Everyone has their own vision for the perfect and easiest move.
Some people have a strong do-it-yourself bent and want to be as hands-on as possible during the process. (If this is you, check out our EZ Move program, available on Maui, Hilo, Kona and Kauai!)
Others want to convenience of a done-for-you solution, in which the moving company handles absolutely everything: materials, packing, shipping and unpacking. If you’re pressed for time—or you simply want the convenience of letting an expert crew manage all the details—then a done-for-you solution is likely right for you.
At Royal Hawaiian Movers, we call this our door-to-door service. We get a lot of questions about it, including:
- How exactly does it work?
- Do I need to buy any boxes?
- Will my movers disassemble my furniture?
- Will they unpack everything at my new home?
- How much does a door-to-door move cost?
We’ll answer these questions (and more!) as we walk you through the seven steps of a door-to-door move. Once you understand exactly what the process entails, you’ll find it easier to pick the kind of move that’s right for you, whether you’re moving to the mainland, to Hawaii or interisland.
Door-to-Door Move Step 1: Your Complimentary In-Home Survey with a Certified Moving Consultant
When you get in touch with us, the first thing we’ll do is schedule a time to send out one of our Certified Moving Consultants to your house to do an in-person survey.
You might wonder why we need to come to your home, rather than giving you a quote online or over the phone. The short answer? It’s the best way for us to create an accurate quote for you. It’s also one of your rights under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s regulations. (And if you want to understand the quoting process more thoroughly, check out this article on online moving calculators vs. in-person surveys.)
During your in-home survey, your Certified Moving Consultant will:
- Look through your entire home, including closets and drawers, to build a list of everything you want to ship, including delicate items like artwork and musical instruments that might need special packaging during your move.
- Examine any access issues, such as stairs, elevators, parking arrangements or narrow roads that require us to use smaller equipment to pick up your items.
- Get a full understanding of your moving goals so we can make a recommendation about whether you might need:
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- A full container to yourself, either 20′ or 40′.
- A less-than-container solution – meaning that we’ll use wooden crates called lift vans to move your items.
- A full container to yourself, either 20′ or 40′.
Your Certified Moving Consultant will also ask you about your new home. You might not know your new address yet, and that’s okay. We can build a quote using the information you know. Once you do know your new address, let us know as soon as possible, and we’ll send out a surveyor to check for any access issues at the other end. (More on that in Step 6!)
Door-to-Door Move Step 2: We Put Together a Door-to-Door Quote for You
After our Certified Moving Consultant has finished your survey, we’ll put together your door-to-door quote. When you receive it, you’ll probably notice that it gives you a price per pound for your move.
Ultimately, the final cost of your move will be based on the actual weight of the items you’re shipping. Many people find this confusing. We get it! If you’re not in the moving industry, it might seem like a strange way to quote your move.
Here’s why we do it: The weight of your shipment isn’t something that we can change. It simply weighs what it weighs, which gives us a standard and fair way of developing our price. Additionally, it’s the law under the FMCSA’s regulations. They require that final moving charges be based upon the actual weight of your shipment, the services provided and the tariff provisions in effect.
In your case, since you’re choosing door-to-door service, that price per pound also covers the cost of the services you’ll receive, including:
- Packing services, including any materials your crew will need to safely secure your belongings for their trip to your new home. (No need for you to buy any boxes or bubble wrap!)
- Shipping your possessions from your old home to your new one by truck, boat and/or rail—whatever mode we need to get you to your destination.
- Unpacking services, plus removal and recycling of the packing materials.
In other words, with door-to-door service, we’ll be handling your move from start to finish, and that’s reflected in the quote you’ll receive.
One more note: If you’re still tripped up on the “charging by weight” piece, it might help to think of it like this. If we charged you by the volume of your shipment (how much space it takes up), you’d be paying us for how skilled we are at fitting your possessions into a container. It would be like a game of Tetris. If we’re good at it, you’d get a lower price. However, if our skills were rusty, you’d get charged more. That doesn’t seem entirely fair, does it?
Instead, here’s how we’ll do it on Moving Day: We’ll take your container or your lift vans directly from your home and weigh them on a certified state scale. We’ll subtract out the weight of the container or the crate, so you’re only paying for what’s inside. Then we’ll issue you an invoice for the price of your move. Charging by weight makes the process simple and straightforward.
And, since we issued a quote at the start of the process, you’ll already have an idea of the ballpark figure so there are no surprises (as long as you didn’t make any changes after your survey)!
Now that you understand how we put together our quotes, let’s move on to the next step: your review and acceptance of our quote.
Door-to-Door Move Step 3: Acceptance of Our Quote and Scheduling Your Move
Once we have your quote ready to go, we’ll get in touch with you to go over it together. This is a great time for you to ask any questions so you understand all the details of your move.
One point you might want to ask about is protecting your possessions against loss or damage during your move. Some people refer to this as “moving insurance.” In the moving industry, we call it “full-value protection.” We’ll offer you this option during the quote process, and you’ll want to make sure you understand your coverage choices before making a selection.
On your quote, you’ll see two options for protection: 1) released value protection and 2) full-value protection. Here’s the difference between the two:
- Released Value Protection, Also Called “Basic Liability:” Offers you coverage at $0.60 per pound in case of loss or damage during your move. So let’s say you have a solid wood china cabinet you want to move, which weighs in at 210 pounds. If the cabinet gets damaged in transit and you chose released value protection, you’d be compensated at:
210 x $0.60 = $126
- Full-Value Protection: Offers you full reimbursement for replacement or repair if something is damaged during your move. That china cabinet cost you $2,199 originally, so if it’s damaged during the move, you’ll be reimbursed for that entire amount of $2,199.
It’s a big difference. So when you receive your quote, consider your choices carefully. Feel free to ask us any questions you need to help you make a decision about whether full-value protection is right for you.
Once you formally accept your quote, we’ll schedule your Moving Day! We’ll put you in our calendar and get the crew prepped to move you out.
Door-to-Door Move Step 4: Moving Out of Your Old Home
For many people, Moving Day is a stressful experience that requires days (or even weeks!) of preparation. However, when you choose door-to-door service, you can leave the majority of the work to our crew.
(That being said, you might want to review our Moving Day tips to give you an extra layer of confidence for the big day!)
Here’s how the process will work:
- If you’re shipping a full container, our crew will likely need a day or two to get your possessions packed and prepped for the move. If this is the case, on the first day, they’ll come out in a truck with all the materials they need to protect your items for their journey. Then, once everything is packed up, they’ll bring out the container. If we can’t put the container near your home, we’ll load your items into a smaller truck, then take them to the container.
- If you’re using lift vans, our crew can likely pack and “load you in” the same day. They’ll show up with all the materials they need, as well as the wooden crates, and get started on your move.
No matter whether you’re using a full container or lift vans, our crew will:
- Handle all the packing, including crating any fragile items that need extra protection.
- Disassemble any furniture that needs to come apart for the move. Although we won’t take apart any items outside your house—like swing sets—we will assist with any furniture inside.
- Complete a final inventory of everything you’re moving and give you a copy.
- Seal your container or lift van, then take it to a certified scale to get weighed.
Keep in mind: There are a few items that we’d prefer you pack yourself, like money, heirloom jewelry and more. Check out our list of the seven items don’t want to pack for you, and make sure these are secured before your movers arrive.
Once we have the official weight of your shipment, we’ll send you a final invoice. Once you pay it, your items will begin the journey to their final destination. For containers, we’ll make the arrangements to get your container to the nearest port and on the next available ship. For lift vans, we’ll arrange to get them loaded into a container headed for your final destination.
Then, we’ll update you with a window for when you can expect final delivery. If anything changes, we’ll let you know ASAP.
Door-to-Door Move Step 5: If Your Plans Change, We’ve Got Storage Solutions
If you can’t get immediate access to your new home, you might need us to hold on to your shipment for a few days or weeks.
We can help! We have warehouses on all four major Hawaiian islands, plus resources on the mainland and beyond.
Even if your plans change, we can help you make last-minute storage arrangements. Just let us know how we can help! We’ll make sure your shipment is stored securely until you’re ready for it.
Door-to-Door Move Step 6: Surveying Access at Your New Home
As soon as you know your new address, drop us a line and let us know. Just as we did at the start of your move, we’ll send someone out to take a look at your new place.
The surveyor at your new home will be looking for any access issues that might make Move-In Day a challenge. For example, will you live down a narrow street that would be tough for a large truck to navigate? Or will you be in a high-rise in Waikiki where parking a could be an issue?
We’ll look at all the possibilities to make sure your Move-In Day goes smoothly. Additionally, if we anticipate access issues that result in additional delivery costs, we’ll let you know ASAP.
Door-to-Door Move Step 7: Moving into Your New Home
For many people, Move-In Day means recruiting friends to carry boxes, sweating it out as you hoist furniture and dealing with a whole maelstrom of chaos. However, when you choose door-to-door service, your Move-In Day will be a breeze.
Once your shipment of possessions has made its way to our nearest warehouse, we’ll get in touch to schedule your Move-In Day. As part of our door-to-door service, our crew will:
- Bring out your container or your lift vans to your new home.
- Unpack everything they packed at your old house.
- Reassemble any furniture they disassembled at your old house.
- Clean up after they’re done, taking away all the boxes and packing material for recycling and disposal.
That’s it! No need to lure your friends in with the promise of pizza or buckle down for a long day of hard work. Our crew will do all the heavy lifting!
Now, when it comes to unpacking, many people ask us how our crew knows where to put everything. It’s a great question!
We know you’ll want to set up your new home based on your own personal preferences. So our movers will take everything out of their boxes, remove any packing material and put everything on a flat surface for you. Then you can put your items away exactly the way you want.
Let’s take your kitchen, for example. Our crew will line everything up on your kitchen counters so you can decide where to put your coffee cups, plates, wine glasses, pots, etc. Then you can choose what goes where, and we can clear your kitchen of packing material.
Once our crew finishes the unpacking process, you’ll be all ready to get settled into your new home.
Door-to-Door Service: The Simple and Stress-Free Way to Move
Moving can be stressful, and it can feel like a hassle to handle all of the little details that come along with the process. However, when you choose door-to-door service, our experts will take a lot of the work off your plate. We’ll handle all the packing and moving so you don’t have to. We’ll save you time and we’ll save you the heavy lifting, freeing you up to focus on everything else you need to make a smooth transition to your new home.
Have questions about door-to-door service? Or anything else related to your move? We’d be happy to answer them for you! Just get in touch with one of our experts, and we’ll get you all the information you need to move a simple, stress-free experience.
