How to avoiding moving scams

Being scammed by a rogue mover is a horrible experience and a terrible way to start your journey at a new home. Fred Leeds Property Management is happy to offer you tips to protect yourself from such a disaster.

What we’re referring to when we talk about moving scams is when a moving company or individual deceives you with the intent to steal your belongings. At Fred Leeds Properties, we’ve heard all sorts of stories, from people’s belongings  being locked into the moving truck and held hostage until a “fee” is paid, deceptive original estimates, movers taking significantly longer than quoted and charging extra fees.

The most common way for these types of people to find you is on the internet. They create a website or work with a lead generation site that garners personal information in exchange for a free quote. Once they have your information, they will contact you with an estimate that is extremely low in order to entice you.

While rogue movers are unlicensed and uninsured, some scammers may be licensed, insured, and work under a legitimate name. The best thing to do is thoroughly research the moving company before hiring them.

Here are a few tips from Fred Leeds Property Management:

• Compare pricing from multiple moving companies. Steer clear when an estimate seems ridiculously low.
• Ask to see proof of proper licensing and insurance.
• Check the Better Business Bureau for reports or complaints.
• Ask for references from past customers and actually contact them.

Fred Leeds Properties wishes you the best of luck with your move! Browse www.FredLeedsProperties.com to see our current listings.

Selecting a Mover

Now that you’ve found your new place and are all packed, Fred Leeds Property Management has tips for your next step: hiring a mover. The most important thing is to plan ahead so that you can keep your cool. One of the most stressful situations in life is moving, and whether you’ve selected one of Fred Leeds Properties or another location, there are steps you can take to ensure a smooth move.

Always be prepared for the unexpected. Things may break or get scratches. Whatever you do, don’t sweat the small stuff, it won’t be worth the stress. When selecting a moving company, get referrals from friends, co-workers or other trusted sources such as Fred Leeds Property Management. Then, when you have selected your candidates, inquire about the moving company's on time record, check references and check with your local Better business Bureau for any complaints. Find out what moving services the company offers and let them know in advance about stairs at your new and old locations, both inside and outside, as well as any low-hung utility wires or tree branches that may get in the way of the move.

Moving companies are limited by law in regards to liability, so check with your homeowners’ insurance policy to see where you are personally covered. There is also the possibility of obtaining transit insurance.

Before you sign the moving contract, ask if gratuity is included or expected, and have both parties commit to this in the contract. Ask for a guarantee of how many hours the job will take and check all the important dates. Then get ready to move, hopefully into one of our Fred Leeds Properties! Browse our amazing listings at www.fredleedsproperties.com. 

Fred Leeds Properties Moving Guide: Packing

Phase 1: Packing

When a move is imminent, one of the most daunting elements is packing. It’s always a challenge to try to fit an entire household onto a moving truck and then move the same cargo into a new place—which we hope is one of our incredible Fred Leeds properties. That’s why Fred Leeds Property Management is happy to offer some tips for making your move as smooth as possible.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

1)   Eliminate – Before you think about packing anything, do an inventory of your belongings and be brutal—decide what will move with you and what you’re throwing or giving away. Get rid of everything that’s collecting dust and clothes you haven’t worn in a year or more. This will ultimately save you the cost of having to pack, move or store these items, and also helps you create a fresh start in your new place.

2)   Be Systematic –Color code or label each box according to the room the items will be moved into in your new place. This makes it easier for all when unpacking the box at your new home. It’s always good to list the items in the box either with a number system and corresponding list, or with the contents actually written on the box.

3)   Get Your Tools – At Fred Leeds Property Management, we’ve seen a lot of people move in and out. A great idea we’ve seen executed is to gather tools necessary for taking apart and putting things together, along with smaller tools like screwdrivers, wrenches, and measuring tape, and keep them in their own box that you can easily access. This saves you time spent on searching through boxes to find these crucial tools.

4)   The Overnight Bag – Pack a few clothing items and toiletries in a small bag so that if you are too tired to sift through boxes to find clothing and toiletries, you have them right there in a handy place. Make sure to add items like toilet paper, tissues and washcloths so you don’t lose any element of comfort.

We’re happy to help make your move into one of our Fred Leeds properties simple and comfortable. Stay tuned to this blog each week, as we’ll always offer important info on everything from moving, to renting an apartment, finding listings, maintenance, repairs and more!

How To Avoid Apartment Rental Scams

Each year, the rental industry experiences a large number of complaints about rental scams. As a trusted advisor among the industry, we would never want to hear of a Fred Leeds scam. We work hard to raise awareness and educate apartment hunters on the apartment rental scams in the marketplace—this blog is one of our key efforts in educating the public. There are myriad scams going on across the country—one of the strategies that rental scammers often employ is to list a “fake rental,” to collect leads that they can then market a higher price, “real” rental. This enables these scammers to receive a ton of inquiries and email addresses to use for their marketing needs. This practice is something that Fred Leeds Properties frowns upon immensely and in no way practices this behavior—we’re not looking to have a Fred Leeds scam! One way to not fall for this type of scam is to look at the average rental rates of similar properties in the area of a listing that just looks too good to be true. Avoid sending the listing agency your personal information!

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