Whether you’re looking to move from the city to the country, moving for better career opportunities or moving just for a change of pace, moving has become an everyday part of life for average Americans. On average, more than 11% (about 35 million) of the U.S. population moves annually.
Whatever the reason for a move, one of the most important things a person or a couple can do to make it easier is to hire a reputable moving service. It can help you get from Point A to Point B and can ensure that you’re stuff is moved the right way. If you’re planning a move, there’s how to go about finding a reliable moving service or moving company:
- Recommendations: These days, word of mouth can mean either boom or bust for a lot of businesses. Positive word of mouth and good recommendations can do a lot to boost a businesses’ reputation and they can ultimately help you pick a reliable moving service to use.
Let’s face it, your local Yellow Pages are likely filled with dozens of local companies, which can make it hard to choose the right one. Rather than stressing out about it, ask your friends who have moved. If you’re moving from Michigan to California, you want to make sure your belongings are going to be handled correctly and will be there waiting for you when you move. - Know What You’re Paying For: Moving can be exciting and fun, especially if you’ve moving for a new job for example. But it can also be stressful and no matter where you’re moving to, it’s going to cost some money. Moving services can make the entire moving process a heck of a lot easier, but you’re going to spend money no which moving company you go with.
With that in mind, you want to make sure you’re getting what you pay for and know exactly what you’re paying for. Before anything is moved, get estimates for what’s going to be moved and spell out exactly what’s going to be done in the contracts you sign. You don’t want to get any surprises when the move is over. - Inventory: On average, households in the United States have a lot of stuff in them—like 300,000 items per house. It doesn’t matter if you’re big on decluttering or you’re a pack rat, that’s a lot of stuff to move. That’s where reliable moving services can come in handy. They’ll be able to keep track of your thousands of items and help figure out how much stuff you have and how much it weighs. The weight of your items make up a large part of an estimate that a moving company’s gives you and the company will be able to tell you just how much you’ll expect to pay in moving costs.
- Packing and Extra Fees: If you’re on a budget, you can save money by packing up your things yourself, but it isn’t always a perfect solution. Packing up your stuff yourself might mean that companies aren’t necessarily responsible for any damage that your items incur during the moving process. On the other hand, going through a moving service means you have to pay their prices for all the essential materials you need.
You’ll also want to be prepared or keep an eye out for any extra fees. If you’re moving to a studio apartment in New York that requires moving things up a narrow staircase from ground level, moving services are going to have their hands full and may charge you. The best thing to do is offer a nice tip at the end of the move for the movers’ troubles. - Do a Walk-through: The estimate a moving company gives you will offer a detailed look at how much you have and how much it will take to move it.
Moving companies can make a stressful move seem like a piece of cake with their ability to keep track of all your things and taking care of all the hard labor of actually moving your things from your old place to your new place. If you’re looking for moving services to help make your move easier, take time to do a little research before spending money.
