5 important questions you should ask a moving company before you hire

When hiring a moving company, you know that you should ask about their rates, insurance coverage, the number of movers they have, the size of their trucks, and availability. But there are some equally-important questions that you might not realize you should ask. These questions can help you see the difference between a truly great moving company and one which will make your life hellish.


What is included in their rates and what is extra?
Moving companies are notorious for hidden fees. The moving company rate may seem low, until you realize that it doesn’t include fuel surcharges, long-distance carry fees (if they have to park far from the door), stair fees, and other fees.


How do you protect my home from damage during the move?
Bad moving companies will just tramp into your home and start moving belongings. If it is raining or muddy, that can mean stained carpets and floors. If they aren’t careful, it can mean scratched walls and dented corners. A good moving company will take the extra precaution of protecting your home from damages by laying down carpet and floor protectors, and putting up wall and corner protectors.


Will they move items in bags?
Most moving companies require you to pack everything in boxes. The reason for this is that items in boxes are less likely to be damaged, meaning they can keep their insurance rates lower. But a few companies will move bagged items (which makes your life easier because you can just throw clothes in trash bags). Be sure you know this before you pack. Otherwise, you could be forced to buy boxes on moving day and waste time packing those items into the boxes.


Will you wrap furniture and mattresses? Is there any fee for this?
Your furniture and especially mattresses should be wrapped so they stay clean and safe during the move. You probably don’t have lots of spare blankets around to do this yourself, so it is nice for the moving company to do this. The best moving companies will do it for free.


Do they have any questions for you?
If the moving estimator doesn’t have any questions for you but still is ready to give an estimate, then you should run! Each move is unique and the estimator will need to ask you questions in order to give you the most accurate estimate.