This time around we’ve interviewed a moving company in Nampa, Idaho. We decided it would be a good idea to get some insider knowledge into the moving process.
Who is Valley Custom Moving?
Corey McCombs and Joshua Rumple started Valley Custom Moving in 2019. They originally worked at a moving company before Valley Custom Moving and ended up starting their own business after seeing what they could do together and have been in the industry for over 15 years.
What Services Do They Offer?
Valley Custom Moving moves everything big and small. They move:
Antiques
Arts
Residential Moves
…and the occasional Commercial Move
A big priority for their business right now is relocation and long-distance moves which are keeping them extremely busy.
Another part of their service is the white glove and insurance.
Insurance
They have general insurance that all moving companies have. It’s just general liability. And then on top of that, with the arts and antiques, some people choose to go above and beyond with what is called Valuation Insurance which is based on the price of the item. For example, if you had a $10,000 item they would take that item and multiply it by this much, and then that item would be covered at 100%. It’s extra insurance.
White Glove Service
This is a standard service where they come in and do everything to prep and you ready the items to be shipped properly and safely, such as blanket wrapping everything that’s furniture-based (wood or metal), stretch wrapping, ensuring it arrives in the same condition as when it gets picked up.
How Are Items Protected During the Move?
Because Corey and Joshua have instilled the best practices in their team, they understand the do’s and don’ts with certain items. For example, there are certain things that you don’t just tip or lean to pick up. Knowing how to handle certain items comes with working in our field for as long as we have.
Do You Offer Any Storage Solutions?
Valley Custom Moving has a storage warehouse in Nampa, Idaho for customers that are in between phases of moving from their state to Idaho. Because they’re doing a lot of long-distance moves, there is quite a bit of customer that are staying in an Airbnb while their new homes are being built, and in the meantime, they’ll store their items for three to six months at Valley Custom Moving’s warehouse.
What Makes the Valley Custom Team Different?
Corey and Joshua said, “we treat your items like they are our things. We care what happens to it, we care about our name, and we care that people are satisfied with our service. Joshua and I are involved in the company at all times even if we’re not on the job, that’s what has made a lot of our success, and what separates us apart”.
How Are Gas Prices Affecting Moving Companies?
Moving companies are taking a beating by the gas prices. Valley Custom Moving has tried hard to not push off all that cost onto their customers, but they’ve had to increase their rate just a little bit. However, they still offer the same quality service that they always have.
How Far Out Do Clients Need to Book Moving Services?
Valley Custom Moving says demand for moving services has increased over the last couple of years. They usually require about 60 days in advance during the summer months. In June, everybody’s getting ready for the summer move. In the winter, they recommend reaching out about 30 or so days before you plan to move. They said that they’ve had customers reach out to them six months in advance for a move which is perfectly fine because that gives them enough time. If someone is planning a local move they can typically get that done within a couple of weeks. In 2021, the company was booked for the summer in January of that same year. As a rule of thumb, the sooner you contact them the better.
Is There Anything That They Won’t Move?
Here’s a short list of the things that Valley Custom Moving won’t move:
Mobile Houses
Hot Tubs
Anything Flammable (ammo, propane tanks, etc.)
Pets
People
Livestock
Outside of these things (and vehicles…see below), they move anything from pillows to grand pianos. They did want to clarify that while they can transport plants, they can’t be insured.
While the company does everything within its power to protect your items, occasionally things do happen from time to time. If something does get damaged in some way, they will usually come in and just have it repaired for their customer as a courtesy as opposed to paying them 60 cents per pound of general insurance. They said that this generally helps customers feel more satisfied with what happened.
Do They Move Any Vehicles?
Valley Custom Moving used to move vehicles once upon a time. However, the cost of insurance for them as a company didn’t outweigh the need for customers. So, as they no longer move them.
What Are Some Things Customers Typically Forget to Do?
People typically forget the miscellaneous stuff such as taking an inventory list of their belongings. Because of this, they’ll forget garage racks and patio furniture. Another thing Joshua and Corey said people forget to do is to give themselves enough time to be ready. They said that on occasion they would arrive and the customer wasn’t packed or their boxes were all still open.
Moving to a new place is so much more than just packing and moving your stuff! There’s a whole laundry list of things to do! To make sure you don’t miss anything, check out our Moving Checklist!
Moving Tips and Tricks
They said the best tip that they could provide is to fill your boxes! “People will go pack their kitchens and they’ll fill the box halfway and then they won’t they’ll wrap them in the paper they’ll wrap them in bubble wrap and oh that’s gorgeous you know they’ll fill it halfway or three-quarters of the way and then they’re like okay that’s done because they don’t want it to be too heavy. That box then gets stacked in the truck and the items get smashed”.
If you’re long distance, it’s no secret that the California highway is bumpy. When you’re driving on a bumpy road for a thousand miles, those halfway-filled boxes just start to sink. This is most commonly seen with wardrobe boxes. Because it’s such a big box, it’s not necessarily something movers stack on top of something else, so if it’s underneath something heavy those boxes cave in. They suggested putting a whole bunch of shoes in the bottom, putting all the clothes on the rod, and then putting pictures in between your clothes. If you do this, it will be a fuller and sturdier box.
Valley Custom Moving went on to say that labeling boxes is a big help. However, don’t just label the top of your boxes. When it’s in a stack, you can’t see all the top labels. They suggest putting labels on the sides of boxes as well. They’ve seen some people do a great job doing color-coordinated tape to each room. They’ve had customers create maps or legends for their houses. Labeling goes a long way.
What Does Valley Custom Moving Pride Itself On?
Joshua and Corey said, “If you’re looking for personal friendly service you want to give us a call. We’re the most experienced in the field up here in Nampa, just because of how long we’ve been in the area. If you’re looking for someone who cares about what they’re doing, someone local, and someone that wants to make sure that their customers are satisfied, give us a call. We’ve never canceled a move. We’ve had some ups and downs, but we’ve never had to cancel. We’ve had trucks break down in the middle of nowhere, but we still figure it out and we get it done.
In Closing
If you’ve ever thought about moving to Idaho, but aren’t sure how to make that happen, give Valley Custom Moving a call at 208-918-3899 or check out their website. If you’d like to learn more about Idaho, download this free relocation guide and then give us a call at 208-860-2004. We’d be happy to answer any questions that you have about moving to Idaho or learning more about the area. As always, this is Treasure Valley Dave, helping you get home!
