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We’ve all got it: that one place in your home where extra stuff seems to accumulate. Maybe you’ve got a drawer in the kitchen where your kids’ drawings retire after their time on the refrigerator. Maybe you have a closet where your family heirlooms are stored from potential accidents. Maybe you have an attic full of things you’ve inherited.
When you’re moving, all these things come out to play again. In the light of day, you probably have A LOT more stuff than you remember putting away. Should you pack these items and take them to your next home, only to sit in drawers and closets? If you do that, you’ll be adding weight (and possibly bulk) to your amount of things being moved, which directly increases the price you’ll pay for moving services.
So, what’s the solution? Selling your things? Giving them away? Before you throw your child’s fingerpaintings in the trash, consider this: a storage facility is the ideal place to store things that you want to keep, but perhaps don’t want to visit every day. This is especially true for things like family heirlooms and extra furniture. When you choose to put your stuff in storage, you are choosing a safe, climate-controlled, heavily monitored environment where your items will be safe against the elements, theft, and prying eyes.
Who doesn't want to save money? However, if you have been quoted a price that seems too low to be true, you may want to think again about taking it. When illegitimate moving companies rip off customers, they stick to a few tried-and-true scams. Familiarize yourself with the most common ones to avoid falling victim!
Offering an insanely low price is always a red flag, and for a few reasons. They all translate to the rogue mover not having something important: be it proper licensing, the right equipment, or trained movers. When you’re paying a price that’s just too good to be true, trust your gut. Something’s missing, and you’ll end up paying for it (possibly tenfold) later.
Not treating you with professionalism. If your movers don’t assuage your concerns and answer your questions, it’s a bad sign. Moving is stressful and can be very complicated, and this is why you hire professionals to help you get the job done. If they aren’t helpful, if they don’t make you feel comfortable, and if they constantly use industry jargon to confuse you, this is not the moving company for you.
Improper communication. If the one phone number you have for your movers suddenly goes disconnected, or if all you get when you try to call the company is someone answering like it’s their personal cell phone, switch your business elsewhere immediately. Moving companies should answer the phone promptly and professionally every single time. If someone answers the phone casually, this is a clear sign that either the company isn’t professional (at best) or is a rogue mover who is planning to disappear with your things once they’re loaded into their moving trucks (at worst). Either way, this isn’t the business you want to handle all your worldly possessions.