Moving is Tough Work if You’re Not Prepared
DIYHow ToReal EstateTop Five January 5, 2020 Kristian Wilson
The average American moves 11.7 times in their lifetime. The COVID-19 pandemic has driven many families to consider moving to greener pastures. Now that you have finally decided to move, it’s time to find a suitable moving company. If you’re moving for the first time, it is important to understand how you can prepare and what companies you should work with to help you with your move.
Our Recommendations for the Top Cross Country Moving Companies in the US:
1. Mayflower Transit: They have been in business since 1927. You can request a quote from the company and see if it falls under your budget.
2. United Van Lines: A North American moving company that can help you with the relocation and moving.
3. Stevens Worldwide: They can help you with the moving. Stevens has 150 offices in the USA.
4. North American Moving Services: Operates in more than 170 countries.
5. Bekins: Was founded in 1891, so if the experience is what you prefer in a company, they have plenty!
There are many more national and local moving companies that can help you with the moving process. Just do a quick search and you would know what’s the most viable option for you. It’s a good idea to learn from the performance of such companies and get an idea of what to look for in a professional moving company. Before you engage- check out our helpful tips to help you along the way.
How To Evaluate A Professional Moving Company
Keep the following ways in mind to evaluate a professional moving company:
Check Online Presence
You are living in an era of modernization and information technology. It’s important for every company or service provider to keep pace with the fast-changing world. The professional moving company should have an online presence.
The relevant information about the company should be just a click away. It would help you know whether the company is legitimate or not! As you can see from the list above these reputed companies have an online presence.
Go Through Official Website
If you are able to locate a professional moving company, find its official website. Go through the official website to find all the relevant information. See what services the company has to offer.
Don’t forget to check out the section of FAQs as it would help you understand more about the company. In case of any query, it would be a good idea to contact the company and ask for further information. You can check out the official website of the moving companies mentioned above and get an idea of a professional website.
Ask For A Quote
It’s better if the rates are published on the website, but if not then ask for a quote. You can contact the company and ask to provide you an estimated amount.
When you know what to expect in the pricing, it would become a lot easier for you to maintain your budget. Plus, you can try doing some of the tasks in advance so that you can save some costs. All the companies mentioned above would be happy to give you a quote!
Check The Experience
The professional moving company should be registered and official. The company should be experienced in what they are doing! When a company has the required experience and expertise, it would be possible for you to deal with it efficiently.
You can get information about the experience in the about us section of the website. You can also try searching for the company on Google. It would be possible to find the relevant information about it. Some companies are established for a long time and thus, it would be possible for you to trust more on it.
Estimate The Cost
Take help from this moving calculator and see what’s the estimated cost. For example, the average cost of a local move would be $1250 while for the long-distance move it would be up to $4890 for a distance of 1000 miles for a house of 2-3 bedrooms. It can be $25 per hour when you are hiring for hourly services.
The following factors are included in estimating the relevant cost:
1.Moving supplies
2. Moving date
3.Moving size
4.Packaging
Tips On Selecting The Best Moving Company
For nationally or the local moving, keep the following tips in mind when selecting a professional service provider:
Check Reviews
When you are selecting a professional moving company don’t forget to check the reviews online. Such reviews are usually left by the current and past customers and thus, it would give you a clear idea about the user experience.
Nowadays, it’s possible to get an idea about the performance of a company by going through customer reviews. When you go out to eat or visit a place then through reviews you can have a clear idea of what to expect. Make sure you are checking the reviews thoroughly! However, it is important for you to make sure that the reviews are genuine.
Ask Friends and Family
It doesn’t matter whether you are moving nationally or locally. If your friends and family members have told you about a professional moving company then it might become your first priority! What best source of information could be other than your friends and family members. Based on their recommendations, it would be possible for you to select a reliable moving company.
Gone are the days when it was tough to ask your friends or family members to recommend you! You can take help from social media and ask everyone to let you know about a reliable moving company.
Check Customer Service
A good way to know about the professional performance and reliability of a moving company is to get an idea about their customer service. To get this information you can see how they are responding to you.
Nowadays, information, queries, and answers are just a click away. So when you are contacting a company they should be able to answer you within 24 hours. It would give you an idea of their quick response. Plus, you can also see how they are handling their social media as companies nowadays are focused on being digital.
Finding Out The Rates Set By Moving Companies
You might be looking for moving company rates and ways on how to negotiate. It’s important that you are finding information about the rates set by the moving companies in advance as it can help you plan your budget.
The rates set by the moving company would depend on different factors. Moving to a small apartment would be different from a large house! Thus, the price and rate would be set accordingly. Plus, the moving company would be sending the people to help you with the moving process. There could be a single person, two movers, or maybe three. It would depend on how many people are required for the moving process.
Pros and cons of fixed-rate pricing versus hourly rates:
-If you go with the hourly rate, let’s say $25 an hour then you don’t know how long it would take for the company to pack everything and be done with it. Remember- an hourly rate does not incentivize the movers to act quickly!
-If you go with the fixed price then you would know what to expect in advance. It’s always better to evaluate your options and see what would be an ideal option. In our experience, a fixed cost aligns your priorities with the movers- and that is to move as fast as possible!
-If you are not interested in packing since you have no time and no idea how to pack then it might seem viable for you to get an estimated cost.
-For the fixed-rate, the moving company might want to take certain factors into account to quote you a price.
-If you are moving cross country and considering the hourly rate then it might turn costly for you. Plus, even locally you don’t know how much time would be involved in the moving and what pieces of furniture would require an extra effort in the moving process.
Hidden Costs
Apart from all this, make sure you are aware of the hidden costs. It would be a good idea to ask the company in advance what hidden charges are there. It’s possible that you might not be aware of certain hidden charges and when you have to bear the cost, it can be tough.
Moving is already tough. You must be expecting a change in your life with the whole moving to a new place. If you are shifting to a new city then it might be tough for you and on top of that if a hidden cost incurs then it won’t seem like a viable option to you.
Tips On Saving Money When Dealing With Moving Companies
You can save a lot if you are preparing for certain tasks in advance. In fact, it’s always a good idea to take a proactive approach and prepare for as many things as you possibly can.
Consider the following:
-You can try packing the items in your house in the boxes. Do it in advance rather than relying on the moving company to help you with the packing.
-Place the relevant boxes in each room and mark them. Or you can move the boxes together in one area and mark each of them. The moving company just has to grab the boxes and move!
-You can ask friends and family members to help you with moving. You can rent a van and move a lot of items yourself. Make sure you are aware of how to pack and move the items safely. Let the moving company handle fragile items.
-You can negotiate with the moving company and try to get the best possible price. It would only be possible if you are doing your homework and trying to collect information about the market rates of the moving companies.
What To Expect From Movers
When you are hiring a moving company evaluate the pros and cons. The moving company is hired to make your life easier and your shifting to a new place comfortable.
The company has to be reliable, trustworthy and should be able to deliver the tasks on time. You have to see if hiring the moving company is worth the cost.
How To Prepare For The Move
When you are hiring a moving company, you can prepare for the move in the following ways:
-Try to get rid of unwanted belongings.
-Find free boxes to put your stuff.
-Try to find the deals to make the moving affordable for you.
-Choose a date that’s less expensive.
Apart from the physical exertion, you have to be mentally prepared for the big move. Make sure to remind yourself- ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day’…and your move may not be done just because the movers are gone!
What To Do Next?
Now that you are finally moving it’s time to connect with the best service provider in your area.
If you are moving to a small apartment then you can ask for a small package or go for the hourly rate provided that the company is giving you suitable rates. You can try packing the majority of the items yourself or moving as many items as possible.
If you are moving to a large house you can ask friends and family to help you. You can try negotiating with the company to get a suitable price.
Make sure you are able to get your hands on the best company in the area with the rates that are affordable for you. Always do a little research when you are inviting a company or service provider to your house. You don’t want to hire a shady company or service provider especially when your belongings are too precious. Over the years you have collected these items in your house. You want to take everything in one piece and in good condition for your new place. You don’t want to buy everything from scratch, right! To avoid the fear of stealing or theft, hire a reputable company only. There is nothing more important than your sense of relief.
The Best Options For The Local or Cross Country Moves
Depending on where you are moving whether locally or cross country, you can search for a reliable company as per your requirements.
Consider the following:
You can check what companies have a great reputation in your area for local moves. Contact the moving company with the best reviews and make your life easier.
In the same way, you can see what companies are the best for the cross country moves. Do a little research on such companies and check out the reviews left by other customers. Based on your preferences and budget, you can select the one you prefer the most. You can also take help from the points mentioned above.
You have to see what viable options are available to you. Always aim to find the best moving company with the best price. When it comes to services and peace of mind, won’t you prefer to hire a company that helps in making the moving smooth and relaxes your mind? You don’t want to do everything all by yourself especially if there is already a lot on your plate. Life is not a piece of cake! You have to move on and a good service provider can be of great help in such a time.
Good luck with moving to a new place!
Related Posts
How to Sell Your Home Fast!
Selling your home is a big deal. You want to be able to sell your house quickly and find the right people who buy houses in your area. You want to get your home looking nice and sell it for the right price, but all of the work seems overwhelming…
Are You Looking to Sell Your House?
For many Americans, the new realities of working remotely have opened up possibilities for relocation that they had not considered before. Open House searches are on the rise, and people are figuring out ways to make moves. Our team was curious about where people are moving- here’s what they found….