We’ve all heard the moving horror stories about missing boxes, broken keepsakes, huge “hidden” costs and so on. If you’ve been searching for moving companies that provide honest, reliable and affordable services, we certainly hope you’ll select Move 4 Less, but even if you don’t, it’s smart to keep the following tips in mind.

1. Ask Friends & Family For Recommendations

If you have friends who have moved fairly recently, be sure to ask them about the moving company they chose as well as the other moving companies that provided estimates. Ask about the total moving costs as well as the level of professionalism of the employees. If these reviews are bad, you’ll know who to avoid and if your friends or family members have positive options, you can add those to your short list.

Also, don’t forget to look at the reviews online. Obviously, no moving company is going to please 100% of their customers all of the time, but if the reviews are largely positive and there are plenty of reviews, this is a good sign. At Move 4 Less, we are proud to have more than 2,300 reviews with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5, and a 97% referral rate.

2. Get A Good Moving Estimate

At Move 4 Less, we provide potential clients with a free estimate, and many other movers also provide free estimates. It’s not the cost of the estimate that’s important; it’s the quality of the estimate. In order to provide you with a solid price estimate, we need to have a good idea of the scope of the move. We need to visit your current abode and get a look of all that’s involved.

For instance, if there are stairs, we need to know how many and if the spaces are tight or easy to navigate. We need to look at the number of rooms and take a quick peak at the contents to gauge the difficulty level of a move. While we can visit your current home, we also need to fully understand what will be waiting for us at the new home or apartment. Be sure to count the number of stairs, and look at the entry points to see if they will fit large furniture easily, etc. Be wary of moving companies that either don’t visit your home or don’t ask a bunch of questions about the move, as these types of estimates aren’t comprehensive enough and you may end up paying more than you initially expected.

3. Understand What’s Included

Before you settle on a moving company, make sure you understand all of the services that will be provided with the move, and be clear about the services that you want. For instance, if you do your own packaging and dismantle furnishings yourself, this costs less than a move where we pack up your belongs, crate up artwork, and disassemble and reassemble furnishings. Just tell us what services you need and we will build that into your estimate. Be sure to provide this information to all of the moving companies that write up an estimate for you, so that all of your estimates are as accurate as possible.

4. Spot Unprofessional Behavior

When you contact moving companies, they should answer the phone in a professional manner and state the name of their company, such as Move 4 Less. If the person answering the phone doesn’t identify the business or uses a different business name, this is a huge red flag. Some lesser quality moving companies will use multiple business names so that it’s harder for consumers to really research their business. Be sure the moving company has a physical address, as well, and is licensed, bonded and insured. Our address and business information is listed on our website, as well as our fleet of trucks. Be wary of businesses that aren’t forthright with all of their information.

5. Understand The Insurance Coverage

Even if you grab a bunch of friends and handle moving tasks by yourself, it’s nearly impossible to move an entire apartment or house without at least one item getting broken or damaged. That’s just the nature of the moving game, and that’s why it’s important to have moving insurance and to truly understand exactly what this insurance covers.

Obviously, our team of expert movers will do everything they can to keep all of your items safe, but accidents can happen and there are several insurance options to consider. We offer a Released Value protection plan at no charge, but this offers a minimal level of protection, so we highly recommend that you either obtain separate liability insurance from a third-party carrier or use our Full Value Protection Plan, which basically allows for the repair, replacement or cash settlement of items that are lost, destroyed or damaged while in the mover’s custody. To read more about this plan, please go to the Moving Services tab on our homepage and select Moving Insurance from the menu.

While there certainly are some disreputable moving companies out there, you’ll also find many that do a fantastic job and love helping people relocate. At Move 4 Less, we do everything we can to help make your move as smooth and easy as possible. We’ve been providing residential and commercial moving services for more than 20 years, and look forward to helping you with your local or long-distance move.