Hiring the services of a moving company, can be risky business. Don’t take chances, make sure your moving company is professional and above board. There are a few questions you can ask moving companies to ensure you can trust them to do a good job. Here are 10 of the best.
Regardless of whether you’re moving across town, across your state, or across the country, making a move can be a very stressful experience.
That’s why you should always turn to a reputable moving company for help. When you choose the right company, they’ll get you and all of your things from point A to point B without breaking anything or making your move any harder than it has to be.
Before you hire movers to help, there are some questions to ask moving companies that you should make sure you bring up. It’ll help you get a more pleasant moving experience overall.
Check out 10 questions to ask moving companies below.
1. How Long Have You Been in Business?
When you hire a moving company to help you make a move, you want to know that they have enough experience.
While you don’t necessarily need a company that’s been in business for 50 years, you do want one that has been around for at least a few years.
This will ensure that they’ve dealt with all kinds of different moving situations. It’ll come in handy if any issues pop up during your move.
2. What Services Do You Offer?
There are some moving companies that only help those looking to make local moves. There are others that would prefer to assist those making lost-distance moves.
So one of the first questions to ask moving companies is what services they can provide for you if you go with them.
They should specialize in making the kind of move you’re planning to make. They should also offer additional services that you can take advantage of if you choose to do it.
3. Do You Have Insurance?
This is a very important question.
All moving companies need to have insurance. This will protect you in the event that something catastrophic takes place during your move.
The last thing you want to do is work with a moving company that doesn’t have insurance and suffer the consequences when an accident happens. Ask for proof of insurance before you sign on the dotted line and agree to work with a company.
4. What If My Belongings Break When They’re in Your Possession?
In most cases, the insurance your moving company has will cover the cost of any damages done to your belongings during a move.
But there are some instances in which your moving company will be on the hook for them. How will they respond?
You should ask moving companies to tell you exactly what happens in the event that something breaks during a move. They should have a clear policy in place so there are no misunderstandings later.
5. Is There Anything You Can’t Move for Me?
While most moving companies can move just about anything for you, there are some that aren’t equipped to move certain things.
For example, not all movers will take it upon themselves to move a piano for homeowners. There are also some larger appliances that will be off the table when it comes time to move.
If you have something out of the ordinary that needs to be moved, make sure you mention it at the beginning. A moving company should be able to tell you if moving it is possible.
6. Who Will Actually Help Me Move?
The person you speak with at a moving company will probably not be the person who will help you move.
More often than not, moving companies hire movers to come in and do the dirty work for them.
You should find out who these movers are and what kind of experience they have. You obviously don’t want to trust just anyone in your home during a move.
Make sure you have a clear idea of who will be coming into your old home and taking your stuff to your new home.
7. Do You Offer Any Storage Options?
You might not want to move all of your stuff to a new location right away.
That shouldn’t be a problem for your moving company!
They should be more than willing to move your things into storage. And further, they should be capable of offering you storage options for your possessions.
Whether you want to store boxes, furniture, or even a vehicle, your moving company should be able to facilitate your storage needs.
8. Can You Help Me Get Rid of Things I Don’t Want?
Do you have a bunch of stuff that you want to throw away rather than moving it?
Another service a good moving company should be able to offer is junk removal. From getting rid of old electronics like TVs to throwing out old couches, your moving company might be able to take care of your junk removal along with helping you make your move.
9. Are You Available on the Days I’ll Need You?
Obviously, you’re going to need to work with a moving company that has availability on the days you plan on moving.
You might want to consider changing your move date if you find a company that you really like that can’t handle your move on the date you have in mind.
But in general, a moving company should be large enough to assist you on whatever day you need them to.
10. How Much Will Your Moving Services Cost?
At the end of the day, you don’t want to spend any more money than you absolutely have to on moving services.
That doesn’t mean you should skimp out and pay a shady moving company next to nothing to help you move. But it does mean you need to find reasonable moving rates.
At some point, you should bring up cost and ask your moving company to give you a quote. It’ll help you decide if they’re ultimately the best moving company for you.
These Are Just Some of the Questions to Ask Moving Companies
There are lots of questions to ask moving companies listed here. But you could go even deeper into your line of questioning to find out more about the moving companies in your area.
Whatever you do, don’t just hire the first moving company you find! Look around for the one that will treat you and your possessions with respect.
Check out our blog for more tips on making a successful move.
