How to Make Emergency Moves Go Well
A GUIDE FOR COMMUNITIES
A public service from Sunrise Management and Priority Moving
There isn’t a resident who won’t appreciate your efforts to help them reduce the costs and hassle associated with a move.
In order to help you maintain the highest level of resident satisfaction, Sunrise and Priority Moving (an award-winning, San Diego-based moving company) have teamed up to provide you with this guide. Sunrise specifically recommends Priority because of the thousands of moves they perform each year. Their team of expert handlers relocate everything imaginable for moves caused by community renovations, condo conversions, model moves, water intrusion, mold, or other situations which require coordinated moves with minimized costs.
Moving Costs
In situations such as community renovations, the property will typically pay for the move up to a pre-determined financial cap. In local moves, costs are calculated based on an hourly rate. How long a move takes is primarily tied to three variables:
Access – This involves what floor the unit is on, the type of stairs, any barriers, where the truck can park, the building the resident is moving to/from, etc. This variable is beyond the control of the resident.
Preparedness – The term simply means how ready the resident is. Are they fully packed with everything in proper boxes, are items organized, etc? This variable is in complete control of the resident and greatly affects the length to complete the move (and the final cost of the move).
What’s being moved – Along with assessing how much is being moved, it’s key to review the size and quality of items being moved. Small furniture is quicker to move then large antiques, moving collectables and un-assembling/assembling beds add time to the move, etc.
Priority Moving, Inc.’s basic parameters:
Priority charges an hourly moving rate of $94.00/hour for a 2-man crew and $35 per hour for each additional crewmember (if needed). Overtime (time-and-a-half) begins at 8 hours.
There is a 4-hour minimum per move and costs thereafter are prorated in 10-minute increments. There is also a 15-minute minimum drive time for driving to and from the property (this may be included in the 4-hour minimum).
Many movers have hidden fees – something Priority doesn’t do and we at Sunrise like about them. So while there is a $40 fuel surcharge per move (which is typical of the industry today), the only additional charge should be if the resident needs to purchase moving supplies like boxes, bubble wrap, or micro foam for transporting fragile or expensive items.
Included in the rates noted above is free use of wardrobe boxes, large cargo bins and “speedpaks” on the day of the move; basic cargo liability coverage; shrink-wrap, carpet protection, floor and door protection, tape and other supplies as necessary to perform the move, and of course; a fully-stocked truck.
Basic liability coverage limits the mover’s liability for loss or damage to 60 cents per pound per article. Typically the property does not purchase additional coverage and leaves the decision for additional coverage up to the residents.
Choose the Level of Service
Regardless of the reason for the move, there are three different levels of service residents can typically expect. For obvious reasons, the final cost of the move is directly influenced by the amount of service ordered. A resident’s options include:
Move Only - The most common level of service, the community is paying only to move the resident’s possessions. The resident must have all of their personal possessions boxed and organized when the movers arrive.
Pack and Move - This means the movers are packing the resident’s possessions, and moving them to the destination. It’s a service that’s well-suited to busy executives and older residents.
Pack, Move and Unpack - Rare occasions require a community to pay to have a resident’s possessions packed, moved and then unpacked.
Capping a Property-Owner’s Costs
Whenever possible, Priority recommends putting a cap on the dollar amount for moving services to be provided to a resident. This permits the property to properly budget costs for the moves, while motivating residents to be fully prepared and on time.
With moves costing less than the allowance, resident should not receive the balance - the property is simply billed for less than the pre-determined per-resident allowance. Billing arrangements should also be made in advance for any residential moving costs that are not to be covered by the property owner.
Operations
To minimize confusion, Priority typically recommends there be a single representative of the property authorized to make financial and logistical decisions. That person should be organized and capable of communicating on an ongoing basis with both Priority representatives and residents. Priority will coordinate all moves in and out, as well as details large and small, with this key employee.
Material handlers will also need to speak directly to the resident to obtain the information necessary from them about their particular move. Though the community is probably paying for the move, the resident is required by law to sign the moving contract and all related moving paperwork.
Moving Day
Specially trained crews move quickly and efficiently and manage the resident to speed all aspects of the move. To expedite matters, SpeedPaks and special hand trucks are used.
As the distance between each unit is a major factor, it is important to move as much volume of goods as possible on each trip. SpeedPaks are large, specially designed containers for consolidating possessions. SpeedPaks also reduce the overall cost of the move as less packing(and less labor) and less materials (fewer boxes) is needed. Special hand trucks that flatten to move a greater number of boxes on each trip are also used for inter-community transitions.
Making Successful Moves Happen
We invite you to speak directly with Bryan Bloom, president of Priority Moving, for additional information about saving your community money when relocating residents. His goal is to keep the process smooth, and he welcomes your suggestions on how to make your next residential move streamlined and efficient.
He can be reached at 800-970-0045 or online at www.prioritymoving.com.
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