Not only is there help on the Internet, but there also is a new crop of niche companies specializing in helping people move. The kits include color-coded labels, wardrobe boxes, corrugated cardboard boxes and bubble wrap. What you pay to pack and haul seldom-needed possessions can add substantially to the overall cost and confusion of your move. If you do end up needing to store things, moving companies usually own their own storage facilities, said Noblit. Movers are required to provide basic insurance for stored items, but Noblit advises customers to carefully determine whether that is adequate for their possessions.
Pricing is complicated in the moving business, often drawing complaints from consumers.
Low-balling, or estimating a low price at the start and then raising it at the end of the move is one common complaint. In some cases, movers have refused to release customers' belongings, holding them virtually hostage until the bill was paid. Noblit, who is also a board member of the Long Island Moving and Storage Association, a Southold-based trade group, recommended that customers insist the mover come to the home to view the items that will be moved. But to be fair, he added, a customer should expect to pay extra when items are added at the last minute. Maybe they'll not be able to sell the dining room set or the couch.