What To Look For In A Moving Company, Getting Quotes
You have a move coming up, but you have no idea who to turn to for help with your move. You could rent a truck yourself and beg all of your friends and family to help you. Or you could hire a moving company to do the hard part for you, but of all the companies available who do you choose? Let’s go over some ways to help you choose the best moving company for your move.
Moving Estimates
First thing you need to do is plan a budget, know exactly how much money you have to work with. From there contact the moving companies around your area to see which ones will do the work in your budget. Make sure to get estimates for everything you need done from loading up your belongings at one location to delivering them to the next.
Some will offer to help you pack up your current residence, load everything in the truck and deliver it to your new address. Some will only load, drive and drop off your belongings, so you need to know exactly what is included in the estimate. You don’t want the unexpected surprise of thinking you’re getting one level of service, only to find out either you’re not getting what you expected, or they’re charging extra for it.
Once the estimates are in you may want to ask around about their quality of service. You don’t want to hire a moving company known for mishandling and breaking fragile things if you have a house full of them. You want a moving company that will treat you and your belongings with the respect you deserve.
Moving Quotes
Once you have an idea of what it’s going to cost, to make sure things don’t get out of your budget you’ll want to get a quote. An estimate is great in the fact they give you an idea of what it’s going to cost. However if someone thinks it’s only going to take 5 hours but instead it takes 8 you may get billed for the extra 3 hours. A quote locks in the price they’ve given you regardless of what extra it takes as long as nothing was hidden from them.
A proper quote should be done by having one of their movers come to your home. This gives them the ability to see how much they’re going to be moving and how big of a truck they’re going to need. This is a key part in the moving process, to prevent frustration between you and the moving company.
Furniture Moving Companies
Some moving companies will move everything in your house, others are not equipped to handle the big stuff. If you have a lot of furniture you may need or want to hire someone to move it separately. There’s more involved with moving furniture than boxes of books, clothes and dishes. They need to have furniture dollies, pads, and strong backs to move large and heavy items.
Do the same research for them as you would standard moving companies to make sure you’re getting the best for your money. If you’re ever in doubt or are not comfortable with a moving company you’re attempting to do business with don’t do business with them. There are usually plenty of companies to choose from, make sure they’re a company you trust.
Long Distance Movers
There are companies that are only willing to travel within a certain number of miles. If you’re moving across the state or from one state to another, make sure you’re dealing with companies that move long distance. Don’t say your moving from this street to that street, they may mistake the new location for someplace close.
Long distance moving can be more stressful then from one block to another. There’s more distance being traveled, meaning there’s greater risk of damage to your belongings. You want to make sure you’re using a moving company that’s taking distance into consideration. Some items may need to be packed more carefully or with extra padding between pieces to prevent scratches.
On shorter drives things such as appliances and wood furniture should be okay against the side walls of a truck. On longer moves more care and padding should be placed between the furniture and the walls of the truck to prevent scratches. Longer distances may also require more cargo straps to keep things from shifting inside, potentially damaging each other.
Storage Units
Sometimes moves happen that we’re not fully prepared for or you have more belongings than room in the new residence. When these occur you may find yourself needing to rent a storage unit to store items. Unless you live in the country there are usually lots of them to choose from so feel free to be picky.
You want to choose the best available storage facility that fits your needs. Several things to consider when selecting a storage unit are location, price, and days and hours of operation. Some have 24/7 access, others you may find only allow you to access your unit between certain times. Some facilities may even be closed on certain days of the week, meaning you can’t get to your things on those days.
If the only day you have time to go to your storage unit is on Sundays, but they’re closed, that does not work well for you. It takes a bit of time, but if you do everything the best you can you should find it to be a pleasant experience. Paying someone to help you move your belongings is much better than having to do all the work yourself.
