- Residential moving companies nearby should top your list. You should always consider hiring a local mover. In this way, you will be working with a company familiar with the area. You will also know that the residential moving company has an actual office to help avoid fraud. There are many fraudulent moving companies that will appear genuine and authentic on the Internet. These companies can trick you in to paying them in advance. Alas, your money will be gone without any services received. You should also visit the local office for complete assurance.
- Price should not be the only consideration, but you need to monitor it. Always get a quote from at least three service providers. Do not automatically opt for the one that provides an extremely low quote and do not cross out any service providers who provide a higher quote. You should not lean toward any service provider that offers services cheaply. The way in which you should judge any of the residential movers is by VALUE JUDGEMENT. The quality, the type of services provided and the price charged should be compared and then the decision should be based on the value derived from each service provider.
- Always verify the credentials that they are claiming! Most residential movers claim that they possess certain credentials issued by the Department of Transportation. You may find them on their websites or they may also mention it over the phone. However, you should be wary of all such claims. If the local relocation service is licensed, then they should have a DOT number on the website. The movers should also have a carrier number from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. This gives an instant authentication signal and any company who doesn’t possess these cannot be trusted in any way.
- Do they require large deposits? A big NO! None of the residential movers should require you to pay more than 20% of the quote upfront. Most should not require any payment at all. There are moving companies who will hold your belongings hostage in exchange for more money. You should always check for such a record. Performing a search for the company on the Better Business Bureau’s website is easy and highly recommended.
- Always trust word of mouth. You should always check for reviews and for complaints. Get in touch with your neighbors to obtain honest reviews for the companies you are shortlisting. Prior experiences can provide fair reasoning for whether you should opt for the specific service providers or not. Also, check to see if any complaints against them have been reviewed by the Better Business Bureau or not. You can check their reviews on the website of Department of Transportation as well.
When you opt for hiring professional residential movers, please keep these considerations in mind to ensure that all your goods are transported safely and to your satisfaction.