6 Tips Before You Hire a Moving Company

On top of finding the right apartment, packing all of your stuff and budgeting your move, you also have to locate the best moving company in your area. The torturous move never ends!

Let’s face it: we have all heard horror stories about movers, and many of us have witnessed it ourselves. Professional, reliable and affordable moving companies are not a dime a dozen. It is a daunting task that requires painstaking research, referrals and constant investigation.

Yes, it does take more than just looking at a Craigslist or Kijiji ad for movers in your city.

Whether it is moving a bachelor apartment or a five-bedroom house, you want the best moving company possible, otherwise it will be just another horror story to tell your friends. But how exactly can you find a stellar moving company? It takes a little bit of know-how.

Here are sixtips you need to know about hiring a moving company:

1. Request an Estimate from Several Firms

Once you compile a list of potential moving companies you’re interested in hiring, you need to contact each business and request an estimate. After you have gotten several bids, you need to compare the prices and then weigh the pros and cons of hiring each moving enterprise (time, staff, equipment, location, etc.).

2. Customer & Mover Rights and Responsibilities

According to the Office of Consumer Affairs, every moving company must know and agree abide by the terms of the Good Practice Guidelines for Canadian Movers. They must give you a pamphlet that outlines a wide array of customer and business rights and responsibilities.

Moreover, you should have written material pertaining to mover liability, optional programs, Workers Compensation Board (WCB) certificate and company insurance.

This is meant to protect both you and the moving company should problems arise.

3. The Equipment the Company Uses

When you speak with each moving company, you should get an idea as to what type of equipment the movers will be utilizing. Dollies, moving vans, ropes and other essential tools are items that you should be told about in advance, especially if you have heavy furniture or expensive assets.

4. Offer as Many Details as Possible

In order to ensure both sides know what they’re getting into, it would be a prudent idea to offer as many details as possible to the moving company. This consists of everything from approximately how many boxes you have to how many flights of stairs they have to climb.

If there is one thing that moving companies undeniably hate is when customers tell fibs. Try moving a 300-pound glass table up or down five flights of stairs on a hot summer day!

Just tell the truth. Honesty is always the best policy.

5. Know How to Properly Tip Movers

For whatever reason, tipping is one of the most confusing and uncomfortable customs in North America. Whether it is a waiter at a restaurant or a barber at a hair salon, we hate tipping.

Ditto for movers.

Like any other service that requires the human element, it is best to tip a minimum of 15 percent in cash – if there are multiple movers then just allow the head honcho to handle the tips. In addition, another great tip is to provide plenty of water and perhaps even snacks to the movers.

6. Relax and Take a Deep Breath

Moving is a stressful ordeal. You have to buy the boxes, you have to pack away your things, you have to change your address on all of your accounts and so on. But hiring movers is possibly the most difficult chore because you must make sure that you’re selecting the right company.

As long as you employ honesty, perform your due diligence and know your rights, you can guarantee that this is the best moving experience that you have ever had in your lifetime.