Dear Nancy...

"Dear Nancy"

 

This morning I was greeted by an email from a potential customer looking for a little help with his pre-packing planning.

 

I felt very nostalgic as I answered his questions carefully today, coffee in hand, cool morning air coming in from my office window...

 

I might not be Dear Abby, but this morning I took on the persona of Dear Abby of the moving world, lol, it's not much, but it's something.

 

Well, enough of my babbling on, here's the gentleman's email, and my responses. Maybe you have some of the same questions about your packing too? Take a gander, you never know what you're gonna learn!

 

HIS EMAIL:

 

"Hello Nancy,

 

I am in the process of looking for a house in Livermore (I currently live in Fremont). When I find a property there, I will need to move from my current residence in Fremont to the new one in Livermore.

 

In order to ensure that packing doesn’t turn into a serious stress inducing experience, I am doing a bunch of pre-packing before I have found a home. This has led to a bunch of questions. If you could answer them, it would help me select the best moving company for the job. These questions are:

 

1. Do I need to box pictures?

2. How do I pack computers, keyboards and monitors?

3. How do I pack printers?

4. I have a midi keyboard, which is 38” long. I don’t have the box it originally came in. How will it be handled?

5. Do I need to box table lamps?

6. Can my dresser and chest of drawers have clothes in them?

7. Do you supply a wardrobe box?

8. What about a guitar in case, a sewing machine, and a reel-to-reel tape player?

9. What about luggage?

10. Will you disconnect and reconnect my washer and dryer?

11. Will you disconnect and reconnect my refrigerator?

12. How do you handle microwave ovens?

13. How do you handle stereo equipment?

14. I have a free standing glove of the earth. How do we handle it?

15. How do you handle floor lamps?

16. How do you handle garden tools (shovel, rake etc.), a awn mower, a wheel barrow?

17. Will you disassemble and assemble my desk (this requires only removing a couple of bolts that connect the top to two base units?

18. Will you disassemble and assemble beds?

19. I have some lumber (redwood), some of which is 8 ft. long. Will you move it?

20. Can you give me a list of things you will not move?

 

Once I have a house purchased, I will be asking for companies to bid the move and I will contact you for an estimate. Thanks for helping me with this.

 

Regards,

 

Potential Client"

 

MY RESPONSE:

 

"Hello!,

 

Thank you for your questions. I wish you all the best in your house hunt! I'm happy to help answer your questions for you!

You may also find my blog helpful: www.fairpricemovers.blogspot.com where I share a lot of helpful moving tips!

Here you go:

1.We can wrap pictures in the free quilted blankets, shrink wrap and tape for you, or we can sell you a picture box, or these are sometimes best moved in your own personal vehicle since they are so delicate.

2.Again, computers, keyboards, and monitors are best inside a personal vehicle for a softer ride.

3.Same thing with printers, although they tend to be a bit sturdier than a glass monitor, you can either pack them up in a box with padding, marked fragile, or move it in your car so that electronics don't get jostled around by the truck.

4.The keyboard can be crated for $30 and put into it's own special box, or if it goes in your car, it's safe too.

5.Table lamps if the base or shade is breakable, are best wrapped up in a box marked fradgile, or put in your vehicle. Or we can sell you a lamp box to protect it. Taking out the light bulbs is a good idea too.

6.If you need us to carry a dresser or chest of drawers up or down any stairs, it must be emptied, not only for the safety of the dresser drawer tracks, but it makes it easier for the men to move these big pieces of furniture carefully through your homes without causing accidental damage to walls or floors due to the furniture being unruly and heavy.

7.We do supply up to (10) wardrobe boxes to use during the move free of charge, each box is about 6' tall and 2.5' wide, had a cross bar across the top where you can hang your clothing. Each box depending on the thickness of the clothing (i.e. puffy sweaters vs. thin houses) can carry about 20-30 pieces of clothing each. If you need more than (10) they are $15 a piece. We do not bring them to you prior to the move, we put them up in front of the closets right when we arrive so that you can fill them with clothes while the men disassemble furniture, wrap it up, and move it into the truck with the boxes, then at the new place the wardrobe boxes are the first thing off the truck so you have plenty of time to unload them into the new closets while the guys put the beds back together, unwrap the furniture, and put the boxes where they belong.

8.Guitar in case is fine in the truck. A sewing machine I suggest you pack up in a box with padding and mark it fragile, or move in your car. Same thing with reel-to-reel tape player.

9.Luggage is fine how it is, you can even fill them with the clothes from your dresser.

10.Yes we can disconnect and reconnect your washer and dryer. If you have a gas connection, please turn off the gas for our safety, and have all supplies available for the connections.

11.Yes we will disconnect and reconnect your refrigerator. If it has a water hookup, and the set up is easy, we can do it. Keep in mind for both the washer, dryer, and refrigerator, that we aren't handy men, but we'll do our best, and we do have experience, but if you are really concerned about it being done properly, please hire a professional.

12.Microwave ovens are fairly sturdy, just pack them up in a box with padding, and mark it fragile.

13.Stero equipment packed up in boxes with padding is fine.

14.We will wrap the globe up in padding quilts, shrink wrap and tape, and if it's really fragile we can suggest a little bubble wrap as well to protect it for an additional cost.

15.Floor lamps are much like table lamps, if the base is breakable, we need to wrap it up properly, take off the shade and wrap it separately, take off the light bulb. We can sell you a lamp box, or you can have us use quilts and shrink wrap and tape, or you can take it in your car for extra security. Loose items bouncing around the truck aren't safe, so we have to properly secure it somehow.

16.Garden tools should be boxed up or put into tool boxes or bins prior to our arrival. Wheel barrow can just go in the truck on it's own, it won't break. Lawn mower too, but it can't have fuel in it, we can't transport flammable.

17.We will disassemble and reassemble any furniture that needs it, free of charge, including your desk.

18.See 17, yes, especially the beds.

19.Yes, we can move the lumber.

20.Only things we can't move: Live plants that get soil inside the truck, plus their breakable pots don't tend to stand up well to the vibrations and bouncing of the truck, flammable like propane tanks, and fuel for mowers and such, and livestock=)

Thank you, I'm happy that you plan to reach out to me for a quote. I promise to give you a thorough quote you can depend on, and the best customer service you've ever had. We are an exceptional company, and we plan on doing a great job for you just like we do for all our customers.

Warmest Regards, Happy hunting,

Nancy Jensen
Director of Sales"

Have a happy weekend! Happy Spring!

Warmest Regards,

Nancy and Team

 

 



Pianos and Pool Tables Oh My...!

Dear Family, Friends, and Clients,

Hope the week is treating you well!

Whether you are moving from San Jose to San Jose, or from Palo Alto to Los Angeles, if you have an upright piano, baby grand piano, grand piano, or pool table, this is information you need to know about moving those items!

A lot of customers purchase pianos and pool tables from others on Craigslist and EBay, but they don't consider how they will get the piano or pool table to their new home. Sometimes the cost of moving the piano or pool table will exceed the cost of the piano or pool table, so buyer beware!

First of all, not all movers are professional Piano or Pool Table movers, so be sure you ask if they have experience with this! Fairprice Movers Inc. is very well versed in moving these items.

Movers that can also do Piano and Pool Table moves, can do them alone, or as part of a larger move.

Moving a piano can cost anywhere from $125 to $500 and up depending on the size of the piano.

If you live in a tricky parking place like San Francisco, there are also fees for long carries, as well as if the piano needs to be transported up or down any stairs or elevators, in some cases and fee for a piano crane is needed in order to get it to the level of your home or apartment/condo you need.

Smaller upright pianos can be moved in one piece, baby grands and grand pianos will have some disassembly and reassembly.

All pianos will be wrapped with quilted blankets, shrink wrap and tape to protect them during the move. Professional movers will use dollies, blankets, shrink wrap and tape, and either professional lift gates, or ramps to move your piano.

Most pianos will need retuning after being transported.

Make sure that the company you hire is a professional piano moving company that has the proper insurance to cover the piano should anything happen to it.

Pool tables are very similar to pianos, pool tables can take an hour or two to dismantle properly, and another hour or so to reassemble at your new home. They often cost about $200 to $600 to move, plus fees for long carries, and stairs just like a piano.

Fairprice Movers Inc. has a lot of experience moving both pianos and pool tables throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, and beyond.

So before you purchase one of these beauties, be prepared for the cost to move them!

Warmest Regards,

Nancy and Team