You Ask, We Answer: How Should I Choose a Moving Company?
You’ve worked with your Calcagni Real Estate agent to help you buy or sell your home, and now it’s time to hire a moving company. Whether you’re staying in Connecticut or moving across state lines, hiring the right moving company can protect your belongings as well as your peace of mind. Here are some of our considerations to help you choose the moving company that’s right for you, so moving day can go as smoothly as possible.
Movers that specialize in out-of-state destinations
If you’re moving out of state, hiring professional movers can offer peace of mind, protection of your belongings, and may even save you money in the long run. Some interstate moving companies offer full packing services, others may allow you to store items. The options are varied and worth researching if you’re leaving Connecticut, because not all moving companies are one-size-fits all. This guide may be helpful in finding an interstate moving company that works for your needs. No matter what you decide, booking your movers as soon as possible is a crucial step to lessening the stress around your move!
Consider the value of your belongings
When deciding on whether to hire professional movers vs. cobbling together a group of friends and family to help you move, it’s important to consider the value of your belongings–both their monetary and sentimental value.
While professional movers aren’t perfect and things may occasionally get damaged in a move, insured moving companies may allow you some recompense. Professional movers also have experience moving expensive furniture, artwork, and other high-end items and know not only how they should be wrapped to protect them, but also how best to load them on and off the truck. Plus, consider the challenges of moving your beloved belongings up flights of stairs, around tight corners, and so on. Suddenly, tasking your friends and family with taking care of your things while moving may sound more stressful than it’s worth.
Know your physical limitations –and your limitations on time
Another important factor when considering whether or not to hire a professional moving crew? Being honest about your physical limitations, and the limitations on your time. As we’ve mentioned, packing and moving can be physically challenging, especially when you have heavy, awkward, or large items to move–and you have to navigate up and down stairs, around corners, and up and down into the moving truck. And that’s all before you have to move everything into your new home!
Of course, it’s not just the physical toll that moving takes that makes it stressful. Packing up for a move always takes longer than we estimate it will. Life doesn’t stop because we’re moving house, so trying to fit in packing while still living life can extend the entire process far beyond what we anticipate.
Being brutally honest about limitations on time and our physical capabilities can help us decide to hire professional movers, and which moving package we want to spend money on. If you have a long enough lead time, you may not want to pay movers to pack for you. However, if you’re short on time and it’s in your budget, asking your movers to pack up your home–or parts of it–may be more than worth it to you.
Know your responsibilities
When you’re interviewing moving companies, it’s important to ask outright what is expected of you before moving day. Will you have to disassemble bed frames or take the legs off the couch? Will you need to pack up your dishes, or will the movers wrap those for you? Understanding fully the scope of work that both you and your movers are responsible for can go a long way in deciding which moving company you want to hire. Plus, no one wants surprises on moving day!
Always check insurance status
Last but not least, when deciding which moving company to hire, you always, always want to make sure they’re insured. Having insured movers protects you in the event that they get injured on the job or damage your property, and ensures they adhere to good business practices. You can also ask if they conduct background checks on their movers, and if they follow Department of Transportation and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration guidelines.
Choosing a moving company to meet your individual needs can make all the difference come moving day. Don’t forget to reach out to your Calcagni Real Estate agent for their recommendations, as well! With over 55 years as Connecticut’s largest independently owned real estate company, we’ve helped countless Connecticut homeowners move, and can provide you with a list of moving company options.
