your goods will be stored in palletized storage vaults in the mover’s warehouse and will be fairly difficult to access. If you need to get to your storage vault, we will charge a fee to make up for the warehouse labour.

If you do your own packing, make sure that all storage items are packed in a carton. The items that will be delivered to your temporary residence should be clearly marked and separated from those going into storage.

How will my furniture be protected against soiling during transit?

Each item will be carefully wrapped in a clean moving pad. Upholstered furniture will be shrink-wrapped in plastic for extra protection. Mattresses and box springs will be placed either in plastic bags or specially designed cartons.

How is a delivery schedule established?

With long distance moving, there is generally more than one shipment on each trailer. Since trailers can hold between 25,000 — 30,000 lbs., your moving consultant will establish a delivery spread (AKA transit time) for you. The delivery spread is based on the weight of your shipment and the mileage from origin to destination. The mover is responsible for communicating the time frame of your delivery. It is your responsibility to be available during the entire delivery spread period and to provide a phone number where you can be reached.

Your driver will contact you 24 hours before your household shipment arrives at your destination. Your moving consultant will provide you with a contact number for the affiliated agent at your destination. If your contact number changes, be sure to report this information to your destination agent so they can relay it to your driver.

What can I expect on delivery?

Upon arrival at your new address, the driver will provide you with an Inventory Check-Off Listing. Each item is checked off as it is delivered. Any loss or damage is noted on the driver’s copy of the inventory in the section called “Exceptions on Delivery”.

Will the mover unpack the cartons at the destination?

If you’ve contracted your mover to pack up your household goods then they will also unpack them at your destination. An unpacker from your destination agent’s office (or your driver in some instances) will place these items on a flat, visible surface such as a table, or a countertop.

If the customer packed the cartons, they will not be unpacked. Unpacking doesn’t include putting dishes in cupboards, books on bookshelves, or hanging clothes in closets. These services fall under the definition of maid service and are available at an additional cost.