What you should expect from moving companies

Moving, more often than not, entails more hassles than you would anticipate. Apart from changing your address on your driver’s license, getting your mail forwarded and all other sorts of bureaucratic matters, one of the biggest issues to face is to whom you should entrust the moving to.

Unless you are able to do it yourself, 99 times out of 100 you will need to employ the services of a moving company. And, as you may have realized, there is no shortage of moving companies out there. In fact, there are so many moving companies out there it’s often hard to choose which one is right for you – not to mention not always being able to tell which moving companies do serious business from the makeshift ones.

So once you’ve decided when to move and how many things you will be moving from one place to the other, the next step is to find, among the numerous moving companies that offer varied services, which one is right for you.

One thing you must take into consideration and discuss with a potential moving company is the distance you will be moving. Whether you are moving cross town or cross country most major moving companies can handle all from A to Z. Smaller and family-run moving companies might not be able to go the distance but rely on a consortium of interstate or international moving companies to cover these distances. The downside to this is that when transferring the moving duties form one company to the next there might be extra fees involved. Get an estimate in any case from all the moving companies you contact.

When you’ve considered a few moving companies, see if a representative of a company will come to your home to get an idea of all the things you have to move. Once he/she surveys the premises you should be able to get a quote on the spot. Be wary of those who take notes and say “I’ll get back to you later on.” Serious moving company will send representatives that have a trained eye when it comes to quickly analyzing the situation and don’t need to “check back with the office” unless there are special requests that need to be filled.

Another thing that should be looked into is how you will go about packing all your things and whether or not you will personally do it. While most people prefer to pack things themselves, those pressed for time or who simply do not want to waste time packing usually ask moving companies if they offer these services. Almost all moving companies offer packing services. They will handle everything from the clothes in your drawers to all your kitchenware to all the tools in your garage. Try to negotiate the costs of this option (this is easier to do with smaller, private moving companies as all large franchised ones almost always have fixed rates) since it can be very expensive, if you consider packaging materials and the manual labor involved. If you must relocate within a brief timeframe get as many quotes as possible – if a moving company senses that you are in dire need of help they can capitalize on the situation and overcharge. Keep your cool and compare rates!

Serious moving companies will also offer you insurance for your transported goods, especially if they are traveling cross-country or abroad. It is highly recommended that you do stipulate an insurance policy after thoroughly reading the terms – spending a little more beforehand can save you lots of aggravation should something go wrong.

Serious moving companies will always offer insurance against theft, fire, and transport damages. Since there is always a gray line as to what qualifies for damage during transport, read the moving company’s terms of service very carefully before signing. Most major moving companies have standard terms but if there is something that you would like to be added negotiate this request before signing anything.

If you are moving from one state to the next or cross country consider the option of hiring a moving service from a list of moving services in the town or city to which you are moving to. Though obviously you cannot expect something like an in-person quote or a packing option if you do this, on the other hand it can save you money on the actual hiring of services, since a company that comes out from where you are moving to does not have to drive back to the city of once finished.

In conclusion, when employing the services of one or more moving companies, carefully analyze what your actual needs are and get as many quotes as possible before deciding which moving company is right for you.