Tips For Getting Accurate Moving Quotes From Reliable Movers

Here is another great article I came across about getting accurate quotes from reliable movers. It is good read. I hope you like it.

4 Tips For Getting Accurate Quotes From Reliable Movers
By Maureen Romensya

When looking for reliable movers to hire it can be hard to decide which ones would be the best choice. That is why getting quotes from reliable movers is so essential. Before getting the quotes there are some important tips that will help you get the most accurate quote possible.

Here are the tips that you want to remember and use so that you end up with as accurate of a quote as you can.

1. Plan – When you are going to be making a move it is important that you take time to plan ahead. Planning ahead will help you get a more accurate quote.

You want to know exactly what items will be going with you and what won’t. Along with what services will be needed from the company such as packing.

By knowing ahead of time what you want and planning things then you will definitely have a much higher chance of getting the most accurate quote from reliable movers.

2. Compare – There are so many different moving companies available these days and trying to find the best one to hire can be hard to do. By taking time to get a free quote from each moving company that you are interested in you will be able to make a more informed decision.

Comparing quotes from moving companies is important because the companies are similar but not the same exactly. This means that their estimates will be just a little bit different in different ways.

By comparing the quotes you can see what they are offering you and for what price. This will help you choose the company that is within your budget so you don’t spend more money than you can afford to.

3. Ask questions – Don’t be afraid to ask questions of any moving company about the quotes. If you have questions you have to get them answered before making your final decision. This will help to ensure you are choosing the best company for your move and for the price you can afford.

4. Take your time – Always give yourself plenty of time to do your research on the companies and to get quotes. The more time you can give yourself the more informed decision you can make because you will be able to gather important information that will make it much easier.

These tips will definitely help anyone get the best price on your quote if you remember them and use them. If you don’t use them then be prepared when you end up paying more money later because you didn’t take time to ensure accurate quotes from reliable movers.

Maureen Romensya invites you to visit her moving website to receive moving quotes and moving estimates on your next move. Compare quotes from reliable movers and pick the best moving company based on services & price. When moving companies compete you save up to 35%.

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Moving Systems

There are several moving systems.

Depending on your move the moving system that you should use will vary. I.e. a small local move will most likely best served by a do it yourself move; and a large long distance move may be bettered served by a full service mover or vanline.

The best way to determine what is best for you is to know what each kind of moving system there is and to ask a lot of questions.

I know that moving can be tough and stressful that is why I have this website and all these articles: I want to address every question that may come up and answer them. I am also very accessible via email or the telephone.

But this article is about the different moving systems out there. So lets get into them:

Do it yourself moving:

Quite obviously this kinda of speaks for itself.

This is the moving system you may use when you have a small local move.

moving yourself may not be viable to you – or even cheaper – if you have a larger move in town. However, if you have a 1 bedroom apartment (or even a small 2 bedroom) or smaller this may be a great option.

It is not uncommon to rent a U-Haul (or Penske, Budget or Ryder) moving truck, load it up with a bunch family and/or friends and move to your new place down the road.

This can be very cheap. But don’t kid yourself: moving yourself is the most stressful of all the moving systems out there. You have no insurance protections or any other fail-safes. Something goes wrong…and it is all on you.

Secondly, you must weigh in the hidden cost factors: Gas, Mileage (the real killer), Boxes, dollies and blankets, etc. These are all added to overall cost of the move if you can not or do not have way to provide them yourself.

That cheap do it yourself move may quickly become more expensive to do than if you hired a full service mover.

Moving Labor:

A moving labor moving system is more than just hiring a couple of guys off Craigslist or elsewhere to load and unload your moving truck or trailer. There is a bit more.

There are few different business models that I categorize under moving labor: There are the “you load, we drive” style of movers. The most famous of these types of moving labors are ABF and PODS.

What these companies do is bring you a trailer or shipping container and you have to load them yourself or hire the muscle to do it for you.

This can be very inexpensive to move your household goods very long distances, but they are too expensive really for the shorter, in state moves.

Again, there are not a lot of insurance protections for you here. If something is damaged or stolen (highly unlikely) then “oh well”. Not much you can do about it.

Moving labor also can go hand-in-hand with a do it yourself move. You rent a moving truck from a moving truck rental place and then hire laborers to load and unload your moving truck. This also goes with “you load, we drive” types.

But like I said there is far more risk in this type of moving than with your full service style movers.

But this can be very cheap if nothing goes wrong.

Full Service Moving:

These are companies like mine – U-Save Moving, Two men and Truck, All My Sons, Moishe’s, etc.

These companies, when hired, will do everything for you. They’ll box up your household, store your households possessions if needed, load and unload the trucks, and even assemble your furniture and place it in the right rooms for you. These companies are insured and licensed for your protection.

And best of all, they are there for you every step of the way.

Using a full service mover lessens the stress factor by a 1000x easy. Sure it can be expensive, but not in all cases.

Typically, a medium to large move locally will be cheaper with a full service mover than if you were to do it yourself believe it or not, PLUS you get the peace of mind knowing that you are insured.

Most of the movers are pillars of their communities. Being members of the BBB or Chamber of Commerce and other social and charitable organizations.

Reversely, there are a lot of scammers in this moving system. There are many that have a pick up and trailer and think they can become movers. So one really has to be on guard initially until they hire a licensed and insured full service mover.

A good rule of thumb in hiring a full service moving company is the amount of information that you can find out about the company and their principles. The more info you can find, typically, the better the company.

Just try it: Google me – Jae Burnham – or my company – U-Save Moving – and notice the amount of information there is about me and this company. I am all over the place. I am on Twitter, FaceBook, MySpace, Flickr. I have listings with every major search engines. I am in the Yellowpages and Yellowbook. I am not hiding.

Any company that little to no information easily accessible should NOT be used.

Vanliners:

When moving across the country this moving system may be most affordable option for you. I would not recommend them for local or even across the state moves.

The most notable vanliners are Mayflower, Allied, United and if you have to, Bekins (voted one of the worst by J.D. Powers and Associates.)

The problem with this type of moving system is that it takes far longer for your possessions to reach your destination than if you were to use a full service mover.

Where typically a full service movers can deliver your possessions in a day or two, vanliners will take a week or two to deliver your goods.

Another negative point is that your possessions may be unloaded and reloaded a couple of times, adding to the chance that your stuff is lost, damaged or even stolen.

However, rarely will you find a vanliner that is not insured and licensed.

These companies usually are usually very bureaucratic. Meaning if there is an issue with something lost, damaged or stolen it is very hard to reach someone that can make a decision and give you satisfaction with your claims. There is a lot of red tape and hoops to jump through and many just give up.

However, for the most part, many of these moves are smooth and problem free.

So you can see there are many moving systems and each of them have their own strengths and weaknesses. Not all moving systems will be right for you. You need to know what each moving system is and how it could benefit you personally.

Choosing a moving solely based off the cheapest usually ends in disaster and will leave a bitter taste in your mouth. Asking questions and studying the industry will give you a basic education and allow you to make educated choices for which moving system is for you.

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Do It Yourself Moving

In today’s economy many of you are turning to do it yourself moving. You are looking at your alternatives in saving money because you don’t want to pay a full service mover to move you: And truthfully no one can really blame you. However, there are certain truths about do it yourself moving that may sway to using a full service mover instead of doing it yourself.

When looking at do it yourself moving you need to look at the costs of it. Now don’t get me wrong; you can save yourself a lot of money by moving yourself, but you also have to figure in the hidden costs of moving yourself versus paying a full service mover.

Moving Truck Rentals:

Renting a moving truck for your move requires a bit of planning. I have written reviews on the moving trucks that you could rent for your move. U-Haul, Penske, Budget, Ryder and even Enterprise all rent moving trucks, but I don’t recommend them all for certain moves.

For instance, for your local, in-town moves U-Haul will give you the best service and rates, but Penske and Budget are better for your longer and larger moves going across the state.

Now for your out of state moves I recommend either Budget or Ryder. Penske is also a good choice but they are a little more expensive. Ryder is great if you can bring the truck back to the original location. Ryder does not do one-way rentals. Budget and Penske do.

You can expect about 10 to 12 miles per gallon of fuel. This is true for U-Haul, Penske, Budget, Ryder and Enterprise. However, realize the newer trucks that you would rent from Budget, Penske and Ryder may actually get up to 15 mpg.

Rental rates are all pretty much the same as well ranging from $20 for the smaller trucks to $60 for the larger trucks per day. One way rental rates will be determined by availability and distance. Moving from Michigan to California may cost about $1000 during the winter months, but may cost about $1800 during the busier summer months.

And finally, don’t forget about the mileage costs. U-Haul is always the most expensive. You will pay about $.79 to $.99 per mile, while with Budget, Penske and Ryder you can haggle them down to $.11 and $.12/mile. The more miles the more it will cost.

Of course you have to return the moving trucks back with the same amount of fuel as you had when you left.

Moving Help:

In do it yourself moving you are going to need moving labor to load and unload your truck. Whether it is you personally, friends and family, or hire help you are going to need people to help with the loading and unloading.

Doing it yourself is always be free. However, this will add a lot of time to the the rental. I have heard of it talking as much as a week to load a moving truck. The more help you have the better (and faster) it is.

You may not have to pay your family and friends with real dollars, but it will cost your something e.g. food, beer, etc.

But understand, when you have family and friends loading and unloading the moving truck, they are not professional movers so the loading and unloading will not be great, and the chance of damage to your possessions are far greater.

If you don’t have access to family and friends then you may have to hire professionals. Typically you will have to pay about $40/hr for two men and most moves take about 3 to 4 hours for loading and unloading together. You can expect to pay about $200 in labor when it is all said and done.

You can find good labor with either Hire-A-Helper.com or MovingHelper.com. These laborers are all rated so you know before you hire them if they are good and reputable right from the start.

Or you could go to Craigslist and hire moving help from there. While you may hire good reputable moving help from here, it will be less reliable then the above places.

When hiring off Craigslist look for ads that are professional in appearance and structure. The more time they have put into an ad the more likely they are a good moving company.

At the very least they should include their name, phone number and an email address. If the ad doesn’t have at least those three things in it move on…it is usually a scammer.

Finally, who will drive the moving truck rental for you. You or somebody else. If you don’t have a lot of experience driving large trucks then you should have somebody that does do the driving. Driving through a big city or mountains can be tricky if you don’t have the experience. Of course by sticking to the freeways you will be mostly okay.

Now lets do the math for a typical move and see how the figures add up with a do it yourself move or hiring full service move.

In our example lets move you from Lansing, MI to Detroit. Fairly typical. Lets figure out the the do it yourself move first (this moves is for a 3 bedroom house):

Rental truck: $40/day
insurance: $15
Gas: $83
Mileage: $148.5 (150 mi @.99/mi)
Labor: $200 (hired laborers)
Misc: $30
Total: $433

Of course this may not be your move. Maybe you are just in town, or you are moving out of state. And in those cases the figures would be different obviously. But the idea is still the same.

Full Service Movers:

Full service movers are movers that will do the job, start to finish, themselves. They bring everything to the move and do it all. You can sit back and relax watching the football game while they slave.

Typically you can expect movers to charge between $70 to $95/hour for two movers. And for three movers between $90 and $120/hour.

In towns moves these hourly rates are typical. However for moves that are 40 miles or more some movers will follow a tariff. Some won’t depending if they belong to the Movers Association for their state or not. So in those cases you could pay about $1500 for move from Lansing to Detroit may be more depending on the time of year.

But in all cases these rates include the truck, men, dollies, blankets, straps, tools, plastic, insurance, fuel, etc.

So lets take the same example above and compare it to a do it yourself move:

Service: $425 ($85/hr for 5 hours) (not a Movers Association move)
Movers Assoc move: $1500

So based on the above you can see by hiring a full service mover you could actually have a cheaper move than by doing it yourself for this situation.

Do it yourself moving is only cheaper if you are doing an in-town move. You larger and longer moves you will actually save money by using a full service mover.

So before you go a rent that U-Haul call up some full service movers and compare. You’ll get a lot better service with full service movers then by doing it yourself…that is for sure.

Do it yourself moving is an option, but don’t forget to look at all your options first.

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Moving Company Rates Calculated: How Moving Costs Are Determined

Check out our moving rates and how they are far cheaper than most full service movers and van liners but still get the same quality and service

Moves are calculated either by cubic feet, by the hour, or by pounds. The latter is much less commonly used nowadays.

Cubic Feet is the hight x width x depth of an object. So a box that is (1.5ft x 1.5ft x 1ft) would be a 2.25 cubic foot box. Each item has an average cubic foot measurement. For instance, a queen size bed (including mattress/box spring) will always be approximately 70 cubic feet, whereas your average dining chair is 5 cubic feet. After the entire list of furniture is compiled – you take the total cubic feet and multiply it by a certain price per cubic foot. The price per cubic foot varies A LOT depending on how far you are going or whether there is any packing to be done.

Always make sure you get a contract with a full list of the items before you sign anything.

Local moves (with van liners) normally run between $600 – $1000 for a Studio or small one bedroom and $3000 – $4000 for a 3 bedroom. Although moves do vary tremendously – there are a few components that can help you understand whether your move will be above the average or below.

Will you require packing?

• If you require packing, your price will be higher than a standard local move

Is your move far away?

• If your move is more than an hour away from the pickup, you will probably need to pay extra for the distance. This is normally the case with hourly quotes.

Do you need to buy boxes?

• Of course, there is a cost for boxes.
• However, you can always ask a company if they have a free package for boxes. Very often they’ll have a bunch to give out for free.

Flights of Stairs

• If you have three or more flights of stairs (and no elevator), you might need to pay a bit extra. Taking furniture up and down stairs is very difficult, and can really affect the amount of time it takes for the move.

Either way – when moving, always make sure to go into a call with a representative with a clear and realistic understanding of what your move could potentially cost.

For the original article click this link: http://www.moishes.com/moversguide/index.html

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Why It Is Almost Impossible To File A Moving Claim Against A Moving Scam

Filing A Insurance Moving Claim With A Moving Scam Company Is Almost Impossible, And Here Is Why…

Moving Scams abound in many different forms. What you may think is a scam may be only bad service. But that doesn’t make it any less of an ordeal.

The bad moving companies and moving scammers have many things in common. One of those being that you hardly ever get any satisfaction with the moving company when you file a moving insurance claim against them.

Below is a great article written by a great man. Read it and tell me what you think:

Why Local Moves Go Bad

It’s time for some straight talk about claims. How they are handled, how management feels about claims and how they treat their customers who file a claim.

There are hundreds of moving companies nationwide that move people locally every day. Some do the job well but far too many do a lousy job, using people who are not qualified. These people are the problem, one that won’t go away. No moving company can afford to staff enough workers to cover their peak periods. They will only employ those who can work every day.

Local movers know that they can expect more jobs around the 1st and 2nd days of the month, as well as the 15th, their peak periods. Those are days that apartment dwellers move because their rental period expires then. Local movers hire street help to get those days covered.

These people are at the bottom of the food chain! They don’t want regular employment, just enough money for their needs, often including drugs or alcohol. Almost all have no training and don’t give a damn about the safety of your personal effects.

Movers hire them because they want additional revenue. Every manager who has ever hired street help knows these people will cause problems but go with it anyway.

The company that hires street help is usually very good at ducking claims. They make it difficult for a customer to get a claim form. They avoid taking calls and rarely return messages. When they receive a written claim, it winds up in a tray on someone’s desk only to remain there indefinitely.

These are people who have to be held responsible for the damages they cause. It’s difficult but I assure you it can be done. You must be persistent and aggressive but if everything you’ve tried has failed, you should seek help.

I am a professional claim consultant. If you have filed a claim or are planning to, and you have had problems, contact me. If you don’t think you will be aggressive enough because it’s not your nature, I promise you, I can help.

Thank you for reading this post. I hope that you learned something today. If so, share it with your friends by clicking one one of the buttons below. Also sign up for my free RSS feed so that you can get future articles delivered right to your email.

Have a Good Day.

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Moving Estimates: Getting it in Writing.

Getting your moving estimates in writing before you do your move is imperative. This is your biggest defense in preventing moving scams.

Moving estimates serve an important role in the stress free moving day blitz. By getting your moving quote in writing before the move allows for you to plan the expenditures and time allowances.

You should never sign a moving estimate agreement until you have fully understood the agreement and have addressed any areas of concern such as possible areas where there may be extra or hidden fees. This is a vital area to be on the look out for as this where many moving scam companies really hit you hard.

I have written a great article called: Moving Estimates: 20 Questions That Guarantee Success. As you can tell by the title there are 20 questions that you should ask minimally. By following the advice in that article and then getting your estimate in writing you should prevent a lot of stress and heartache.

A many of moving scams are founded on the premise of not getting the moving estimate in writing…so do yourself a favor and get your moving estimate in writing before the move: even if it is only by email!

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Moving Estimates: 20 Questions That Guarantee Moving Day Sucess

The key to a great moving experience is the moving estimate. All in all, most reputable moving companies, in the end, provide the same service at about the same cost. Where they differ is in the quality of service. And how you can glean this information is through the moving estimate.

Scam movers are notorious for giving you what I term the “no estimate estimate.” Meaning that they will only estimate your move over the internet or over the phone, for an unusually low ball price. They will never come to your home. Reputable movers will come to your home to give you an estimate. Sure, on the smaller, more routine moves, they will bid the move over the phone, but NEVER the larger ones.

The moving estimate is where you can interview each potential mover. By asking the right questions and getting the answers from each mover will help you in determining the right mover for you and to help avoid the moving scams. The questions that you should minimally ask are:

1. Is this the actual moving company or a brokerage?
2. Who will be my contact in case of questions or concerns?
3. How do you determine the cost of the move?
4. How do price additional services?
5. How do increased valuation affect the moving estimate?
6. Is this estimate based on weight or volume?
7. What is the exact full name of your business
8. How long have you been in business?
9. What is your company’s website and email address?
10. Do you own or lease your own vehicles?
11. What type of vehicles do you use? Box truck? Semi? Pick-up and trailer?
12. Are you licensed and insured?
13. What is the coverage of the insurance?
14. What are your US DOT and MC numbers?
15. Do you have references that I may see?
16. Are you members of the BBB, Chamber of Commerce, or Other industry affiliations?
17. Are your estimates binding or non-binding?
18. Do you give flat rate estimates or by the hour?
19. Do give discounts for seniors, military or students?
20. Are there any other discounts?

Once you are given your estimate, take the time to look it over. Never sign anything until you have read and understood the agreement and all your questions have been answered. In my company I write up the estimate and then hand it over to you, I never ask for a signature locking you in.

Before you sign any agreement locking you in to any mover make sure that you have considered all your moving estimates, then sign the estimate/agreement for the moving company that you choose. Lastly, the moving company should be engaged in questions of their own during the moving estimate process. And be leery of moving company’s that only say “yes, we can do that.” No they can’t. Not all the time.

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Movers: It Is Not Way They Say It Is What They Don't Say

The below article was not written by me. I wish it were because it is very good. Movers for the most part are very trustworthy, but there are those that wish to cause a little mayhem. Movers…It is as much as what they don’t say as it is what they do say. I hope that this article helps.

Things Your Moving Company Won’t Tell You: The “Other” Seven Deadly Sins

It’s sad to say, but it is NOT okay to trust just any moving company. There are plenty of unscrupulous people out there who either (a) won’t do a good job taking care of your belongings, (b) will do the work but demand unfair amounts or money, or (c) won’t do the work at all.

As important as it is to understand everything your mover DOES tell you, it’s just as important to understand what they DON’T tell you.

1. “Sure, I’ll move your stuff, but I may not give it back.”

Unfortunately, this happens all too often. You choose a company and they give you an estimate. When moving day comes, and all your belongings are packed up and headed across the state or even the country, the mover lays it on you. Not only does your move end up being more expensive than what they told you, but if you don’t pay, you don’t get your belongings back!

Outrageous as it may sound… it happens. Excuses run the gamut – you had more items than anticipated or you are moving during a “peak” time meaning the cost is higher. No matter what it is, someone has heard it – and they weren’t happy about it. And with a real estate boom over the past few years, these stories are increasing by the truckload. In fact, the Better Business Bureau has received almost 10,000 reports filed on moving companies, ranking a close third only behind mortgages and roofing contractors.

Here’s a tip: know who you’re hiring, whether you check them out through customer referrals or through the Better Business Bureau (we recommend you do both). Also, be extra careful if you are moving during the summer months, as almost 60 percent of people move during the summer – this leaves more room for error and dishonest movers.

2. “We don’t guarantee it will be our workers who move your things.”

Sure, you may hire Company A to move your belongings, but it doesn’t mean they haven’t hired Company B to do the work. Especially during busy times, companies have been known to subcontract the jobs… and they don’t bother telling you about it. Even worse, one company packs up your stuff, but when you arrive at your new home, it’s someone completely different who does the unpacking.

Another problem is hiring of illegal workers or people who are paid “off the books.” Not only can this cause a problem with liability of your goods, you also run the risk of workers who are not adequately experienced in the job at hand. To protect yourself, make sure your company can guarantee that they are in fact doing the work themselves with an experienced, capable staff.

3. “We’ll give you an accurate quote… once we’ve already done the work.”

Despite how binding your contract may be, assuming you even have one, a company always has a way or sticking it to you in the end. Know what you are getting yourself into, because if you don’t it can end up costing you – big time!!!

4. “We’ll figure out a way to charge you extra.”

Make sure you are made aware of any “extra” charges that could come your way, and demand to be informed before any extra services are performed. Some common ways companies may increase your charges are:

• Your items require “special handling.” This may mean you have an especially heavy piece of furniture or something that may require special care. Unfortunately, they usually don’t tell you this until it has already been moved, forcing you to pay the higher bill. If you question any of your items, be sure to bring this up ahead of time.
• Long carry charges. For example, if the movers have to walk further than expected, they may charge you more than you expected. Therefore, if you know a mover will not be able to park their truck directly outside of your door, let them know ahead of time and ask if it will be an extra charge. The last thing you want is to be surprised when the bill comes.
• Peak moving times. Many movers charge more in the summer months because this is when a majority of people move. You may not be able to avoid this, but at least make sure you know of any extra charges ahead of time.

5. “We follow our schedule, not yours.”

Hopefully, you and your moving company will arrange a date and time for your move that is convenient for both parties. But the truth is you are at their mercy… and they know it.

Sometimes the delay is reasonable, such as bad weather, traffic or minor hold-ups. For this reason the movers usually schedule a window of time to pick up and deliver your belongings. For long-distance moves, companies often plan another moving job to share space with yours to help them consolidate moves and save money; however, for all you know, the other moving job is hundreds of miles from yours, which could leave you waiting a long time for your items. Even worse, they may charge you for extra storage time, even though you never approved the extended wait in the first place.

To save time and worry, ask the movers how many deliveries they are making with the truck containing your items and where the destinations are. It’s also important to ask where your stuff is located in the truck – if your things were loaded first, they will be unloaded last. Be sure to ask the driver instead of the company representative that scheduled your move. The drivers will have much more accurate information. You may not have any control, but at least this way you will know what to expect.

6. “Our insurance means nothing. And nothing is the protection you will get.”

Damage to your stuff can happen; it’s just a part of life. The problem is many movers are only responsible for a small portion of your goods. This means they may break your $500 television but may only have to pay you $40 for it.

Most times, movers will give you the option of purchasing extra insurance for an additional fee – and it’s probably worth it. If you purchase additional insurance, make sure you know all the details, because they may try to get out of compensating you for what they may damage or destroy. They could do this by either claiming the items were damaged prior to the move, or they may just ignore the insurance claim until you finally get sick of waiting and just give up.

Many movers will only insure items they pack themselves; however, this can make your final bill much more expensive. If you opt not to purchase the insurance and pack the items on your own, make sure you have a signed document stating the moving company is responsible for missing or damaged items.

A great way to protect yourself is to get insurance on your goods through your homeowners insurance – this assures you more stable protection. Make sure you look over all your goods after the move before signing the receipt. If you don’t, they can claim the damage was done after they left.

7. “Not only are we not licensed, but are company doesn’t even exist.”

Before hiring a company, make sure they (a) are licensed, (b) have a good record with no claims filed against them, and (c) have accurate and positive referrals. You can get most of this information by asking the company directly and checking the information with the Better Business Bureau.

Never agree to pay a deposit. If they have your money before they do the work, you run the risk of them never showing up. A reputable company will not require the deposit.

When you inquire about license information, don’t just go with a company because it has a valid license. Even licensed companies can scam you or provide bad service. In addition, if you cannot find licensing or other important information a company, they are most likely a bad choice and you should probably move on.

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Mover Quotes – Getting the Best One.

Mover quotes are really easy to come by. It is as simple as picking up a telephone and calling a moving company. Bingo, bango you have a movers quote. So why does everyone want to make it out to be so complex? ‘Cause in a way it is complex.

You must understand that a mover quote is more than just getting a price, it is your chance to interview the moving company. Here, let me explain. Yes…you can call a moving company and get a quote, but what does it mean? How do you know you are getting the best one? Here are a few guidelines when getting a quote:

1. Never, ever get an instant online moving quote.
2. Never accept a mover quote from a moving company that doesn’t ask questions.
3. Before you even get a quote know exactly what you need and want from the moving company.
4. Get at least 3 moving quotes; no more than 5.
5. For larger moves (3 bedrooms or more) have the company come out to your home to actually see what needs to be moved.

You should never ever get a mover quote only from an online source. Every move is different. Sure you could get a ballpark estimate for your move, but I guarantee that it will not be accurate.

The moving company that you chose must be able to ask you questions of your move so as to really understand what it is that you are moving and how far. Then – and ONLY then – can a fairly accurate mover quote be given.

If the moving company is not asking question about your move like “how many flights of stairs there are?” or “how old is the house and how new the furniture?” or “is there large flat screen TVs to be moved?” etc then the moving company is doing a real disservice to you and you are NOT getting the best mover quote you can get.

By getting multiple quotes you will learn what to ask, but being prepared and knowing what you need and want goes along way in getting the best mover quote.

When you are calling to get a mover quote keep in mind that you are actually interviewing the moving company. How they respond and how interested in your move they seem to be; the more likely you are going to get the best moving quote.

One last thing: Choosing a moving company solely because they made the lowest bid is foolhardy at best. By basing your moving decision only on price is the fastest route to being scammed. Getting a mover quote is your chance to “kick the tires” as they say.

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10 Surefire Signs of a Professional Moving Company

It is important you know how to spot a moving scam company; and my article Craigslist Mover Scams details that out perfectly; it is also important to know how to spot a professional moving company. By hiring a moving company and having a horrible experience can be almost the same as if you hired a scam moving company. So don’t fall into that trap. Know and understand the 10 surefire signs of a professional moving company and you should have a stress free and pleasant experience moving.

I have written quite a bit on how to avoid moving company scams, and from the stats you have really enjoyed those articles, as they are the most popular thus far on my blog. While a moving company maybe a horrible company to hire they may not necessarily be a moving scam company.

So what are the 10 surefire signs of a professional moving company? Glad you asked. They are:

1. Do they have testimonials? How many? Are the new or old?
2. How long have they been in business?
3. Do they belong to any moving associations? Other reputable organizations?
4. Do they have any press releases about them?
5. Do they advertise elsewhere besides the internet?
6. Do they have actual pictures of themselves that you can see, not just clip art?
7. Are their employees unifromed or not?
8. Do they own or lease their own vehicles?
9. Do they have a professional website? Is there a lot of info there? Is it just a one page sales letter?
10. Can you google them and have a lot results? Or is it just Craigslist ads for results?

By using the above checklist and doing the research you will know if your company is actually a professional moving company or not. This is the actual checklist that I use when I am doing my moving company reviews. Most of the companies that only advertise on Craigslist don’t cut it after going through this checklist; many legitimate moving businesses can’t cut it either. Only those that have all or a majority of the checklist in order can call themselves “Professional”.

There are many legitimate moving companies out there. So before you hire them, run them through this checklist and see if they are truly Professional.

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