Moving is a stressful ordeal; it sounds easy enough, but if you've ever tried to move your family home yourself, it's very difficult and physically and mentally taxing. That's where the professional mover comes in: to take over the stress of the actual move in exchange for money. But how do you know what mover to hire? How do you avoid moving fraud, or, worse yet, horror stories of movers that hold your belongings hostage at the door of your new home while demanding more money.
Here are 10 tips for choosing the best company to help you move into your new home:
1. Do your research: Finding the best mover for you based on price and performance will take some work, especially if you haven't moved in many years or are moving for the first time. You want to find a reputable, professional mover that has an excellent performance and reliability record. Ask family members or friends about their movers, as well as do consumer reports online. Choose at least three prospects and then begin the process.
2. Get more than one estimate: There are different costs that movers charge, from weight of the items to packing materials. A professional mover will come to your home and perform a walk through, getting a good understanding of what you are moving, and approximately the weight. Given that different moving companies will most likely charge differently, it'll be important to have your three choices come to your home and give you their best estimate.
3. Make sure you know what you will be moving: It might be helpful to have an already prepared inventory list of all the items you want to move before the moving representative arrives. Everything you add after the quote will lead to a higher cost, so try to determine as precisely as possible what you will or will not be moving.
4. Purchase mover insurance: Mover insurance is important to protect your possessions while in tow, especially if there is a long commute such as from one province to another.
5. Get the lowest price: Moving is very expensive, and there are often hidden costs. Professional movers can be very reliable, but they can also charge a lot. Find the lowest price possible, because the overall cost of moving will be more than you expect, especially if changing provinces.
6. Read, refer to, and keep handy the bill of landing: The Bill of Landing is the contract document between you and the mover. Read it carefully before signing it, and keep it handy during the move for reference, especially if something goes wrong.
7. Ask questions: While meeting with the movers, make sure you have asked a lot of questions, especially about hidden costs. Also, et a good sense of the contract: what is being charged, the mover's liability for your possessions, and dates for pick up and delivery. If something is fishy, then get clarification; if it still feels fishy, then move on to the next one.
8. Keep your delivery date: If you change your delivery date while the move is in place, your possessions will have to be stored in a storage unit that will cost you more money. Make sure you are certain about a date before locking it in contractually.
9. Check inventory: A good mover will have inventory checkers throughout the process who write down every item that is being moved from one location that is then checked off at the final location. And it's often the case that the home owner is volunteered to help out with checking off the items as their being moved into the new home. Ensure that the mover is doing this, and step in to do it yourself if for some reason that procedure is not in place.
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