Moving house is not an easy task and can be stressful and expensive. By hiring a moving company, you can avoid the problems of having to find appropriate packing materials, skilled packers, the loading and unloading, the truck and route planning, as well as insurance. However, unless you are alert, you can end up making mistakes that can put your belongings in jeopardy, experience delays, or get ripped off by unscrupulous operators. Some top mistakes to avoid when hiring a moving company:
Choosing the Cheapest Company
Even though you need to keep the cost of moving as low as possible, choosing the lowest quote without examining the offer can land you in trouble. Very often, there are hidden charges in the contract that you will discover at a much later stage that will escalate your total costs. You may also find that certain essential services you had assumed as included in the contract are missing, and you would have to pay through your nose to get them.
Not Shopping For the Best Rates
You can get good rates if you take the trouble of getting quotes from multiple companies and bargaining hard with them. You may be able to get a steep discount if the moving company has an empty truck returning to the base station or if you are willing to share the truck with another consignment. However, when negotiating the rate, you must make sure that you compare apples to apples. Otherwise, the difference in the scope of supply can leave you spending more than anticipated, says the sales consultant of Dearman Moving & Storage, a top-rated moving company.
Not Taking Care of the Paperwork
Before signing up with a moving company, ask for a written offer detailing everything they have included in the price and the exclusions if any. Make it a point to read the contract, including the fine print, so that you know all the details and will not get caught out by additional charges hidden in the fine print. Never rely on any verbal assurances by the company because if anything goes wrong, you can be sure they will deny everything. According to Forbes, it is always good to get a recommendation from someone you know and trust who has used the services of the moving company.
Moving At the Last Minute
It is important to start planning for the move well in advance. You can get a better deal as well as customize the services. If you leave the move to the last minute, you have no option but to accept whatever offer comes your way. When you plan your move, you can pick days of the week or even the month when the demand is less, and you can benefit from the lowest rates.
Conclusion
In addition to the above mistakes, you also need to stay clear of companies that demand full payment in advance, as there are quite a few unscrupulous operators who will disappear with your money. Be sure to discuss your entire requirement with them to get the best service.
