Our blogger Katherine just moved to her new apartment and now generously shares her tips on picking a moving company.
Photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net
WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A MOVING COMPANY by Katherine
Hiring a moving company for your move is usually a good idea, unless you happen to be friends with the wolf pack in Twilight. Alas, chances are that you don’t have a harem of super strong shape-shifters at your disposal so it is to your benefit to hire professionals. Even though your strongest man friends and/or fraternity bros might volunteer to help you out, they probably won’t take as much care with your valuables (ahem, flat screen? chandelier?) nor will they have the materials a moving company will have to safely move your stuff.
The problem is that movers don’t have the best reputation and moving companies can vary wildly. Here are some good things to know when you are doing a local move:
1. Movers generally charge anywhere from $65-95/hour. Anything more than that is too expensive and anything less might be questionable.
2. Moving companies should ask you to list all of your items to be moved and should give you an estimate before you book the job. A lot of them will offer to come look at your apartment to get a better idea of what you have.
3. There shouldn’t be a fee to “hold your reservation.”
4. It seems like everything is reviewed on Yelp these days and moving companies are no exception. Search for the highest rated movers in your area. AND READ THE COMMENTS.
5. You will likely be responsible for arranging parking for the moving truck at both your old place and your new place.
6. Tip isn’t included and if you think they did a good job, you should follow the 15-20% rule. They did help protect your grandmother’s antique teacups after all.
7. A moving company should have insurance coverage, and you should ask exactly what it covers. If they don’t have it, don’t use them.
8. If you have a your own little Amazon rainforest, check to see if they move plants. Frequently mirrors and plants won’t be included and might cost extra.
9. Try to pick a company based on hourly rates and not on weight. If their estimates are based on weight it will be difficult for you to guesstimate how much your items weigh.
10. Don’t forget to ask if materials cost extra. Things like wrap for the TV, a case for your mattress etc.
I moved recently, and had a wonderful experience with Real Rock n’ Roll movers, a local company in the LA area. If you’re here on the West Coast and need some guys to move your stuff-these dudes are fast and professional. And funny too! (And no, I did not get paid to say this!)
