How to Choose a Moving Company

Hello friends!

With sooo many companies to choose from when moving, how DO you pick a moving company that's just right for you and your needs?

STEP 1: Search for a company to research in your area, these sites can be helpful:

*www.google.com
*www.yelp.com
*www.angieslist.com
*www.facebook.com

STEP 2: Check the Public Utility Commission Website to make sure the companies you are researching are on the up and up with license and insurance requirements

*Go to Google, type in "PUC Lookup", click on "List of Passenger Carriers", choose "Moving Company (MTR), and type in the name of the companies you're researching

STEP 3: Contact the companies for a quote, here's what you should be asking:

*Is the date you want available? Is there a difference in price for weekdays vs. weekends?
*Do they serve the cities you are moving from and to?
*What is their labor rate per hour? (if long distance, watch for a future blog posting)
*What is their labor minimum? (most companies have 3 hours minimum)
*How do they calculate travel time? (most use what's called "double drive time", the time it takes from point a to point b of move, times two, at the same per hour rate as labor)
*How do they determine if a gas surcharge also applies to the move?
*Do they include disassembly and reassembly of furniture as needed?
*Do they include covering furniture in blankets, shrink wrap and tape?
*What about breakable items like TVs, glass table tops, china cabinets? Is that extra?
*Do they include the use of wardrobe boxes for the hanging clothes in your closets?
*Do they take a deposit?
*What is their cancellation policy?
*What times of arrival do they offer?
*How flexible are they if you need to change your date for the move?

STEP 4: Book the one that makes the most sense! Here's what you should look for:

*It's not always the cheapest per hour rate you should be looking for. There is something to the old adage "you get what you pay for".
*How's their customer service? If you feel they are just selling you and aren't servicing you, decide if you are ok with that or not.
*Are their reviews generally good? If all of their reviews are perfect, that may not be good, as some may be fabricated, but if it's a good mix of the good, bad and ugly, they are probably a decent company to work with. You can't please all of the people all of the time!
*Did you get a referral from a past client, friend, family member?

Happy Moving!

Keep your eyes peeled for more postings to come with even more helpful tips and trends in moving!

Warmest Regards,

Nancy