Best tips for hiring movers

There are so many moving businesses on the market and the competition between them is fierce. It would be great if your friends, colleagues or relatives could unanimously recommend a top-notch service provider to you. Yet in most cases, opinions get split. What works well for some consumers seems unacceptable to others. Besides, each client has their individual demands. On this page, we’d like to share recommendations on how to hire a good moving company in the US for any budget.

How to Hire Movers

Below, we’ll share a step-by-step guide on how to get movers:

Research. Ask your acquaintances for recommendations. Google. Explore profile business catalogs. Compose a list of service providers that produce a favorable impression on you. Avoid organizations that used to operate under another name in the past: scammers often resort to rebranding to stay in the niche and keep attracting gullible clients. On the website of each moving company, you’ll probably discover the numbers of its licenses and permits. Open the databases of the bodies that issue these documents and double-check whether the mentioned numbers genuinely correspond with the real data.
Request several estimates. If a company offers you a verbal estimate by phone, it’s a negative symptom. Instead, it should send you a document by email or in a messenger and offer you to sign a written contract. That will protect you from any unexpected surcharges. Ask whether the estimates are binding or not. If the company suggests that its representative should visit you in person, use this chance. Typically, this service should be free. A professional consultant will assess the volume of your belongings and the overall complexity of your relocation. They will share expert advice with you and suggest ways for driving down your expenses. The more in advance you plan everything, the better. Last-moment moves tend to cost more than planned beforehand.
Ask about surcharges. Let’s draw a few examples of situations when you need to pay more than expected. Imagine that the streets around your current location or your next destination are too narrow for a truck. Alternatively, there might be no parking space nearby. The elevator might get broken and you live on the 20th floor. The approximate scope of such cases and the maximum surcharge percentage should be fixed in your contract.
Insure your belongings. Some people neglect this step because they insured their things long ago before they even began to plan the relocation. Usually, such insurance packages cover only those belongings that remain inside the house. As soon as you carry them out and place them in a truck, they become unprotected. During transportation, things face higher risks, compared to being safely stored in your house or apartment. Make sure to get new insurance for them — most likely, the moving company will offer it to you. If you prefer to pack your items yourself, insure them against breakage caused by improper packing. Otherwise, let the team of the service provider do this for you.
Read the contract attentively. If you don’t fully understand some statements, make sure to ask the managers. Scammers deliberately formulate their contracts so that their contents remain vague and allow ambiguous interpretation. The more factual details the document features, the better: the name of the moving company, its address, available payment options, payment deadlines, rates, discounts, time of pickup, liability, protection and so on.
Find out which types of items the moving company doesn’t handle. Some service providers don’t place pets and plants in their trucks because the vehicles aren’t climate-controlled. Others don’t accept and don’t insure jewelry. Toxic substances, fireworks and perishable food are usually not allowed either.
Relocate in colder months. Time is the paramount parameter that affects the price of moving services. Jul vs Nov makes a dramatic difference! The former is the peak of the high season when everyone wants to move. The prices skyrocket and the top service providers get booked weeks in advance. In late Autumn, things get much easier — on the flip side, be ready to put up with bad weather.
Make sure the relocation takes place precisely on the date when you planned it. Otherwise, you might need to take your belongings to a warehouse and pay for their storage.
Check the inventory upon arrival. Don’t say you have no time! While the movers are still with you, let them know that selected things are missing or broken (hopefully, this won’t happen). If the movers leave and you discover the damage later, you might struggle to prove that it was them and not you who caused it.

Here is a pro tip for hiring movers: let these professionals know that you consider several options. For instance, if the consultant will visit you in person, let them see the printed estimates of other service providers on your coffee table. Maybe, this will motivate your guest to offer you a personalized discount.

We’re proud to say that we’re an established and reputable service provider. We’re ready to handle both long-distance and short-distance moves in any location within the country, be it New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, Miami or any other city. Our prices are competitive and we offer great flexibility to our clients. Feel free to reach out to us when you want to move your home or office! We appreciate your trust and we’ll be glad to help you. This would be your best way to hire movers.

Important Things to Consider When Hiring Moving Company

Now that you have a comprehensive answer to the question “How does hiring movers work?”, let’s think of what you can ask the service provider before signing a contract with them:

When was your business established? (The longer it has been around, the better).
Which permits and licenses do you have?
Can I get a free estimate?
Have your clients ever complained about you? If yes, why and how did you react?
Can you provide references?
Which kind of liability do you offer?
After we fix the price of your services in a written contract, can there be any unexpected surcharges?
Is the price of the packing materials included in the overall cost of your services?
On which conditions will I be allowed to cancel my plans?
How long will the move take?
Do your drivers have commercial licenses?
Which payment options can I select from?
Do you charge a flat or hourly rate?
Which are the preferred communication channels?
Is it possible to call the driver or the head office of the company after they collect my things and are already on the way to my new location?
Will the company rely on a third-party service provider for some purposes? For instance, for moving my bulkiest or the most fragile objects.
Do you have experience in handling such types of objects if a third-party provider won’t be involved?
If anything goes wrong, what will be the procedure for reporting the damage and claiming compensation?
Do you offer one-fits-all solutions to everyone or can you draft a custom relocation plan for each client?

You might be able to find the answers to some of these questions on the website of the moving company. Even in this case, don’t hesitate to ask them once again. Your task is to not only get the information but also assess the communication skills of this service provider. Are they polite and friendly? Do they make you wait — if yes, for how long? Do they give exhaustive answers to your questions or do you need to ask twice?

When the movers arrive, guide them around your house. If you have packed your belongings without their help, explain to them what different types of boxes and bags contain. Make sure there are pathways for them to walk hassle-free.

Best Way to Hire Movers

Clients interested in how to hire movers should also remember these smart tips:

Before entrusting your belongings to the company, compose a detailed inventory. It should mention not only the names and amounts of the items but also their sizes and weights because these numbers affect the price of the relocation.
Avoid placing a large deposit. When hiring professional movers, you normally don’t need to pay them in advance. You’ll give or transfer funds to them only after they deliver your belongings to the ultimate destination. However, it may happen that the service provider asks for a deposit to secure the date of your relocation. Never pay the full price in advance. To protect yourself against fraud, use a credit card for this purpose.
If you don’t want to take some of your things to your new location, get rid of them before the movers arrive. Consider donating these items, recycling them, throwing them away or letting your friends collect them. Alternatively, place such items far away from those that need to be packed and inform the movers about it.
There is nothing wrong with asking the moving company to share the contacts of its previous clients with you. Call or text them to ask for their impartial opinions about the service provider. These people might be able to share many more insightful facts with you, compared to the information that you find in online testimonials. Ideally, these customers should be from your area.
If you want to file a complaint or claim insurance, act promptly. Most likely, you’ll have a few months to do it — the exact time frames should be specified in your contract. However, the quicker you react, the sooner you can expect to get your compensation.
If you liked everything, you can tip the movers — but it’s not necessary. For a regular move, the standard amount of tip is $20 per person. For a long-distance or a complex one, you may give up to $50 per person.

Hopefully, this was an informative read and now you have a better understanding of how to hire a moving company! If you still have questions and need a consultation, get in touch with us right now! Our team members will eagerly discuss your demands with you. We’ll be able to move you as quickly as you wish on the most comfortable conditions and with reasonable expenses.

Discovering Cheap Movers Tips On Moving Services