Frequently Asked Questions

We offer a full range of packing, moving and storage services. This includes: local moves, long distance moves, short-term or long-term storage and full packing services. If you are packing yourself we can provide boxes for you to use.   In short, we can perform any type of move that you may need.

No. All of your furniture is going to be wrapped in padding or shrink wrap so you do not need to worry about them getting wet. Additionally, we have carpet film and plastic floor covering that we use to protect any flooring from damage.

Moving companies are regulated by the government.  In Illinois, the Illinois Commerce Commission is the body that licenses moving companies.  Golan’s license number with the ICC is 93712.  We acquired this license in 1990, and have held it since then without interruption.

We are able to accomdate any reservation.  For local moves it is recommended that you contact us at least a week before your move.  For long distance moves, we recommend that you contact us two weeks before the plannned pick-up date.  (Reminder:  For LD moves, making an early reservation can ensure quicker turnaround of your goods to the destination.)

Yes. For small moves, you can get an estimate over the phone from one of our relocation consultant. For larger moves, upon request, a Golan’s representative will give you a written “Estimated Cost of Services” after a visual survey of the goods to be moved. There is no charge for the estimate.

In local move, travel time is the time it takes us to get to and from the job site(s). It is charged as a flat time based on the location of the job site(s).

We cannot allow people other than movers to ride in the truck because for liability purposes.

Everything from helping you pack to moving your items to storing them, to unpacking them for you—how’s that for service? We can move you locally, within the state, or within the country. If you need storage, we offer short-term or long-term storage.

We also offer a full range of packing services from partial packing where we pack some and you pack some, to full packing services where you don’t have to lift a finger. We can also provide all the moving supplies you need such as boxes, tape, bubble wrap, dish pack and packing kits.

For moves within the state, the state regulates moving companies. In California, the California Public Utilities Commission regulates moving companies.

In Florida, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services regulates moving companies.

For moves between states, moving companies are regulated by the US Department of Transportation. 24 Moving’s DOT Number is 1699247. We have had the authority to move people inter-state for many years.

Our licenses require us to carry general liability, auto liability and workers’ compensation insurance. The government requires all moving companies to have their license numbers on all advertising.

Since the government requires all moving companies to have their license numbers on all advertising, one way that you can tell legitimate movers from scam artists is to look for the DOT and CPUC numbers.

It depends on how far you are moving. If you are moving long distance, we prefer that you contact us two weeks before your moving day so that we can move your belongings quickly without delays. If you are moving locally, please contact us at least one week before your moving day.

Absolutely! For a smaller move, such as a small apartment or one-bedroom home, our relocation expert can give you an estimate over the phone. For bigger moves, you can ask us to come out and one of our 24 Moving personnel will look at what you have to move and give you a written estimate. There’s never any charge for our estimates.

With local moves, travel time is how long it takes us to get to your first location to start the job, plus how long it takes us to get from your second location back to our facility. The closer your locations are to our facility, the lower the travel time will be. We bill travel time because we do have to pay for gas, tolls, and movers’ time to get to and from your locations.

Whatever time of the year you need to move is the best time for you because 24 Moving is there to make it easy on you. Actually, summer is the always the busiest time for moving. For local moves between the 24th and the 1st of the next month, 24 Moving charges a small premium.

It’s hard to say because it depends on many different variables, such as amount of things you have to move, the size of any stairs or elevators, the time it takes to load and unload, the distance you’re going and the direction, the weather conditions, and the time of year.

Locally, our moving vans are 26 foot box trucks. In particular, we use BRAND NAME trucks that are XX feet long from bumper to bumper. The box of the truck is about 26 feet long by 8 feet high by 7 feet across. On the inside of the box are custom e-track rails that we use to tie down your belongings and brace them to minimize damage.
On most of our trucks, we have a lift gate so that your furniture and appliances are transferred smoothly and carefully into the truck. And of course we outfit each of our trucks with moving blankets, masonite boards and other tools we use to move your things safely, effectively and efficiently.

For local moves, you pay nothing upfront, and full payment is due at the end of the move. For long distance moves, we take half of the payment when we arrive to pick up your things and we collect the other half when we arrive at your destination, before we unload the truck.
We take cash, certified money orders, cashiers checks, all major credit cards, but not personal checks.

To avoid damage to your dressers and other furniture, we recommend that you not leave heavy items in drawers or pack them there. It is OK to leave lightweight clothes such as your blouses, shirts, lingerie and sweaters in lightweight dressers. However, we generally suggest that you clean out all of your dressers, chests, armoires, desks, and bureaus.

You are protected because on every move, there is a basic valuation and you do have options for increasing it if you have very valuable items. Give us a call or click here to ask about local valuation or long distance valuation.

Before you do your own packing, make sure you know how to pack to avoid damage. After you pack items into a box, make sure you add some padding so that the box will pack tightly when you close it up. This keeps the items inside from shifting during the move. Padding can be anything from t-shirts to blankets to linens to newspapers. Check our Packing Tips & Blogs for more tips that our professional packers use.

Yes! We can look for a regular parking spot on your street, or you can get a parking permit from the city for a small fee. This permit lets us cordon off a parking place on your moving day.

Yes, because we will be using the elevators, and most buildings that have elevators will want you to get their authorization to use the elevators for a specific time period. We suggest you do this immediately so that you can have the elevators available when we need them. Also, your building manager will probably want to see a “Certificate of Liability”. Just ask us, and we will send it over to them.

No—you pay the same rate regardless of whether you live in a one-story house or on the top floor of a building. We’re good that way!

Certainly! If you’re not able to move into your new home right away but must move out of your old one, you can store your things in our local warehouse at a very affordable cost.

You don’t have to, since 24 Moving can handle moving your jewelry, money, artwork or other high-value items. But generally, we suggest that you carry anything expensive or irreplaceable with you.

Yes, we will! We care about your furniture so we wrap it in protective padding or shrink wrap so you won’t have to fret about it getting wet. And we protect your flooring from damage by putting down carpet film and floor covering.

Sorry, our liability insurance just won’t let you do that—only our movers are allowed to ride in the truck.

Yes, we always clean up after our movers so you can relax and enjoy the move!

We can unpack your boxes on a local move, and the only charge is for the time it takes our movers to do it. For long distance move please let us know if you need packing/unpacking service when making your reservation, so we will be able to quote you promptly.

You don’t have to tip the movers, although a lot of people do. Tip the amount that you’re comfortable with. The tips should be based on the quality of the service and the move in general. People who choose to tip movers usually do one of two things—either tip a small percentage of the total move cost, or tip each mover a small dollar amount per hour spent moving.

We apologize for that, but given the nature of the service industry, it does happen occasionally. Call us and we’ll let you know what to do.

We enjoy hearing our customer’s stories about the wonderful way our movers handled everything and made it easy for them. You can leave us some feedback by clicking here to fill out a quick and easy survey.

Reputable moving companies give binding estimates so you won’t have any unpleasant surprises at the end of your move. If a company only offers non-binding estimates you should avoid them because you could end up with a bill that exceeds the estimate by a significant amount.
Make sure you get a guaranteed price in writing before anyone starts loading your belongings on a truck.

To give you an accurate moving cost, the mover needs to come see your belongings. The cost of your move is determined by the number of rooms you have, the weight and volume of your belongings, the difficulty involved in moving them, and the total time and labor that will be needed to move everything. Make sure you read your moving contract or agreement before you sign it. Don’t let anyone pressure you into making a quick decision either in person or on the phone.

There are brokers who will arrange to get a moving company for you, but you shouldn’t need to pay an extra fee to a broker when you deal with a reputable moving company that offers fair and honest services and contracts. It’s not hard to find reputable moving companies and check up on them. You can look on their advertising to see their state and federal Department of Transportation (DOT) license numbers—if they don’t have any, they are illegal moving companies. You can also check to see if they are a member of The American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA) at http://www.moving.org/.

To find out, ask the for their DOT number. Then start asking questions about their permits, workers compensation and state licenses. If they can’t provide answers, they’re probably a cut-rate mover and you won’t want to deal with them. Movers’ licenses exist so that consumers will have basic insurance coverage for their belongings and a way to file complaints and collect damages for items lost or damaged during a move. The licenses must be applied for, approved, and then kept current with renewals.

Before you move, you should ask for written information about everyone who will be handling your move. The reason this is important is that while the movers have a direct contract with you, the subcontractors don’t. That means they’re not as accountable and that’s bad. If you don’t get a good answer when you ask for the written information, particularly if the moving company tells you they use day laborers, then look for another moving company.

Some companies just do moving and don’t offer packing services. Others offer a full line of packing services from partial packing to full packing. You can keep costs low by doing all of your own packing and using boxes from a box exchange or liquor store. But if you are pressed for time, you can pay more for the full packing service many movers offer from start to finish, including padding crates and unpacking your belongings at your new home.

The BBB exists to protect consumers and they keep track of companies to make sure that customers are satisfied and the business is conducting itself in an honest manner. You should check with the BBB to see if the moving company has any complaints. If they do, don’t deal with them. Choose a moving company that has been in business for years and has a perfect BBB record. Don’t ask the company for their BBB standing, because disreputable companies won’t tell you. Ask the BBB yourself.

When a move goes well, customers are happy to recommend the company and they go back to that company again and again. Good companies are always happy to give you the names of previous customers so you can talk with them.

Bad moving companies don’t train their people, but good ones train their workers in packing, customer service, and in driving. Training pays off when problem arise because trained movers anticipate problems and take steps to resolve them before small problems can become big headaches.

Good moving companies sell packing supplies at affordable prices and deliver them to you. You should be able to get recycled boxes, too, for free through a box exchange or at lower cost. When you pay a moving company for packing services, the boxes, tape and bubble wrap they use are included in the packing fee.

The moving company should assign a supervisor or manager to your move and give you his/her number. The supervisor’s job is to make sure your move goes well and fulfills your written contract with the company. Make sure you get the supervisor’s name and cell phone number.

Reputable companies do a good job so they should want your feedback. Feedback is critical for improving the company’s service and keeping their good reputation. You can leave us some feedback by clicking here to fill out a quick and easy survey.