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Are you moving soon to a new home in the city, in another town, or even in another country? Packing up all your furniture and memories and moving miles away not only takes time but patience and experience. Many professional removalists have several years of experience and can make your move easier so that you don’t have to load a moving truck yourself or arrange a bunch of friends to help you on a given weekend. They also can move you in a single day, easing stress even more.

I recently moved and can attest to the fact that hiring a removalist saves not only the hassle of loading up your belongings but knowing which routes are best and what times of the day to avoid. In order to find the best service providers, here are some things to research.

How to Find Reliable Removalists in Your Area

Once you’ve made the decision to hire a removalist company, you’ll want to find a competent one that can pack up your treasured belongings and transport them carefully. These are some things to look for:

• Check to see if the company is registered with a certified movers association or the local government’s trade and industry listing as this shows that they’re a legitimate organization.
• Run an additional background check of the companies you’re interested in to double check that they’re responsible and have gotten positive reviews. Read some online, as well as asking the company to provide some for you.
• Gather several quotes from different removal companies. Visit the actual office of each and speak to a representative. This allows you to see if the company actually exists and isn’t just a random address, as well as observing how they operate. Choose companies that offer similar services so you can compare quotes fairly.
• Check for an honest impression. Reputable companies will be honest and say straight out that certain valuables like family heirloom jewellery or expensive electronics should be moved in your own vehicle as they don’t want the liability if they lost something that precious.
• Ask about insurance. Some removalists offer insurance up to $250,000 for loss or damage to your furniture or personal belongings.  Double check with the insurance agent that works with the removal company to make sure they legitimately pay claims. Alternatively, you can work with your insurance company to cover the move.

Questions to Potential Removalists

As you’re deciding on a few potential candidates, it’s time to ask the tough questions to make sure they’ll do a good job for you. You may have eliminated a few based on your preliminary research and these questions should help eliminate more.

1. What do you rates include? Does it include fuel charges? Are there extra fees for packing?
2. Do you offer discounted rates on packing materials like cardboard boxes, mattress protectors, and bubble wrap?
3. How do you handle antiques and valuables like my baby piano or grandfather clock?
4. Where did your employees train at? What strategies do they use to decide the best moving plan, including ideal time of day, routes and packing strategies?
5. What services do they offer? Do they offer cheap storage in Sydney, Los Angeles, New York, or any major city? Do they offer load-it-yourself options?
6. How familiar is your team with the area? Do they know the best way to navigate around the one way streets and dead ends?
7. What kind of trucks does your company use? How much furniture can it hold?

If you’re looking to have a stress-free move, then contact a competent moving team, who will expertly pack up your belongings and manoeuvre from your home and beyond.