5 Moving Tips Your Movers Will Never Give You

Most professional moving companies are known to give useful moving advice to their customers in order to help them optimize their short distance or long distance relocation across the country. Time-saving packing tips and stress-relieving moving day tips top the list, of course, but some movers are even willing to give their current or would-be clients some practical cost-saving tips in an attempt to secure their relocation jobs. Such highly reputable movers deserve nothing but praise for their genuine efforts to help millions of people move problem- and stress-free to another home in the same state, across the country or even abroad.
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And yet, there are a number of moving tips your movers will not give you, or at least not without first considering how that extra knowledge will affect your decision-making process. Read on to find out what movers will not tell you.

1. Research Your Movers Thoroughly

Some moving companies would love you to hire their services right there on the spot, without having to answer numerous hard questions from knowledgeable customers or being asked to present their credentials or appropriate references. But no matter what those movers like or dislike, you, as a would-be shipper of household items, must devote a sizeable part of your pre-move time to screen meticulously your future moving company if you wish to have an affordable and trouble-free local or interstate move.

Read moving reviews and check ratings

Every process has an initial step which sets in motion a logical progression of linked events leading to the desired and pre-programmed result. In a similar fashion, your process of finding a reputable moving company that will take care of your relocation with an enviable level of professionalism, speed, reliability and safety starts with checking company reviews and ratings left by past customers of the mover in question.

If you wonder why moving reviews are so important, then you should think of them as valuable pieces of advice about what you can expect if you hire a certain company. Reputable movers do their best to keep their online reputation clean by offering quality moving services to their clients and handling any disputes and claims effectively. Click here to check moving reviews and ratings, as well as read customer testimonials which can serve you as guidelines whether a moving company can be trusted or not.

Verify movers’ licensing information

Having verified the good online reputation of a mover, you move on to the next step in your search for a trustworthy household goods shipper. In reality, this step is the true test of reliability which a moving company has to pass successfully in order to make the cut in your candidate list.

Every interstate mover is required by law to be licensed by the U.S. Department of Transportation in order to operate legally within the country. Therefore, you must first verify the legal status of a moving company (check the proof of their legitimacy, that is their USDOT number) before you even begin to consider entrusting them with your valuable possessions. Also, it’s a very good idea to check a moving company’s electronic record at the American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). It goes without saying that the more sources you can get to verify that the movers you have shortlisted are trustworthy, the better. Read on to find out another great source of dependable information.

Poll your friends’ opinions

A good method of finding reputable cross country movers, or simply making sure that they are as trustworthy as they seem or claim to be, is to ask your circle of friends for recommendations and suggestions. What your friends know, think or say about a specific moving company can really help you single out the mover that will best work in your relocation instance. Taking into account your pals’ valuable opinions is similar to reading moving reviews, but this time the information is much more reliable.

The best way to seek moving advice from your trusted buddies is to simply ask them whenever you meet them in person, while a much quicker surveying method is to simply reach them via your preferred social network.

Ask your movers the hard questions

Moving companies would not normally advise you to start bombarding them with an array of difficult questions. And yet, this is something you should do if you want your move to be headache-free. Out of the 30 fundamental questions to ask your movers before hiring their services, you must seek satisfactory answers to at least the following 7 ones:

• Is your company properly licensed and insured?
• Do you offer on-site moving estimation?
• How much do you charge for extra services?
• How carefully will you handle my items and prevent property damage?
• Will you guarantee pickup and delivery dates?
• Do you provide experienced movers or temporarily hired laborers during the peak season?
• How do you handle disputes or damage claims?

2. Study And Compare The Received Moving Estimates

Another valuable moving tip that a moving company wouldn’t bother giving you is to study in detail the moving estimate you have received from them and then compare it carefully with at least 2 other estimates from different movers.

But first things first, fill out a free moving quote to have a reputable mover contact you and discuss your specific requirements and needs regarding your upcoming relocation.

Request in-house estimation of moving costs

When you get in touch with a moving company, your initial request should be to have your household surveyed by a representative of theirs and then have a binding written estimate issued. The estimate should explicitly state the moving expenses you are expected to pay in the end and all additional services required for completing the job. You shouldn’t settle for a moving estimate prepared over the phone or Internet, as it will usually end up being rather inaccurate and vastly misleading in regard to the final relocation cost. Nobody else but an experienced expert sent over to your home by a professional moving company can take into account the large number of variables that surround a residential move, especially long distance ones. The distance from your current home to your new residence will remain one of the very few moving constants, but what about all the special factors that will affect the final moving bill, such as number and total weight of your household items, extra bulky and heavyweight goods (furniture pieces, major kitchen appliances, pianos, pool tables, etc.), numerous flight of stairs or tight corners, lack of elevators, special packing or handling of antique or fragile items and so on?

So, ask for an in-house survey of your home, followed by the issuance of a binding written estimate of the relocation costs expected to be incurred during your residential move.

Compare the received estimates

Once you are given an accurate cost estimate in writing from one moving company, contact at least two more professional movers of your choice and request the same on-site household estimation of the relocation costs. After the scheduled home surveys are over and you’re holding in your hands no less than 3 (preferably 5) distinct price quotes, it’s time to perform a thorough comparative analysis of the issued estimates and identify their strengths and weaknesses. Taking a closer look at the offered additional services and their corresponding rates will give you a much clearer picture of the way your moving budget will be spent.

In any case, if there is anything related to your estimates that you fail to understand completely, don’t hesitate to contact the corresponding company and ask for clarification. Also, don’t be quick to congratulate yourself if an offered price should happen to be much lower than the rest, but do try to figure out the reasons behind that phenomenon. If the issuing moving company won’t provide a satisfactory explanation for the too-good-to-be-true price either, then you’d better run away as that price discrepancy could be a sign of moving fraud.

Be a smart shopper

Shopping for reputable movers is like shopping for inexpensive and yet comfortable shoes in a large shopping center. You are encouraged to visit the different shoe shops and take your time comparing and trying on the available products until you find the pair that best fits your budget, taste and feet. Of course, the price tag is a major factor, but the design, color and comfort of the product will all play an important role in your final decision.

3. Take Plenty Of Photos As Evidence

Your movers will probably not encourage you to take advantage of your dedicated digital camera or smartphone camera to document the condition of your household items and your property before moving day, and then after move-in day. And yet, you should do it anyway.

Proof of current condition

Remember that a picture is worth a thousand words. And with that idea in mind, begin the photoshoot of your entire household. Make sure you document the current condition of all your furniture pieces and any items that are delicate, fragile and dear to you. If your camera has the capability to imprint the current date on the photos, you should turn on that useful function as evidence that the photos were taken at the right time. If you think that there are certain areas in your home that are highly susceptible to damage (tight corners, doorways, banisters, hardwood floors, etc.), take a few quick photos of them as well. Why, you may wonder? Simply because property damage on moving day can never be completely ruled out regardless of how experienced and careful the moving crewmembers might be.

The idea behind taking all these photographs of your household items and property is to keep them as evidence of the good condition they were in before the arrival of your movers. And in case any of your possessions or any part of your house sustains damage during the relocation, then that indisputable visual proof will help you file a damage claim with your moving company and get the compensation you are entitled to without too much hassle.

Memories

If you have managed to find the best movers for you, organized your relocation well and planned carefully each step of the way, then there’s a very good chance of you having a truly successful local or interstate move. In which case, you will be fortunate enough to keep all the photos you have taken of your items and property as mere memories of that highly transitional period in your life. You may even choose to print out the best ones and arrange them in a photo album entitled How I Survived My Big Move of 2015.

4. Moving By Yourself Is A Viable Option

Moving companies want you to use their professional services so don’t be too surprised when they forget to advise you that, under certain circumstances, you can perform a successful move by yourself.

Self-moving prerequisites

Your decision to move by yourself should never be made without first performing a careful analysis of the entire relocation situation – every little detail should be taken into account and then viewed from different angles. It’s relatively easy to deceive yourself that you’re up to the challenge and then find midway through the preparations or worse, on moving day itself, that your poor judgment made you bite more than you could chew.

So, here are the 3 major DIY requirements that you are expected to meet in order to pull off a fairly trouble-free self-move.

• Short distance move. There is little doubt that moving across town or moving to a new city in the same state is easier to do on your own than moving long distance to another state. Do you fancy driving a rented moving truck on your own hundreds of miles through unknown roads and unfamiliar lands? Have in mind that apart from the hugely unfavorable self-moving expenses and staggering amount of lost time, the risk of something bad happening on the road increases exponentially with each additional driven mile during your DIY interstate moving adventure.
• Reliable friends. Moving locally by yourself can even be turned into a somewhat fun and bonding experience – you get to spend quality time with your good buddies, you reminisce about the happy days of old while eating pizza, drinking soda and listening to some good music. Well, you may even get to pack a few boxes and load them into the moving vehicle outside. Yes, friends are truly great but if you fail to gather up your reliable friends with your bugle call, then you’re left with no other choice but to call in the pros.
• Previous experience. Previous moving experience is not something you must possess at all costs in order to have a smooth move by yourself, but it will surely help you have a clear advantage in certain difficult situations. Knowledge and experience are the two major things that stand between amateurs and professionals, so if you’d like to learn more about how to prepare and move on your own, check out our Specialized Moving Section of proven and time-tested moving tips and tricks, relocation guides and moving checklists.

 Self-moving costs

The moment you learn of your imminent residential move, your very first task is to create a moving budget, and depending on the results of your financial analysis, you’ll be ready to make an informed decision whether a self-move is the more affordable option or not.

There are numerous costs to consider when performing a DIY move, and while some of them are pretty obvious and come to mind easily, others are fairly hidden and you may not think of them until it’s too late.

• Obvious self-moving expenses: renting a moving truck of the right size, buying fuel, purchasing insurance, renting moving equipment (an appliance dolly, sliding furniture pads, etc.).
• Hidden self-moving expenses: purchasing packing materials (moving boxes, packing paper, bubble wrap, moving blankets, tape, etc.), paying for road taxes and tolls, as well as food and eventual lodging while on the road to your new home. Self-moves present a higher risk of personal injuries, so medical bills could potentially add up to your DIY budget. Also, it’s a good idea to include the possibility of repair costs due to accidental property damage. And what about all the time you’re bound to lose due to lack of significant experience – how could you possibly place a price tag on your time?

 5. Know Your Rights As A Shipper Of Household Goods

Another moving advice your moving company will not usually give you is to familiarize yourself with all your rights as a shipper of household goods, and to exercise these rights should the need to do so arise.

Here are some useful pointers on how to stay in full control of your local or interstate relocation:

• Request all the relevant moving paperwork from your movers in advance, read the documents carefully (including the fine print) and ask your moving company for clarification if you don’t understand a specific clause, term or condition of your moving contract;
• Your interstate moving company is required to hand you the booklet “Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move”, prepared by the U.S. Department of Transportation, which contains extremely useful information concerning your relocation. If the company fails to furnish you with this booklet for some reason or another, you can download a free copy in a .PDF format by following the link above.
• Learn of the proper channels to file a formal complaint against your moving company in case of shipment delays, poor moving performance, damage or loss of household items and so on.
• And last but surely not least, learn how to protect yourself against moving fraud so that you never ever become a victim of a dishonest moving company.

Do you think there are other moving tips your moving company will not share with you?

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