The Do`s and Dont`s
It’s that time of the year again! Where we start to see all shapes and sizes of moving trucks in our area. Families will go from one coast to the other. Some may get to go to Hawaii or Alaska. And others may even move to a different country. Whether the move be 10 miles or 100 miles, it can be a stressful time. Even for those of us who have done this more times than we can count. You know you’ve been “around the block” a few times when you start to collect little colored numbered stickers on your furniture. One of my good friends recently had a very negative experience with movers, which got me thinking about the do’s and don’ts of doing a military move. In no way were any of the things that went wrong with her move her fault; she just happened to get a crew who was not there to serve her and her husband. But if there is anything you can do to try and help make the move smoother, I hope to be able to identify them for you here!
The first thing that you should do once you find out you have official military orders is you will want to go/call your DMO office in order to set up your move. You will likely be asked to go to move.mil to set up your move. This is something you may be able to do from home, but I would recommend doing it from the DMO office. Sometimes the site will only work from certified computers. Also, the staff will be available to you should you have any questions about the site. You should receive a call from the moving company that is assigned your move and they will do a type of phone interview. They will want to know how much square footage you have and an estimate of weight of your household goods. They’ll ask how many rooms you have and if that includes a garage. Anything that you think will need extra precaution should be brought up, IE: if you have a piano, or anything that holds extra weight. In addition to this phone screening, there should also be a physical walk through done by someone on the crew so they can get a feel of how many supplies they will need to bring. Don’t let them skip this step as what they get from the phone screening and walk-thru may be vastly different. And it okay not to really know how to give an accurate estimate. It is their job, as your moving crew, to be prepared with supplies, crew members, and moving trucks. Also, make sure you understand what they will and will not pack. Will they take the lawnmower, barbeque grill, backyard items. Also, don’t forget to ask about food items. Some will pack your spices and anything non-perishable that has not been opened. Also know what they will and will not take apart, such as furniture, playhouses, playground equipment. This will give you a better understanding on what needs to be done on your part in order to make the move out process run smoothly. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. They do this every day, but for some, this may be the first move. You’ll want to be as informed as possible. Once this walk-thru is done, you will want to go through your house and take pictures of anything of value, anything that has a serial number, or anything that is of important value to you. You can also take this time to pull anything you don’t want to get packed up. Anything you’ll need if you will be driving cross-country. Or anything you’ll want to take with you. Usually this is family heirlooms, jewelry, and of course, necessities for living out of a suitcase for a period of time. Make sure and let the movers know when they arrive to pack where your designated “no pack” area is. Take this time to do all the laundry! You don’t want the movers packing a half filled dirty hamper, because they will! Make sure dishwasher is emptied, and make sure all garbage cans are empty and clean. Because like dirty laundry, they will pack the rubbish that is left in the can?
Now that you have a pack up date, it time to start getting the house ready! Most movers will take 2 days to pack up. The first day they will do all non-essential items such a linen closet, dishes, knick-knacks. The second day will be bedding, bedroom furniture, clothing. Just let them do their job. Try and stay out of the way. If they have questions, they will certainly ask. I normally like to have a little something for the movers and packers. Whether it be some breakfast items and coffee, or lunch. Treat them well and they will usually take extra care with your personal property. Once all of your items are packed, a new crew will come in to take all the boxes and take a part furniture. You can help make this process easier on yourself by going behind them as they take furniture apart and placing all nuts, bolts, and screws into a labeled plastic bag and making sure the pieces are packed or taped onto the furniture piece. When my family and I ended up at our current duty station, we found there was a little box that was packed labeled “parts”. This parts box was all of the hardware for our kitchen table and chairs, beds, dining table, and recliner. That was fun for the people who unpacked our moving trucks because it was their job to try and figure out what hardware went to what piece of furniture. Don’t let that happen to you. You will also be given a copy of all of those little numbers that were placed on your boxes and furniture. This is an inventory sheet. It doesn’t say exactly what is in each box, but should give a general description (downstairs closet books). Don’t worry, you will also get a copy of this list when you arrive at your new duty station. This is to ensure you receive all of your household goods. Don’t be afraid to ask for the driver’s phone number. That way, if need be, you can keep in contact with him/her as to where your shipment is. The move-out process should be fairly stress free if you just remember to relax and let the movers do their job. Just allow yourself enough time at the beginning of the move-out process to do the things that need to be done, such as emptying gas from mowers, and removing propane/charcoal from grill (Find a list of TMO Prohibited Items here). And remember, there is no dumb question, or a question they haven’t been asked before, so don’t be afraid to ask! Happy Moving!!
Michelle Alvarez
