Posted on by Jack Eschbacher

How to Choose a Moving Company – Tips for Hiring Movers

Google search for moving companies

When your move is too large of a task for you to handle on your own, it’s time to call on the help of a moving company. Your first instinct might be to go online and search for moving companies near you. As your search engine fills pages and pages of options to choose from, you begin to wonder how to find a good moving company among the hundreds listed in front of you. Choosing a moving company that is reputable is critical as you’ll be trusting them to handle all your valuable belongings throughout the moving process. Research is key when hiring movers, especially if you’re using a moving company for the first time. To help in your search, we’re providing you with 5 helpful tips for hiring professional movers you can rely on.

 

  • Look for Movers that are Qualified, Licensed and Insured

 

 

Among the massive inventory of movers, you want to weed out the ones that are not qualified, licensed, and insured. You want to find a mover that is BBB Accredited. This means the mover meets the “BBB Standards of Trust.” You should also look for moving companies affiliated with industry associations such as the American Moving & Storage Association and their state moving association. As you’re searching and communicating with potential movers, be sure to ask for their US DOT number which indicates that the mover is licensed by the United States Department of Transportation. Ask for insurance information as well, and inquire about valuation protection options they provide along with their services.

 

    1. Find Out What Services the Moving Company Offers and What Requires Extra Fees

 

You might be making an office move across the state, downsizing to a smaller home, or expanding your family from an apartment to a house in another state. Does the moving company provide the services required for your specific needs? Make sure you know what to expect when hiring movers to help with your relocation. Research the type of services they provide and what they charge additional fees for. Moving large specialty items like grand pianos or large fixtures, help with packing items into boxes, and moving your belongings up and down flights of stairs are things you want to be aware of that may cost you extra. If you require storage during your move, find out if your mover provides storage options and where your items will be stored.

 

    1. Hire a Mover that Provides Free In-Home Estimates

 

Most reputable moving companies will offer free in-home estimates. Choosing a moving company that only provides quick online quotes is a risk due to its broad and general conditions. Find a mover that is willing to come to your house so you are able to communicate clearly what needs to be moved and ask any questions you might have. This will allow you to receive a much more accurate quote and lead to less surprises on your bill at the end of the day.

 

    1. Ask How Many Years of Experience the Mover Has

 

Just as you wouldn’t want to go to a hairdresser that’s just starting off, you also don’t want to hire a mover that’s new in the business. It’s important to ask or find out how many years the moving company has been in the moving industry. Movers with many years of experience will be more knowledgeable in different types of moves and will have acquired more skills when dealing with challenging situations that may arise. Choosing a moving company that has served the area for a long period of time also means they will be more familiar with the location and the people in it.

 

    1. Read Reviews from the Moving Company’s Customers

Triangle mover loading box into truck

The best resource when figuring out how to choose the right moving company for the job is the customer themselves! People aren’t afraid of speaking the truth, especially online. Real experiences from those that have received services from the movers will be most telling of their reputation. So get on Google, Facebook, Yelp, Angie’s List and other review sites to research what people are saying about the moving company you are considering. You can also ask moving companies for customer references as another source of insight.

24 thoughts on “How to Choose a Moving Company – Tips for Hiring Movers”

  1. It’s good to know that most reputable moving companies will offer free in-home estimates! That sounds like something we could benefit from because we have many large, oddly-shaped items that we don’t know how to move, so it will be good to get an estimate on those things. It would also be nice to get an estimate for the amount of time it will take since we are on kind of a time crunch with my husband’s project. We’ll have to try getting an estimate and see how it helps. Thanks for the idea!

  2. I’m glad that you suggested finding a mover that has years of experience so they are less likely to make a mistake when something challenging happens. I have been looking for someone to help me move and I wasn’t sure how to choose a company. I can see how it would be nice to find an experience mover so my things are less likely to get damaged in the process.

  3. It’s good to know that when it comes to hiring a moving company that there are somethings that we need to consider when it comes to choosing the right one. I like how you mentioned that we need to look into hiring one that provides free estimates in-home so that we will be able to communicate with them clearly. This is something that we will keep in mind when we are ready to move out of our current home and into our new one.

  4. I can’t agree with you more on reading customer reviews and how this is a great way to find the right mover for you during this stressful time. Moving is always such a pain in the butt that no one really wants to help you if your about to move so hiring a professional mover is the best and smartest decision you could make. Reading the reviews of past client will give you an idea of what to expect from that moving company.

  5. I’m glad you talked about moving services. Moving is truly stressful especially when packing and unpacking tons of things, it’s really great to think that there are moving companies that can help and make our move easier. I agree that we should really look for a company that is qualified, licensed, and insured to make sure that you’ll get an assurance that your move will be less stressful and that your things are in the right hands. Thanks for your tip to check if the moving company is BBB accredited, I heard that it’s a website wherein we could find the names of the company or the contractors that are best qualified and trustworthy. I’ll be sure to check on that, thanks!

  6. I like that you mention that most reputable moving companies will offer a free estimate. Depending on your needs, it’s good to know beforehand if a moving company provides those services. This is especially helpful if you own a business and need to hire movers, you need to be sure that you hire a company that deals with commercial relocation.

  7. I like that you talked about choosing a mover that will give you a quote after visiting your house. I have been looking for someone to help me move next month. I can see how it would be nice to find someone that will give me an estimate in person because it will be more accurate than other quotes.

  8. I like that you talked about how you must consider hiring professional movers that are BBB accredited because you can have the assurance that they meet the “BBB Standards of Trust.” My parents are moving to their new house. It’s important for me to help them find movers that are qualified and licensed to carry out the job. This will give me the confidence that my parents are going to get the best help possible from trusted movers. I will make sure to consider all your tips for finding the best movers.

  9. I like that you provided some tips on how to choose the right moving company such as looking for one that is qualified, licensed, and insured. It is recommended that you pick a moving company that has been in the business for many years. This means that they have already serviced multiple clients and employ highly skilled workers who can get the job done right. You may also want to verify if they are authorized to operate their business in the area. Also, ask if the company is insured to make sure that you are protected from any liability. If I were to look for a moving company, I would make sure to keep this in mind. Thanks.

  10. My wife and I are getting ready to move to a new house, so thanks for the tips on hiring movers. I like that you suggest figuring out about their fees and services first by doing research online. I don’t want to be hit with any surprise charges, so we’ll be sure to do this.

  11. I’m glad that you talked about finding a company that will visit your house before giving an estimate. I’m looking for someone that could help me move to a new area. I can see how it would be nice to get an estimate in-home because it would be more accurate.

  12. Fantastic tips! We’ve found it’s always worth it to pay a little bit more for dependable movers who are licensed and insured.

  13. I like that you suggested checking review sites such as Google and Yelp to know what others have to say about the moving company that you’re interested in. We’re moving to a different city next month, so we’re interested to hire a moving company for help. We want to end up hiring a moving company that’s reputable and has a good track record of satisfied clients in the past to make sure that we can expect the same excellent service that they were able to provide to their past clients. I will make sure to consider all your tips.

  14. It really helped me when you said about choosing a moving company that is BBB Accredited – this means the mover meets the BBB standards. Our family is planning to relocate to a new area this coming August, and I’m starting to look for a reliable moving company that can help us move with ease. I will keep this in mind when hiring a residential moving service.

  15. The best part of your blog for me is when you talked about how you should consider visiting review sites such as Yelp, Angie’s List, and Google to see what other customers have to say about the moving company that you’re interested in. My sister and her husband are planning to move to a different state next month, so they’re looking for a moving company that they can hire. Since they want to ensure a quality service and an excellent customer help, it will make sense for them to choose a moving company that has a long track record of satisfied and happy customers. Thanks for sharing all your tips.

  16. My sister is moving internationally a month from now, and it’s important for her to find an international moving company that’s highly recommended by their past clients because of their great service to make sure that she can expect the same level of service. This is why I like that you suggested visiting review sites such as Yelp and Angie’s List to know what other people have to say about the services of the moving company that you’re looking to hire. I will make sure to share your blog with my sister so she can get help in making an informed decision when it comes to choosing the right moving company.

  17. I do like that you suggested checking Google, Facebook, and other review sites in order to get an idea of what other people say about the moving company that you’re interested in. My sister is currently looking for a moving company that she can hire because she’s planning to move next month. Her goal is to find a reputable moving company that has a lot of happy and satisfied past clients to make sure that she can expect a high-quality service from them. I will make sure to share your blog with her.

  18. Hire a moving company is very difficult because multiple companies are there. People are confused which company is right for moving. Nice information you share on this blog. You share the easy way how to choose right moving company. Great blog. Thanks!

  19. I like that you suggested checking how long a moving company has been in business because experienced moving companies have the skills when dealing with moving difficulties. My husband and I are planning to hire a long distance moving company. We want to have peace of mind that our collection of vases are going to be transported safely to our new place, so we’d like to find a moving company that’s an expert in what they do.

  20. You got my attention when you said that it’s best to check the number of years that a moving company has been in the business to make sure that they are knowledgeable about different types of moves. My husband and I are moving to a new house next month. We wanted to make sure that this is going to be a hassle-free move for us, so we’d like to deal with a moving company that can expertly provide our moving needs.

  21. I really liked your tip to read the reviews of the moving company so you can know what kind of service they have before you hire them. I need my piano moved to my new house. I will be sure to read the reviews first.

  22. Thanks for the tips on what to ask a mover, particularly the tip on what services they offer. I hadn’t considered that a company could offer something extra like assistance with packing or moving things up and down stairs. My house has something of a difficult to maneuver staircase, so getting help moving things out of there is definitely something I’ll ask about when comparing quotes and fees.

  23. I like the tip you gave to choose a moving service that will give you a free cost estimate before they start working for you. My family and I are moving to an apartment that will be closer to my work, and I want to make sure that we hire the best priced service. I will be sure to find a moving service that offers a free cost estimate, so I can get a good idea of what I will need to pay even before they start working.

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