Now that you’ve decided to sell your Massachusetts home, you need to pack up all your belongings and get on with the sometimes overwhelming task of moving. That’s where a professional mover can come in handy. By hiring a professional to handle moving the contents of your home, you will be able to alleviate the stress and hassle associated with relocating to a new home as well as saving you some time and backache.
Some movers offer packing services as well, which will also save you time, stress and an aching back. On one hand, having someone else pack up your stuff means an extra expense while, on the other hand, they know how to pack up your belongings so that they will travel well without getting broken.
Always make sure to do your homework before hiring a moving company. Some of the important things to do when deciding which professional movers to hire are:
- Get references from a moving company and check them out. It’s also a good idea to ask friends, family and neighbors for recommendations if possible.
- Get estimates up front from multiple companies. Ask for an in-person estimate from at least 3 or 4 different moving companies. Make sure the estimates include cost of labor, insurance, packing materials and moving vans. If you are moving out of state, Federal regulations require that shipments are calculated based on pounds, not cubic feet. If a mover tries to give you an estimate for an out of state move in cubic feet, this is most likely done to give them a bigger cushion for their fee. Let the movers know more about the home you are moving to, including stairs to climb, number of stories of the house and accessibility to the home for a more accurate estimate.
- Check on the credentials of the moving company. Do a background search through the Better Business Bureau. Verify license and insurance information with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Safety and Fitness Electronic Records System (SAFER). Check to see if the moving company is a member of a reputable trade association, like the American Moving and Storage Association. The ASMA requires its members to follow strict guidelines to protect the customers.
- Ask how the moving company handles payment from its customers and how they have handled any customer complaints in the past.
By doing a little bit of research, you can feel secure in the knowledge that you are using a reputable moving company that will handle your treasures as if they were their own. This will help make your move a much easier transition.
