How To Choose a Professional Moving Company
When it comes to moving, there are many things to consider. From hiring a professional moving company and packing your belongings, to finding the right truck and choosing the right route, you’ll want to make sure that you’re doing everything possible to ensure a smooth transition.
There are several things that you should look at when choosing a mover:
Price
If you’re not careful, you could end up paying more than what’s necessary for your move. Make sure that you compare prices between different companies before making any decisions.
Customer Service
You want someone who can answer all of your questions and provide helpful advice about how best to handle your situation. Customer service is key in this industry because it’s all about making sure everything goes smoothly for both parties involved (the movers themselves as well as their customers).
Reputation
A good moving company will have positive reviews from past customers as well as an established reputation within the industry itself. A bad one will probably have complaints from former clients or poor ratings on websites.
Insurance Coverage
Professional movers have insurance, so if anything does happen to your things, you’ll be covered. They’re also licensed, so they know what they’re doing and can offer advice on how to pack your valuables appropriately.
Professional Accreditation
The best way to choose a professional mover is by looking at their accreditation: they should be licensed by several different governmental agencies, such as the Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
Ask for References
You should always ask for references before hiring a moving company to move your belongings. This will help you get an idea of how reliable they are and whether or not they’ve moved people in similar situations before.
Check Out Their Website
If the website isn’t professional-looking or seems like it hasn’t been updated in years, then it’s probably not worth using them!
How Much Do Residential Moving Companies Cost?
Moving is a major life event, and it’s also one of the most stressful things you can do. The average cost of moving is around $1,400 with a range from $800 to $2,500.
Residential movers charge for their services in one of three ways:
Hourly rate. This is the most common way to pay for movers, and it’s also the easiest way to get a price. You simply tell them how many hours you want them to work, and they’ll tell you how much it will cost.
Flat rate. Flat-rate pricing is often used by professional movers because it gives them an incentive to move quickly and efficiently. They can’t make more money if they take longer, so they have an incentive to keep things moving at a rapid pace.
Weight-based pricing. Some residential moving companies use weight-based pricing, which allows customers to estimate their moving costs ahead of time, based on the volume of items they plan to move. However, this type of pricing isn’t always accurate because some items weigh more than others but may not take up as much space in a moving truck or storage unit (for example, books versus refrigerators).
The rates can vary widely based on several factors:
Distance
Moving farther away from your destination will increase the price because it takes more time and fuel for the moving company to get there and back. The more distance involved in your move, the more expensive it will be.
Staff Needed
If your house is full of furniture and other belongings, then it will take longer for the movers to load everything onto their trucks and unload it at your new home or apartment complex. This means more time spent working, which results in higher costs for the company and its customers alike!
Help Packing and Unpacking
The type of service provided also impacts costs: full-service moves typically cost more than self-service moves because they require more time and effort by both parties involved to complete successfully without any mishaps along the way (like a breakage!).
Need for Storage Before or After the Move
If you’ll be needing storage space, then this will add to the overall price because it means more time spent getting items from point A to point B and then back again.
Type of Furniture
You also need to consider whether or not you have furniture that needs to be disassembled before being moved or if there are any other types of items such as pianos or appliances that need special attention when moving them from one location to another.
How Much Extra Help Is Needed on Moving Day?
The more help needed, the more expensive it will be for the company to hire someone who knows how to handle certain types of items like pianos or other furniture that may need special care during transit (which also means having access to tools like dollies with straps).
Ways To Reduce Your Moving Cost
When you’re moving, you want to make sure that you get a good deal and don’t get charged extra for things that aren’t necessary. There are ways to reduce moving costs without sacrificing the quality of service or safety. Here are some tips for reducing your moving costs:
- Pack yourself – Packing yourself can save you up to 30% on your move costs because you can pack more items in the same space as professional movers would use.
- Use storage bins – If you have extra space in your new home before moving in, consider storing all of your belongings until your move date comes around again so that you don’t need as much room during the actual move day itself (which will lessen the number of trips required).
- Get quotes from multiple companies before making your final decision. This will give you an idea of what different companies charge for their services and help narrow down which ones might be best suited for your particular needs/budget combination.