Having to do a cross-country move can be difficult on its own. Therefore, you don’t need the added stress that comes with unreliable movers. Hiring professionals can be a real moving sanity saver, among other things. Precisely for this reason, you should be careful and ensure you choose reliable cross-country movers. We offer you a simple to follow guide on how you can achieve that.
Inquiry is the first step to finding reliable cross-country movers
Nothing can give you a better understanding of your future movers than a good inquiry. Therefore, you should not skip this step. It can be done in two ways, and the results will be more effective if you combine them. The first one is to read reviews and the second is to ask family and friends.
The process of reading reviews can be somewhat dull, but it is a great way to get to know your movers. You want to look for the most detailed comments left on their website or third-party websites. Typically, they present the most information that will help you with your choice. Furthermore, it would help to look for negative comments because they can offer insights into potential problems. After all, this will significantly help in narrowing down your options and quicken your search.
Let’s be honest; one of the best ways to get information about movers is word-of-mouth. It doesn’t hurt to ask since movers may look good on paper but, in reality, have a lot of customers who are not satisfied with their services. You should not hesitate to ask friends and family for suggestions and recommendations. It is in our nature to happily share good experiences. Additionally, you will get the opportunity to hear about bad experiences, which will help you avoid certain companies.
Professionalism and experience assessment
When you want to assess professionalism, the first thing you should look for is how the moving company seems. Secondly, ask about their reputation and look for the state of their moving trucks. Thirdly, track the time in which they answer your questions at all times during your inspection. Lastly, look out for details (do they have business cards, a professional website, state of their office)!
When talking about experience, the inspection is more straightforward. Quiz the mover about their experience with the specific kind of move you seek. For example, if you are moving during winter, you should ask them if they have done winter relocations. Another example would be moving to a home with a lot of steps or a house with a small doorway. If the mover is experienced, they will have no problem handling any type of moving situation.
Reliable cross-country movers will give you a complete estimate
If you are moving to one of the most affordable states in the US, it stands to reason that you would also like to have an affordable relocation. So, if you have chosen one of the states with the optimal cost of living, you should also choose a moving company that will offer you the optimal price for your move. This means that you should still look for a company that will give you a complete estimate without hidden fees or other types of scams.
The importance of an estimate is immeasurable. Also, it will allow you to cross one of the things on your long-distance moving checklist, and that is – preparing a budget. But, to get an idea of the budget size, you will need to get an estimate. Most companies offer free estimates, but one of the things you should do is let them perform a video survey or an in-person inspection of your belongings. This will allow them to give you a quote for the cross-country move you are about to do. Once they finish the inspection, they will send you the estimate and all possible costs in
writing.
Since cross-country moving is the topic here, remember that the majority of the moving costs will be based on the weight of your belongings. Fewer items equal lower prices. This is why you should, during the inspection, update your mover if your bed or dresser will be going with you or not.
Ask about subcontractors
Subcontractors are an excellent way for a moving company to distribute the process among different links in the whole chain. But, the problem is that they have to be paid. Also, they don’t always hold professional standards like the company that hired them. It is for that reason that you should ask if subcontractors will be a part of your move.
In that sense, you should ask if the moving company you are hiring will pick up, transport, and deliver all of your belongings by themselves. As stated, subcontractors are not employees of the moving company and can pose a difficulty when the moving process starts. If you are fine with them handling a part of the move, ask the company if they are insured. However, if you don’t want subcontractors to be used while moving, ask the company politely not to hire them. If that doesn’t work, find another company!
Check for licenses and insurances
This last thing ties in with the first part of this guide. It is mandatory to check if your future moving company is properly licensed and insured. If not, you could end up signing up for a scam, and you might lose some or all of your stuff. However, you can easily avoid this since all professional moving companies should have a license number issued by the US Department of Transportation. This number can be entered into their database, where you can see the company’s complaint history.
One last important thing when choosing reliable cross-country movers is checking for the proper insurance. If the company doesn’t offer it, don’t sign up with them. Besides, moving misfortunes can and do happen. They can happen even to the best movers.