What Questions Should Be Asked Before Hiring A Home Moving Company

When preparing to make a move, one of the top questions people ask is, “What questions should be asked before hiring a home moving company?” This is an excellent question that deserves just as much due diligence as that which went into finding your soon to be new home.

Whether it has been over the course of just a few months to almost a decade, people accrue furniture, décor, and functional items that have come to define the space of home over time. Many of these items will follow people to their new homes, making it a priority that they are handled with care and transported safely to their destination. The key to achieving this can be knowing what questions to ask before hiring and paying for movers.

What Questions Should Be Asked Before Hiring a Houston Home Moving Company?

It can be a mistake to use only availability and cost to determine which movers to hire for a relocation. There are many more considerations that typically give homeowners a better idea of exactly who they are hiring, what their services are, and if it fits the homeowner’s particular needs.

When it comes to what questions should be asked before hiring a home moving company, we have a few suggestions that can be a great place to start:

What is the moving company’s reputation?

If a company already has an established reputation as a high-quality mover, it can be incredibly helpful in narrowing down the list of potential candidates. This may be something you discover on your own, or by talking with neighbors, friends, and co-workers to see who they recommend.

How long has the company been in business?

The amount of time a company has been in business can provide important clues about their credibility and experience. Family-owned companies are often some of the oldest moving companies in the business and work hard to equate the family name with good service. Be wary of choosing any fly by night operations that seem to have sprung up overnight.

Is the company licensed and insured?

The answer to this question should be yes. If it is a no, then it is probably best to keep looking. The purpose of being a licensed and insured mover is to better protect the safety of the company’s employees as well as the property of clients. It is important to ensure that the moving company is properly licensed as states typically require licensing from their Department of Transportation via the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. If a move involves going across state or even country lines, additional licenses may be required. Take the time to confirm that all necessary licenses and insurance are current.

What services do they offer?

Not to state the obvious, but you already know you need movers, but what other services does the company provide that may make moving day even easier on you? For example, some professional moving companies offer packing services. This means they can handle the packing and unpacking for you, including supplying the materials needed. This can save those who are moving a great deal of time and it can also ensure that boxes are packed in a more balanced manner to help prevent damage to the items contained inside. Those people who are moving and starting a new job all in the same week may also find a moving company’s unpacking services a necessary convenience.

Does the company hire employees or contractors?

Many people feel more at ease with a professional moving company who hires employees rather than contractors. This is because those companies hiring employees may go to greater lengths to vet the personal and criminal backgrounds of those individuals who will be assisting with your move. When a contractor is hired and only minimal security clearance is required, it may leave your front door open to the unknown, which is unsettling at best.

Do they have the capacity to move specialty or unusually cumbersome items?

Personal belongings can be of almost any shape or size, meaning not all of them will fit perfectly into even large packing boxes. Particularly cumbersome items such as artwork, pianos, safes or grandfather clocks can require special packaging supplies and moving equipment to better protect them at every stage of the process. This becomes even more critical when moving items like these either to or from a two-story or higher-level building, with special consideration of tight corners, staircases, and elevators.

What is their damage rate?

A confident moving company should be more than willing to provide potential clients with their average damage rate. Beware if a company boasts a zero percent damage rate that sounds too good to be true because it probably is. Things happen. It is best to look for a professional company that offers closer to a one percent damage rate and that is willing to do what they can to make it right if an issue occurs.

How do they provide their clients with moving quotes?

The answer to this question can be one of the most important to the moving process. Although getting a quote via the phone or online can be fast and convenient, it can also leave room for inaccuracy. The person who is moving may tell the movers they estimate they will have close to one hundred boxes and twenty pieces of furniture by the time they finish packing. However, when moving day arrives, if the number of boxes and pieces of furniture exceed the original estimate given, it can cause the price of the move to increase, sometimes dramatically. It may also impact how long the move will take, and if the company has two moves scheduled for one day based on the customer’s estimates, the move might need to be rescheduled. For increased accuracy, look for a moving company that provides an in-home quote based on a personal evaluation of items from room to room.

When wondering what questions should be asked before hiring a home moving company, expect a high quality professional Houston moving company to openly provide the answers. If they resist these inquiries, it should be a red flag for the homeowner. Go with a pro for some solid answers to your questions. This will give you some added peace of mind for a seamless moving day.