If you’ve ever moved a large amount of stuff, you know how stressful it can be. Finding a moving company on which you can trust to transfer your valuable belongings at a fair price is a significant part of the tension.
1. Determine whether you need local or long-distance movers.
The first step is to understand how far your things would go. You’ll need to recruit long-distance movers if you’re traveling around the country. Local movers are the way to go if you’re only moving to another neighborhood in your area.
That appears to be a straightforward decision. However, something in between — such as relocation to a new city within the same state — may be classified as local or long-distance. There is no universal description, but it’s safe to assume that anything over 50 miles is considered long-distance.
However, you can consult with each organization you’re considering to see how it defines long-distance versus local moving and whether it provides the services you need.
2. Get Referrals
Once you’ve determined what form of moving company you need, you can begin your quest. Having references from people you trust is the perfect way to find companies most likely to make your transfer stress-free. This will include the following:
- Friendships with family and coworkers
- Message boards for the local/neighborhood
A word of warning about the last group: Neighborhood message boards, Facebook groups, and social networking sites like Nextdoor can all be great ways to find referrals. However, it would be best if you exercise caution. Unsolicited posts that appear a little over-the-top in praising a company should be avoided unless they are followed by supportive comments. In some instances, these are just company owners or individuals acting on their behalf promoting their own services.
Instead, search for threads where people have asked the same question as you (for example, “Can anyone suggest a good local moving company?”). If you get multiple responses from people who don’t seem to have any links to the organization (or each other), you’ve probably found the right candidate to add to your List of potential hires.
3. Conduct your due diligence
After you’ve collected all the recommended companies from sources you trust, it’s time to do some detective work to make sure those companies are reputable.
This initiative honors moving companies that have passed a background check and decided to follow a set of guidelines.
It would be the best if you also searched the Better Business Bureau for information on the businesses. A large number of unresolved grievances, particularly recent ones, is a big red flag.
You can also read as many articles as possible about the companies you’re thinking about. Any reputable moving company should have feedback available on:
- Facebook HomeAdvisor is a service provided by Google.
- Angie’s List is a website run by Angie’s List.
To get the right balance of details, make sure you check several sources.
Finally, ask for references from the firms themselves. Moving.com proposes the following:
4. Perform walk-throughs, inventory, and receive quotes
It’s time to schedule appointments once you’ve narrowed the List down to three or four firms. Much of the time, this would include a representative from each organization walking through your home to inventory the things you need to pass.
Another red flag is if a company offers to give you a quote over the phone. You should be worried if you do a walk-through and it feels hurried or incomplete. Since the walk-through is how the moving company calculates an estimate or quotation, it must be detailed for the correct quote.
After you’ve finished your walk-through, you can call the moving company for a quote. According to Moving.com, this could take one of three forms:
Estimate That Isn’t Binding.
This generally means that the company cannot charge you more than 10% more than the original estimate. But bear in mind that this isn’t always the case. No matter what the calculation says, there could be no limit on how much you have to pay in individual states.
Exceeding Forecast with No Duty
This means that you will not be compensated for any extra costs above the original estimate. The sum is the maximum amount you’ll have to pay for any services offered.
5. Do not make a large deposit.
Moving your belongings with a reliable moving company does not require cash upfront or a significant deposit. In fact, any organization that requests one should be avoided.
According to Scott Michael of the American Moving & Storage Association, who spoke to Consumer Reports, the highest deposit you can expect to pay is about 20%.
You can still pay your deposit and all other charges with a credit card in case you need to appeal something later.
6. Check at the contract for any “gotchas.”
Finally, before signing on the line, carefully read your moving contract for any fine print that could end up costing you more than you thought. Hire Local San Antonio, TX Movers
Is there a charge for packing included in your contract? If it’s the case, you might be overpaying for packaging labor and products such as boxes and tape. That’s perfect if you’re cool with it. You’ll need to renegotiate the deal if this isn’t the case.
Any part of the arrangement that you haven’t agreed to with the moving company should be challenged. If the company cannot offer a sufficient reason for the fee, request that it be withdrawn.