How to Find In-State Movers You Can Trust

Moving is never easy and it’s even more complicated when you have a family to ferry across cities to the new location. Fortunately, you don’t have to go through the entire process alone, even if you’re trying to save costs. We know that relocating can be hard on the pocket, but many professional movers don’t cost an arm and a leg.

Moreover, they save you more than money; their professionalism ensures nothing is lost or broken and they preserve your energy and time to face other aspects of your relocation. But finding reliable and affordable ones is not a walk in the park. With many options, how do you choose the most suitable company? Here are a few pointers to get you started.

Research

Of course, the first thing to do is research. Big cities don’t have a shortage of trusted and experienced movers, but you must do your assignment to pick one. You can start with the internet; it’s a treasure trove of brands offering various goods and services. Many companies have an online presence, so search for safe responsible movers to find the specific services you want.

Check the reviews of past users to know how well they work with their customers and their communication methods. The reviews will tell you a lot about the companies’ professionalism and transparency. Pick two or three of the most reviewed ones or those with the highest ratings according to trusted sites like Trustpilot and Sitejabber.

If you’re unable to find adequate or reliable information about their experience and credentials, it might be time to look at other options. Learning about them shouldn’t be like studying rocket science if they are trustworthy; it might be a red flag if it is.

Ask for Recommendations

If you know someone who recently moved in or out of state, asking for recommendations is ideal. It might even work better to find someone who used a mover for moving within the same state if that’s your intention; it makes the choosing process easier. Start with friends and family members before moving to colleagues and neighbors.

What made them choose that company? What aspects did they like or not like? What went wrong, if any? How likely is it that they would recommend them to other people? Getting answers to these questions should inform whether or not you should consider those movers. If you don’t like the answers, move to the next name on the list.

If you pick any of the recommendations, ensure they have the licenses and permits to work in your city and the one you’re moving to. Also, verify they’re insured and check their policies to determine whether or not their chosen policies cover damage or losses.

Ensure It’s Not a Broker

This step is not common, but many brokers pose as moving companies and only reveal what they are after you’ve made some payments. What they do is help you schedule and book your moving trip before selling it to the moving company of their choosing.

This is risky because you have no way of assessing the situation and checking out the moving service before accepting to do business with them. Another risky aspect is liability and the resulting accountability. In the event of loss or damage, neither the mover nor the broker will accept the blame, which may leave you to cover with your insurance or pay out of your pocket.

While a broker is not a bad idea, you must work with them if you choose, not under some pretext. So before entering any agreement, ensure the company is a moving company and not a middleman.

The broker may assure you of being capable of moving your belongings, but they typically don’t have the license or equipment to do so. Moreover, the service will cost you more at the end of the day because the middleman will bill you for their service. You can visit: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ to understand the difference between a mover and a broker.

Get an Estimate

As important as the rest is the cost of moving. It may be cheaper to move to another city within the same state than it is to move to a new state or country, but it doesn’t always work like that. Some cities are closer to the next state than other cities within the same state. That’s why you must know how much it would cost to make the move.

More importantly, the moving company must do an in-home check to see what they would be moving before providing an estimate. They will check the items to be moved, fragility, size, and location. For example, moving fragile items from a second floor without an elevator is risky and hard work.

Also, the job may require a lot of people and trucks; all these will determine the final estimate. Having a home visit by the team is your best bet for drawing up a suitable budget. You can learn about some important points to check before choosing a mover here.

Wrapping Up

Finding the right movers for your relocation needs shouldn’t be challenging if you know what to look for. Ensure they have the experience and teams to do the job. Check out the reviews and not only those on their official websites or paid review sites. If you want to get the best results, asking for recommendations from friends and family is usually ideal.

However, while they may be trusted, check, and verify their credentials, such as licenses and permits and ensure they have insurance. Finally, get an estimate from a couple of reliable companies before deciding which works best for your needs.