Moving to a new home means making a lot of decisions. And when we say a lot, we truly mean it! And you will have to make those in a short amount of time. From selecting a perfect moving date that will fit around the rest of your daily tasks, to creating a lot of to-do lists, to choosing the right local movers. This is probably the most important decision that you will have to make because it will determine the course of your move. And we are all aware that furniture movers don’t have the best reputation. So, what is the best way to find reliable local movers? Don’t worry, we know all the tricks! The key to a successful relocation is preparing before calling professional movers. And for that, you will need to gather the list of questions so you can learn everything about your furniture movers in a short period. This is the list of the most important questions, but feel free to add yours. Let’s start!
Can Your Local Movers Do Everything I Need?
Let’s start with the question that is the most important. If your local movers cannot do everything that you need them to do, there is no point in continuing with questions, right? So, firstly, you should determine what your moving needs are. Once you know what you need your professional movers to do and what services do you need, you will be able to check with them if they can do it for you. There are numerous local movers, and not all of them are experienced in everything. For example, if you are moving just a piano, that doesn’t mean that every local moving company will be able to help you out. So, the first step of your moving journey is to find out if your local movers can do everything that you need them to.
Do You Have Any Weight Limits?
Speaking of… Local movers always have some restrictions. Whether that is related to the weight of the items, or they cannot help with some items because they are not specialized to do so. If you have anything that is not considered a regular household item, such as a pool table, fountain, or anything like that – let your local movers know, so they can confirm if they can move it. If your professional movers cannot help you with just one item, but can with the rest of the list, you should hire specialized local movers for that particular item. It is better that you know if your local movers cannot move something for you than to let them try because that might lead to some damages.
Can You Help Me With Packing?
Another thing related to the services local movers are offering – packing. If you don’t want to bother with packing, but you would rather let professionals take care of that for you – great! Just make sure to check with the team if they can help you with this task too. Usually, they can, but you will have to check with your professional movers if they have some additional charges or fees for this service.
How Do You Determine Your Cost?
Now that we have mentioned the moving price, it is important that you are aware of everything that is related to the moving price. The reason why many local movers have a bad reputation is that they are not honest with their clients, and not that rare, they come up with some surprises on a moving day. That is why you will have to know everything that might affect the cost of your move. Most of the local movers are charging hourly rates and that price includes a team of professional movers with a truck, moving equipment, and so on. The price is usually based on the size of your move and special requests that you might have. But make sure to learn more about it.
Are There Any Hidden Charges?
Many local movers have additional charges for their services, and that is ok, as long as you are aware of these before you have to pay them. Many Californian moving companies are charging a double drive time fee, that is regulated by the states, and they might think that you are already aware of this charge. But why would you be? They should explain it anyways. Since local movers are determining their prices, services, and charges on their own – they are obligated to explain them to you before you decide whether you would like to book their services or not. And to be completely sure you don’t have any stress on the moving day, check with your local movers if there are some hidden fees.
Are You a Licensed and Insured Company?
If you want to be completely worry-free during your move, you should look for licensed and insured local movers to help you out with your project. Don’t hesitate to ask your professional movers to provide you with the PUC number or their license number. You want to have someone reliable, and you should have some type of protection during the move. Unfortunately, there are numerous furniture movers that are not licensed, and that is the reason why moving industry has quite bad reputation. Avoid this mistake by finding local movers who are licensed.
What Is The Type Of Insurance That You Offer?
We have already mentioned that licensed local movers are at the same time insured. You should ask your professional movers what type of insurance they are offering so you can see if that is suitable for you. In most cases, local movers are offering just a basic coverage insurance, which is in California 60 cents per pound. However, professional movers don’t mind if you decide to buy third party insurance for all of your belongings, or just a certain items. Local movers tho, cannot sell you insurance, since they are not insurance company. This basic coverage they are offering is connected to their license.
How Does Your Claims Process Work?
Of course, you are not going to think about damages and issues that might happen during the move, but it is better to know how your local movers are handling issues that might happen than to find out the harder way. Let’s be honest, damages might happen during the move because there is a human hand involved. Local movers are not robots and they can make an honest mistake sometimes. So ask your professional movers how they deal with the claim process. In most cases, you just need to call back your local movers and start a claim process where their representative will let you know what you need to provide them with, so they can proceed with the claim and start working on it. Don’t think that this can be done in a day or two, you will have to be patient and let your customer care representative do everything that they need to do to solve your case. And don’t worry, even if you haven’t bought additional third-party insurance, your local movers will try to make you happy with the offer they think is suitable for your case.
Who Will Do The Move?
Many people are worried when hiring local movers because they have to let a bunch of strangers inside their homes and let them handle all of their private and personal belongings. But don’t be scared! You can ask your moving company to let you know how they are hiring their employees. Are they doing background checks of their local movers, do they have some additional training before they start working, or if they have regular drug tests. These are all legit questions because you want to feel safe in your own home, and not to be worried about the team that is coming. Don’t hesitate to ask anything that you would like to know about the team of professional movers you will get. If nothing, it will help you not feel stressed.
What Is Your Cancellation Policy?
When you decide to hire local movers, you should know that they always require some sort of deposit. It can vary from company to company, but it is usually necessary so they can put you on schedule. Don’t worry about this, it will be applied towards your final bill after the move is done. But, in case you want to cancel or reschedule your move, you should know what their policy is. Most of the local movers don’t return the deposit if you cancel your move. Of course, professional movers will understand if your life got unexpectedly complicated due to various reasons, and if you inform them ahead of time, they might make an exception. But the general advice we can provide you with is – don’t book local movers if you are not sure that you are going to use them. This is a bad practice because they will be keeping that spot for you. Sometimes it might happen that you have to change the moving date because of something, and that is completely fine, you should just know how early in advance you should let your team know about this change. It is usually 48 to 72 hours before the scheduled moving date. Don’t forget to check this, you don’t need additional expenses, right?
Will I Get Confirmation In Writing?
After you lay down the deposit, your professional movers should provide you with some sort of confirmation. In most cases, that is a confirmation email. The document they send to you after booking your move should contain all the information. With most local movers, this document is valid as a pre-agreement, so if something is not stated there, it is considered irrelevant. Make sure to read this document carefully and to call back your local movers if something is not correct or if you are not sure what something means. It is always best to resolve any confusion at the very beginning.
Can You Meet My Building’s Requirements?
If you are moving from an apartment building or a commercial building, your requirements are not the only requirements that matter. Your building management will have some requests too. Make sure to check with them and ask for a PDF copy of their requirements. After that, check if your local movers can fulfill these, and if so, are there going to be some additional charges for this service. But check this as soon as possible, because some building managements might be strict when it comes to this and they won’t make any exception.
What Time Is Available?
Now, the last question you should ask your local movers once you have decided that you want to use their services – what time is available. Local movers are usually working in two shifts – morning and afternoon, and they can perform up to two relocations a day. That is why they might not be that flexible with the timing that works for you, and you should know in advance what time they can offer, so you can plan your tasks and daily life accordingly.
Are you looking for local movers who can meet all of your requirements, wishes, and requests? You are in the right place! La Habra Movers is the company that will exceed all of your moving expectations. Thanks to our dedication and hard work, we can confidently say that you won’t find better and more affordable movers around. We are in the moving business for such a long time that we have gained experience with handling any type of move in the shortest period of time. All of our local movers are trained and professional experts who will make your moving pleasant and stress-free experience. To learn more about the services we are offering, feel free to reach out to our wonderful customer support department who will guide you through the whole process of moving and booking our services. We are here for you every day of a week and we will be more than happy to assist you with such a big project in your life, such as moving. Give us a call, get your free moving quote, and book the best local movers in La Habra!