Are you relocating to a new home? Moving to a new home is an interesting phase, especially if you are upgrading. However, it can be very stressful.
There is a lot of work involved, from packing to unpacking. Besides, if you are not keen, the chances of property being damaged or you getting injured are quite high.
However, you can reduce the stress and hassle of relocating to your new home by hiring the best local movers. Local movers have insurance and the right equipment to safely transport your belongings.
You also get to save time and effort if professionals are handling your moving. Not to mention the moving process will be more organized, giving you peace of mind when working with professionals.
But when hiring a local moving company, be cautious. Not all of them have the right experience and qualifications. If you hire the wrong local movers, the chances of your property being mishandled will be high.
Besides, such movers might ask you to pay more money than you should. So how do you ensure to choose reliable and qualified local movers? Worry no more.
Here is a guide on how to choose the best local movers.
Table of Contents
Get Recommendations
If you have never hired a moving company before, you might not know how to pick the best one. Finding reliable local movers becomes easy through recommendations from friends, relatives, and coworkers.
Friends and relatives will always refer you to local movers who believe they offer the best services. However, don’t just hire the recommended companies right away after getting the recommendations.
It’s not a given that a given local mover company still offers quality services as they did five years ago. Some changes might have taken place affecting the quality of services they offer.
Hence you must prepare a list of the recommended companies for a further background check.
Online Search
If you can’t find reliable local movers through recommendations, you can search online. Utilizing search engines such as Google and Bing makes it easy to get reliable local movers near you.
All you need is to type ‘best local movers near me’ in the search engine, and you will be given a list of local moving companies. From here, you can compile a list of companies that seems to meet your needs.
You can then research the listed companies to find out whether they are experienced and qualified.
Check the Experience
When moving to your new home, it means you will be moving some of your valuable possessions with you. For this reason, you will need a moving company that will not be taking a gamble with your belongings.
An experienced local moving company is the best option in such a case. Local movers who have been in the industry for a long time know the right techniques to apply to have your belongings transported safely.
They are also aware of the regulations and laws involved when moving property. The chances of having complications arising are minimal if your hire experienced local movers.
To determine the experience of a local moving company, you can visit their website. Most local movers indicate their experience on their websites.
If the local movers have been offering services for more than five years, they might be worth entrusting with your property.
It’s also important you assess the past projects the local movers have handled. Local movers who are satisfied by the quality of their services will always have videos of their past work.
By checking how the professional movers near me handle the moving process in such videos, you can decide whether they are the right ones for the job.
License and Insurance
When hiring local movers, you must ensure they have a license and insurance. Before movers can offer services, they must have a DOT number.
If your moving involves interstate moving, you must verify whether the local movers have a license. To verify the licensure of a local moving company, you should visit the FMCSA’s website.
Before local movers are licensed, they are vetted to ensure they meet the required standards. If you hire such licensed local movers, you will have a guarantee for quality moving services.
After checking the licensing focus on the insurance. Insurance is not a legal requirement; however, it’s essential to cover your property against damage. During the moving process, accidents can happen.
If such accidents occur, the chances of valuable belongings being damaged are high. If the local movers you hired are not insured, you might not be compensated for such damages.
But if the company has insurance, all damages arising will be compensated. To get great moving services, always hire licensed and insured local movers.
Reputation
Hiring licensed and experienced local movers is not always a guarantee for excellent services. Some local movers have been in the industry for years, but their property handling techniques are wanting.
If you hire such movers, you will be lucky to have your property getting to the desired destination in one piece. To determine the reputation of local movers, you should read online reviews.
You can start with reviews presented on the local mover’s website. Such reviews will inform you more about the quality of services offered. You can also determine how the company deals with unexpected losses during the moving process from such reviews.
But if you find such reviews too good to be true, you can shift your focus to third party reviews. Reviews from sites such as Better Business Bureau are genuine and more reliable.
Local movers are rated according to the number of complaints raised on such sites. The more complaints made against a local moving company, the lower the ratings the company shall have.
However, when reading such reviews, don’t expect to pick a company with 100 per cent positive reviews. Despite offering quality moving services, there will never lack any clients who will make negative remarks.
Your focus should be selecting local movers with ratings of above four.
Cost and Transportation
When moving, you definitely have a budget that you must stick to. If you pick local movers without paying attention to the cost, you might affect your budget.
Before deciding on the local movers to work with, you should request quotes from various companies. This way, you can choose a company whose quote matches your budget.
However, after getting the quotes, ensure to ask about all the charges included in them. It’s good you understand what the fee is based on. In most cases, the fee you pay depends on the distance, the number of hours, and other factors.
Others might have fixed prices for the whole distance. But after asking for the quote, you will be given a base rate in most cases. If you have large items that need moving, you should inquire how the company charges for such items.
The best local movers will be transparent with their fees. Such companies will also inform you of any extra fees that might arise during the process. If the local moving company is hesitant in giving a well-outlined fees structure, avoid them.
But when hiring local movers, avoid those charging fees below the market rate. Such movers are either inexperienced or after taking advantage of you.
Even if you want to save money, choose local movers charging reasonable fees.
Avoid Moving Companies With a Name Switch
Local movers who want to avoid ratings from Better Business Bureau operate under a variety of names. In doing so, the companies can use names that don’t have negative ratings.
If you hire such companies, you will either pay more fees or have your property damaged in the process. Before hiring local movers, you should ensure they have a local address.
In case an issue arises, it’s easy to make a follow up with local movers who have a physical office.
Ensure to search whether there are other names the company operates under. If the local movers have a license and seem to use only one name, they might be the right for the project.
Ask About Their Moving Equipment
Different movers offer different services. Some hire trucks while others have their own.
If you need to move your belongings over a long distance, special equipment must be present. If you have fragile items, they might need special handling equipment.
It would be unfortunate to hire local movers only to realize they are not fully equipped during the moving day. This would be a waste of time and cause of anxiety.
Hence before choosing the local movers to work with, inquire about their moving equipment. Well-equipped movers are more likely to handle the moving process faster and stress-free.
Don’t Pay a Deposit
When hiring local movers, beware of those who will request you to deposit before the moving day. It might appear sensible to pay a portion of the moving fee in advance to book your date; however, it’s not a standard practice in the moving industry.
If a company asks for a deposit, ensure to do enough research on the company’s reputation. Ensure there are no complaints made against the company for not delivering quality services. But the best moving companies will always request you to make a payment after the task is completed.
Choose the Best Local Movers Today
Finding reliable local movers who will safely transport your belongings can be challenging. But with the right tips selecting the best local movers becomes easy.
Follow the above guide on how to choose the best local movers and get it right.
Did you find the content in this article helpful? For such informative content, ensure you read the other blogs from our website.
