How to Choose the Best Moving Company in Your Area

Over the past five years, more than 40 million people in the United States moved each year. While moving is a normal event that everyone will experience in their lifetime, it can also be a very stressful life event, especially for a long-distance move. 

One thing that can help you prepare for a move is hiring a moving company suffolk ny!

Do you want to learn more about how you can choose a moving company? Keep reading these tips and tricks to find the best moving company to work with while you move to a new home. 

Consider Long-Distance vs. Local Movers

One of the first things you need to consider when you are hiring professional movers is if you need long-distance movers or local movers. If you are moving across the country, you will always need to hire long-distance movers, which is typically more expensive. 

Make sure you find a company that offers either long-distance or local moves, depending on your needs. 

Ask For Referrals

It is also important to get referrals from local friends or family members who have moved. Word of mouth is a good thing to rely on when you are looking for reliable packing and shipping companies to work with.

Even if you have extensively checked online reviews, you can rely on personal experiences more than you can rely on reviews left by strangers. 

When you ask for referrals, you can learn more about the experience that actual customers have had working with a company. 

Consider the Services Offered

Next, it is important that you consider what services are offered to make sure you get the help you need. 

For example, if you need help packing for a move, you may need to find a company that will help you pack your boxes, not just transport them for you. 

There are several types of moving services that you may want to consider. These include partial moving services, which only move specific items, full moving services, specialty movers, and even white-glove movers. 

Make sure you hire a company that specializes in the type of help you need. 

Research & Check Online Reviews

Something that you can never skip when you are hiring a moving company is doing your own research. This way, you can learn more about the moving company’s reputation, their complaint history, and more. 

One way that you can do this is by checking online reviews for more information. This way, you can learn more about past customer experience and may be able to identify potential red flags. 

Other ways that you can learn more about a company’s reputation is by checking HomeAdvisor, Angie’s list, and even the Better Business Bureau for any serious complaints. 

If there are too many unresolved complaints, it is a huge red flag and you should find a different company to work with. 

Don’t Get Quotes Over the Phone

When you are getting an estimate for your moving service, you always want a written, in-home estimate. If your moving companies give you quotes over the phone, this is another huge red flag. 

Often, moving companies need to do a thorough walk-through of your home to take inventory of everything that needs to be moved. Without a home walk-through, you will likely be dealing with a company that will constantly change the price on you. 

Companies that give you an estimate after seeing your belongings will have a more accurate estimate that is less likely to change.  

Consider What Types of Estimates They Offer

When you hire a company, you also want to learn more about the types of estimates they offer. 

Typically, companies can offer one of three types of estimates. There are non-binding estimates, which means that your company can’t charge you more than 10% of what they originally estimated. 

Non-binding not to exceed estimates means that you will not have to pay more than your original estimate. 

Finally, binding estimates are a guaranteed price for the services you are receiving. Other services that you request after your estimate, like boxes or other packing materials, will need to be paid as well. 

Understanding these estimates will ensure you do not have to pay much more than what you were originally quoting. To be fully protected, make sure you always have a binding estimate. 

Never Pay Big Deposits

Finally, you never want to pay big deposits when you work with movers. No reliable company will make you pay upfront, so this should be another major red flag. 

If a company does ask for a downpayment, you will never have to pay more than 20%. 

Some companies will scam you and make you pay for the services upfront and then they may never actually fulfill your services completely. If you are worried about this happening, you can pay with a credit card so you can dispute charges if necessary. 

For this same reason, you should avoid working with companies that require a cash deposit or payment. 

Learn More About How to Find the Best Moving Company

Moving is a very stressful life event that can feel overwhelming at times. However, using movers to pack your home and transport your belongings is a great way to ease your stress. 

To find the best moving company, it is important that you follow each of these tips and tricks. Not only will they help you find reliable movers, but they will also help you identify any potential red flags with a company. 

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