Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Moving with Humor

Some people go extreme when trying to save a penny or two on their move. The usual shortcut is to rent a truck, find a couple of muscular friends and move on your own – no moving company involved.

Others will make a hundred trips in their car between the old and the new places, this way transporting all the small stuff, leaving just big furniture to professional movers.

Yet certain people find such a unique moving solution, that it keeps others talking for years to come. Like moving their belongings on the roof of their van - in a huge huge pile visible from far away.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Moving into a Building in New York City


If you are planning to move to a building in New York City, Manhattan in particular, you should keep in mind that extra preparation steps might be required.

Numerous buildings especially co-ops have very strict moving regulations to minimize the inconvenience that a move will cause to other tenants. There are usually limited hours when you can move in or out: thus, some buildings wouldn’t allow any moves after 6 p.m. or on the weekends. In addition to that you might be required to make prior arrangements and reserve your moving time.

Another important detail to consider is that some buildings’ management requires that your moving company provide them with liability insurance certificate set up in their name. The insurance will cover any damages that might incur to the building property as a result of your move: scratched floors, a hole in the wall, broken elevator. The usual coverage requirement is one million dollars, however some luxury buildings will request even more than that! Make sure that your moving company has a liability insurance provider, ask for the certificate to be faxed to the building management in advance to ensure you get the approval to move in. Keep in mind that moving companies charge an extra fee for each certificate they have to issue – sometimes you may require two of them for both the buildings.

It’s no news that to find parking in New York City is a big challenge. Especially if it’s a loaded truck that has to be parked as close to the building entrance as possible. Movers will often have no choice but to double park, so be prepare to pick up the cost of the parking ticket that they may get. Another option is to have someone stand near the truck or adding an extra mover to your moving crew, who can be fixing the items inside the truck while keeping an eye on the vehicle. You can also ask your building doorman if it is possible to reserve a parking space in front of the building entrance.