What kind of moving services are best for you?

Whether you’ve just bought the house of your dreams or have to relocate on short notice, there’s always the issue of whether or not you will employ moving services.

Consider the following when preparing to move:

1. Do I have many things to take?
2. Can I do it myself or with the help of friends?
3. Do I have to transport bulky or fragile items?
4. Will moving by myself take up lots of time around my daily life?

If you answered “yes” to just one of the above, then relying on moving services might be a smart – and possibly the only – option for you.

The process of finding moving services which tailor to your needs, though, might be tricky. Unless someone recommends tried and trusted moving services to you, this might be a shot in the dark. The yellow pages are crammed with endless numbers and ads for moving services – which do you choose from?

Here are some guidelines to follow when searching for a moving service:

1. Draw up a rough list of all the items you are planning to move.

2. When you have a list, start searching the phone book, local newspapers or the internet for the telephone numbers of moving services.


3. When narrowing down your choices of moving services, take into consideration both trusted national names and small family-run moving services who don’t advertise much: lack of advertising doesn’t always mean lack of professionalism, whereas on the contrary, big-name franchise moving services can promise much but deliver little, depending on who runs them.

4. Once you have a list of moving services, call each one and describe the nature of your needs (hint: you can tell the professionalism of a moving service not only by what it has to offer but by the questions it asks you – be suspicious of moving services that let you do all the talking and just give you an up-in-the-air quote. Serious moving services will articulate their quotes according to specific information they gather from you.).


5. If you are not pressed for time, shop around. Give all the moving services on your list a try and get all the quotes.

6. Be wary of huge gaps between quotes. Though prices are competitive, something really cheap can mean poor service, whereas something too expensive can mean they are overcharging for a service that others will include in the price, like for example boxes, tape, manual labor, etc..


7. When you’ve finally decided on a moving service, draw up a contract that specifies all the services you have agreed upon (packing per hour, packaging equipment, hourly rates per mover and potential overtime rates, insurance coverage and what it covers , distance to travel, etc.,) and sign it. A professional moving service will always come forward with one first. Take your time to read through all the points before signing.

8. If you think it will be necessary, see if you can negotiate a fee for things that might happen after signing the contract, such as needing more equipment, etc., at a cheaper rate (most private moving services will often do this, since franchised moving services are often bound by company by-laws to apply fixed rates and services).Charging cheaper rates for overtime is almost impossible as this can violate labor and worker safety laws. A good way of going about this is to propose to the moving service (if overtime is not already contemplated in the contract) a lump-sum fee that will make both parties happy. Always settle the fee beforehand and not after everything is done to avoid getting hit with an ugly surprise.


9. Though many moving services will offer to pack everything for you, if you have enough free time try to pack some things yourself, especially fragile goods and other things of value – not only does this save time (and money!) but it also avoids breakage and accidents that can happen during the rush to get things done (if moving services pay their employees on a fixed salary rather than by the hour, they will make it their business to get things done as soon as possible!).

10. As with other professionals, there’s nothing moving services like more than having satisfied customers at the end of the day. If there is a way to praise their services (through customer satisfaction surveys, testimonials, recommending them to others etc.,) do so. It also goes without saying that if you were dissatisfied with their services, make sure to voice your opinion!
 

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