Top 8 Questions Realtors Get About Home Moving

When it comes to moving, whether you’re moving locally, long distance or internationally, we realize that the journey starts a long time before you ever reach out to us for a moving quote. Often, it starts as soon as you decide to buy a home, which means that the first people who get questions about the moving process are realtors.

That’s why we decided to reach out to some of our realtor peers to understand, what are those first questions that people want to know about moving, and how can we help?

These are the questions they listed as the top initial question’s realtors get about moving, and our best answers for them:

1. Can a mover store my things until I arrive?

Absolutely, yes. We can’t speak for all moving companies, but Suddath is both moving and storage, and we have over 3 million square feet of warehouse space across the country to safely store household goods until they’re needed.

Because of our wide range of storage services, the options with Suddath solve many common challenges in moving and storage:

However, you shouldn’t assume that all moving companies can store your goods – many smaller, mom-and-pop local moving companies do not have this capability, so make sure you ask upfront during the quote process.

You’re also going to want to ask about their storage capabilities. For example, Suddath is able to provide secure and flexible storage options in climate-controlled space as well as vault and warehousing needs for household goods. In many locations, we can also offer temperature-controlled areas for storing items that might be more sensitive to temperature changes, such as wine, art or antiques.

2. How do I coordinate both closing dates so I can move and not have to put my stuff in storage?

This is a common question, and the logistics of moving is the part most people often feel the most anxiety about. It makes sense – it’s also the part you have the least control over. When you sell your house and are buying another one, it’s imperative to plan your move quickly – and with as much lead time as possible.

This is where you need an experienced, professional mover on your side. Many smaller moving companies are going to be looking to you for answers or will have less capacity to accommodate specific dates.

Suddath will be able to coach you through the booking process to offer the right solutions for you and your move. For example, many people don’t know that the moving industry works a lot like flying in that demand can determine price. So exactly the same way it would cost you more to fly out on a Friday or Saturday than it would a Tuesday or Wednesday, it will typically cost more to move on a weekend at the end of the month than it would in the middle of the week – and more during the busy summer peak season than in the late fall, winter or early spring

When you’re lacking flexibility on your end, it’s important to choose a moving company that can provide you options to best meet your needs.

3. The houses are selling so fast that I know clients are concerned about the need to store their goods until they are ready to move to the next place. What are the storage options?

This issue, although a good one, typically requires is a combination of planning, packing and storage. This is because:

1. the client’s concern is going to be first, “what am I going to do with my stuff?” and,
2. “how quickly can I have it stored, and then delivered to me once I find a new home?”

When homes are selling quickly, that means that clients are typically unprepared to move their goods. With our breadth of services, Suddath has the capacity to quickly step in and provide either partial or full professional packing services, and store the items the customer doesn’t immediately need, while moving out what they do need. Then, once they’ve closed on their new home, we can arrange to quickly deliver their goods from storage.

4. How long does it take to get my stuff?

The timeframe for getting your household goods after loading is obviously different for every type of move, with local moving the shortest timeframe, followed by long distance and international.

How long does it take to get my stuff in a local move? With local moving, the process is much shorter. Typically, unless you have elected for some kind of storage, your items will be packed up in the morning and delivered in the afternoon, or the next day depending on the size of your home and how long the packing up process takes.

How long does it take to get my stuff in a long-distance move? A common misconception when moving long-distance is that the truck will follow you directly to your new home and get there at the same time you will. In reality, it can take up to a couple of weeks to get your items, depending on several variables.

A long-distance moving truck is large and can carry up to 35,000 pounds of items. AMSA studies show us that the average move size is just over 7000 lbs, so when you see a moving truck on the road, it could have 3 – 5 families’ goods onboard. So with a traditional move, the truck will have multiple households it needs to pick up and deliver, in a route that is determined by a dispatcher to ensure efficiency. That route, in addition to strict hours of service regulations which limit the number of hours the driver can work, weather impacts, and time of year may also factor into the timeline. During peak moving season, which is April through September, delivery spreads might also be longer. Suddath offers various modes of transportation, however, such as container options (for smaller moves), which often provide shorter delivery spreads, exclusive use, and more direct routes.

How long does it take to get my stuff in an international move? An international move takes an added level of expertise, which Suddath International provides. There are a lot of protocols, requirements, and controlling entities that are outside of any moving company’s control. Having a true, experienced international mover working with you can help you avoid unnecessary delays and stressful issues. If you are moving internationally, the timeframe is very much dependent on where you’re moving, and the different regulations at the ports and customs agencies at those locations. A Suddath move coordinator can give you a timeframe during the move planning process.

5. Why should I pay more to move if I can find someone cheaper?

This is a great question, and one you shouldn’t be afraid to ask while choosing a mover who will soon drive away with everything you own. It’s a big decision, and you want to be sure you’re protected. Suddath will typically not be the least expensive mover. There are always going to be cheap options ranging from just some guys with a truck to the local one- or two-truck mover, so the answer depends upon the level of quality expected and desired.

We want our customers to understand where every penny goes to in the moving quote to help you feel comfortable and so there aren’t any surprises on moving day. It’s important to ensure you are comparing apples to apples when looking at various estimates. Many movers only include the minimum valuation required by law, which is only 60 cents/pound, and they exclude services that might be required later.

That’s why we thoroughly explain your options when it comes to things like valuation coverage and our specialty services like storage, piano, car and boat moving.

Here are some of the things Suddath invests in for the quality of our service and our customer’s peace of mind:

Industry-leading training: our employees go through over 250 hours of training at our in-house training center, Suddath University, complete with a mock home environment built into our warehouse.

Background-checked crew and drivers: you will never get a crew or driver that hasn’t been fully vetted and trained by us. We have a thorough vetting process before we even hire and begin training.

Industry accreditations: Suddath carries many moving industry accreditations, such as International Association of Movers. We also have a long-standing partnership with Atlas Van Lines. These not only show our tenure and dedication in the industry, but our leadership in the field as well.

Staff tenure: As a over 100-year-old company, we know that tenure and experience go a long way in providing a positive moving experience. That’s why Suddath invests in developing the skills of our employees – many who’ve been with us for decades and is proud to have earned “Best Place to Work” several years in a row.

Dedicated move coordinators: Each move is unique and requires specialized attention depending on the specific needs. That’s why we assign each customer a move coordinator to manage the details and ensure that everyone is working from the same personalized plan throughout the move process.

The move coordinator works to ensure every customer has peace of mind and enjoys a smooth move experience.

6. Do you have a pod company?

Suddath currently offers Snapmoves, a containerized shipment program that provides our customers maximum flexibility at a reasonable cost. Snapmoves are perfect for apartment moves, a one to two-bedroom house, or just moving a few items – and we’ll help you determine the number of containers needed.

Benefits of a Snapmove container program:

7. Can they help me move my goods if I live in another state? How is this possible – Facetime?

Of course! Suddath moves over 80,000 people every year, and that includes people moving down the street, across the country or even around the world.

We have locations across the country, and are agents for Atlas Van Lines. That means we consistent quality standards no matter the location of pick-up or delivery – working only within our trusted agent network.

The start of any move is with a move survey. This helps us to listen to our customers’ needs, assess the items being moved and identify any special accommodations in advance. Our goal is to be the easiest moving company to work with, so that is why we offer two convenient options: an in person and virtual (video) survey.

The virtual moving survey uses our proprietary technology, which is easy and safe, and allows our customers to select a day and time that is most convenient for them. One of our experienced relocation consultants will conduct the survey and will provide a complimentary estimate that includes the best service options.

Let us know if you are ready to move and want to schedule your video estimate.

8. Are they insured, responsible, trustworthy and on-time?

Absolutely. Suddath is fully insured and has over 100 years of moving experience, relocating over 80,00 individuals each year. As a member of Worldwide ERC, and many other industry associations, Suddath is committed to providing excellence in service delivery. Suddath has the experience, expertise and caring drivers and crew members to get you and your personal belongings where you need to go safely and efficiently.

In the moving industry, time is money. That is why Suddath puts so much focus on training. Not only does training minimize issues and damages, but an efficient, well-trained crew means we optimize the time to perform the services. A lot of forethought and logistics go on behind the scenes before a move even happens to ensure we stay on schedule and deliver on our promises.

Local or intrastate moves are regulated by the state in which the move occurs in the around thirty states that currently have various degrees of regulation, with the rest being unregulated. Before engaging with any moving company, it’s good to check with the state Attorney General’s office. You can also find a list of state moving associations and state regulatory agencies with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Because the industry is riddled with brokers and fraudulent moving companies, it’s important to look for the red flags. Suddath prides itself in protecting the rights of its customers and communicates mutual responsibilities, as outlined by the government. United Van Lines has even established a team of legal professionals to help those who have been scammed by a rogue mover. For more information, refer to www.protectyourmove.gov and www.moverescue.org.