Moving from your current residence to a new environment is a major and significant life experience.
While the thought of a new home is exciting, the moving process itself can be daunting. That is especially true if you have heavy and bulky items to transport, need to travel a considerable distance, or don’t have someone else to rely on.
Hiring a relocation expert is one of the most efficient ways to lessen the stress and physical work of moving, since they can do the backbreaking work for a reasonable price while ensuring that your items are transported safety and efficiently, in their best condition.
What to Look for in A Moving Company
Reviews, Feedback, And Overall Reputation
When looking for a moving company, always choose one with a good reputation to avoid any with major customer complaints, even lawsuits.
Always ask for client references.
Check their ratings with the Better Business Bureau at 212-533-6200 (NYC area) and 1-800-828-5000 (elsewhere in NY State)
For information about an intrastate mover, contact the NY State Dept. of Transportation (NYSDOT) at 1-800-786-5368.
If you’re choosing an independent company, it’s a good idea to do some background checks on their references.
Read reviews by past clients, too. In New York City and the Tri-State area, it’s easy to find a lot of information about NYC moving companies.
It’s worth spending time reading these reviews and feedback, because it can help you avoid a costly mistake.
Transparent Quotes, Pricing, And Terms
A reputable moving company should be willing to answer your questions and enumerate the agreements accurately, so you are not surprised with hidden fees, hidden terms or extra charges.
Don’t take unnecessary risks by using a mover who won’t give you an address, telephone number or license number.
In New York State, movers must be licensed.
Find out if a mover is licensed by the New York State Dept. Transportation (NYSDOT) for moves wholly within New York, and by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for moves between New York and another state.
Although unlicensed movers may be cheaper than licensed movers, according to the office of the New York Attorney General, licensed movers must meet various insurance, safety and financial standards.
Always get quotes, including the costs associated with the specific services you want, such as supplying packing boxes and packing tape.
Keep track of the dates and stay in touch with the company in case their prices fluctuate.
Before starting the actual moving process, your chosen moving company should present a contract or agreement with transparent terms and conditions. This is not just an agreement of terms, but a legal contract which covers all aspects of the move.
Make sure you understand the contract thoroughly to know exactly what will or won’t be covered. The last thing you want is to hire a moving company and find out too late that there was a problem with something and it is not covered.
Variety Of Services Offered
Before looking for any of these good qualities from a moving company, you should assess your moving needs first to narrow down which specific services you need.
For instance, do you need help with packing, or do you simply need a large vehicle to transport your items safely?
Before your moving day, it’s crucial to identify such moving needs to find the perfect moving company.
If you’ll be doing a lot of work yourself, from packing your things up to unpacking them in your new place, it would be best to find a company with such all-in-one services as:
- Local moving
- Long-distance moving
- Commercial moving
- Packing services
- Senior relocation
Additionally, some companies have specialized services for specific needs, such as packing and moving items requiring extra care, including musical instruments, fragile antiques and wine collections.
Guaranteed Moving Insurance
When moving numerous possessions, it’s vital to protect yourself and your belongings so they won’t be left behind in some terrible condition.
Whether you’re moving up the street or across state lines, your belongings will be protected. If anything happens, you still have a solution with moving insurance.
Reputable moving companies that understand the importance of protecting their clients and safeguard their clients’ belongings. In tandem with insurance companies, they also offer specific insurance packages tailored to your needs and the value of the possessions you are moving.
Simply, moving insurance gives you another layer of peace of mind knowing that you’re protected at all times, and that the moving company will pay you to replace anything that was lost or damaged.
Conclusion
Moving companies offer a hand in helping your moving needs, but they can even make the job more difficult, inconvenient, and inefficient if you choose the wrong professionals.
Whether you are moving for personal or business reasons, make sure to take the time to properly research the best moving partners near you.
With the help of these tips, you can make the most out of your moving experience.
What do you think about this? We welcome your comments.