Choosing DC Area Movers Online

If you live in Washington DC, choosing a moving company can be a confusing task. “Why?” – you would ask? Simple – try doing an online search for “DC area movers” – you will get a massive amount of hits – every company is trying to beat their competition so that they can get the biggest share of local clients. From the loads and loads of movers that could, eventually,  provide you with their services, not all are honest, polite or even legal. You see, for moving companies local orders are the best – not much in terms of costs, fast and easy to do, no additional loading/storage required, etc. That is why the local competition is fierce. This applies especially to Washington DC, where the local moving companies are many and you have a bunch of people relocating each year.

Choosing DC Area Movers Online, step-by-step Guide:

In this post we are gonna discuss the best practices in finding a suitable mover for your needs, but keeping some of the specifics of the DC area in mind. We’re going to make this even easier by going through it step-by-step.  Here’s how you should start:

1. Surveying – the very first thing a person, who is looking for moving services, would do is scour the internet in search of the best company for his needs. Ask yourself these questions : “How much time do I have before the move?”, “What kind of a service do I want and can afford?”, “Where am I moving to?”, “What kind of household am I moving – a house (X-bedrooms?), or maybe an apartment in a high-story building?” and so forth. BE CONSISTENT WITH THE ANSWERS OF THESE QUESTIONS! If you cannot easily answer them look at the chosen companies’ websites – can they help you answer them in any way? Some of them will, some of them won’t. That is your first clue on how to filter the “good” from the “bad” ones – do they have a free quote to estimate your costs? Do they have enough information about being legally registered (you can check their DOT number at the U.S. Department of Transportation)? Do they offer services that fit your planned time frame (if you’re in need of last-minute moving, or maybe you want to book a date in advance – be sure to check if they offer the particular service)? Nowadays we have review sites for almost anything, so make sure you read enough reviews so that you can make an informed decision. Do not be afraid to write a list with your questions, later you can contact chosen moving companies and ask their experts for advice.  Check our ” DC area movers ” site as an example – notice the “Registered with the Department of Transportation” stamp at the top, the free moving quote for a cost estimate, the tabs that offer access to other information that may concern the customer. That is what you should be looking for in a movers site.
2. Evaluation – now that you have a vague idea of the kind of companies you have chosen, it is time to evaluate each one. Here, the specifics of the region can play an enormous role, and planning is the key step that you should focus on. First of all, make sure you use the free online quotes, they are there for a reason. Write the result down, then call their experts and consult them on the matter. Now is a good time to ask the additional questions that you wrote down during step one. Secondly – MAKE SURE YOU GET A WRITTEN RESPONSE WITH AN ESTIMATED OFFER– this may be valuable later on, if the company decides to play dirty and change their rates or place hidden fees at the last moment. DC is an overpopulated area, and you will want to plan ahead of the move itself. While you’re choosing your moving company, try to figure out where will the moving truck park and for how long, how big should it be (to fit all of your stuff), do you have to reserve an elevator (if having to deal with a high-story building). If the company has to bring another truck that better suits the loading spot, they will charge you for that, so be careful what truck size you are ordering.
   

   Make sure you research all options and pick the best DC area movers

   When talking about DC, you would do well to pick a locally experienced company, simply because we all know how tight traffic and buildings are – a crew of 2-3 well-trained movers can do wonders, while inexperienced ones will be slow and inefficient, thus causing you to lose money if you’re paying by the hour. Do not compromise with that, you will get burned, as lots of people have been thus far. Do not fall for all the popular scams – super low rates (hidden fees emerge later),  fine print in the paperwork (again using this to overcharge you), movers dragging their work longer than they have to (resulting in you paying for additional storage and truck rental), same company offering you several different offers under different names (so you’d think you’re getting a deal, while actually you’re getting scammed)…

3. Informed choice– you have probably narrowed your choice down to 1-2 companies by now. Here are some guidelines to finalize the picking process: local companies have an advantage (most probably you will be paying for the travel time and gas of the truck to both your old and to your new home, which inflates the overall price), so the closer – the better; check the company’s renown online, review sites are recommended – trust me, you do NOT need bad attitude and scams on a stressful day like moving day; compare prices – of course, the cheaper – the better (but as we mentioned – too cheap should be a red light); use your common sense to be the final judge, but do not be too trusting – when it comes to getting your money, companies can resort to some really weird stuff, so be vigilant. When you have considered all of those points, you can safely choose a company and contact them over the phone for the details.

Although packed with people and buildings, life in Washington DC has its merits

In conclusion – use online information to filter and grade the various DC area movers, contact the chosen ones and get the best deal that you can.

So that concludes our quick list of things that you should consider when choosing a DC area mover online. It is really hard to mention the variety of moving challenges  that the district of DC can offer. Going into detail about every single instance that could cause trouble is impossible, but even good general advice will give you enough information to make a safe choice online.

Last, but not least, do not forget that the internet is not a 100% true and reliable source. Information can be shaped and manipulated, but if you read enough of it, you will still get the general opinion about something. Make sure you use it for your advantage.