Trying to find movers can take time, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. When you know what to ask about and what to look for in a moving company, zeroing in on the one that can help you the most becomes a whole lot easier.
A Written, Free, Binding Estimate
When you have a moving company provide an estimate, don’t settle for a verbal guess over the phone. You want a representative of the company to look at what you have and give you a written estimate that’s binding. This is especially vital for long-distance moves. If you don’t get the estimate in writing, you risk being charged a different amount because you don’t have anything to prove that you were supposed to pay less. And, if the estimate isn’t binding, you’ve got nothing to stop the moving company from claiming that you had more stuff than anticipated and that you now have to pay them a lot more to have your belongings delivered to you.
A binding estimate can be higher than a non-binding estimate. However, a binding estimate is binding, and you shouldn’t be charged more than that for the move.
What’s Included in That Estimate
That estimate will do only so much good if you don’t fully understand what it includes. When you receive your quote, find out whether it covers just the loading, moving, and unloading, or if it also includes packing, supplies, set-up, and more. Here’s where you really want to go into detail so that you don’t receive any unpleasant surprises.
Proper Pricing Structure
Local moves tend to use per-hour pricing, and long-distance moves tend to have a flat price that’s based on either total weight transported or space taken up inside a truck. Make sure the pricing structure you’re offered makes sense for the type of move. If you’re moving down the block, for example, it wouldn’t make sense to pay a huge lump sum; you’d want that move to be charged per hour because it likely wouldn’t take very long at all.
Insurance and Licenses
In Pennsylvania, moving companies have to be licensed by the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission, which you can verify on the PUC’s website.
Any moving company you hire also has to have insurance, both to protect their employees and to cover any damage or loss to your belongings. The insurance for your belongings can seem a bit complicated at first because there are different types. But it really boils down to whether they offer minimum coverage (paying a percentage of the value of the weight of your belongings if they’re damaged or lost), full replacement value, or something in between. You should also check if the insurance would cover rare items, collections, and other special items, or if you’ll need to purchase additional insurance to cover those. Some policies — your own homeowner’s or renter’s insurance might do the same thing — require special categories to have their own coverage.
Amount of Experience
The years of experience can be a helpful indicator of what a moving company might be like. There can indeed be newer moving companies that are terrific and older moving companies with spotty track records, but ideally, you’d want a company that did an excellent job that’s also been in business for many years. Movers who’ve worked together for a long time can be more efficient and faster to get everything packed up and moved.
What Others Say
Finally, pay attention to what others have said about their experiences with the company. You can look at online reviews, but be careful as some can be fake. If the company is listed on the Better Business Bureau website, look for complaints and reviews. This kind of research can take a while, but it will help you decide whether or not to go with a particular company.
Moving is so much easier when you hire the right company to pack and transport your belongings. Make sure you ask plenty of questions when looking for a moving company in Media, PA, and contact BR Moving when you search for moving companies in Bryn Mawr, PA, and the surrounding area.
