What is Moving Link? It is a company in western Washington formed in 1997 to assist home sellers in locating the right mover for their needs with out having to contact every mover in town. Moving Linkis able to connect a seller with the right mover for them and facilitate a move any where in the country and probably anywhere in the world.
Why was this company formed? To make moving easier than ever before. The result:
- Single point of contact that works for you – not the moving company
- Client advocate to trouble shoot the moving service
- Volume incentive/leverage with the mover to keep costs competitive
- Easier way to compare bids
- Quality Assurance
- Un-biased consulting
And Best Of All: It costs the seller nothing extra. Why: Because the movers pay Moving Link the fee they would normally have to pay their own front man.
Moving Link has a great reputation and they keep it that way by constantly getting feed back from the people they have helped. Companies that fall short of the quality of service don't get recommended the next time.
Richard Harper, founder of Moving Link, recently sent me the following hints to safe money when moving and I am passing them on to you with his permission.
Do it yourself Plan A - Rental Truck, beverages, and pizza go a long way and is the most cost effective way I know to move. Now, if you're older like me - oh, my back, my knees, my friends are all old, my kids either live out of town or can't afford to take time off work to help, Plan A won't work.
So, Plan B, you're thinking is to rent a truck and hire some experienced people to help. The cost of your plan B won't be much different from hiring a professional permitted mover in a competitive situation and is a lot less stressful.
Packing The more you pack the less the mover will charge you. Couple of thoughts: Start packing the non-breakable items first and if you run out of time, use the movers for the breakable items. It is pretty hard to break a box of books or linens! On a local move you will save time and money by "staging" your home for the mover. I know, I know, after listing your home for sale, the word staging isn't a fun word, but it can save you money.
PURGE!! When packing, use the 3 second rule: If you hold something in your hand for 3 seconds or longer trying to decide if it should go in the move or not - you DO NOT need it!! Less to move... Less it will cost! - have I already mentioned the word purge? On a local move consider using the mover to move only the big items and you move all of the boxes and smaller items.
Moving There is a fine line between getting the highest quality at the most competitive price! Make sure you DO YOUR HOMEWORK!!! www.thebbb.org; www.utc.wa.gov; www.wmcmovers.com
Storage Self Storage? Portable Storage? Mover's Storage? What kind of storage is the most cost effective for you? How long will you be in storage? Look at your total cost not just 1 month of storage. What will it cost you to go into storage? Do you need access while it is storage? Is it important to your to maintain continuity in responsibility for potential damage? Answering those questions will guide you in the direction in which you need to head.
Bottom-line... the more you do - the less your move will cost.
I have no connection with Moving Link other than the knowledge that they give excellent service to their clients.
If you are moving from or within the greater Seattle area give me a call to help you with the marketing and sale of your property; and call Moving Link to make sure the heavy lifing gets done right.
Glenn Roberts
Retired
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Glenn,
Many Realtors don't give enough thought to the moving piece of a transaction. I have a client now who will be moving out of her condo when we settle at the end of the month and her moving quotes have been from $4,500 to $9,500. She could use a resource like moving link.
Rich
Rich - Right now they are only in the Northwest as far as I know. But it is a great service.
I just moved to the Seattle area a year ago and I sure wish I had had something like this or just someone with a real idea of what it took.
I was definitely the plan A though and spent some amazing time seeing the country on the way here which i wouldn't trade
Kim - Welcome top ActiveRain. Moving just seems to get tougher.
Hey Glenn. Hope you are ready to have a great weekend. Seattle must be great this time of year.
Good work Glenn. A practical guide is a very useful tool. I have not moved in 20 years.
Paula - Looks like a great weather. Fix a plumbing issue in the rental house tomorrow. Work up details to write on a commercial property on Sunday morning and then, with temps in around 70's and sun a 12 mile hike on Tiger Mountain in the Cascades for Sunday afternoon. I'll take that all with open arms.
Charles - I've been in this house since 1989. Going to need a tree surgeon to cut my roots when it comes time to able on.
thanks for sharing... sounds like a wonderful company.... we have some similar ones here. I need to investigate them further..
Shelia - they do take the onus off of me for recommending a particular moving company and make it a lot easier on the person moving.
Glen - there is so much to moving once you've sold your home - great tips and advice! I like the 3 second rule - never heard of it, but it makes sense!
Kristine - Sometimes it takes only 3 seconds to decide but days or months to part with an old treasure.
Great tips Glenn and especially the one for moving links, we hadn't heard of them! Will be checking them out now.... Purging BEFORE moving is also great advice!
Al and Peggy - It seems like constant purging is one thing and more selective buying is another. Both are good.
What a great resource to know about! And the tips to prepare for moving are good ones! We are - slowly - working toward a future move and had a big garage sale this past weekend so I feel good about getting rid of quite a bit of excess "stuff".
Nancy - This company is good, and as a realtor, you don't want to end up recommending a bad mover. Let someone else keep track of the heavy lifters.
Glen moving is such a stressful event so having a resource like this will be a big help. Purging before moving make sense, why pay for unwanted weight.
Jennifer - And once that stuff is gone you never have to mess with it again.
Glenn,
I would hate that three second rule. I weigh just about everything. I try to think how I would feel if I no longer had the item, would I be shopping for an identical if I didn't own it...
Judi, As you get older you'll realize that there are a lot of things that it's okay to just give up ;)
☂What a great idea Glenn, I wonder if there's anything like this here in the Triangle. Will need to check it out. You're list is great too! Very well thought out. Well done...
Pamela
Lee and Pam - They are pretty popular here and quite good at what they do.
This is a great local resource and service for the relocation client! Fantastic tips for those with a move in their future.
Carla - Pack 'em up and move 'em out.
Glenn the single most thing that struck me was PURGE. If ever there was a time to purge, then moving would be IT.
Moving Link is great! My company, Moving Forward, helps people sort, purge, pack, and unpack. We do everything to help people move except transport the boxes and furniture. For that we call on registered moving companies. We've relied on Moving Link for over 5 years and they have been a great resource. Local moves, out-of-state moves and even international moves. They can do it all.