5 Tips To Help You Find the Best Moving Company

If you are moving to a new home, it can be a very exciting and stressful time.  There is a lot to do from coordinating the move, transferring your utilities and finding a good, reliable mover.  In fact, finding a moving company is easy, but you want to find a reputable mover that will responsibly move your things to your new home.
By preparing in advance, you can find the right mover to meet your needs. 
1.  Determine Your Budget
Before even calling a moving company, you should think about how much you want to spend.  There are many services offered from moving companies from packing your boxes to merely adding on packing supplies.  The more you can do ahead of time, the more money you can save on the move
The average cost of a local move is around $1,200.  A long distance move or around 1,000 miles will usually cost around $5,000.  This estimate is based on a 2-3 bedroom move.
2.  Look for A Moving Company That Has Experience Moving
When looking for a moving company, it’s good to know how long the company has been in business.  While there are reputable newer companies, you want to make sure that the movers have experience moving and that they have a good reputation.  Look for a company that has been around for many years.
3. Get An In-Person Estimate
A mover needs to come to your home to give you a proper estimate.  Never get an estimate over the phone. The moving company needs to inspect through room to room, open up cabinets and give you a proper estimate based on exactly what needs moving.  Moving prices are based on the mileage and the weight of all your belongings.  
4. Get references
It’s always a good idea to ask the moving company to give you a few references of people who are in your area that have been moved in the last few months. Give those customers a call and find out about their experience.    
It’s even better if you first ask your family, friends or even a local realtor for some good, solid movers.  The more reviews or recommendations from people who have actually used the moving company, the more informed you can become of the reliability of the moving company.
5. Insurance and Valuation Protection
Make sure that your moving company has insurance.  If the company doesn’t have a license number to prove that they are insured, it’s best to move on and look for another company.
Most moving companies have at least two types of insurance.  One is called Basic Release Value Protection and is automatically included in the cost of the move, covering $.60 per pound per item for damaged or lost items.
Full Value Replacement Insurance generally means that if the mover damages or loses any of your belongings, then the moving company is required to either replace the item or reimburse you for the cost of the item.
Have a budget in mind, make sure the movers are clear about what needs to be moved and you will have a successful move to your new home.
Source:  Consumer’s Advocate.org

blog post provided by ​Sam Klau
ConsumersAdvocate.org