When it comes time to change homes, hiring a moving company to help you relocate your household is the fastest and easiest way to go. While you're calling around for estimates, though, don't forget to ask these three questions to ensure you're getting the best service for the money you'll be paying.
Is There an After-Hours Contact for Issues?
It's fairly common for a moving company's official business hours to be out of alignment with their service hours. For instance, the office may be open 9 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday, but the company will schedule moves any time between 7 am to 7 pm Sunday through Saturday. While this makes sense and is beneficial in many ways, it can be problematic for you if you can't reach anyone outside business hours when you experience a problem, such as staff that arrive late or last-minute charges.
Thus, it's important to ask the company whether they have an off-hours number you can call to speak to a representative when necessary. Many movers do. Even smaller mom-and-pop operations may give you the personal cell phone number of the owner or manager. However, you shouldn't assume this is true for every company you call. Get clarification about this upfront to avoid unpleasant surprises later on.
What Is Your Disassemble and Reassemble Policy?
Another thing you want to get clarified before you hire a moving company is their policy about disassembling and reassembling furniture and other items. The general consensus in the moving community is that whoever takes it apart puts it back together. So, if the movers take your entertainment center apart because it's too large to get through the door as is, they will be responsible for putting it back together at your new home.
This isn't always the case, though. Some movers may have a no-breakdown policy, which means they won't disassemble or reassemble anything to avoid being held liable if something gets damaged in the process. You would be responsible for taking apart items and putting them back together. Other companies may do it but charge a fee for the service. You need to know where each mover you call stands on this issue so you can make the appropriate arrangements.
Is There a Charge for Home Protection Supplies?
Relocating from one home to another involves a lot of moving around, literally. So, it's not unusual for things to get damaged during all this activity. Movers are typically very careful in this area, but you shouldn't be surprised if a wall gets nicked or a scratch suddenly appears on your dresser.
To prevent damage to your home and belongings, movers will use a combination of rug runners, door pads, tarps, and blankets. Some companies provide these items for free, others charge, and still others do a combination of the two (using rugs for free but charging for wall covering, for example). If you're working on a budget, that extra $20 or so for these products could be a bank breaker.
Thus, make sure the company spells out whether they charge for these protection supplies, when the charges would be applied, and especially the cost. Since the average person moves about 11 times within their lifetime, it may be more cost effective to purchase your own supplies and just hang onto them for the next time you have to relocate to a new home or recoup some of your money by selling them online once you get settled.
Be sure to write down the answers you get to these questions from all the companies you contact to make it easier to compare their responses. For more tips on hiring a moving company or to setup an appointment to get an estimate, contact a local mover or check out websites like https://www.wheatonworldwide.com/.
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