As we approached the home the customer realized that she and her husband are being moved by another moving company that they did not hire. They quickly stopped all work in progress with only one more item to load. They made a few phone calls to the office of the moving truck that was sitting in their drive way. The moving company tried to tell our customer that they scheduled the move and even confirmed with them the day before.

The customer insisted the movers unload every piece of furniture from their truck immediately. They were forced to pay out a sum of money for work already performed or they would retain property until it was paid. So the customer paid it.

Once the other moving company left the residence the customer put a hold on the credit card and reported the company.

Whew!!! The customer never looked at the company name on the moving truck and didn’t think anything of it when the movers arrived early and ready to work. Our customer stated that she called three moving companies for quotes two weeks prior and they were one of them. She gave them the moving date and her physical address and that’s all they needed.

Please beware of shaky moving companies in Phoenix that are out to scam your business. It is highly recommended to give minimal information about your actual location when you are only asking for a quote and never ever give a credit card number over the phone before your move is performed.

You should be able to obtain a moving quote in Phoenix with your zip code and your general location such as major cross streets and city name. You will be asked several questions about the details of the move such as items to be moved, square foot of residence, stairs or long carry, etc. You will also be asked for location of new residence. It is highly recommended to give minimal information of new location.

If this has ever happened to you or someone you know we would like to hear about your experience. Please do not include company names or trademark information.

Frontier Apt movers

623-374-5696

We hire service contractors for many reasons such as movers, roofers, landscape,  painters, and the list goes on. Much of the time we tend to base our decisions on price, reputation, and of course quality of work. These are very important but let’s not forget responsiveness.

How many times have you called a service company and got a voice mail or the secretary that ask you for your name and number so someone can call you back? What happens if you have an emergency or something goes wrong while the work is under way and you need to contact the office?

A poll found that 61 percent of callers always leave a message expressing interest in hiring the companies they call when their call goes to voice mail. Two-thirds of those that leave a message expect a call back that day. Nearly one-third said a follow-up call is important, and they will hire someone else if they don’t hear back from a company within a couple of days.
Most customers become frustrated when service companies don’t return their phone calls. Being able to easily contact someone from the company you hire is important because if something goes wrong, you want to know that you will be able to get a hold of them right away.

A company’s lack of communication could be a result of an over whelming amount of business – they are just too busy to return every phone call. Other companies may be short staffed.  If the contractor was performing their services at your residence you would want them to give the job 100%. Taking complete care of a current customer is way more important than taking on more work that you can’t handle at that moment. It just shows that the company is more interested in quality over quantity.

Frontier Apt Movers says homeowners can take steps to improve the lines of communication:

1) Ask the contractor for the best ways of communication and what time is best to reach them. Do they prefer in person, by phone, fax or email? Get as many contact numbers and emails, including mobile phones, as possible before the job begins.

2) Use your patience and planning abilities.  If yours can’t wait, it will show and your pocket book will reflect it in such an emergency. Don’t be discouraged by a contractor who can’t get you an estimate right away. Often, the good ones are busy.

3)  Be flexible and accommodate contractors by meeting them during normal business hours, rather than requiring an evening or weekend appointment.

It’s not always wise to choose the largest, most colorful ad in the phone book or the first one on your Google search. Many companies have plenty of marketing power to advertise relentlessly and purchase expensive memberships to rely on a new customer each time for business. Others get by with repeat business and word of mouth.

It always makes sense to call around for rates and quotes. It also gives us an opportunity to interact with the company so we can feel them out and ask questions. Be sure to have a list of important questions to ask them when you call them. The quality of their answers to your questions will give you a good impression of how they operate.

Ask your friends, family and co-workers for references. You can also do an internet search according to business type with search terms such as reviews, scams, complaints, etc. Example for movers: type in “Phoenix movers reviews“, “home builder scams”, etc.

Things to consider when hiring contractors:

1) Reliability

2) Reputation, reviews

3) Price, total cost

4) Availability

5) Professionalism

6) Warranty

7) Insurance

Qualified employees

9) BBB reports, whether they are members or not

10) Licensed

If you are moving or have already moved to a new location for employment you may be eligible for some nice tax breaks. Be sure to keep legible records and save your receipts. Moving expenses and deductions have changed a lot over the years so you will need to seek advice from your tax professional or you can read publication 521, IRS moving expenses to know what is tax deductible and how to claim it.

Household goods and personal effects

You can deduct the cost of movers, moving services, packing, crating, and transporting your household items and personal effects and belongings of the members of your household. “Personal effects” includes, but are not limited to, movable personal property that the tax payer owns and frequently uses.

Deductible moving expenses

Storage expenses:

You may include the cost of temporary storing and insuring household belongings and personal effects. It needs to be within any period of 30 consecutive days after your things are moved from your previous home and before they are delivered to your new home.

Travel expenses:

You may deduct the cost of transportation for yourself and the members of your household while you are traveling directly from your previous to your new destination. This also includes misc. expenses for the day you arrive. You may claim flights, truck rental, fuel, moving labor, parking fees, toll roads, etc.  Claiming mileage is 27 cents per mile as of June 30, 2008

The members of your household do not have to travel together or at the same time. However, you can only deduct expenses for one trip per person.

You cannot deduct the cost of moving furniture you buy on the way to your new home.

Lodging expenses:

You may include any lodging expenses you had in the area of your previous home within one day after you could no longer live in your former home such as, your furniture had been moved. Lodging can be claimed for the duration of travel to your new home. You may also claim the day you arrive at your destination new home.

Typical deductions:

You may deduct the costs of disconnecting or connecting utilities required when you are moving.

You may deduct the cost of shipping your vehicle and moving your household pets from your previous home to your new home. You may also deduct the cost of moving or moving services for your items from a place other than your previous home but it’s limited to the amount it would have cost to move them items from your previous home.

Work Related moving:

Not all moves are deductible. You will need to meet certain criteria and rules. It doesn’t matter if it is “work related”, as long as you have a full time job within 13 weeks at the new location. It will not matter if you were transferred by your employer or you accepted a brand new job.

Qualified moving expenses are treated as an adjustment to your income. This means that you can deduct them whether or not you itemize deductions. You’ll need file Form 1040 (the long form) and attach IRS form 3903.

Security is a huge deal now days and the dishonest people are searching for an opportunity to rip you off. Why take an unnecessary chance when being safe is smarter. When you get all moved into your new residence or office you really should consider re-keying your locks. Who has a copy of a key to your property? Could be former tenants, the previous owner, the old house keeper, baby sitters, friends and family, neighbors, and the list goes on. Even when you purchase or build a brand new home many service and warranty workers have a service key that fits your lock.

The cost of re-keyed cylinders is cheaper than a whole new lock and the re-assurance is well worth the hassle of calling one of those professional locksmith trucks to visit your home. Once you close on your home or sign leases it is highly recommended to call your local Phoenix locksmith.

We highly recommend Phoenix Arizona’s ASAP Lock and Security, for all of your questions about locks. They are locksmith experts in the field of security and protection. They can answer all of your security related questions and advise you of any security weaknesses, failures, or upgrades that may be needed.

How about your pool safety locks? We have all heard about accidental drowning of children in the valley and the reasons are gates were lacking on the premises or because of faulty locks and latches. Do not let this happen to you or your loved ones. Get secure, get safe, get ASAP Lock And Security. They are centrally located and have fully-equipped service vehicles spread out through the valley so they are always close by.

If you are considering calling a Phoenix locksmith for any reason, you really should read this article about Phoenix Locksmith frauds.  after you read it, you’ll understand why it’s good to get a local Phoenix locksmith who has been recommended to you! Call them 480-380-2080

Selling a home in today’s market can be frustrating and even stressful. At one time it was considered a sellers market. Many homes were selling above appraised value especially in growing cities such as Phoenix. Bidding wars and waiting list are something of the past here in Phoenix. Many folks are just looking to sell their homes, call the movers in Phoenix and get out of the upside down mortgage they are in. These guys know this better than anyone http://www.visitfoxrun.com/blog/homes-for-sale-greeley/ If you are looking to sell a home or purchase a home in Greely, Co. you really need to check these folks out.

It’s a buyers market right now. The seller is ultimately powerless in these times. Staging your home for sale can be easy with a little creativity and some guidance from the professionals. Do some research and find what is working and what is not. We have a few ideas for you to get you into motion.

1. Pictures are worth a thousand words: It is extremely important to have your home looking the best it can. According to reality industry research, nearly 90% of home buyers in Phoenix now research homes online. So it’s very important that your house be staged and looking it’s best before the photos are taken to post online.

2. First impressions: A buyer will see what’s on the outside of your house first. Freshly cut grass, manicured shrubs, swept sidewalks and a power washed driveway will appeal to the buyer and look inviting to them. Avoid cluttered driveways and yard space.

3. Clutter creates confusion: It is vital to remove all of your clutter from the outdoors to the indoors. It is best to start packing now and give away, yard sale or even rent a storage unit to eliminate any extras you won’t need in the next 6 months.

4. Don’t take it personal: Remove all photos, college degrees and other personal effects from your walls. The potential buyer wants to imagine themselves living there and too many reminders of your family can make them feel as if they are invading someone’s home. You will want to make it neutral but appealing to them.

5.  Personality appeal: The professional home real estate stagers research the types of people who buy homes in your Phoenix demographic neighborhood and adjust the home to suit the potential buyer. If most buyers in your area are family’s with children, it will be best to keep the bedrooms as kids bedrooms. If more singles are searching in your area, consider staging one of the bedrooms as an office or home gym.

6. Neutral to drive: Keep in mind that not everyone has the same taste in decorating and design. The less personal belongings you keep inside the more the potential buyer can use his/her imagination of how they would like it. Consider fresh paint that is neutral in color. New carpet or tile if needed. Clean all of your windows and glass.
You might want to consider seeking a professional in the real estate industry to get your home ready to sell. There are several in the Phoenix area. When you sell and are ready to call on professional Phoenix movers give us a call for a free moving quote 623-374-5696

The use of movers and self storage units in Phoenix have become very popular in the past decade as storing household belongings is becoming necessary to us.  We are relocating in record numbers due to careers, home sales, divorces, foreclosures, and the list goes on.

When you hire professional Phoenix movers and rent a Phoenix self storage unit you expect that all of your belongings will tightly fit into your storage unit. You expect that you can count on your Phoenix movers to pack your storage safely and properly. You will find some helpful tips below to ensure that your belongings will remain safe while in storage.

Storage – Appliances

We recommend your refrigerator and freezers be thoroughly dry and ventilated by leaving the doors slightly ajar. This will prevent odors and mold from forming as they are typically air tight.  Some goods may be stored inside of them such as small boxes and miscellaneous items. Be sure stoves and ranges are cleaned before storage as they will attract rodents and bugs.  Your Phoenix movers should be able to provide you with helpful tips at the time of your move.

Storage – Furniture

Stand sofas and love seats on end in a protective bag or at least a movers pad at the bottom end. These are typically stored and moved standing upright on end. Cushions can be stored in a bag and placed on top of the sofas.

Do not store a table on it’s legs unless nothing will be placed on top of it. We recommend disassemble of the legs or flip it over to store it on top of a tier of cartons. Dining chairs can be placed on a top tier of cartons with the “seat to seat” this should bring you to ceiling height to occupy all of your usable space. Your Phoenix movers will have that mastered.

Storage – Mirrors, Glass tops, Screens and windows

These items must be stored upright on edge. Never lay them flat. It is best to wrap them in some cardboard, bubble wrap, spare sheets, blankets or purchase some storage moving pads from your Phoenix movers. It is best to store them in between the wall studs of your storage unit or between your mattress and box springs. You may even choose to store them near the door but whatever location you choose, you should place so cardboard on the floor for extra protection.

Storage – Bicycles, Garden Tools, and Metal Items

These items should be wiped down and be free of rust, dirt, grease, etc. You will want to take caution placing these items near any wood finish or fabric. Place them in a tier of their own or stack on the top of any tier to use up the ceiling height. You may even consider wiping them with a light coat of oil to prevent rust. If you decide to coat these items it may be best to wrap them in a sheet. Garden tools can be tied into bundles and coated with oil. Your Phoenix movers likely will not carry this type of oil with them so you will want to prepare before they load your belongings.

Storage – Cartons

Cartons should not have their own tier. Meaning they should never be stacked from the floor to the ceiling. The best place for cartons is on dresser tops, chest of drawers, entertainment centers, etc. Use the large furniture for base and then stack on them. This will prevent your bottom cartons from being crushed and contents from being damaged.

Storage – Phoenix Movers

Obviously we cannot cover every possible piece of furniture to be stored but we hope this gives you some ideas and insight to begin your preparation for arrival of your Phoenix Movers.

Your Phoenix storage facility will be able to help you decide the size unit you will need as they are the professionals in their field. Your Phoenix movers will assist you in ensuring proper loading and packing of your rented storage unit. If you have any moving related questions please call us at 623-374-5696 or email frontier@frontieraptmovers.com

There seems to be a few fly by night moving companies in Phoenix that are out to take your money and even keep your belongings for extra payment. You hear about it occasionally in the media and from other folks that have been victim of these moving scams. There is a lot of warning out here for that so please get educated and make your self aware.

We received a phone call from a return customer of Frontier Apt Movers to get a new moving quote to move her again. We gave her a quote with a 5% discount for returning back to us and she scheduled the move on our hourly rates. Two weeks later she called the office to ask if we could discount her move any further as she received a coupon on her door in her town of Anthem that was offering a special deal with cheaper rates. We visited the website of the company and noticed the special deal was really true. This was brought to the owners attention and we do offer competitive pricing but this time we could not match the other moving companies rates. With much regret we had to tell her that we were not able to compete with those low rates. The moving rates that were offered would have only paid for our movers hourly wages not including any fuel or operating cost.

The owner of Frontier Apt Movers became suspicious of how they could offer such low rates and remain in business unless it was a scam. We went back to the website and found if you clicked on the banner ad it would take you to another page that explained the extra fees and charges. The company did not accept checks or credit cards. The extra labor fees, fuel surcharges, mileage, etc ended up costing her almost double that day.

The best way to avoid moving scams is to do a little research. If the price seems low it could be a scam. There are many ways to take precautions. You can check with the better business bureau, corporation records, references, etc. You should at least go online to visit the Phoenix moving company website and browse through each page. If the hourly moving rates flat rate quote is not clear chances are your final invoice will reflect it.

Brought to you by GotMove.com

We are professional movers in Phoenix and our Phoenix movers are well known for the skills we use on a daily bases. We will give you a few ideas how to load a truck and hope you get the idea. If you want to read other articles or moving and packing tips please check out our website at Frontier Apt Movers Or continue to browse through this  site. We are sure you will find something that will be helpful. Feel free to leave a comment or write us with any ideas or special request that you feel would be helpful in your situation. We will surely write about it.

Assuming you have already rented a truck with an interior square box. If you rented a truck with a shelf area, cab over in the front then it shouldn’t be a big deal to stuff it full with misc. items such as overstuffed chairs, ottomans, electronics, etc. The idea is to make a flat even area to work with so fill it up. We recommend from the floor up, you begin with your sofas and love seats. Place them standing up tall in the corners with the feet to the outside walls and the backs of the sofas touching the front wall this will give you another area to fill but it will be worth it. Please read on.

You may use a chest of drawers, or you can place a couple of night stands, wardrobes, or even a big screen TV to place between them just don’t let it stick out further than the sofas. You want to build a flat surface again. It’s called building a tier.

You can use all of your stuffy items in between to finish filling it up. For example, bags of clothes, light boxes, duffle bags, rolled up rugs, etc. Once that is pretty full you will need to use your largest mattress and box springs to lock the load and make it a flat tier again. Now you need base or tall items such as bookcases, armories, etc. Here is where you need to make sure whatever tier you are working on will need to be pretty close to the same size. You really can’t stack a lot on top of tall bookcases so they get their own tier. You may fill bookcases with small book boxes or more stuffy items. You will really need to get creative here so you can utilize all of your space.

Now you are working on building your next tier. You can use a dresser or chest of drawers for base. Now you can stack boxes on them. You can use items such as office chairs or kitchen chairs to top off that tier. Nightstands are typically the same depth and can be used for base in the same tier. You may also stand dressers up on end but be sure to lay a pad, blanket or cardboard under it to protect the finish.

You will be building tiers all the way to the end of the truck but somewhere along the load you will need to start tapering the tier down if you are not filling it to maximum capacity. You will want to load any appliances last such as washing machines, water coolers, refrigerators, etc. You will also want to use a pad, blanket or anything that will soak up water. your appliances will tend to leak a bit of water and you will not want that soaking into other furniture or boxes.

It is recommended to disassemble kitchen tables, bed frames, two piece hutches should never be stacked back on each other unless you know what you are doing and know the consequences that could happen if not properly protected. Any large glass tops should stand up no matter what and can be placed between the mattress and box spring for extra protection.

You will find some helpful tips about moving with your plants, moving with children, packing tips, and much more about moving.

If you find this to be somewhat helpful you can visit our website http://www.frontieraptmovers.com We have a lot of useful moving information that you could benefit from and make your move much more stressful.  We hope you have a safe move and please drive careful. Be sure to to take special notice of any low hanging trees, parking overhangs, etc. If you don’t feel comfortable loading your rental truck alone we are professional movers in Phoenix. Give us a call for a free no obligation quote. 623-374-5696

We arrived early to perform a small two bedroom apartment moving service one April morning. It was a very peaceful spring day. The sun was rising and the air was fresh with the newly cut grass, the scent of flowers was hinting in the air and the birds chirping good morning songs in trees above. We were greeted by a lovely well dressed, young couple. They stepped out the door and quietly requested us to keep the noise down to a minimum. They went on to explain they have a young toddler sleeping. We agreed to their request as we quietly introduced ourselves and proceeded indoors to do a walk through and inventory checklist. As we approached the toddler’s room we were asked to save his room for last so their sleepy child could get some well needed rest. Being that he was just turning two years old we thought it would be a great idea so he doesn’t get in our way and slow down the progress of the move. Well we managed to get the entire living room and dining room emptied out. There were only a few packing supplies and a lamp left in those two rooms.

Now giving you a mental picture of this small 800 square foot two bedroom apartment, when you enter the front door you can visually see the entire living room and dining room. The toddler’s room was the first door just inside the hallway and then the master at the end of the hall.

We were walking back from loading the last piece of furniture from the dining room and as we were approaching closer to the apartment front door we heard this really loud scream followed by a cry like we have never heard before. The cries coming from this little guy were unlike any cries I have ever heard before. It sounded like a cry of deep fear. It sent chills up my spine as my stomach did a flip and my adrenaline immediately kicked in. I ran the last 30 – 40 feet into the door and raised my voice to say “WHAT IS GOING ON IN HERE” The customers showed instant signs of nervousness and fear, I didn’t know if it was because we intimidated them and they thought we were rushing to conclusions or the child was hurt somehow. I rapidly checked out the child and looked back at his parents as I am scanning the room with my adrenaline going even stronger now. I asked again “I want to know why he is freaking out”. He seemed to be in a panic. This all happened in a matter of 30 seconds. During that time the young toddler is totally freaking out, tightly clutching his teddy bear and blanket with tears running down his face.

The parents suddenly seemed very concerned for the child not knowing why their child went into an instant panic when he walked out of his room. As I started to notice the genuine care they began to give their child my mind started to relax to think of other possibilities. I asked if they could check his bed for scorpions or broken glass.

They instantly went into his room and stripped the sheets and blankets. We quickly pulled the bed apart with no signs of danger in sight. In the mean time the father is holding his son trying to calm him down. They were in the back ground while we were turning the bedroom upside down. Suddenly the father starts laughing. He went on to explain to us that for the last few weeks they have been using alternative methods of punishment for their son for bad unwelcomed behavior. He explained to us that they take things away from him when he is not behaving and give them back as a reward when he is good. Turns out, when the boy entered the living room he entered an empty room with nothing in it, everything was gone and he had no idea what he did wrong. I almost cried.

Apartment moving is the most common moving in the moving industry. Apartment moving has the least amount of challenges and is normally easier and quicker to perform. The furniture is normally smaller to better suite the size of living quarters and people usually have less to move such as no appliances, lawn and garden tools, water fountains, recreational vehicles, etc.

Apartment moving is typically lower in total moving cost because of the amount of items to be moved with smaller closet spaces, and smaller bedrooms. Apartments have limited space for example the average apartment resident has one set of living room furniture, one dining room set. Without all the extras such as antiques, over sized furniture, home offices and garage items you can easily see how quickly an apartment move would be.

The difficulties apartment moving poses are minimal but still exist. Parking a large moving van can be a challenge when trying to avoid blocking resident parking or trash dumpsters. It is important to be alert at all times to other residents leaving or arriving. It is an easy task if you take precautions when loading or unloading by making sure you don’t place items outside the moving van on the ground or around the loading ramp that way you will be more prepared to pull ahead to allow people into their assigned parking spot. When you are loading your moving van it is important to secure each item as it’s loaded or unloaded. This will enable you to pull ahead at a moments notice. The last thing you want is to have an irate neighbor late for work or doctors appointment.

Another challenge that has a simple resolution is the stair cases on upper floor apartments. Most apartment complexes in the Phoenix area have stucco walls and rough texture landings. By taking extra precautions and preparing for your move before the work begins you can eliminate minor damage such as scratches and even major damage such as gouging and chipping. It is recommended placing moving pads over the railings and taping them in place creating a cushion to rub against. Placing a burlap moving pad on the landing is also a recommended procedure in the event the item being moved needs to be set down or stood up to maneuver the turn.

This is something that can be done by just about anyone if the proper precautions are taken. If you find that you don’t feel comfortable doing this your self or having your friends move you either, you can call upon Frontier Apt Movers. We are the local area professional apartment movers in Phoenix.

We are professionals in all areas of moving and it is our duty to perform a safe and economical move for you. The complexities of apartment moving is not a challenge for us as we are very familiar with most all aspects of moving within apartment buildings as we specialize in apartment moving. We have been moving in Phoenix Arizona since 2002 and we proudly service the entire state of Arizona. We have built a solid reputation through the years and our professional moving services really stand out from the competition. 623-374-5696