When Hiring Domestic or Long Distance Moving Companies - Keep Your Eyes Open!

By Kathy Hildebrand

Today's society is more mobile than ever. Most people just don't stay in one place anymore. When it comes time to move, whether due to a job transfer, to be nearer to family, or simply the adventure of starting over in a new place, it comes with a price tag attached.

The farther away you move, the more it costs, and the more complex the arrangements will be. The higher the complexity of your situation, the more potential there is for the moving experience to become stressful. Planning ahead to mitigate the potentially stressful factors can go a long way in enabling you to look back on the move with happy thoughts, rather than trying to forget all about it.

For example, one family moved from California to Tennessee. Their priority was finding a way to move without subjecting their baby to a cross-country drive. They decided to have a commercial moving company move their household things, for the father and dogs to go by car, and the mother and baby to go by plane. Another family moved two states away, and drove out with their cats in their one car while their household items were moved by a commercial mover. One couple had so few personal possessions that they loaded up themselves, their two dogs, two cats, turtle, and all their stuff into a van and simply drove from one coast to another to their new home.

Many families, especially those that are moving entire houses' or apartments' worth of furniture, books, clothing, and other personal effects, will find themselves needing to secure the services of a professional mover company. It is very important to select the right one. Long distance moving companies vary in their customer service, services offered, price, and respect with which possessions are treated. In general, the longer distance the move, the more important it is to get a trustworthy company who will uphold a strong commitment to moving you safely and securely for the entire distance. Movers cross country cost the most, and there is also the most potential for damage or theft -- especially if you travel separately from your possessions.

In one unfortunate situation, a move from the Northeast to the San Francisco Bay Area yielded damage to a piece of furniture, plus a toolbox had been pilfered of its best tools. In other situations, people who arranged to have their cars moved discovered that their cars had been damaged. One person, trying to save money on the move, had several boxes of books shipped via US Mail (the moving company charged by weight so they were looking to lighten their load) and lost many books that way. The books were damaged when some boxes fell apart -- and they were irreplaceable.

There are ways to mitigate the risks involved with hiring long distance movers. First, check the reputation of the long distance moving company you are considering. Enter its name into Google, read movingscam.com, ripoffreport.com, and others to see reviews of former customers' experiences. Call the Better Business Bureau or go to their website to find out how many complaints there have been against a company, the nature of the complaints, and how the company handled the complaints. (Keep in mind, however, that many disappointed customers just don't ever make formal complaints -- it doesn't mean a company is unblemished). Ask friends, family, and co-workers about who they have used and if they would use them again.

Also, you may want to personally pack and unpack your belongings yourself. That way, you're only leaving the transport up to the movers. It will also cost less. If you can get friends and family to help, that may make it possible to keep this responsibility out of the hands of the moving companies.

Make sure all containers of anything are locked (like a toolbox). Keep your most precious valuables with you, or consider special arrangements. For example, one family had to ship antiques across the country. Instead of letting the long distance moving service do it, they paid a packing company to create a special crate (a cardboard box with lots of exterior foam) that was custom made to fit the items. They then had a trucking company, on recommendation from the packing company, ship the items, which arrived without a scratch. Beware -- this is not cheap. Peace of mind may be worth the price, though.

Advance preparation, in the form of due diligence by researching the movers and planning what items will go with whom, will help make your move a whole lot smoother.

Kathy Hildebrand is a professional writer who is easily bored with her "day job" assignments. So, she researches anything and everything of interest and starts writing. Writing about an extremely wide variety of subjects keeps her skills sharp, and gives her food for thought on future paid writing assignments.

More of her research and articles can be found at http://www.lasertargeted.com/movers and other sites around the internet.

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