Your job relocation has required that you pack up your household and move. You no doubt feel as if you are in a flurry of legal documents and paperwork that require your signature. Many of the papers you are asked to sign may be filled with names and terms which you find unfamiliar.
The stress of moving can be so enormous that you want to just pick up a pen and hurry the process along. However, before you get moving quotes there are five documents you need to understand before you are going to sign anything.
- Moving Estimate – The estimate is most likely the very first paperwork you will see in regard to moving your household items. This is, as its name implies, a written estimate of how much it is expected to cost to move your household goods. Obtain several moving estimates before deciding on the best mover to meet your needs. Before you sign an estimate, ask to be sure you understand if it is a binding, which states the final costs set in stone, or non-binding estimate, which is an approximation of costs.
- Order for Service – Once you decide upon a moving company to hire based on their estimate, the company will issue an order for the services requested. This document is a binding contract and should include precise information about moving dates, pick-up and delivery dates and other details about your move. Read it carefully before you sign and make sure all of the terms match the agreed-upon estimate.
- Inventory Sheet – This document is a list of all of the items that the movers will be responsible for handling during the move. The movers will use it as a checklist as they load and unload, making note of any items that are missing or damaged.
- High Value Inventory Sheet – Any valuable items that are costly to replace or irreplaceable items should be listed on a separate inventory checklist called a High Value Inventory Sheet.
- Bill of Lading – This document states what items you will be transporting and how they will be transported. Your movers will give you this document to sign on the day of your move. Keep it with you as your receipt and as proof of your agreement with the moving company.
It doesn`t matter whether you choose long distance or local movers, before doing such an important step like relocation, you should be totally aware of the whole bunch of documents you would be obliged to sign.
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