Where to find movers?
First of all, you should know where to find movers. Here are the most common ways how people find movers Austin.- Asking your friends and family members - This is the best option when it comes to searching for movers. Your friends and family members would only recommend moving companies that are reliable. In addition to this, it is helpful if they can also say which moving companies have a bad reputation. This way, you can avoid hiring unlicensed movers.
- Searching on the Internet - if you don't have anyone to recommend a moving company, then your option is the Internet.
- Social media - if you don't trust moving companies that you randomly found on Internet, you can also ask people on your social media. Usually, there are many local groups where you can post a question and people will probably give their suggestions.
Contacting three to five moving companies
If you have to choose between the second and third options, you should find and contact three to five moving companies. It is not enough only to find one furniture movers Austin. The best way to find movers would be to compare moving estimates for if you only contact one moving company, there would be nothing to compare to. For this reason, when you contact three to five moving companies, make sure to ask for an in-house estimate. Usually, reliable moving companies will agree to do an in-house estimate without any problems. On the other hand, unlicensed and fraudulent moving companies would try only to push for an online estimate or the phone estimate. Then, once you receive all the estimates, it is time to compare. Do not go for the cheapest one but rather the one in the middle.Read moving reviews before hiring a moving company
Comparing estimates would be the first step. The second step would be to read moving reviews. And if you have no one to ask for accommodations and you don't want to post on your social media, you can always check moving reviews. Reviews are very useful since you can see what other people think about certain moving companies. For example, if you plan to hire local movers Austin, you can search on Yelp or similar websites about this company. When reading moving reviews, you should also be critical. Do not trust moving reviews that are too generic and extremely positive. It is almost impossible to find a moving company that only has positive reviews. Unfortunately, some companies may easily fake moving reviews in order to attract customers. For this reason, when reading moving reviews, pay attention to the way they are written.
Avoiding unlicensed Austin movers by asking for their license
Probably the most important step would be to ask for a movers' license. However, this would append on the type of movers you hire. If you need to move long distance, then you have to hire long distance movers. In this case, they should have a license issued by the FMCSA. On the other hand, if you plan to move locally, then you should find local movers. Local movers do not have to have the same license. Instead of the FMCSA, they should have the license issued by the local government. How to check the license? It is quite easy. In the case of long-distance movers, you need to visit the website of the FMCSA. on the other hand, if you plan to hire local movers, you just need to ask them. Reliable movers will not hesitate to show their license to their customers.Pay attention to the moving contract
You can also avoid unlicensed movers by paying attention to your moving contract. Before you sign any contract, it is extremely important to read the same document carefully. First of all, your moving contract should have all the necessary information that includes your personal info, the company's information, details about your relocation, and so on. Do not sign or accept any document that is not filled completely. Half-filled documents are a red flag when it comes to moving companies. Then, before signing a contract, you should see whether all the services are listed properly. For example, packing service Austin, disassembling services, storage, etc. In addition to this, you should also pay attention to hidden fees. Those would include additional fees let movers charge if they have to use the stairs instead of the elevator, if they can't reach your house with a moving truck, etc.