Each year millions of people move to a new apartment or house. These moves take place without any difficulties because the homeowners hire quality movers to assist them in relocating.
If you are looking for quality movers, you may want to read this guide until the end. You may find several moving companies both online and offline, but these tips and tricks will help you hire quality movers for your relocation.
Decide the moving services you need
Before searching for movers, you must decide which items you need to move and what type of movers you want to hire.
- You can hire a full-service mover if you want them to pack your belongings in the old house, transport them and unpack them after reaching your new house.
- Alternatively, you can hire movers only to carry your items from your old house into the moving truck and again from the moving truck into your new house. Sometimes you would consider doing the packing and unpacking by yourself.
- Movers will provide you with a wide range of services, but we recommend you narrow it down to exactly those services you will need before you start an inquiry. Though it seems costly to hire full-service movers, it would be worth it if you don't have anyone to help you pack and unpack your belongings. However, if you have a group of friends to help you, you can simply hire movers to just load and unload your items.
Review and shortlist movers online
Nowadays, you can't purchase or sign up for any product without reading its reviews. Here is what you can consider doing:
- Do a basic Google search on all moving companies you might have considered working with and find out what other customers think about their performance.
- You must look for a lot of positive reviews in a good quality moving company. It would be a good idea to talk to those who have used the service of a moving company, you can rule out the chance of a fake review.
- Consider checking third-party sites like Yelp or Angie's List to assist with the feedback of past customers.
For honest feedback, we recommend you read at least two pages of reviews because mostly a website will put only positive reviews in its initial pages, while the negative reviews would be pushed down.
Check references and testimonials
It is important to properly check a moving company before you sign any deal with it. Perhaps you can check their website for honest feedback given by other customers about the quality of their work.
Don’t hesitate to take references from other companies that you might have considered. A reputable moving company would be happy to connect you with their most content customers. In a nutshell, if you talk with satisfied customers, it will give you a peaceful mind.
Rule out moving companies with a name change
If you are wondering, why does a company with a bad reputation choose to change its name? Simply, they assume that changing names would hide their poor performance and bad reviews of the past.
Here are a few steps which you can take to identify a company with a bad reputation:
- Do your Google research to check how your shortlist moving companies have been doing their business.
- It would be a good idea to check if the owner of a moving company has done any other moving business in the past or has even worked in any other moving company.
If you have identified that a moving company has changed its name, you can consider it as a red flag. In general, no moving company with a good reputation would consider changing their names.
Look out for any extra charges and security deposits
You should consider asking a moving company about any additional fee or surcharge they might charge. Many companies will promote their business showing a low cost that would be exclusive of any surcharges.
- Moving companies may charge an additional fee for furniture disassembly and reassembly.
- If the movers need to climb the stairs, they might charge extra for you.
- In case you have to move any additional boxes or items other than those that were a part of your basic quote, you will have to pay an extra fee.
- If you are making a long-distance move, you may have to pay long carry charges or storage fees.
However, if you hire quality movers, they will disclose their charges to you in their initial quote itself. Also, when you hire quality movers you will not have to pay any security deposit in advance.
Check their insurance certificate and license
You need to ask a moving company for their unique DOT number and check if it is valid or not? If an interstate mover is licensed, they would have this information with them. Also, you need to check if the company you choose is registered at protectyourmove.gov. You can choose to verify your insurance online as well.
- You need to ensure that you are working with professionals or not and check if the company you choose doesn’t hire day laborers.
- Consider checking if all your valuables are insured or not, if not then you need to get them insured.
Ensure your company has a valid address
Most importantly, you need to check if the business location mentioned on the website is true. We recommend you visit their office in person, feel their environment and mee their people. This will give you a better idea regarding the integrity of the company.
Industry experience and professional accreditation
You need to ask a moving company to share stories about the work they have done in the past. Also, if you have a specialty item to move, consider asking them if they have any experience in doing so. This will give you enough peace of mind when you are assured that your mover knows how to move your valuables.
For professional accreditation, you need to check if they have a connection with an authorized organization. This will give you an indication that the moving company you choose is highly dedicated towards their work and they have a good knowledge of the recent trends in the moving industry.
Significance of multiple quotes in choosing quality movers
It's a good decision to research multiple moving companies before you choose a quality mover. You can select 5 moving companies and get quotes from each one of them. Avoid taking just one or two quotes as this will not be of any benefit to you. Moreover, you will get a clear idea if the company is providing you with the best value for your money.
- Taking multiple quotes will assure you that you have done your due heedfulness, mostly when you have decided to do comparison shopping.
- You will also get an idea of how quickly the company will respond to your queries. Also, you can find out if they are good at cost negotiation and if you are comfortable talking to those at the other end of your phone.
- By taking multiple quotes, you can have at least two backup options ready, in case anything goes wrong with your first choice.
Role of BBB Ratings
You may consider visiting the BBB (Better Business Bureau) website and check if any complaint has been registered against the moving companies shortlisted by you. Also, check the investigation notes provided by BBB along with any statement of resolution.
Not all complaints you read will be true. A past customer may have been over-critical of the company. So, you need to read a complaint properly, before arriving at a decision.
Click pictures of your belongings before and after the move
- You can use your mobile phone or digital camera to click pictures of your belongings before the movers arrive at your old house. This will keep a record of your items with the date and time.
- Make sure to do a video shoot of your important belongings, once the movers leave your new house.
- In case you spot any damaged items, you can show both before and after pictures to the moving company without any hesitation.
Final thoughts
Overall, you can ask any number of questions before entering into a contract with the moving company you have chosen. Make sure to ask the same questions to all the moving companies you have shortlisted. This will help you compare each of the companies properly and make an informed decision.
Once you complete the steps mentioned in this guide, you can take a notepad and note any further questions that you might want to ask them.