Choosing the Best Moving company in PA for Homes and Businesses
Moving from one place to another is a laborious task. The entire process of handling your belongings and their safe transfer should always be left to professionals. However, you can’t simply just select any moving company for this purpose.
In this post, we’ll highlight all the qualities you need to check for in a moving company. We’ll also mention some tips on how to reduce your moving costs.
Let’s jump right into it.
Factors to Keep in Check When Selecting a Moving Company
Just like any other service, there are levels of professionalism in the moving industry as well. Their professionalism is defined by various factors that ultimately ensure the quality of service.
Here are these factors:
- Clear Communication
Every transfer move starts with an open channel of communication. You state your needs and demands to the contractor. Your contractor listens to them diligently and provides you with various solutions and offers.
The contractor of your choice should always be willing to listen to your demands. If they avoid communication or refuse to provide you with details, there’s a high chance your belongings won’t be in good hands.
Why is clear communication necessary for moving?
Proper to-and-fro communication eliminates any possibility of misunderstanding. This ensures that your belongings are transferred just as you want them.
Otherwise, there is a risk of losing your belongings or paying extra for something you didn’t want.
- Inventory Management
Maintaining a list of your belongings during a move is a good practice to keep track of things. Your contractor should do the same. Every professional moving company with years of expertise has an extensive inventory management system.
Your contractor should be able to categorize your belongings based on fragility, material type, or even individual rooms. This way, both parties can be assured that nothing gets left behind.
For example, your glassware and other fragile should be placed in a single moving truck to avoid any damage. Whereas your furniture should be carefully arranged in a different truck.
What are some other benefits of this practice?
Your contractor can also determine the weight of these objects and their quantity. You can keep a copy of their inventory sheet and cross-check every item on that list.
Furthermore, it also enables the contractor to provide you with transparent pricing for the transfer of your belongings.
- Planning & Execution
One good indication of a professional moving company is its planning process. An experienced contractor will spend a good chunk of time planning your move with all the belongings in check.
They ask you questions regarding your items, provide you with options, and more. Furthermore, your contractor should be able to provide you with a proper route with an exact date of delivery.
Along with that, a moving company should always match their words. If they say one thing and act on something entirely different, it is better to move on to the next option.
- Upfront Payments
Expert moving services never ask for an upfront payment or a hefty deposit. They always take payment once your belongings are delivered and checked out. Any upfront payment indicates an underlying shady activity.
You might lose some of your belongings or don’t get your items delivered on time. To avoid such a circumstance, we recommend choosing a company with payment after delivery.
Furthermore, always use a credit card to pay your dues to a moving company. This adds an extra layer of guarantee for the delivery of your belongings. This is because you can refund your money in case there is any fraudulent activity.
- Adequate Transportation
Your belongings aren’t made from the same materials. It is a sensible move to categorize items accordingly and in one place. For this, your contractor should have different trucks and vans.
If your contractor only has a single type of truck or van, there is a high chance they aren’t familiar with the intricacies of moving. We recommend that you do a thorough check to make sure your contractor has separate trucks for fragile and hard materials.
Furthermore, their transportation should be in good shape. Otherwise, your belongings can get damaged.
- Licenses & Insurance
The next factor you need to keep an eye out for is the licenses and insurance of your contractor. Every state has some form of licensing that is necessary for providing moving services.
Without such a license, it is illegal to provide such services. You should always your contractor to present you with these licenses. If they hesitate, instantly take a step back and look for other options.
Why is insurance necessary for moving companies?
The insurance acts as a safety net for you in case of unwanted damage or loss of belongings. If your packing and moving services company doesn’t have insurance, you can end up losing a lot of money.
However, with insurance, your contractor will be liable for any damage to your belongings. This forces their hand to take special care of your objects.
- Past Reputation
You should always ask around your neighborhood to confirm the credibility of your contractor. If you find a positive response, your experience likely will be the same. However, it is important to select individuals that have personally availed of these services.
Furthermore, you also learn about the mode of operation of your contractor. It is a good practice to gather first-hand information before negotiating your moving rates.
- Packing Expertise
Everything in your home should be packaged and labeled. The majority of moving companies use cardboard boxes with styrofoam to ensure the safety of your belongings. They should always be able to seal the boxes with tape to keep track of objects.
Furthermore, their boxes should be filled with styrofoam to protect your glassware and other fragile objects. If they lack any of these aspects, there is a high chance you won’t see some of your belongings again.
We recommend going for a moving company that pays exceptional attention to packaging.
- Transparent Costing
When it comes to moving costs, your contractor should always be transparent with you. They should detail every associated cost and its reason. Otherwise, there is a chance your contractor is trying to scam you.
Either that or they are trying to overcharge you for a service that is cheaper in actuality. You should also be diligent and ask them about a detailed list of costs before finalizing anything.
- Binding Agreement
The entire moving process is based on a contract. Your contractor should provide you with a detailed contract. This contract should list all the finalized terms from both parties. Moreover, the contract should also mention the repercussions of not completing it.
This adds a layer of guarantee that the contractor will provide the promised services. Without such a contract, your contractor can pull off shady shenanigans.
These are the major factors you need to keep an eye out for.
Brief Tips to Reduce Your Moving Costs
Let’s check out some tips from our experts on how to reduce the overall moving costs of your belongings.
- Pack your belongings. Many contractors charge extra money for packing your belongings. You can save up to $1000 by doing it yourself.
- Get multiple quotes. Ask around different contractors for their services. Explore your options and get quotes from them. You can find affordable options this way.
- Emphasize delivery routes. In some cases, contractors take the longer route to charge extra overhead. Do your research and find the best possible route for your delivery.
Conclusion
With this, we come to the finish line of our guide on how to choose the best moving company. Many factors determine the capabilities of a moving company. We recommend that you focus on a company’s communication, inventory management, planning, and costing. These 4 factors can help you determine whether a company is reliable enough for your belongings or not.
We hope this guide helps you make an informed decision about your move. Let us know about your experience with moving companies.