Hiring a moving company... any tips?

[tvp2003]

Some of you may have read my post about UHaul trucks: http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=23333

After hearing about everyone's experiences and doing some research, I'm looking into getting a moving company to haul our stuff back to Alberta instead I have a guy coming in this weekend to do an 'estimate' of how much our stuff will cost to move; I did some price checking and this guy seems to be the cheapest (it's just a small company, but he seemed alright over the phone).

So, does anyone have any tips/experiences/suggestions with hiring a moving company? I know that people have complained in the past about certain moving companies, but to be honest, we don't really have that much stuff and what we do have isn't really worth much (the expensive stuff will go in our car!).

Thanks!

[AaronSJ]

I've used four different moving companies for my last four moves, and to be honest, they're all kind of the same. The first three were all national/international companies which I picked based on price/availability. They did the job, but there small problems each time: Delayed delivery date, early arrival for pick-up (wasn't finished packing!), broken lamp, scratched walls and floors, etc. I would have trouble recommending one company over another, but will offer you this advice:
- A free estimate is good start - it's really difficult to guess how much stuff you have (in pounds, as is the standard). If you can find someone who guarantees their estimate, that's a bonus. I saved ~$500 on my first move because they gave me a guaranteed estimate of 2000 pounds, and my load was over 3000.
- I've never purchased the supplemental insurance, but be aware of it. By law, your goods are insured for a very low price (like $5 per pound), so even if they break a big ticket item, you won't be compensated for the full value. You can buy extra insurance if you are worried about this... or just take it yourself in a car (which is what I did).
- Remember, you generally pay by the pound, so try to lug the heaviest stuff in your own car.
- The moving companies like to sell "full-service" moves, where they pack/up-pack everything for you... but this is quite pricy. I've always packed myself and have never had a problem with things getting broken (and I take less and less care packing everytime I move!). The one thing I would recommend is getting yourself some good heavy duty boxes, the kind designed for moving. They are usually a couple bucks each, but can hold a lot of stuff and take significant abuse. Even better, invest in some rubbermaid-type hard plastic containers.

Otherwise, I think the best suggestion is to take control of your move. Make sure you are very clear with the moving company about your dates/times, and don't be scared to take control during the move, especially if they are being careless.