When you are moving there are a few things you need to decide on before starting the whole process. The first one is are you planning to move on your own or are you planning to hire local movers in OC and the second one is to decide on your budget. If you are thinking about hiring some professional moving company here are 10 most important questions you need to ask that involve our moving quote:
1. Can your company guarantee your pickup and delivery dates?
When moving one of the first steps you take is setting the moving date. It is very important not only for the move itself, but also for your life and daily routines. In order to move but also keep finishing your daily tasks and responsibilities (whether they are connected to your family duties or your job) it is important to stay organized and make the right schedules and stick to them. This is why choosing the moving dates some time in advance is the key of successful organization. First step is calling your chosen moving agency and arranging the date that fits everyone`s possibilities. You should also ask if your company can guarantee they will do the pickup and delivery on arranged dates and what happens if they for some reason decide to move the date – will you get your money back, will you be informed on time etc.
2. How does your company look at the very heavy items? Will there be some extra charge?
Lifting very bulky and heavy items is never easy for anyone. If you have any kind of health related problems or any sort of back pain this might turn out as the key reason you are hiring the moving company at all. Of course, your movers are highly responsible, motivated and trained professionals who have gone through months of practicing in order to provide you the best possible service. But this doesn’t mean they are superheroes with unlimited strength. If you possess some really heavy items, such as a piano or some kind of sensitive, large antique furniture, you should call your company and see what their policy is on this matter. Some companies include these kinds of services in the original cost, while others tend to charge a little bit more over the original price. The best advice is to call your movers and ask what is their way of charging for this type of stuff, they will surely give you all the needed information.
3. Does your company allow you to pack on your own or are packers part of the deal?
When you are choosing your moving company or making arrangements with them it is important you get fully familiar with the kinds of services they offer. Some moving companies offer just moving, some offer packing and moving and give you the choice to decide what you need, and some say that you need to take packing AND move without letting you choose (although this is a pretty rare case). You should call your movers and see what services they offer. Ask if their policy allows you to pack on your own. You should also check if this changes the price of their service, will the final bill be smaller if you decide to pack yourself.
If you choose not to hire packers as well, don’t forget to get enough boxes of all sizes, packing paper, packing tape, plastic bubble wrap, and different tools for disassembling your furniture. Also, don’t forget to rent a truck in the right size that will perfectly fit your inventory. Even though it may seem as the cheaper solution at first, after you get all the packing supplies and a truck it might not turn out as cheap as you thought it would. On the other hand, your packers and movers will provide all the equipment required for the move and you won’t have to worry about anything.
4. Does your moving company provide unpacking services as well?
Just like some companies offer you packing as well as moving and transportation, some moving companies can provide unpacking services and help you unpack when your belongings reach the final destination. This kind of service can be especially convenient for people with kids running around and going to school or those who have very demanding jobs and have no time to deal with their moving process and unpacking situation. Also, it could be very helpful if you are going away on some kind of vacation or a business trip at the time of move and wish for your home to be ready and cozy when you get back and not a billion boxes sitting around waiting for you to unpack them for hours and days.
In order to help your movers and yourself if you decide to unpack on your own is to label the boxes. On every box write its content or use numbers. You could try and use markers in different colors and make things more transparent and easier to manage. This way you will always be aware of the certain stuff and won’t have to look for anything too long.
5. How long do you expect the full move will take?
When you are arranging your move and picking the dates it is very important to know how long your moving will last. Will it take a few hours, a day or a few days. It might depend on many things – how big is your inventory, how many heavy items you have, how much disassembling your furniture will need, do you wish only moving, or packing and moving, or even unpacking services. Everything we mentioned requires some time to be done properly (you don’t want your packers to hurry up to much and make more damage than use) and the best would be to call your moving company, explain to them very precisely what kind of furniture and stuff you wish to move, also the quantity of it and what exact services you ask for (moving, packing or unpacking).
After you expose all of your requirements to your moving company you should ask them how long they think it will take them to finish all the work. You should also ask what happens if the moving lasts longer than they have predicted – are they going to inform you on the matter, give you some money back etc.
6. What are your company’s policies if something is damaged?
Moving is a very sensitive and responsible job to do. Even for the most motivated and professional workers it can be difficult sometimes. Packing and transporting your precious belongings can turn out to be very difficult if you have a lot of fragile items made of glass or porcelain. If those items are of high value, then your concerns are even more justified. While packing and moving these kinds of sensitive items your packers and movers must pay special attention and be very careful. They will probably have to use tons of packing paper and plastic bubble wrap, but this still doesn’t mean everything will go smoothly.
A lot of times even the perfectly packed items (like glasses or vases) get damaged during the truck drive or lifting and carrying the boxes. Because of these cases, you should be extra careful and ask your movers what happens if some of your precious belongings get damaged along the way. See if they offer money back and note that to yourself.
7. How does your company charge? Based on weight, hours or number of men required?
Every moving company has its own way of setting the price. There are usually three options. First option is they will make the final bill based on the weight of your belongings. This means they will measure all the boxes, furniture and kitchen equipment and decide on the price. Of course, the heavier the weight, the higher the price. Second option is based on working hours. This basically means you will be charged hourly – the longer your workers take to do the job, the higher the final price will be. Because of this it is very important to ask your moving company how much time it will take them to finish with your move.
If they say for example two days and it turns out to be four days then it means you will have to pay double than you have previously planned and that is something you must not allow to happen. Third option is that your company will charge you based on how many workers they will have to hire for the job. In this scenario the company will have to estimate how much work there will be, how many items you have and how heavy they are. Also, this depends on whether you wish to hire just movers or packers and movers and how fast you wish for the job to be done. On all of these details consult with your moving agent and make the arrangement.
8. What payment options your company offers?
Different moving companies offer different kinds of paying options. Make a quick call to your moving company and see what kind of payment is acceptable for them. Check if you can pay in cash or if they accept paying with your credit card. Also, it would not hurt if you asked about some paying conveniences. If you do not have all the money at the moment you could ask your company if they offer some kind of delayed payments or if they are ok with paying in installments and rates.
A lot of companies would probably accept paying in rates and this could be very convenient for you as well as for them – you could hire packers as well, and not only movers just because you don’t have all the money right now. This way, everyone is winning. You should also not forget to ask if they require some money in advance and if yes, how much is that – a half or more or less. Make sure you set all the details straight before you make the final deal and all the arrangements.
9. What happens if you decide to cancel the arrangement?
You never know what troubles might hit you when the moving time arrives. You might get really sick or your friend with a truck offers to help you move for a much smaller price. Also, you might suddenly decide you are not moving at all right now and wish to cancel all the plans you have made including your deals with the moving company. In this case you need to know about your company’s cancellation policy. You should ask if it would be ok if you had to cancel, how much earlier you need to let them know and what happens to the money you paid in advance – are they giving it all back to you, or only part of it, or nothing.
10. Does this cost include extra charges and potential fees?
You should not forget to ask your company whether the price they told you about includes some extra charges and potential fees. You should also ask what the extra charges and potential fees are in their opinion. Is that lifting extra heavy items or storages you will potentially need if something happened to your new place and you had to put all of your precious belongings in a safe place. Your moving agent is supposed to inform you on all of these details.
