TorontoRentals
In Toronto or any other city, moving is always a pain. There’s the packing and organizing, the cleaning, the purging a re-buying that ALWAYS inevitably happens. Stuff gets broken and goes missing and the whole ordeal takes a ton of time and usually winds up being pretty stressful overall.
One way to minimize the pain of moving is to hire a moving company in Toronto, to help you get from your current rental to the new one. A good Toronto moving company should cut out the suffering involved with renting a trailer, or making a dozen or so trips across town in a pickup you borrowed from a friend. Plus, it should eliminate the physical trauma of carrying thousands of pounds of boxes and awkward couch parts, tables and chairs down stairs, or trying to load all this into the elevator while the door continually attempts to close on you during the process…
Here’s the thing, There are horrible movers out there too, and accidentally signing on with them can make the stress of moving 10 times worse instead of 10 times easier.
Being informed about what to expect from your movers is absolutely necessary to your mental well-being during and after the moving process. So with that said, here are nine questions you should ask your movers, in order to avoid epic headaches during the moving process.
1, 2 & 3. “Do you have insurance?” and “How much?” and “How will I file an insurance claim if I need to?”
OK so we’re starting with three questions off the bat, but knowing about the moving company’s insurance policy is beyond important. The fact is, no matter how careful your movers are, there’s always the chance that the porcelain cat sculpture your granny gave you for your ninth birthday might not make it. In which case, you’ll want to know A) that you’ll be compensated for any damaged and missing items, B) how much the moving company will pay you in compensation, and whether a deductible applies that would negate that compensation, and C) what kind of documentation you’ll need in order to make a claim, just in case it comes to that.
4. “What day and time will you pick up my stuff?”
Seems pretty basic, but you’d be shocked at how often the movers don’t come on the day they’re supposed to. Get this information in writing.
5. “What day and time will you drop by stuff off?”
Once again, get it in writing. Just imagine arriving at your new, empty apartment and having to camp on the floor using yesterday’s jeans as a pillow.
6. “How much?”
The critical question. Get a quote in writing.
7. “What is included in the price?”
You’ll want to ensure there are no hidden fees, such as:
- cost of wrap, tape, blankets
- extra costs for insurance
- fuel surcharges
- handling fees (for carrying your belongings to the truck, and into your new place)
- long-carry fees (amazingly, some companies will charge extra for having to use your building’s elevator and for carrying your belongings more than a few metres)
- overweight fees or minimum weight charges
8. “How long have you been in business?”
You should know if the company you’re working with is new to the game or been around for ages.
9. “Do you have any references I can call?”
Now that it’s so easy to buy reviews online, written by people who’ve never used, seen or experienced your product or service, it’s sometimes hard to trust testimonials and reviews on a company’s website. Do your homework and find someone reputable who can refer you to a company that’s given them good service in the past.
The main takeaway is that being well-informed about the moving company you work with is going to save you from a lot of suffering during the move. So although you might spend some extra time doing due diligence up front, it’ll pay off!
