The decision to move can be a huge step forward. However, it can also be a demanding commitment – looking through the yellow pages, asking friends and coworkers, searching the Web for different mover companies, reading through the comments and reviews…all in all, you lose a lot of time not quite sure what you are even looking for, how to go about finding it and whether you are making the right choice…time that we could be better spent doing other things. So, what if you could find it all in one place, saving you that valuable time and grunt-work, along with a lot of stress and energy? What If someone offered you a simple walk-through on the steps you need to follow to find an ideal moving company?

The first step is the always the hardest one

Often enough, we all have trouble sitting down and taking care of business, so to help make it easier for you, we will provide you with a brief manual of tips that you can follow through and find which mover company is best suited for your needs.

So, to start you off, you need to locate the local mover companies, ones which are in your area and are known to your friends or colleagues. This can simply be done with going through a phone book. If possible, get some recommendations from people who recently had the need to hire a mover company. Once this part has been completed and you collected a list of several names, you need to verify the standing of the company you consider hiring. This can be done in several ways:

• Visit the company website and look through and check out how they represent themselves, what their policies are and what types of service they offer.
• Do a quick background check of the companies in question by reaching out to the American Moving and Storage Association (moving.org, 703-683-7410, info@moving.org) to check whether the mover is a registered member which abides by the established tariffs of the organization. Another important thing to look for is whether the company has been blacklisted based on a history of consumer complaints, which you can easily check on movingscam.com.
• Finding a company with a good reputation is always a safe choice. You can usually find reviews and comments about the company on their official website, as well as social media. Now, the important thing to realize here is that everyone gets bad reviews from time to time – it’s simply unavoidable. However, as long as the overall of the comments (70-90%) is good, you found a reputable company.

You’re already half-way packed, no need to stop now

By now, your list should have come down to several good and reputable companies, so you can focus on the next screening stage – you need to ask yourself: “Does this company offer the services that I specifically need?”

Before taking the phone and dialing each of the companies, you need to consider what your needs are. Ask yourself some of the following questions:

• Am I looking to re-locate to another state/city, or will it simply be another part of town?

• Do I want the company I hire to take care of every aspect of the move or just the transportation part?

• When would I need the move to occur?

• What is the highest fee I would be comfortable paying for the mover?

Once you’ve gone through these questions, it will be much easier to know what you are looking for in a company, and it will help you ask them the right questions.

What to look for when talking out moving terms

Narrowing your choice to the top three movers should be dependent on a few simple topics. Starting off, you need to ask about the cost estimate and what exactly it includes, so as to avoid unnecessary costs on your end. Ask whether the company uses subcontractors (which large companies often practice) and if so, inquire about the details of the smaller companies they subcontract. If you plan on moving out-of-state or to a remote/inaccessible area, check the additional fees the company charges for aerial transportation, shuttle service, storage-in-transit etc. Last but certainly not least, inquire about insurance the company provides to its customers, as you never know what can go wrong, especially when your valuables are on the line. And of course, always pay attention to the extra offers the company will mention, because at the end of the day, it a competitive business and everyone wants to stand out from the rest and get hired.

Make-it-or-break-it stage

Now that you’ve narrowed your choices to two or three companies, it’s time to take the final step in the selection process, making an appointment with the representatives to stop by and take a closer look at what you’re looking to move and in which fashion. This is where you get the chance to get an exact cost worked out, as well as get a feel for the company you are planning on doing business with. Don’t hesitate to ask as many questions as you want, and to make notes for each of the representatives, the answers they provide, the amount of confidence they convey, and most importantly, the promises they give in regards to time and efficiency.

Once you’ve gathered all you need from all the representatives, put it down on a piece of paper, do a cross-comparison and make your choice.

A final look back and your move is as good as done

Selection complete, choice made – what more is there to think about? Nothing really, now it all comes down to working out the kinks with the mover you chose, and to look back once more on the criteria which defined your choice:

• Reputable moving company with long-standing experience and positive reviews
• Non-fraudulent moving company with no previous incidents
• Mover that has the licenses and tools to get the job done
• Get-your-moneys-worth moving company
• A company which provides insurance, and takes the extra mile for the customer

And that sums up our walk in the park when deciding on a reliable mover company. It might appear as a half-marathon now, but trust me, once you actually take the first step and go through the steps described, you won’t even feel it.