Five Biggest Mistakes Mistakes when selling a home
by Jon Dougherty
There are so many mistakes and horror
stories about moving that it is hard to narrow
down to just the TOP 5 Mistakes.
On the normal end of the spectrum, you
may just fi nd yourself in your new house constantly
rummaging through unmarked boxes for
days as you search for your socks, a frying pan,
your child’s favorite toy, your toothbrush or more.
The phrase, “I thought YOU packed it,” will come
up more than once.
Or, like many others, you might fi nd some
damage to your furniture only to have the moving
company explain to you that “their” contract
does not cover “that” particular damage.
Then there is the nightmare scenario. The
moving company explains that there are “extra”
charges and they simply refuse to deliver your
furniture unless you pay them – now. If you care
to argue, your furniture will be placed in storage,
for which you will be billed, and you will be either
staying at a hotel or sleeping on the fl oor of your
new house as you try and remember why you
chose this company.
If you think these stories don’t happen
– they do. Ask your friends about their moving
experiences. Although I know there must be some
smooth, tranquil, uneventful moving stories out
there, I have yet to hear them.
When getting ready to move, remember
that you are about to transport the most important
and valuable things in your life. Be careful.
Top 5 mistakes are:
1 Choosing the wrong
company
While it is great to choose the perfect
company, it is more important NOT to choose a
bad one. Whether you are choosing a national
company or a local one, do your homework. Get
on the Internet. Search for complaints, references
or reviews.
Know the company well, BEFORE you
let them move a single dish. Remember that
“national” companies are often local businessmen
with a franchise. If you have a problem, do
not expect anything from the “national” moving
company.
2 Not getting a signed, written
estimate
This borders on insanity. An estimate will
help you (and the judge) determine the actual
amount in case you go over the estimated miles
or linear feet of storage and there is a disagreement.
If you are using a moving company, have a
representative come to your house and give you
signed written an estimate. As they go through
the house, go with them and bring your video
recorder so there is no confusion later.
3 Insurance
Not having enough or not understanding
what you do have.
4 Closing day should not be
moving day
Even if your closing goes smoothly, it is
going to take a good portion of the day. You
should do a walk-through before you get to
closing. Signing and checking a mountain of
documents takes times.
Your closing might be delayed because the
title company is running behind with too many
closings and not enough time or employees.
Worse, your fi nancial package from the lender
may be incomplete and funding might be delayed
by a day. Having a fully packed U-Haul in the
title company’s parking lot during closing will not
have a calming effect on you.
5 Not taking an emergency kit
Pack your car as if you are going to be in
a hotel for a day or two. You might. But
even if things go smoothly, you will have two or
three days of not worrying about which box has
your socks in them.
(Extra tip – If you are moving your computer
– be sure and BACK UP ALL YOUR DATA. Your
computer is important, but your data is irreplaceable.)
We welcome your comments, questions and suggestions.
Send them to Jon Dougherty
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