So you have your house move planned, or have you? Not if you don’t find a mover to take all your stuff from point a to point b. We therefore created this simple guide with a shortlist of the best tips for choosing a moving company.
This is especially useful if your destination is more than an hour away or the date of delivery will be later than the date of pickup (i.e. not the same day). However, even a simple move 10 minutes down the road can be made so much easier if you find movers with a solid reputation for first-class service.
So, here are our top 12 tips on choosing a moving company:
- Do You Need A Professional Moving Company Or A Man-With-A-Van?Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of good men with a well maintained van that can move your possessions, but they don’t meet all needs. If your move is at all complex or tricky, then you probably need a more logistically capable moving company. For instance, moving long distances or overseas, moving a high volume of goods or a high number of delicate/fragile items are all good reasons to choose a moving company rather than a man-with-a-van.
- Start Early – Book EarlyGood moving companies are busy (because they are good and get great recommendations). So start researching early. Ask friends, acquaintances who have moved and/or your estate agent for recommendations. Put a question up on Facebook about it, Google it, do all of these, just do it months before you will actually need a moving company. Movers that are available at a moment’s notice are probably not as experienced or reputable as the pros and you don’t want to risk your treasured possessions with cowboys.
- Will You Pack Or Will They?Moving companies can just move your belongings or they can offer a complete end-to-end packing, moving and unpacking service. Obviously this is easier on you, but is more expensive, so work out before contacting anyone what exactly you want to have them quote you for.
- Thoroughly Review Their WebsitesAny professional company without a website should be avoided as should a company with a poor website that was last updated when Ireland gained independence! Look for a professional website that’s had good money spent on it and contains professional, clear and helpful content. It shows they have good finances and care enough about their business to create useful content.~
- What Do Other People Think Of Them?Once you have a shortlist of 5 or so moving companies, do some background research yourself. Google their company name and see what comes up. Obviously you want to see good things being said. Finding no entries is OK because it means that nobody has complained about them, but steer clear if you find a number of complaints.
- Contact The Remaining Moving CompaniesHopefully your shortlist should still have 3 or 4 movers left (if not, go find some more). So now it’s time to start contacting them. Whether you call them or email them, take specific note of how they handle your enquiry and their phone technique. Is it slick and professional or haphazard? A company that has the time and professionalism to create procedures and processes for handling customer enquiries is probably going to have better processes for handling your move!Also note how these companies follow-up. Do they ask to visit you or just send you on a quote and if so do they ask enough relevant questions? How long does it take them to send the quote? If they follow-up after that does it feel like they are badgering you or is it a professional courtesy call to make sure you have everything you need to decide? Again, professionally handled follow-ups are a sign of a professional company.
- How Experienced Is Each Moving Company?While speaking with them you need to assess how experienced each moving company is. Ask them about other similar moving projects they have handled. Ask them why they believe they are better than their competitors. Ask what associations they are members of (check those associations online to make sure they are accredited/official). Finally ask for references that you can check out.
- So You Have The Movers’ Quotes – DON’T Just Go For The Cheapest!Rarely in life is the cheapest option the best option. So evaluate the various quotes carefully and look at the detail. If there is insufficient/no detail then ask for it and again measure how professionally they handle the enquiry. It is not ever easy to compare like-for-like, so create a list of all the individual items that are offered and create a little matrix. Where there are blanks, use that to ask each company in turn if they provide it.If the quote looks unprofessional, poorly written, etc. then simply steer clear.
- What About Storage?If your move involves a gap between collection and delivery of your belongings, where will they be stored? Do they have their own storage facility (and if so how professional are they?) Ask where they are and get pictures if you can. If they use third-party storage facilities are they well-known companies like Ustoreit or a third-rate lockup somewhere? Damage from moisture, roof-leaks, fire and simply poor storage in an inadequate facility is a serious risk. What’s the security like as theft is an equally high risk.
Choosing A Moving Company – The Summary
Hopefully these 10 simple tips will help you to choose a moving company that meets your needs and handles the project professionally and impeccably. We wish you luck with your move and remember if you need Self Storage, give Ustoreit a call.