When hiring a professional moving service, it is necessary to take a few precautions beforehand. Learn how you can verify the seriousness and experience before hiring a moving company.
Rely on recommendations
Everyone has a family member that has moved at least once in their lives. Ask them if they can give you a recommendation, from a company that has given them good service. It doesn’t even take much work with social media these days; just one post and your friends and family can contact you if they know anyone.
Keep a register
You need to make a list of all the items you want to take to your new home. Any reputable moving company will do an inventory themselves, but you should still do one of your own to make sure everything is present and ready for your move. If the company is really professional, they will also determine the weight of your belongings at the time of the inventory. This part is quite important as the companies will proceed to quote you according to the total weight of the belongings. Amateur companies will not take this into account at first and then raise problems when it is time to move. They will use arguments such as ‘too heavy for the truck’ and ‘extra weight charges’, so it is essential that you discuss this with the company at the time of the inventory.
Avoid deposits
A preferred mode of payment for these cases should be credit card, as it allows you to keep track of the payment and would help you avoid any scams. Cash should be your last option, especially if you pay in advance. If you go so far as to give cash before the move, you lose control over when your items will arrive at your new home. Instead, with qualified companies, the expectation of payment is what drives them to get the job done.
What they don’t tell you about packaging
Many times we believe that the costs of packing services are already included in the invoice, but it turns out that this is not so true. In case you decide to pack on your own, then it is easier for the moving company to deny responsibility for any damage. And if the selected company offers a packing service, it is most likely not included in the quote.
If you are confident in your packing ability, give it a try, but it is best to leave it to professionals. Some items can be difficult to pack in a way that won’t damage them and require a certain level of skills and experience.
Avoid extra fees
Be sure to read all the terms and conditions of the contract, especially the clauses that refer to payment. You should check what is included in the price and what is not included. Some companies will charge you simply because you are moving to a two-story house from a single-story house, and will argue that it was because it required harder work. Another reason may be that your new home is in an apartment complex and will require a different vehicle to transfer your belongings from the carrier to the entrance bay of the apartment complex and then charge you for the additional vehicle, then, the labor for transporting the carrier to the smaller vehicle, and then give you a final kicker by including an extra fee for having to transfer it to an upper floor. Be sure to go over these and other points with the mover before you commit to using their services.