Stairs don’t seem to be much of a challenge if you are healthy enough to go up and down without a problem. But residential movers in Saint Paul see the problems that you can encounter with stairs every day. When trying to go up and down those stairs with large or bulky items, things can get tricky.
Moving Insurance: Is It Really Necessary?
You might be tempted to cut a few corners when moving your home or office. Maybe you’re moving across town and you figure you can get by without bubble wrap. Perhaps you can. But the one area you should not try to skimp on is moving insurance. It really is necessary. RJ Moving offers .60 per lb. per article at no cost to the customer or you can purchase $15,000 Maximum Value Protection @ $90. Your homeowner’s policy may cover your move, so also check with them. RJ Moving crews work hard to provide a claim free move for you.
The purpose for moving insurance is to cover the replacement or restoration of furniture and other items should they get damaged during your move. Trust us, accidents happen, event with the best of movers.
What Kind of Items Can You Insure?
No matter how careful you are in choosing moving companies, and no matter how good your moving company is, accidents can happen. And it may not necessarily be the movers fault. But if you do hire a mover to relocate your home or office—whether in the same town or across country—and an accident causes something to be damaged, you will not get it replaced without insurance. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
So what can you insure?*
- Furniture
- Kitchen items such as bowls, plates, and silver ware
- Appliances
- Electronics
- Books
- Clothes
- Knickknacks
- Fine art (should be crated to ensure protection – ask your representative)
- Antiques
- High-value items
- Jewelry (should not be moved with any movers)
* Please Note: RJ Moving cannot insure individual items. It is everything or nothing. Boxes packed by homeowner are not insured unless the box shows mishandling.
Typically, what cannot be insured are items of significant emotional or sentimental value. You may be able to file a claim against lost jewelry, for instance, but that broach that Aunt Martha bought you for Christmas when you were ten years old cannot be claimed for more than its actual value. You can’t recover sentimental value. Family photos typically fall into that category.
For that reason, if you have items of significant sentimental or emotional value, you’d be better off moving them yourself.
What Kind of Damages Can You Recover?
Recovery for damages is another item altogether. Generally speaking, you’ll only be able to recover the actual value of something that is lost or damaged. The tricky part is declaring that value. Movers will want estimated purchased date and price and will use the internet for compared item.
Most moving companies use weight as a measure for .60 per lb. per article coverage. Total weight of an item, times .60 per lb. per article is how it is figured. If you lose just one item in the mix, an industry standard or the internet will assist in putting a weight to an item.
Let’s say you have a load that is valuable. You can assess the value of your items and purchase insurance based on that assessment. This is very important for items that are very valuable, such as rare pieces of fine art, antiques, and the like.
To assess the value of your belongings, you should take pictures and list each item you are moving on a manifest. If something is not on the moving list, you will likely not get recovery on those items if they are lost or damaged.
Be sure to meet with your moving company representative to discuss your moving manifest and the value of any of your specialty belongings that require extra care. Your crews will perform a pre-move/post-move condition of your goods. An inventory and a post-move inventory of your items will be provided IF moving into RJ Moving warehouse storage.
