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Policies and Procedures

IF YOU HAVE BOOKED SMOOTH MOVES CVILLE FOR ANY RELOCATION SERVICE,

THE FOLLOWING ARE APART OF YOUR SERVICE CONTRACT  

PRIOR TO YOUR MOVING DAY 

PACKING:

All contents that can fit into a box must be properly packaged with enough padding to withstand being handled by movers

Including : TVs, lamp shades, wall art, mirrors and small appliances.

Articles NOT in protective packaging and inside a box or carton, may not be able to be moved.

You may leave lightweight clothing and pillows in your dresser drawers or heavy duty cabinets. We do NOT recommend this with IKEA or pressboard furniture.  Empty extremely heavy furniture or fragile furniture completely. 

If you are not finished packing prior to arrival, please call our office, we are happy to help!

If you have items NOT being moved, be sure to separate them out and placed into one area. 

Label all of your boxes and items if you can so the movers can identify which room to place them.

Please REMOVE/EMPTY any and all OIL, FUEL, GAS, OR PROPANE from machinery or furniture.  

By law we are not permitted to transport highly flammable substances in the back of box trucks.  

This includes fuel of any nature, flammable oils, alcohol, and contents under pressure. 

If you must pack liquids, tape the caps shut and line your box with a heavy duty plastic bag.

If you need help with this, please contact us right away.

Washing Machines, Dryers, Refrigerators, Freezers, and any other Major Appliance hook ups:

Our Moving Crews are NOT electronic or appliance service professionals.   

Please disconnect all electronics and major appliances prior to your moving day.  They should be at room temperature on moving day. This includes home computers, stereos and audio/video equipment.  

Note that plasma TVs must be kept upright at all times.  

The gas company must service and provide disconnect/reconnection for all gas appliances.

For the safety of the appliance, it is recommended that you drain any water from hoses,

defrost and air out insides of refrigerators and freezers, and allow them to be turned off for at least 24 hours prior to being moved.

PRO TIP “ Use Painters tape if you need to attach remotes, cords, or other small items to the sides of furniture, glass, plastic or upholstery.  Using regular packing tape can and will damage your articles.  

We do NOT pack or move the following items:

It is against federal law to put highly flammable or hazardous materials in the back of moving trucks.  This includes:

Propane Tanks.  Fuel or Oil.  Alcohol.  LPG tanks.  Bleaches or Cooking Oils. 

We also will not handle firearms, drugs, prescription drugs, money, legal documents, furs, keys, fine jewelry, priceless/irreplaceable items, or perishable food items.  

We will not pack liquids that are not factory sealed, this includes laundry soap and cleaning products or any appliance that has liquid still contained inside. 

PARKING:   

Your moving truck or Storage Container must be able to park as close to your entry way as possible.  If necessary, use your personal vehicles or cones to reserve adequate parking.  You may obtain special "No Parking Permits" to reserve spots from the city or county of which you live if necessary.      

 

ANY DISTANCE BETWEEN THE TRUCK AND ENTRYWAYS AT PICK UP OR DELIVERY, THAT THE MOVERS MUST WALK/CLIMB STAIRS GREATER THAN 20 FT IS CONSIDERED A "LONG CARRY" 

and you MUST inform us as this will greatly affect your service delivery. 

 

These distances have such an impact on moving that failure to alert us to a "long carry" may result in the need to reschedule your moving services. 

PLEASE READ YOUR CONTRACT IN FULL FOR COMPLETE PACKING AND PRE-MOVE POLICIES.


 MOVING DAY 

Before your movers arrival, clear all walkways inside and outside.  Also, clear parking spots for the moving truck.

Secure all pets and children so they are not roaming the walk ways and do not let them get near the truck. 

Designate a bathroom for the movers to use and point them to it during the walk through.

 

Your moving team will greet you and do a walk through with you.  This is the time to inform them about how you want things done.  Point out any fragile items and give instructions to anything that is particular. 

Always ask any questions or voice any concerns that arise during the move.  It can be overwhelming having people working throughout your space and feel unsure about the process.  The Crew leader is your point person to make the process a smooth one.  Also, your contract and confirmation emails contain a contact cell number to a supervisor.  Don't hesitate to call or text that number with any questions or concerns. 

The loading process can become lengthy as the movers have to wrap all of your items and safely Tetris them into the truck. 

Once the process is underway, it's time for you to relax and let us do the heavy lifting.  Once they finish they may take lunch.

They will either follow or meet you at your new location.  They will need you to guide them to get everything where it belongs.

PLEASE READ YOUR MOVING CONTRACT IN FULL FOR COMPLETE POLICES FOR MOVING WITH US.

 

ARRIVAL TIMES  

 

Due to the nature of delivering relocation services, we schedule a 1-2 hour window for our time of arrival.  

 

Unforeseen issues and delays can arise while moving.  Often times, these hiccups or delays are out of anyone's control, especially during peak season.  Our teams go above and beyond to help all of our clients get through the hardship of moving, even when things do not go as planned.  Rest assured that we will provide the best service possible regardless of your circumstance.  

We also take every measure to ensure that we keep our commitments to arrive on time to all of our clients.  Please be aware that in doing so, delays, and in rare cases, rescheduling can happen.  Please plan ahead for this possibility.  We strive to provide the most absolute prompt service but should a significant issue arise that will effect your services, we will contact you immediately.  Additionally, please make proper contingency plans in case your own move encounters hang ups or takes longer than expected.  

 

 It is important to plan your move ahead of deadlines, allowing the relocation plenty of time for any unforeseen events or delays beyond anyones control.  If you do have special time constraints associated with your move, its imperative that you communicate them to us.  We will make every effort to accommodate and meet your needs.   

PLEASE SEE YOUR SERVICE CONTRACT FOR FULL DETAILS ON YOUR ARRIVAL TIMES AND POLICES

Furniture Assembly

Your Moving Crew will assemble and disassemble your furniture at your request for no additional cost beyond your labor rates.

You MUST provide instructions for any piece of furniture that requires more than 4 screws or bolts, or are specific, speciality items that are not considered common household items.  Without instructions, we will still attempt the assembly/disassembly, upon request, but we will not be able to guarantee the work. 

 

SELF Storage & Self Truck Rentals

If your articles are going into self-storage, you will need to provide your own blankets for storing your items. You may purchase them or use second hand blankets and linens that have padding.  You may also rent them from us. 
Reminder that leather and wool articles need to breathe. Do NOT wrap them in plastic. Reminder that electronics, paintings, photographs, liquids, and some types of furniture may not store well in extreme temperatures. 

As we are locally owned and operated here in Charlottesville, VA if you have rented and are using your own moving truck, trailer or other vehicle, you must provide your own moving blankets. We can't have you driving off to Mexico with our company gear! 
You will also need to provide your own straps or rope, padlocks, and in some cases, dollies.  

Customer self obtained or rented moving truck or trailer is in your name only, this means our crew CANNOT operate your rented equipment. Insurance and rental contracts will simply not allow it. 

UNDER BOOKING

An Underbooking is when adequate services were not reserved in advance.  We can not perform to the best of our abilities if we are not properly informed.  We are happy to provide rates and estimates via phone and email, however, it is absolutely essential for you to provide the following with descriptive details.  

Also you must inform us at least 48 hours ahead of time of any changes:

  • Provide all logistical data relevant to your relocation: Addresses.  Phone number.  Date and Time you need to move.

  • Describe in detail and provide the number of stairs inside and outside of your home the movers might utilize. 

  • Describe any item over 200lbs.  Provide dimensions and weight and location of pick up and delivery.

  • Describe any uneven terrain inside or outside of your locations. 

  • Provide exact distance between parking of a large box truck and entry ways to all locations.

  • Provide a complete inventory of furniture, appliances, and number of boxes to be moved.

  • Any other relevant information the movers will need to know in order to move you smoothly. 

 

Examples of an Underbooking:

We were not informed that the distance between where we must park the truck is greater than 20 feet and there is a stair case that all of your items must cross.  

Your driveway just got repaved and we cannot park close to your entryway and we weren't told in advance. 

The majority of your articles will be placed 3 stair cases up or down and you did not inform us in advance. 

You decided to add more furniture or boxes to your inventory and did not tell us in advance. 

You explicitly requested specific relocation service teams and time, and have not provided the above details about your relocation, however, what you requested is not adequate to compete your moving needs. 

Our estimators do our best to schedule the appropriate moving help you need.  We would never under sell you services as that would certainly cause a disaster for everyone.  We do our best to help you design the most economic moving plan possible.  Ultimately our services are customizable and we tailor to fit your needs and requests. Our advice and quotes are only as good as the information our customers provide.  Incomplete, non-specific or inaccurate information often results in an under booking.  Additionally, certain specific requests made of the movers on moving day without advance notice, could slow the moving process down significantly; thus causing an under booking.  

Be sure tell us every detail and call us immediately with any changes to your moving plan.   

We absolutely understand that you do not have a crystal ball and are not able to predict the future and that some circumstances can occur beyond your knowledge or control.  We will work diligently to make the necessary accommodations in order to get you through the moving process smoothly.  

 

CANCELATIONS


Moving is hard, we do our best to remain flexible to suit your needs. 

Please see your service contract agreement for our current cancelation policy. 

 

We reserve the right to cancel due to inclement weather, and so do you.

If you feel the weather will have an impact on the conditions of loading or unloading sites please call us right away.  

Uncovered stairs or slippery walk ways, for example, are causes for cancelation/rescheduling services.  

If our movers arrive and find that the conditions are too dangerous for moving furniture, we may need to reschedule.  

RELOCATION SERVICE CHARGES

Smooth Moves Cville NEVER has hidden fees or costs. We provide complete formal contracts outlining our rates and fees.  

We include transparent information on what effects your service charges.  Your contract is a live and online document that you always have access to and itemizes your charges. 

We accept all major credit/debit cards, including Apple Pay, for convenient payment of your relocation service charges.

 We do NOT accept personal checks without prior approval.  

YOUR MOVING CHARGES ARE DUE WITHIN 24 HOURS OF SERVICE END.      

Please see your service contract for complete details on our service charges policy. 

 DONATING FURNITURE OR HOUSEHOLD ARTICLES

Our community Service Program:

Unwanted Items? We handle that too!

In order to "stay green" and to give back to the community where we live and work, 

 When you purchase any services for any phase of your moving help needs, we provide

FREE transport and delivery of any unwanted furniture and household goods to local donation centers.

Tax deductible receipt available upon request. 

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