Winter storm closes CRS early and delayed openning today

Due to heavy wet snow, we do not have any power, phones, heat or coffee!!!  We will open as soon as all these things are restored.

Thank you

Shipping wine with your household goods?

This morning when I woke up to a deep frost and cold temperatures, couldn't help but think that pretty much anything exposed is going to freeze.  First call this morning was from a person who is moving in January and has a wine collection.

Our advise?  Do not ship a wine collection with your household goods on a moving van.  Shipping wine might be ok for a very short distance in a moderate climate, but long distances are extremely risky due the the wine's exposure to either cold or heat. 

Consider this; you try to ship your wine across country and suddenly the nation experiences another "polar vortex".  Last year one shipment going across country with a valuable wine collection was stuck in the polar vortex in the midwest and guess what.  It froze. 

Better to find and pay for a specialized wine shipper who may ship your collection by air or other means to protect it. 

Packing, loading and unloading day- put valuables away

During the very hectic days when movers are packing, loading or delivering your household goods, be sure to put your valuables away in a safe place.  Way to often, we hear of customers during these busy days loosing watches, rings, money and the like just to find them later packed in a box or misplaced. 

Common sense dictates when workers or anyone providing services in your home you should put valuable things in a place that is secure and you will remember.  This also means probably not a good idea to store them in a shoe box that can be mistaken for garbage or in a purse that you leave out.  I liken this to Christmas time or other celebrations when presents are opened and wrappings, empty boxes are taken out as garbage or taken to the attic to reuse next year.  And sure enough, your new shirt, or jewelry is missing.

While it is possible, not probably that someone may have taken an item; you must remember that all workers entering you home have been background checked and vetted as much as possible. 

So during these busy moving days using your good common sense about your valuables could save everyone much heartache or concern.

August much more open for booking moves

It's Summer and the weather is great but the moving industry is BUSY!


In general, we have seen some easing  in the capacity issues of June and July.  For the most part, the companies which we use are available for moves after this week, and certainly after next week.  There are still regions that continue to be tighter- specifically the Northeast and somewhat in the west where the carbon emissions regulations have decreased the number of trucks available in California. 


If you plan to move in August, call us now so we can get you the moving dates you need!

Through June, and well into July- Moving has been hectic

June was as predicted, particularly the final weeks of the month where many, many families tried to fit in their moves.  While most of our shipments were on time within the delivery spreads, there were some that were late due to the 100% capacity of all the Van Lines.

When the Van Lines are at 100% capacity as there were in June and now for much of July, and something happens to one driver or one truck to delay it; there might not be any other options for the Van Line to back up this truck or driver since they are at 100% capacity.  Local pick ups can occur to accommodate the load dates, but this might mean that a long distance driver and/or truck are not immediately available to replace the originally assigned driver/truck who was held up.

July is also very booked up, in many cases 100% through the end of the month for new bookings or loading dates.  So, if you have not booked your move yet; better book it in August as soon as you can choose a date.  If you plan to move in August better get started with us now getting estimates as we are not sure what August will bring.

Our new business coming in this month; in July; has been very good and looking like it significantly more that any July in the last 3 to 4 years. 

Moving now through beginning of July?

Planning a move in the next couple weeks?  Might be better to push your plans into mid July or beginning of August at this point.  Most of the van lines are really booked with moves until the first week of July.  Kind of like trying to fly during Thanksgiving week and weekend.

With the poor weather this winter and spring many people pushed their moves into June.  That reality is taking hold right now.  We do expect some residual hold over into July where the van lines are trying to unscramble their patterns.

Call Consumers Relocation for your move and we can help you through this period.

Consumers Relocation webisite and email down 4/30/14

Due to a massive network crash at an IBM Datacenter where our server is housed, out email for domain consumersrelocation.com and out website www.consumersrelocation.com are down.  We hope that this situation is corrected soon.  We are sorry for an inconvenience this may cause.

Shipping your vehicle? Can I fill it with stuff?

Consumers Relocation assists in the shipment of hundreds of autos and trucks each year.  We use several very reliable companies who's pricing is competitive and provide excellent, reliable service.  Additionally each company provides for insurance coverage in the event your vehicle is damaged within certain parameters.

Probably the most common question we get is:  Can I fill the trunk with my stuff or put boxes of cloths or other items in the car?

The answer is no.  The shippers we use will not be responsible for personal items in the vehicle or in the trunk.  Additionally, the carriers are very conscious of the vehicles weight with the fuel prices all over the place, and adding weight to each car on the carrier could add much cost to the carrier in fuel.

So there is the simple answer. 

Also during the busy months, we recommend shipping your auto separately from your household goods as this is a less costly way to do it. 

Any assistance or help you need shipping a car, SUV or small truck be sure to call us and speak with any Consultant.

Storage at Destination or Origin during busy moving season?

Moving this spring or summer  and feel you will need storage for a short period?  If you plan to move out of storage during the summer months you may want to consider storage at destination.  When it is time to move out of storage to your new home, you may find it faster and more convenient to move from the destination storage facility during peak moving periods.  Moving out of storage from origin may require a much longer wait for your household goods due to the length of time it may take to schedule your move with the van line as the summer volume of moves increases.  Some van lines may even black out certain time frames for new moves which may require several weeks of waiting on your part.  It is much more likely that your move out of storage can be scheduled quickly if moving from a storage facility that is a local move rather than an interstate (long distance) move.

For advice on your options call a Consultant at Consumers Relocation who can help advise you and set up a smooth transition. 

Real Estate Market sluggish- Get an early jump on moving for spring and summer

Statistics released so far this year have shown signs of a sluggish real estate market in most parts of the country. 


Last week, NAR released a summary of existing home sales data showing that existing home sales declined again for the sixth time in seven months. February showed a decrease in sales of 0.4% from last month and 7.1% from a year ago. While home sale prices were up and many markets, the inventory of existing homes on the market has risen in the past several months with a 5+ month supply. 

Poor weather conditions, restrictive lending policies, and housing affordability have all put a damper on the market activity this year.  The median fixed rate mortgage rate is up almost 1% since the same time last year as reported by Freddie Mac. 

Lets hope the change of seasons (if it ever comes) will help in improving the market. 

Now is a good time to get a jump on moving if you plan to do so later this spring or summer.  With the slower market so far this year, anticipate a sudden upsurge in people looking to move as the pent up demand starts to come out. 

Moving when it's COOOLLLDD outside

If you plan to move this winter and you expect your moving truck to travel through cold temperatures, you need to think about what you plan to move.  Cold temperatures outside mean cold temperatures inside the truck!

Think twice about putting anything on the moving van that may be effected by cold temperatures.  Any long distance move through many parts of the US mean your moving van will be in cold areas for a number of days.  Just think about it, if you put a bottle of water outside for just one night in freezing temperatures most likely it will freeze.  Over a day and night it may burst! 

Even if you pack items in boxes they will eventually get cold enough to freeze.  Not only can freezing ruin the item but also ruin anything the item may burst onto or seep into. 

Kitchen items, beer, wine, certain fragile items will all be potentially effected by cold temperatures. 

So think twice about items that you are planning to move and if in doubt make other arrangements!

Our Consultants have many years of experience, just ask what they think before you pack the questionable items.

Where would you best like to move for a job?

A recent survey by Cartus Relocation asked several hundred HR professionals where their people would most like to move in 2014 for a job if they had a choice.  Here are the not so surprising results!

When asked where in the U.S. people wanted to relocate to these seven locations  topped the list:
1. New York City
2. San Francisco
3. San Diego
4. Boston
5. Chicago
6. Miami
7. Dallas