Want to avoid a major backache you’d get from hefting your oak bookcase or four-poster bed the next time you move from one home to another? Hire someone to do it.
How do you go about hiring someone? First, understand that not all movers are the same, and the differences between them can be significant.
Most consumer affairs experts will tell you that getting a personal reference about a mover from someone who’s used them is helpful. Don’t necessarily trust the references the moving company supplies you.
When possible, narrow the field to three companies and then get bids.
Do you just take the lowest bid?
If one company has a reputation for a quality move, you may want to seriously consider it even if it means several hundred dollars more. After all, if the company is moving your household goods and treasures that may be worth thousands of dollars, what’s a few hundred extra to make sure the move goes as well as possible?
When you’re considering a moving company, be sure that what it’s offering is the same as the others. Look at the specifics besides the price. Is one company willing to insure your household goods at their replacement value but the others don’t?
If you intend to move on a weekend, find out if there’s an extra charge for that. During the peak season through Sept. 30, weekend moving can cost you extra just as moving any time during this season costs more. During the rest of the year, it may be possible to avoid these extra charges and even negotiate a weekend move with reduced or no extra charges.
In a few cases, a homeowner’s insurance policy will cover your goods during a move. Check with your insurance agent.
Then ask about the mover’s insurance. For some moving companies — especially the smaller ones — basic insurance may be only a small number of cents per pound of each item. Larger companies tend to have insurance that’s closer to or is actual full value.
Are all the companies willing to do ALL the packing or only pack certain items?
Moving companies make a great deal off such labor-intensive work as packing. Most moving companies will not insure — or fully insure — the items you pack. It’s still better, though, to pack yourself, especially those items bordering on the fragile.
How many boxes will you need and what type and size of boxes? Get your mover to estimate how many boxes you’ll need even if you plan to purchase the boxes yourself or scrounge up some from local stores. It’s almost certain that you’ll underestimate the number of boxes you’ll need if you do it yourself.
If you’re moving a long distance, most moving companies will give a “window” of time when they’ll arrive for pickup and when they’ll deliver. Remember that your goods may not be the only ones on the truck.
What about specific delivery dates and penalties if the company lists but misses them? Most deliveries — especially cross-country moves — are made relatively on time. But it’s not unusual for someone to have to sit in an empty new home for a day or two waiting for household goods to arrive.
When you sign the contract, ask what types of payment the moving company will accept on arriving at your new home. Chances are, the company won’t accept a personal check. It may have to be a cashier’s check or credit card or some other form of payment.
And the movers may not unload your goods until you pay them.
Finally, what happens when you have problems with a moving company you can’t resolve? First, because most moving companies include in their contracts a requirement that the customer go to private arbitration, that usually is a step you can’t avoid. It’s not necessarily a bad step, but it keeps complaints out of the mainstream government or quasi-government listings.
