Moving Research: What You Should Know

One of the reasons people find moving so stressful is because it takes so much advance preparation. But you shouldn't let that stop you from conducting thorough moving research. Doing so can actually save you time and money -- and possibly even keep you from getting ripped off.

So what exactly is involved with moving research? It begins with checking out your new neighborhood on the Internet to make sure that's really where you want to live and to look for any factors you need to consider before moving. There are many online sources that can give you local demographics for utility and housing costs, education and schools, state and property taxes, crime statistics, car insurance rates, job growth, income levels, housing prices, weather, population and other factors that can influence your life when you relocate. You might find this information to be eye-opening, especially if you're being transferred because of your job and you've never been to the town where you'll be moving.

As helpful as the demographic information is, an even more important aspect of moving research is comparing professional moving services to find the one with the best reputation and pricing. This is particularly important when making an international move but is also relevant for any short or long distance moving.

When you do your move research, keep the following important considerations in mind:

• Make sure each company has a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) registration number, which you can research on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration web site. If you'll be making an interstate move, check whether each also has an interstate transport license.
• Check each company to make sure the Better Business Bureau doesn't have any complaints lodged against them and that they're members of the American Moving & Storage Association and any regional moving industry trade organizations. Grievances filed against a company don't necessarily mean the company isn't good; it's how they resolve the complaints that count.
• Be wary if a moving company's phone is answered with a generic message like "movers" or "moving company." That may mean the company was sold to rogue or scam movers who use a variety of different names to avoid prosecution. It's better to be safe than sorry, so you should eliminate any companies that do this from your list.
• Don't do business with a company that refuses to give you a written estimate based on an on-site inspection of your home. There's no way they can give an accurate price without seeing the actual volume of items you have to move.
• You should personally inspect the final moving company candidates to make sure their warehouses and offices look like they're professionally run. If the premises are dirty, have no signage on the building or the trucks, are disorganized or look like they just moved in themselves, they might be rogue movers. If so, don't use their services. If the person you speak to discourages you from seeing their premises at all, don't do business with them -- no matter how low the price is. It's common for rogue movers to quote a low price and then raise it once your belongings are on the truck.

There's obviously extra work involved with researching the factors above. But keeping them in mind as you do your moving research can not only save you money; it could also keep you from having to call the police to report being ripped off by a rogue mover.

Source:

http://www.saveologymoving.com/articles/moving-research.aspx

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