Tips For Hiring A Moving Company
Important Things To Ask A Moving Company Before You Hire Them
Moving can be a pain in the rear, especially if your home is full of stuff collected over the years. Packing up all of your things, renting a truck, loading the truck, driving to the new place, and unloading everything. This is all very time-consuming. You can certainly understand why some people hire a moving company.
Hiring a reputable moving company can save you a lot of time, money and stress. Hiring the wrong moving company can turn your life into a nightmare that doesn’t end. For yours and your family’s protection, not to mention your furniture, you owe it to yourself to see out a reputable Fort Worth moving company.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re looking for a Fort Worth moving company.
Will you be wanting a moving company to handle all or part of your move?
There’s an old saying that goes “You can hire anyone to do anything for you - for a price. This is no truer than when you’re talking about moving companies. A popular choice among movers is to box up all their belongings themselves, and hire movers to load/unload the truck and transport everything. Some people, particularly if they are moving cross-country, might rent a truck and hire movers to box everything up and pack the truck, then do the driving themselves. Others hire movers to do absolutely everything, from packing the boxes to unloading it all into the proper rooms in the new house. If you can afford it, this is the way to go. It’s very hassle free.
What are the cost involved?
It should go without saying that the more you have the moving company do, the more it’s going to cost you. If you are on a tight budget, you may need to balance quality and convenience against cost. This means that you might have to do some of the work yourself, and hire movers who will just do the most difficult parts - usually loading and driving the truck. Compare prices between moving companies, and decide which will best suit your needs. If your company is relocating you, try to get them to pay for a all inclusive package. Hey, they’re the ones who want you to move!
How far away will you move me?
Seems like a silly question I know. But when I was in the business, you’d be surprised at how many people thought we would move them cross country. We didn’t. Long-distance moves affect two things when choosing a moving company: the cost of the move, and the moving companies you have to choose from. Some local Fort Worth moving companies do not have the manpower, equipment or license to move you out of the state. Some will lie to you and tell you they do. When selecting a cross-country mover, make sure you book early enough in advance to ensure they have availability for your move.
Do you have insurance to cover damage to my furniture, injury to movers and theft of my belongings? Can you provide proof?
Your belongings are probably not cheap. Some are priceless in that they may be family heirlooms. You need to try and put a price tag on your belongings and make sure the moving company has enough insurance to cover it. If you have specialty items like antique or collectable cars or expensive paintings, make sure they have specialty insurance to cover those as well. Some standard insurance will not cover items such as these. Ask for proof of insurance then follow up by calling the insurance company to make sure they actually do have insurance! A simple word processor can make a very realistic looking insurance paper!
As hard as it may be to believe, many moving companies will only reimburse a fraction of the value of your belongings if something happens to them. Ask a moving company how much they pay for lost or damaged belongings, and be sure to get a copy of this policy in writing. If the moving company’s policy doesn’t provide enough coverage, you may want to look into additional insurance.
Can I have a list of references of your past customers? How will you treat my belongings?
I’d guess that nearly everyone has heard at least one story of stuff coming up missing after a move. You need to make sure a moving company doesn’t have a reputation for breaking or stealing things. You can start by looking them up on the BBB, Angies List or asking around on local forums such as City-Data or CitySearch. One way to research a moving company’s reputation is to go online to Google and do a search for their name. Look and see how they treated other people and how they handle complaints. Do other people have things broken or stolen? Do they have good customer service? Also, see if the moving company is a member of the American Moving and Storage Association. Although choosing a member of the AMSA doesn’t guarantee you a good company, you’re more likely to get good service from a member company than a non-member company.
The length of time the company has been in business is also a good indicator of reputation. Companies with bad reputations generally don’t stay in business for very long, so a company that has been around for a long time would probably be a better choice than one that only started up recently.
A good moving company should be able to provide you with references upon request. Do check these references, but also keep in mind that just like individual, the moving company is likely to offer references that they know will be positive. Ask them point blank how many unsatisfied customers they’ve had and a list of those as well. When you ask for these names, you’ll start to separate the good moving companies from the bad ones.
Never rely solely on a referal from a friend or co-worker. Even a bad company has a few satisfied customers. Your friends or family may be one of the lucky few. You are probably better off using a moving company recommended by someone you know, but remember, it’s not a guarantee.
Things to Keep In Mind When Hiring a Moving Company
Never forget that when you hire a moving company, you’re trusting them with all of your belongings. Things like furniture, clothing, and kitchenware are expensive, but since we usually accumulate them over time, most people don’t realize how much it cost to replace them until they’re gone.
Since there is so much riding on having reputable moving company, learning how to choose a Fort Worth moving company is important. Before you begin contact moving companies for quotes, be sure to make a list of the questions you need to ask. This will help you stay focused during the conversation and less likely to be sidetracked by a fast talking salesman.
Keep in mind that the home buying and selling is tough enough without putting up with a crappy moving company!