Frequently Asked Questions
At Freo Movers, we’ve been asked a lot of things over the years.
Below is a compilation of burning questions you might have about how we do what we do.
If you can’t find what you need here, please, give us a call.
Is my stuff insured and what happens if anything is damaged during the move?
Freo Movers has public liability insurance to $10 mil. We also have transit insurance. This will provide cover in the case of say if a vehicular accident has damaged your goods. Packed by owner (PBO) can’t be covered in our insurance as this falls under client responsibility if it isn’t packed up to our standards.
The reality is, that insurance doesn’t cover from the back of our truck to your premises. Obviously, if anything is damaged moving into your dwelling, it’s our responsibility. Bear in mind, accidents do happen. Our level of experience has taught us how to move your things safely, carefully, and with the level of respect of our own property.
This is where your own personal insurance may be an option. For example, things not covered include whitegoods 5 years or older, paintings, antique furniture or DIY furniture (e.g. IKEA flatpacks)
What sorts of moving equipment do your trucks carry?
We carry 2 large fridge trolleys, sack-trucks, a piano trolley, a pool table trolley, straps and moving blankets. We don’t just throw your furniture into the truck; they’re wrapped in blankets before we load them to prevent any damage/scratching. Freo Movers also carry basic tools to pull apart & reassemble furniture, shelving etc.
Any idea how long my move will take?
How long’s a piece of string? There are so many variables to mention here. Things like ease of access, traffic, weather, if your stuff is pre-packed or not, if there are stairs involved. Also, the size of your house/flat/apartment, how far away your move is, how many guys you need & how prepared you are will ultimately determine how smooth things go. At Freo Movers, we’d like to think we can do your move efficiently, no matter what.
Can I move my stuff after you’re normally closed?
We’re happy to accommodate your request given enough notice. This will add to the cost & this can be determined during a chat to our friendly Freo Movers staff. Please call 0460 408 276 or 0476 166 332 to find out more.
What payment options do you accept?
We accept payments by cash or bank transfer after completion of your move with Freo Movers.
Is it more affordable for me to do all this myself & rent a truck?
You certainly can, but there are pros & cons to this idea. Look at the opportunity cost here. Potentially, you’ll have to take time off work, unless it’s on a weekend. If you do, you’re using your own time in this case. You’ll have to hire a truck with no moving gear e.g. blankets, trolleys, straps, and most importantly, knowhow. If you damage the exterior of the hire truck – you’re liable. Do you know the size truck you’ll need? The cost of hiring this truck + are you licensed? If you’re an inexperienced driver of a light truck, you may not be acquainted with its dimensions, turning circle etc. Are you any good at Tetris?
The costs could vary depending on how much stuff you’ve got, your skill at packing, your skill at loading, the care needed to not damage anything, your organisational skills and do you have able bodied (& strong) helpers?
Most people underestimate the skill involved in moving a whole household of stuff you’ve hoarded & accrued over the months & years. It’s literally and actually back-breaking work! Most people have done it – moved themselves. How did that go? Moving yourself gives one an appreciation for the job that removalists do. We guarantee you’ll be amazed and thankful if you decide to move with us. This is a very stressful activity in life that most people will do way more times than they’d like to admit they’ll ever do! Our crew are trained in industry best techniques to minimise the actual time between you living in one dwelling, and you putting your feet up at your new place.
I live in a high-rise apartment building with lift access. How do I make sure we can have sole use of the lifts for our move?
It’s a good idea to inform your building manager of your intentions when you move. Other residents can then be notified to minimise any inconvenience this may cause. If possible, acquire a ‘lift lock’ & key to control a specified elevator (if there’s more than one).
Both my properties have settlement on the same day. How do I know what time to book the moving team?
Given enough notice, we can accommodate this. Ideally if possible, the settlement could be pushed to the day after.
When should I empty my fridge and freezer?
On moving day, we’ll let you know roughly half hour to an hour before those are loaded. A good idea is to have eskys & ice or a camping fridge cooled & ready to go when the time comes. Generally, we’ll load these last, so they can be offloaded first, and plugged in straight away.
What if my contents do not fit in one load?
Here’s where planning is important. Two trips can be made but this obviously will add to the cost. Freo Movers would much rather provide an efficient service with an in-house consultation of your places’ inventory to determine the size of truck needed for your move. This is particularly important if you’re moving a fair distance away.
I don’t know how many boxes I will need to do my packing?
Freo Movers can provide as many tea chest, porta-robe or book boxes as required. For an accurate amount, an in-house consultation will best determine this. Otherwise, you can order too many & you’ll only be charged for what you use & return the rest.
Do I need to use proper removals boxes to pack my contents or can I use any box?
You certainly don’t need to, but we prefer removals boxes as they’re manufactured for strength, size, durability & ease of manual handling. Freo Mover’s tailor-made boxes are crafted specifically for performing Tetris in our trucks! Bear in mind, odd shaped boxes may increase the move time, but we don’t mind a challenge either!
What can I do to ensure that my belongings end up in the correct room?
There’s plenty of space atop our boxes to mark what’s what, which room it came from, if it’s heavy or if it’s fragile. If you’d like something available straight away, it can be set aside & loaded last if need be. Being there to give direction to our removalists for which room is which is important so we can form a plan of attack for efficiency.
Is there anything I need to do to prepare my kitchen appliances for the move?
These appliances can be boxed up depending on size, covered in bubble wrap or spaces filled with crunched up butcher’s paper. Wrap your microwave’s turntable separately. Try to drain water from your dishwasher & washing machine as best you can. All larger appliances we’d like to be empty – to avoid unnecessary damage.
Do your movers have time off for breaks during the move? Do I need to provide anything for them?
As with any normal workday, our movers need to take a break. As you can appreciate, moving is hard yakka for anyone – no matter how fit you are. We try to keep breaks to a minimum and where possible, our guys will have lunch on the run when in transit with a full load. Our guys will have short water breaks too during the day & if you’d like to make them a cuppa – feel free it’d be much appreciated!
Can my TV be removed from the wall?
No problem. Let us know prior to your move & we can organise the correct tools. We can then box up any cabling, remotes, hard drives & accessories to go with it. We’ll leave any wall bracketing to you & at your new abode.
Do you offer pre-packing services?
We offer a pre-packing service using our own supplied packing materials or if you have your own we can use those. However, our materials are industry standard & in the case of our boxes, they are tailor-made for Tetris in our trucks. Again, we’ll only charge for what you use and return the rest or keep it for next time! Up to you.
We can pre-pack your belongings at a time to suit you; if this is done prior to your moving day then this will be a great time & money saver, not to mention a smoother day overall for everyone. Again, we’ll only charge for what you use and return the rest.
How do I know if my stuff fits into your trucks?
We can do an in-house consultation to measure up your unboxed goods to best determine the size of truck you’ll need; or if a furniture trailer is required for your move
Can I and/or others help during the move?
You’re more than welcome to help. However, in terms of time and cost efficiency, we’d appreciate any of your goods to be brought out to our loading ramps, and then preferably our guys would pack the truck.
In terms of unloading, you can get stuck in to that no worries. It’s a good idea to warm up beforehand; we don’t want anyone injured during your move. Our fit & healthy team are fully covered for workplace injuries, but personally you are not. You’ll have at least 2 of our team on every move and these guys are paid above award rates too as we’d like to develop & keep our hardworking staff – they’re our greatest asset.
Can I catch a lift in your truck?
Is there anything you won’t move?
We’ll have a go at anything you’ve got! Let us know if you have any unusual, heavy or odd-shaped objects & we’ll nut out a solution.
Can I work for you?
We’re open to new casual recruits & welcome your resumé to be sent to us. Our only prerequisites are that you’re fit and healthy. If you have an HR license & a forklift ticket (LF), these would be advantageous.
I live in a densely populated area and parking is limited. What should I do?
We recommend you contact your local council or shire with regards to obtaining a parking permit. E.g. a parking bay can be booked several days before your move; or some councils may even ‘barricade off’ a space convenient to your dwelling.
If there are no restrictions or permits required, chat to your neighbours about your intentions prior to moving. You could cordon off 2 or 3 parking bays on the day of your move.
What should I do if I live in front of a clearway zone?
Research. May be same as above. Permit may be required. (May not be needed)
What about my BBQ?
We can take your barbeque no worries. We only ask that drip trays be emptied, it’s exterior is reasonably clean and its’ cover on. We can’t take your gas bottles though for insurance purposes. Some multi-burner BBQs have weak side trays that bend or break so best to remove these first plus, these protrusions take up truck space.
Can you dismantle and reassemble my furniture?
We can tackle this for you easily. We carry an array of tools & equipment for this very purpose. If possible, these can save valuable time (and money!) if your bed frames, bookcases, kids playgrounds etc. are disassembled before moving day. Remember to keep all nuts & bolts etc. – either taped to or in sandwich bags for reassembly.
What should I do with my paintings?
We provide several options here. Paintings can be bubble & blanket wrapped if required; or painting boxes can be ordered to suit their dimensions. If you have priceless/fragile artworks, tailormade crates can be supplied upon request.
I’m not sure how to pack my boxes! Can you help?
We’ve produced a video of the ideal way to pack a box.
Do my drawers need to be emptied?
This is dependent on a few things. If your tallboy is of solid construction, it may need to be half empty. If your contents are fragile or heavy, it’s advisable to empty them completely & box up them up. For long moves, we recommend that these furnishings are empty. If stairs are involved, again, they should be emptied.
I have filing cabinets in my study; can they be moved safely?
If you’ve got metallic filing cabinets, it’s best to only have the bottom 2 drawers of a 4-drawer cabinet full and box up the rest in book or archive boxes. For 2-drawer cabinets, it’s ok to leave files in those. Any more than that and we’re looking at the too heavy category. Wooden ones & any other types empty please. Please lock them if possible, a windy day could spell disaster if they opened accidentally!
I have several pot plants; can they be taken?
Sure can. Try not to water these for a few days before your move. They’ll be heavy otherwise and may leak somewhat. Some of your plastic pots may have become brittle too – let us know in advance. We’d rather not damage or stress your plants too much, they may not like moving either! If it’s practical, we can store your plants for any period for a negotiated fee. We’ll put them in the sun or shade depending on what they need & we’ll water them too – just let us know. Be mindful of how much valuable space they take up in the truck too.
When’s the best time for me to move?
During weekdays are yours & our most economical time to move as with any normal work week. The closer we can be there near sunrise the better – we can punch out your job as quickly as we can & have you at your new residence sooner rather than later. Weekends & holidays will accrue additional costs – we pay our staff extra for those days which is fair. Unfortunately, some of those costs will be passed on.
Do you charge extra for heavy items?
This will depend on the object’s dimensions, overall weight, access to it, access through doorways, terrain covered to get to our truck etc.