Select a Mover and Moving Options

Sometimes it makes sense, financially and otherwise, to handle a move yourself. You do the packing, you rent the truck, you do the loading, the transporting, and the unloading – perhaps with the help of family or friends. But there are times when that’s not a good idea. The bigger the household and the bigger the family involved in the move, the better off you are hiring a professional mover. That’s not only advisable but also largely inescapable if your move must be completed in a short period of time and you’re too busy at work or with other commitments to go it alone. Professional movers can be lifesavers. Or, at least, sanity savers!

So how do you find a really good mover?

Talk with friends – in person or through social media. Talk with local real-estate agents. And check out the websites of moving companies.

Be wary, though. Not all moving companies with websites are legitimate. You want a moving company that has real brick-and-mortar operations at a real address. The good old Yellow Pages can help you verify what you see online. Just make sure each of the companies you’re reviewing has its address listed and registered under the company name, that it’s a business address and not a residential address, and that it’s not a P.O. box – a common flag that a mover’s legitimacy may be suspect.

There are, fortunately, other ways to verify that a mover is legitimate, and you should use all of them:

  • See that a mover is licensed and insured. All legitimate moving companies are required to have active operating authority and insurance. If you’re moving out of state, look for a DOT number on the moving company’s website. The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issues this number to licensed interstate movers. If they’re legitimate, they’ll have one. If you don’t see this number on the mover’s website, go to the FMCSA’s protectyourmove.gov and request it or visit the FMCSA’s SaferSys.org. In-state moves are another matter. You can verify a mover’s legitimacy in this case by checking with your local consumer affairs agency. Don’t know it? Get a list of the agencies nearest you from the FMCSA’s contacts database.
  • Check industry trade organizations. Movers must be vetted by them before they can become members or receive a seal of approval. The most prominent of such organizations is the American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA). A mover showcasing the AMSA’s ProMover logo can be regarded as reputable and qualified. The AMSA also offers Moving.org, a site you can search for approved movers if you’re not sure of their AMSA affiliation.
  • Check with the Better Business Bureau. You can do this for free at BBB.org. Any mover that’s BBB-accredited and has a good BBB rating should be a safe bet for handling your move.

Sadly, something like 3,000 Americans a year are victims of mover fraud. Don’t let yourself be one of them. Following the advice offered above will help you winnow out the suspect movers from those that look more promising. But you still have to be careful.

  • Get more than one estimate. Ask at least three moving companies to estimate what it will cost to move you.
  • Get your estimates in person. Make sure the movers you’re considering actually come to your home so they can see it and your possessions for themselves and accurately assess what your move will cost. Reputable movers will do this – in fact, they’ll insist on it. The only reasonable alternative, in a pinch, is to provide movers with a visual survey of your home and its contents that you’ve prerecorded. Lacking that, an in-person survey is absolutely essential. Beware of any mover who wants to provide an estimate over the phone without a visual assessment.
  • Get your estimates early. Moving companies tend to be busiest in late Spring and Summer. If you can start the estimate process at least a month in advance of your move, you should see it completed in ample time.
  • Make sure you get free, “no-obligation” estimates. Most moving companies provide this, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. It might hurt not to!
  • Don’t offer a deposit up front. Reputable movers won’t ask you for a deposit before they move you. If one does ask, say no – and find another moving company ASAP.
  • Pay attention to how movers conduct the estimate survey. They should ask you probing questions about every aspect of your move in order to assure that the estimate is accurate. Also, they should be open to you asking questions, especially about “valuation” options. The option you choose sets the movers’ maximum liability for any loss or damage they cause in handling and transporting your possessions. Beyond that, observe the professionalism of the mover on the day of your estimate. Late arrival at your home, showing up in a rented van instead one owned by the company, odd behavior, or an inability to answer your questions should be enough to convince you this is not the mover you need.

If you think, in spite of all your precautions, that you’ve been scammed by a moving company, visit MoveRescue.com, or call this service, toll-free, at 800-832-1773. MoveRescue is a central resource providing anti-fraud information and consumer help. In addition to its own attorneys, it also manages a nationwide attorney network devoted to assisting victims of moving-company scams. When you contact its offices, a representative will assess your complaint and recommend appropriate next steps.

Assuming you’re not a victim and have found the ideal mover to handle your move, you still have some choices to make. The actual cost of your move will depend on a number of factors, not least on the number and type of services you elect to have your mover provide.

What moving service options should you choose?

This is a question only you can answer. If the answer eludes you, consider this:

Moving companies calculate the cost of your move almost entirely on the basis of how far they have to move you and how much of your possessions they have to transport. The greater the distance and the heavier the load, the more you’ll pay.

But moving companies also want to make your moving experience as pleasant as possible – so they offer a variety of additional services under the umbrella of Full Service. This could cover anything from packing and/or unpacking to the disassembly and/or reassembly of furniture and equipment. Of course, they’ll tack on additional charges for each service you select.

Face it: moving any household from one location to another is an expensive proposition already. The expenses start piling up even before the move begins. And they don’t let up once you’re moved, either.

You can save yourself a lot of extra expense if you choose as few additional moving services from your mover as you think you can get away with. You’ll find that easier to do if you …

  • Pack as much as possible yourself,
  • Disassemble for transport what furniture or equipment you can by yourself – or get a friend to help,
  • Transport as many smaller, personal, more delicate items with you as possible, especially if you’re traveling to your new home by car,
  • Reassemble by yourself or with a friend the furniture or equipment you disassembled for transport when it’s unloaded at your new home, and most of all,
  • Throw out, give away, or sell off as many possessions as you can do without in your new home before the move. That can significantly reduce the weight of what your moving company will have to transport. The mention above of “how much” you need transported actually refers not to the number of items but rather to the total weight of all those items. It’s the weight that moving companies use when calculating the cost of your move. Get that weight down and you’ll pay less. You’ll undoubtedly be buying new stuff once you get settled in your new home, anyway. Purging the old stuff beforehand and buying similar but cheaper used items – on Craigslist, say – is a popular strategy among people who are moving precisely because they save a lot more money on the move itself.