If you can click a mouse, you can move your house, says Larry Kruger of McWilliams Mayflower, which recently developed themovingmall.com, “a fun, easy, safe and convenient way for anyone to relocate.”
Kruger says moving is one of the three most stressful experiences in our lives, topped only by a death in the family and divorce. “People feel a great deal of stress and uncertainty regarding the whole moving process. We only do it a few times in our lives,” says Kruger. “In my 30 plus years in the moving industry it has not gotten any easier on people.”
He says people have “what we refer to as auto mechanic syndrome when it comes to moving. They are not comfortable with the process, they don’t know the cost and they are very aware of the horror stories regarding rogue movers. On top of all that, they are stressed to begin with.”
The website covers every aspect of relocation with no jargon, offering a “total move management process,” he says.
It is designed in a shopping mall setting. The first floor is pre-move, getting ready for the move and actually making the decision to move. The second floor helps you with all the organizing and logistics of the actual move and the third floor helps you get settled into your new home, Kruger says.
“The fun part is the pop and shop feature. As you click and pop the information balloons we provide great advice, tips and keep you focused on your schedule. We also break that up by presenting vetted suppliers, products and services that you may be interested in at the exact time you may need them,” he says.
“The most important thing is the moving portion,” says Kruger. “Some online moving sites basically sell the information to anyone who can buy it. You can get five different looking estimates online, all from the same scallywag. They book your move sight unseen and then either sell the move to a fly-by-night mover or pick it up with every intention of charging more than their online estimate and that’s when the problems start. They have your goods and hold them for ransom until you pay the new inflated price.”
Kruger says, “If I can give you any advice, it’s to have two or three reputable movers in to your home for an estimate. It’s free and you end up with a much better service and price.”
He says the site offers added value for real estate agents who can keep the customer engaged in moving their home while they concentrate on moving property. “It’s a marketplace so you provide a host of options with no direct referral concerns. Just link it to your site or mention in the listing presentation.”
