Once you’ve accepted an offer on your house, the next thing you should do is schedule a moving company. The earlier you plan for the moving company, the more time you’ll have to research your options and ensure that you can reserve the date you need.
Narrow Down By Services
The first step is to narrow down your choices so you can focus on moving companies that are best suited for your needs.
- First, determine if you need a long distance mover or a regional mover. Long distance movers will have larger trucks and/or semi-trailers; regional movers will have mid-to-small sized trucks only.
- Next, decide if you want to do all your packing yourself or if you want the movers to pack your possessions. Don’t worry about the furniture; most movers will insist on wrapping furniture to protect it from damage.
- Finally, decide if you want help unpacking on the other end.
Once you’ve narrowed down the list with these three criteria, you’re ready to start contacting moving companies.
Ask Questions
Prepare a list of questions to ask all the moving companies you’re considering. This way, you’ll be comparing apples to apples and it will make your final decision more clear. The first things to ask are if they meet the criteria that’s mentioned above. Next, move on to your prepared list.
Following are some questions you should definitely ask. You may also have other questions to add to the list.
- What kind of insurance coverage do you provide?
- What if my moving date needs to change?
- What guarantees do you offer as far as showing up and delivering the possessions as promised?
- Do you have at least two previous clients I can call for references?
- How many hours does it typically take you to do a move of this size?
Get Estimates
A quality moving company will want to send over a representative to inventory your possessions to ensure an accurate estimate. This is standard procedure, and you should lead the rep through your home so you can answer any questions.
Your final decision should be based on the criteria you need, the affordability, and quality you think you’ll receive based on the answers to your questions and your impression of the representative.
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About the Author:
Babak Moghaddam graduated from University of Southern California in 1985. He entered the mortgage industry as a compliance auditor at the Bank of New York in 1986 and completed his masters in Business Administration two years later. After seventeen years in the traditional mortgage banking world Babak finally transformed this vision into his own practice in 2002 when he formed Charter Pacific Lending Corp, a mortgage company that has provided over $900 Million in residential real estate loans throughout Southern California. Babak and his team do things a little differently than other mortgage providers. They work as financial advisors, because they have come to realize that a mortgage is a very powerful financial tool. And just like any other financial tool, it should be managed as part of the overall financial management plan to reach every home owner’s long and short-term financial goals much faster. You can contact Babak for a free consultation and strategy session at (800) 322-1217 X103.