How to Choose a Moving Company

Why Hire a Moving Company?

Movers have the necessary skills and knowledge to efficiently pack and move your belongings. Let a professional moving company handle your belongings and do all the heavy lifting. This will allow you more time to focus on your new home and prepare to move in.

How Much Does a Moving Company Cost?

Moving is a big decision. When thinking about moving, there are a few things to consider first:

• Is your move local or long distance?
• What size moving van or truck do you need?
• How many movers will you need to get the job done?
• How much of your belongings do you actually plan on taking with you?
• Do you need movers insurance? A damage and repair policy?

Each one of these questions will help you understand just how much your move will cost.

The average local moving company will charge you per hour, while long-distance movers usually charge by weight. However, there are extra fees for moving. Gas, liability insurance, equipment rental, and storage are fees that consumers can often forget about in the chaos of planning a move.

Even though the national average to move within the same state through a professional moving company is roughly $1,500 and about $4,000 for long distances, these costs do not factor in the additional fees.

When you choose your moving company, make sure to fully understand their cost breakdown. Most moving companies will offer liability insurance policies for damages and repairs. Make sure to read the fine print so you know just how much they actually cover. This will let you know if the cost of the additional liability policy is worth its cost.

7 Tips on Choosing the Right Moving Company

You can scour the internet for your perfect moving company, but if you don’t fully understand your moving needs, you could make the wrong decision. Choosing the right moving company for your move is determined by the following seven factors.

1. Create a Move-Out Budget

The first thing you should do is create a move-out budget. A budget will help you understand the costs associated with your move and how much money you can spend and save during the process.

When creating a move-out budget, you’ll want to consider factoring in the cost of your new home. If you are renting, you’ll want to include your down payment, as well. This cost is most likely going to be your highest amount. If your chosen moving company winds up costing you more than your new home, consider looking for another.

Your move-out budget should include:

• How much money you have
• How much your new home will cost
• How much you want to spend
• How much your movers will cost
• Breakdown of additional costs

One of the best ways to make some extra money for your move is a garage sale. Stick to larger belongings like old furniture, bikes, pictures, or other bulky items that may not travel well. Trying to sell smaller items can create more work than necessary for a garage sale. Toys, books, and knick-knacks can always be donated.

The extra money you earn through your garage sale can be placed towards the additional moving costs. If you choose to do a garage sale, make sure to add those earnings to your move-out budget.

2. Search for Local Moving Services

The most affordable way to move is to check out local moving services near you. Local companies typically offer lower moving rates and discounts. The liability policies may not include everything an establishing moving service will, but they do typically cost less.

Also, it’s usually easier to verify the credentials of local movers. If you choose to go through a third-party website to hire a moving company, you could potentially run into a scam. Luckily, many local moving companies will have offices in your area so you can either call or visit to get a reliable quote.

3. Check Qualifications

Before just selecting the first moving company you see, do some research. Spending ten minutes double-checking a company’s credentials and accomplishments could mean the difference between hiring a scammer or a reliable mover.

4. Look at Ratings and Reviews

Moving company ratings and reviews will be a big help in determining whether or not one company fits your needs over another.

Your preferred movers’ marketing site is always going to boost them up. Looking at what other past customers have said about their services will help you gain a better perspective. Check out Facebook groups or other review sites to see which moving companies are best.

5. Ask for Recommendations

Word-of-mouth advertising works for a reason. Sometimes a stranger’s review of a moving company may not seem reliable, but a friend or family member's recommendation may be. Having the opinion of a friend or family member can persuade you to choose your moving service.

6. Look for Protection Against Damages or Lost Items

The one thing you really do not want to neglect to look for is whether or not your preferred moving service offers liability insurance. These policies can help you protect your belongings from damage, theft, or from being lost.

While most policies do not offer full coverage, they are useful in situations where things need to be repaired or replaced. Moving services will offer a percentage of your total moving cost to cover any damages or lost items.

7. Double Check for Red Flags

Oftentimes, a moving company’s website will automatically point out whether they are reputable. If the site itself is very limited on information or has too many roadblocks to you getting the information — like asking for your email or address — you may already click off the site before going further.

Utilizing those initial instincts will help you determine if the moving company you’re looking into is right for you. Other things to consider include if the company has a functioning online presence, a phone number for you to call, liability insurance, work contracts, and fairly priced estimates. If they do, then they are most likely a good company to hire movers from.

Hire a Move-Out Cleaner

Ready to move out?

Once you have your belongings packed and loaded onto a truck ready to move through your chosen moving company, you’re ready for the final step.

Before completely leaving your old home behind you, consider conducting a move-out clean. These are especially important for renters who are wanting to get their deposit back from their landlord. A professional move-out cleaning service will ensure that your home is left in good condition.

Hire a move-out cleaner to give your home a final touch-up. Our marketplace offers reliable, vetted, and affordable cleaners near you.