subject: Three Tips For Hiring Movers [print this page] A recent survey asked 1,000 Americans about the most stressful thing that they've had to deal with in their lives. Moving ranked in the top five. A move across town may not fill you with dread, but a major move to another city or state can be filled with stress and fraught with problems. The first issue arrives when you try to hire movers. How do you even know the difference between a good company and a bad one? Make no mistake about it, you'll find both when you start looking through the phone book. Even beyond simple "good and bad," you want to make sure you get a good deal. Read on to learn more.
Trust Recommendations
It's all well and good to rely on local advertising to pick your movers, but those advertisements really don't tell you much about the company. Anyone with enough money can put together an ad that makes the company look trustworthy and competent. Only a good company will have people out there who are willing to recommend them to others. Ask around and see what you can find out. Talk to your friends and coworkers. If you have an in with any local real estate agents, talk to them. They spend their careers steeped in the business of buying and selling houses and they will certainly know the names of respected moving companies in the area.
Background Check
Even if you're working from a list of recommendations, it pays to do your own research. Just because one friend had a good experience, you don't necessarily know the true reputation of the movers that you're thinking of hiring. Thankfully, the Internet gives you a much wider net to cast. Check with the Better Business Bureau and see what kinds of complaints have been issued against the company, if any. See if they were resolved to the customer's satisfaction. Do a full-scale online search and see what people are saying about the company. See if any news articles show up. There is a world of information out there. So, don't limit yourself to what your friends can tell you.
Call for Estimates
After you've narrowed your choices down to three or four, give them each a call and ask for some price quotes. You'll get your best estimates by inviting the movers out to your house. That way, they'll know exactly what they'll be expected to do. If they don't come out, be as specific and detailed over the phone as you can in order to get the most realistic and accurate estimate possible. Before you hire a company, make sure you get that estimate in writing so that everyone is on the same page.
