Using a moving company for the first time can be a bit intimidating because of two major reasons: 1) you have no idea how to find a good moving company, and 2) you simply don’t know what to expect from relocation professionals.
As a result, you start to worry that you may not be able to find a good mover in the end, or worse – you may “succeed” in securing a less-than-reputable moving company (dishonest or rogue movers) that may cheat you.
If you’re about to move long distance to another part of the country (moving to another state, for example), if you own a number of specialty items that require professional packing and moving services, or if you just know that your friends won’t have the time (or desire!) to help you pack and lift your heavy items, then you’re definitely going to need to know how to find top-rated movers for your residential move.
Find below the 10 steps to finding good movers, or even better – the steps to finding the best movers out there.
The best movers: reputable, reliable, affordable
Before we give you more details about how to find the best moving company for your upcoming moving adventure, let’s say a few words about what makes a professional mover good, and what’s the main difference between the good and the best moving companies.
The best moving companies in the business will:
- be professional moving companies with years of relocation experience;
- have an excellent (online) reputation among their base of former and current customers;
- offer reliable moving services that will serve your needs and fit your family budget;
- offer to visit your home in person so that they can evaluate the approximate number, size, and weight of the household items you intend to move to another home;
- issue you with an accurate moving cost estimate in writing after the visual in-home inspection is over;
- offer affordable rates compared to their competitors on a local and even national level;
- offer a wide range of additional moving services to complete the job quickly, safely and professionally;
- have well-trained staff that will have good knowledge of the home moving process and will be skillful at packing and using various moving equipment;
- have professionals who know what it takes to ensure an outstanding level of safety throughout the entire house move;
- explain in detail what you should expect from the home moving process and will answer all your questions in a clear and satisfactory fashion;
- act in a professional way, including being polite and well-mannered with their clients, as well as respectful of and careful when handling their household items.
As you can easily guess, the major difference between good movers and the best movers is that the better a moving company is, the more of these requirements it will fulfill. Luckily, there are those top-rated moving companies that meet all or almost all of the above-mentioned criteria for relocation excellence.
Be prepared: What are the red flags of moving fraud?
How to find good movers: 10 steps
There’s one question you will need to answer very early in your home moving preparation: how to find a moving company that will satisfy more of the above quality-service points. So, to have a predominantly smooth and stress-free residential move, here are the steps to finding good movers and then hire their quality relocation services.
- Step 1. Ask friends for recommendations. This initial step may save you loads of time and nerves when looking for reliable movers. Ask friends, family members, neighbors and colleagues if they can recommend a good mover they may have used recently. The best recommendations usually come from people you can trust.
- Step 2. Request price estimation. If nobody you know can recommend you good movers, then it’s time for you to find them. Fill in a quick moving quote to get in touch with pre-screened moving companies that serve your relocation route and can accommodate your move on the desired move-out date.
- Step 3. Insist on having a home survey. Your next step is to ask the companies for individual cost estimation after an on-site inspection of your home. Do not agree to have your moving cost estimated over the phone or via e-mail – the only way to guarantee a precise quote is to have moving experts at your home.
- Step 4. Read moving reviews. Most of the times you won’t know anything about the moving companies that have contacted you. Change that by visiting reputable movers reviews websites and reading how other people have rated the services of the movers you’re currently reviewing. Customer reviews will usually give you a good idea of which mover to go with.
- Step 5. Check movers’ reputation. In addition to reading moving reviews, visit the website of the American Trucking Association (ATA) to check the reputation of the moving companies you’re considering as potential partners. A quick check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) will also inform you if any of the companies have complaints lodged against them.
- Step 6. Check movers’ legal status. How to find a trustworthy moving company? Interstate movers must have valid USDOT numbers as proof of their trustworthiness. USDOT numbers are issued by the U.S. Department of Transportation, so check the Department’s website to make sure you’ll end up finding a reliable moving company.
- Step 7. Compare movers’ quotes. It’s time to compare the actual price quotes you have received from best-rated cross-country moving companies. The quoted price will influence your decision but you should also pay close attention to the offered extra services and their respective rates. Be suspicious towards quotes that are uncharacteristically lower than the rest.
- 8. Ask movers the hard questions. Sometimes it can be really difficult to decide which mover to hire, especially if you happen to receive a few equally attractive relocation offers in terms of price and conditions. Get in touch with those movers and ask them any questions that may be troubling you. Hopefully, their answers will help you reach an informed decision in the end.
- Step 9. Ask movers for a price reduction. Still not sure how to find the best movers? As you may have noticed, the term “the best” can mean different things in different situations. In your particular relocation case, the best moving companies will be ones that will be willing to offer you a discount in order to keep you as a customer.
- Step 10. Trust your instincts. Do not underestimate the power of your instincts – sometimes you may need to trust your gut feeling in order to pick a moving company that is just right for you.
See also: Why you should hire reputable state to state movers
I really like your blog post. In this post you described details that, what should to consider to pick the best movers. Thanks for sharing.
I really appreciate your tip to ask your movers for an estimate of cost for your moving needs. I am looking to hire a moving company, and it is so important to me that I understand about how much it will cost. I will be sure to request a written estimate on the cost of my move.
I agree that a good mover will have a well-trained staff. It would make sense to look into the staff of a moving company before you hire them in order to know more about them. My husband and I need help moving across the country, so we’ll have to make sure they have good staff first.
Thanks for the tip about finding out about a moving company’s online reputation. It would be good to ask their past clients what they thought about them in order to get a feel for this. My husband and I are looking for a moving service, so we’ll have to check their reputation first.
It got me when you said that a good mover will explain everything that I need to expect and do and will answer every question that I have. I will test the potential movers by asking them all the questions that I have in mind– and I have a lot! That way, I can be sure that I am relying on a professional that is really dependable. I have a lot of important things to move after all.
It is nice to know that you can ask your residential movers for a price reduction. This is a great way to make sure that you are getting the right kind of service. My sister is moving soon and will benefit from this kind of moving expertise.
Thanks for the great tips for finding a moving company. I like how you said that it’s good to find someone who’s reputable and reliable. We’re moving soon, so I’ll remember that.
I’m going to be moving in a couple of months. I want to find a mover to help me. It’s good to remember that I should find a company that has been in business for years. They should have plenty of experience, like you said.
Thanks for the tip about finding a moving service that is reliable. It would make sense to find someone who is qualified and has good reviews in order to know how reliable they are. My husband and I are looking for a moving service, so we’ll have to find one that is reliable.
Thanks for the tip about finding a moving service that has years of experience. It would make sense to find someone who has experience would show that they are qualified. My husband and I are looking for a moving service, so we’ll have to check out their experience.
Thanks for the tip about finding a mover that offers affordable rates. It would make sense to get a few different quotes to find out who is the right one for you. I have several fragile items that I need help moving, so I’ll have to check a mover’s rates before I hire them for the job.
I agree that finding out if a mover has well-trained staff would help you know if they are right for you. Finding someone with properly trained staff would help you know that they are qualified and experienced. My husband and I are looking for a moving service, so we’ll have to check out how well trained their staff is first.
One of the most important things to keep in mind when looking for a moving service is to always ask for recommendations since they may know of a good moving service that would be able to help when it comes to getting a lot of things moved at once. Another thing to keep in mind is to check the reviews left by other people who used the service, this usually gauges how good the moving service is when people give honest and unbiased reviews about the service. If I had to look for a moving service I would definitely go ask for recommendations first since they’re the ones who already have experience with moving before I did!
Thanks for the tips about finding a reliable moving service. It would make sense to find someone who is qualified in order to know they will do good work. My mom needs help moving into a nursing home, so we’ll have to find some good movers to help.
You’ve got good advice for finding a moving service. I like how you said that we need to ask our friends and family for recommendations. We’ve got a few friends that have moved recently, so I’ll have to ask them about who they used.
I thought it was interesting that the best companies will have an excellent reputation. My family is looking at moving soon. I’ll definitely have to use these suggestions as I look for a residential moving company.
Thanks for the tip to learn about movers we’re considering by checking review websites and seeing how others have rated them. I need to find a good senior moving service because my mom needs to move to assisted living, and unfortunately I’m unable to travel to her and help her with the move. I’m glad I read your article because now I know what steps I should take to help me find high-quality senior moving services for her!
I found the tip that you gave to choose a moving service that has a good amount of experience very helpful. My wife and I want to move to a bigger home this fall, and we would need to hire help to get all of our belongings to the new home. If we decide to move, I will be sure to choose a moving service that has a few years of experience to help us.
These are good tips on how to find a good moving service. I agree that you want to find someone with years of relocation experience. I’m looking for someone to help me move some heavy furniture, so I’ll have to check their experience.
I’m moving to my new apartment next month and I’m currently looking for a reliable mover. Thank you for sharing this; I’ll keep in mind to make sure to ask the companies for individual cost estimation after their onsite inspection at my house. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to find an affordable and trusted moving service.
I loved the tip that you gave to choose a mover that will offer affordable rates. My family and I are going to be moving to a new home later this month. When we look for one, I will be sure to choose one that is affordable.
Thanks for these tips on how to find a mover. I agree that you want to consider their qualifications and experience before you choose them. My husband and I are looking for a moving service, so we’ll have to check their qualifications.
Thanks for the idea to check the reputation of the movers. My sister needs my help finding a moving company to hire. Your tips should come in handy when we talk to potential movers!
I thought that it was helpful when you suggested to choose a moving service that has affordable rates. We want to find a moving service for when we move this fall. When we look for a service to help us, I will be sure to check their cost rates.
You make some great tips on how to find the right moving service. I agree that you want to find someone who has a good online reputation in order to ensure they are qualified. My husband and I are looking for a moving service to help move some furniture into our new home, so I’ll have to check their qualifications first.
I am currently looking for a moving company since our house will be under renovation for a month and we had to transfer to my aunt’s place for a while. Thanks for your tips on how to find home movers. Hopefully, I can find a company that offers to visit my place and do an inventory of items to be moved, like what you stated in your article. Also, I prefer having a moving company that has an excellent online reputation.
Thanks for helping me find residential moving services. My sister will be moving out next month for a job she got in a different state. I had no idea that interstate movers should have a verified USDOT numbers that proves they can be trusted by their clients. I shall then consider that when finding one.
Thanks for your suggestion about asking them to do a home survey before deciding they are the movers for me. That way I can know that they are giving me an accurate quotation that is tailored to my needs and not just a generic number given over the phone. I just bought a house and am moving out of my apartment soon so I hope that they can help me get my stuff to the other side of town safely.
Thanks for the idea to check the reputation of the movers.You make some great tips on how to find the right moving service. I agree that you want to find someone who has a good online reputation in order to ensure they are qualified,but there can be a problem that we can not judge there physical reputation by online.
It’s good to know that they should have years of experience. My coworker needs to find a moving company. I’ll pass this information along to them as she searches for one to hire.
It’s good to know that they should have a good online reputation. My brother was on the phone with me last night, and he talked about how he and his fiance need to find a moving company that can help them with moving into their new home at the end of the month. I’ll pass these tips along to them so they can know how to find good movers.