Selling your house? Here's why you'd better book a mover right now
N.B.'s red-hot real estate market has moving companies scrambling to keep up with unprecedented demand
So you just sold your house. Congratulations. Now please immediately book a mover or you might find that you aren't able to book one at all.
Movers are always busy at this time of year, but thanks to New Brunswick's red-hot real estate market, many say they're busier than they've ever been and are having to turn people away.
Houses are selling fast – on the same day they're listed in some cases – with quick turnaround times proposed by buyers fleeing overheated housing markets and pandemic hotspots.
The influx has put unprecedented pressure on every sector related to real estate. Especially movers.
Jerry Calhoun of Saint John-based Hoyt's Moving and Storage said demand is up by as much as 40 per cent for this time of year, and that means some people are finding themselves "stuck."
"Currently we're booking into mid-July and that's unusual in the moving business," Calhoun said. "There's lots of people who are finding themselves without a mover these days."
Long-distance moves up by about 300%
A surge in long-distance moves is intensifying the scramble, according to James Marshall of All World Moving and Storage.
Long-distance moves to New Brunswick from Ontario, Quebec and further west are up by about 300 per cent, which means trucks and workers are tied up for days. That leaves fewer hands onsite for local moves, which are also up dramatically this year.
It's a numbers game, Marshall said, and one where the math must be meticulous.
Unlike like hotels and airlines, which can overbook because there's an expectation that a percentage of people will cancel their booking, the moving industry has no wiggle room.
"I can't afford to overbook and not be able to pick someone's goods up," Marshall said.
He advised giving a moving company as much notice as you possibly can.
"The more notice the better," he said. "In this climate, especially considering how fast houses are selling, you should be considering a mover as soon as you have a potential offer."
Calhoun also urged sellers to "plan early," and not just for booking a mover.
He said he's noticed a dramatic increase in short closing dates, which in turn has made it tricky to dovetail moving out of your old house with finding a new one.
The solution for many has been to store their items. But here, too, supply is gasping under the weight of demand.
"We are running out of room here ... largely because of the housing market," said Mike Reibling of Apple Storage. "We have three locations in Moncton, and we're all full.
"There's a lot of people coming in from Ontario, and of course with the housing market, people are selling their house in one day and they have nowhere to put their stuff."
A game of keep, sell, toss
That, in turn, appears to be causing some to rethink how much of that "stuff" is really worth keeping.
Many residents opt to play a game of keep, sell, toss – and that's where junk removal services come in.
According to Justin Maillet of Saint John-based JJMs Junk Removal, even this service has seen a sharp uptick in business this season.
"We're keeping up, but we're pretty busy," he said, noting his five-day work week has started creeping up to a six- or seven-day week.
Maillet, who has two trucks, a dump trailer and several dumpsters, said things started ramping up last year and never really stopped.
"I found once this whole COVID thing happened, people were just purging everything," he said. "Then you've got people moving out, people moving in – it's been busy for sure."
GET A MOVE ON: TIPS FROM THE PROS
We won't sugarcoat it: Moving is hard work. But the pros we spoke to have some tips that can lighten the load.
- Plan early, plan often. Before that For Sale sign even goes up, you should be making a list of movers, storage units and junk removal services you will need to call.
- Is this the party to whom I am speaking? Call the utility companies as soon as you have a moving date and cross that item off your to-do list.
- Lighten up. If you can get rid of some stuff, do it. Do a closet purge. Call a donation pickup service. Call a junk removal service. Sell items that can earn you some cash.
- Be a pack animal. If you're planning on moving locally, pack most of your household items yourself to save time and money.
- Time is money. Don't wait till the last minute when the movers are already there, trying to work around you. Try to be completely packed before they get there.
- There are tons of clever "moving hacks" online. Invest an hour scanning them and reap the rewards of saved time later.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
