What is the first step when it comes to your upcoming relocation? Well, of course, finding proper local movers. Now, after you have selected your top 5 professional movers that you would like to call for more information, you are not sure what to ask them. Or what you need to know before calling them. Ok, you don’t have to know anything before calling local movers, but you do need to know what to ask them. No one enjoys calling professional movers and chatting for hours, you want that call to be as efficient as possible. And to keep it efficient, you need to be prepared. You should know that you won’t need to ask every single question on this list. That depends on how the local movers approach providing the moving quote. Some companies will explain everything and leave you with no questions to ask. On the other hand, some companies will just tell you the price with the presumption that you already know the rest. I am not saying what is better, it is just the approach to the work. You must get the answers you are looking for. One is sure – you can’t go wrong with being too prepared, right?
I prepared the list of the most important questions you should ask your local movers down below, make sure to save them, and happy calling.
How many movers do I need?
First things first, once you call your local movers they will ask you a couple of questions related to your upcoming move. Based on that, they will make a plan that includes the number of local movers that will be sufficient for your moving project. In case they don’t, ask how many local movers they think would be a great choice for the upcoming move. The number of professional movers depends on many different things because every relocation is unique and different. It is very important, to be honest with your local movers and to share everything relevant, such as the size of your home, the square footage, and always name all the heavy items that you have. Some furniture pieces require more than two local movers to handle them.
Are you charging hourly or flat rates?
Planning your moving budget is the key to a successful and stress-free move, and that is why you need to learn everything that your local movers are charging. The question that you need to ask is how do they charge. Most of the local movers charge hourly rates, it is a sort of the general rule for the companies. This doesn’t mean that you will be paying for just one hour of the service provided. No, local movers have the minimum hours they are charging to cover their expenses. But, this is something that you should know before booking your professional movers. Transparency is such an important thing, especially when we talk about the price. Flat rates are a bit different, and that is something that most cross-country professional movers are offering. However, it can be the case with local movers too. This will make your budget planning easier because you will know the price in advance. However, flat rates are usually made based on the full inventory list, so you might have some surprises if there are more items in reality.
Are there any hidden charges?
In case any charges are not included in the price that your local movers provided you with, you have to know about them. Now, this is something that they should say without you having to ask. To be extra sure, you can always ask this to confirm. It is not weird if local movers have some extra charges, such as fuel fee, double drive time fee, service charge, and similar. Professional movers have the right to charge whatever they please, and it is up to you whether you want to pay for it or not, but no one deserves to be surprised by some extra charges on a moving day. When you don’t have any other option than to move with them.
Don’t forget to read the confirmation email because those pages contain all the information that you need. Not only related to the price but everything that you agreed on. A confirmation email is equally valid as the agreement, and you should know that you can refuse to pay anything that is not listed there.
What services are included in the price?
The service that comes with paying local movers is not just the manpower, but some other services too. Besides furniture movers and a moving truck, there is some equipment coming with them too. Here are some of the services and pieces of equipment that are included the most often. Disassembly and reassembly of your furniture is something that all of the professional movers are offering. This service will ensure that all of your belongings can fit the moving truck and that they are easier to be handled by local movers. Something very important is protection. For that, local movers will bring plastic wrap and moving blankets. These are usually included in the price and/or free of charge to use during the move. For any excessively heavy items, your furniture movers will be equipped with moving dollies. Extra equipment that is coming with the price might be wardrobe boxes that local movers will use to relocate your hanging clothes. Local movers can bring all of this, but it might affect the price.
Do I need to tip the local movers?
This list is created with one goal – for you to avoid all the surprises that moving can bring with itself. Usually, you are not obligated to tip your local movers, but it doesn’t hurt to ask, right? Professional local moving companies should have their furniture movers hired with them, with regular salaries. If they tell you that you need to tip the movers, I would suggest avoiding that company. Especially when there are so many professional movers around. How much to tip the movers is something that you should decide on your own, without any pressure from the local movers. It is a decision you should make based on the level of satisfaction, quality of the service, and the attitude that your local movers had. Of course, consider your moving budget as well.
Is the packing included in the price?
Usually, when you get the moving quote, that includes the moving part only. And if you would like to have packers and movers, it is possible, and it either requires more local movers or it will cost more. When you hire packers and movers, you need to ask whether that includes packing boxes or not. Usually, the answer is no. But, your professional movers can always provide you with packing boxes. Buying boxes from the moving company might be more expensive than getting those from Walmart or Home Depot. If your budget allows, you should always hire packers and movers because that will help you save a lot of time. Not to mention that professional movers are experienced with packing and they will make sure that all of your miscellaneous belongings get to your new home safely and in one piece.
Are you licensed and insured?
Don’t settle for local movers that are not licensed and insured. You will be grateful to yourself! No matter how experienced and professional your local movers are, moving is physical work that depends on humans. Local movers are not robots, and the damages might happen in such a delicate matter as moving. Most of the professional movers that are licensed and insured have the basic coverage included in the price. That basic coverage is 60 cents per pound, but if your professional movers damage the TV that is way more valuable than that, they will try to find the solution for the issue that occurred. The main difference between professional movers and the others is how they approach solving the issues that happened on a moving day. Hiring professional movers that are licensed and insured will provide you with the peace of mind that you need, so why would you risk that?
What is the claim procedure?
No one likes to think of worse, but it is important to learn about the procedures and policies that your professional movers have. The claim procedure should be simple. How it should look: your local movers damage something and you call back to the office to file a claim. In most cases, the moving company will ask you whether you would like to wait until the end of the move and start the claim procedure. The other scenario is that they offer you compensation on spot, and you won’t have to start the process. You should make the decision based on the damage itself. The claim process might last for a couple of days, or maybe even a month, depending on complexity. It is important to receive feedback regularly and to find the solution at the end of the day.
Do you require the deposit?
Professional movers usually do require a deposit if you want to hire them for a certain date. That deposit will be applied towards your final bill once the move is done. Think about it, it is completely logical! Your local movers need some sort of guarantee that you will move with them. When booking furniture movers, they will hold that spot for you, you will have local movers and a moving truck reserved for a specific date or time. Just imagine they hold your word for it, come to your location on a moving day, and you are not there – they will lose money and time. And also, that deposit will be deducted from your bill, so you are not losing anything.
Are there any restrictions when it comes to the weight of furniture?
Local movers always have some sort of restrictions when it comes to the weight of particular items. Usually, that is between 350 and 450 lbs. If you have a huge grand piano, it is always the best option to hire specialized piano movers. Professional movers will always refuse to move something that they are not specialized or skilled in because they don’t want to jeopardize your items. If you have something that is not a regular household item, always ask your professional movers whether they can move it or not. The last thing that you want is to have your local movers at your home on a moving day telling you that they cannot move your pool table. In that situation you are stuck, and it is not their fault if you haven’t mentioned this item. Be responsible when it comes to your moving, that will make your move stress-free.
What time local movers can arrive?
When booking professional movers, you are not booking them only for the date that you prefer, but for the time as well. Local movers will always recommend some arrival windows that will be different based on the size of your move. You cannot expect them to start moving your four-bedroom house at 2 pm. And you probably don’t want to spend the whole night with your local movers, right? Why arrival windows and not the sharp time? Well, it is simple, professional movers don’t want to promise something they are not certain they can do. And the arrival time doesn’t depend on them only, but the traffic too. It is always better to be safe than sorry, and if they offer an arrival window, you will know they are coming approximately around that time. If the arrival window is wider, feel free to ask your local movers to give you a call at least half an hour before they arrive at your home.
Are you in need of professional movers that can answer all of these questions and fit all of your needs? You are in the right place! Hermosa Beach Movers is the right choice for anyone who is looking for affordable, yet experienced local movers that can meet any of your requirements. We became one of the best furniture movers because we were always listening to the needs of our customers and offering the best solutions for them. It is very simple to get the quote from us, you just need to reach out either over the website or give us a call. We will be more than happy to assist with any type of move that you are planning!
Add a Comment