4 Helpful Tips to Choosing a Moving Company for Sedona, Arizona

Congratulations! You just found a new place in Sedona, AZ. Whether you’re relocating because of its mystical energy or because you’re a fan of hiking and biking, art, great food and beauty, moving is still a hurdle that can feel harder to climb than any red rock landscape.

A recent UK study found that 60% of polled adults felt moving was the most stressful event of their lives, even when compared to breaking up or getting a divorce. High stressors included reassembling furniture, packing, lifting and moving boxes around, fear of forgetting to redirect mail, setting up electronic devices and all things related to the big move overhaul.

For most people, it might be tempting to go the DIY route. They think tackling the move by themselves will save them more money, but truth is, it can end up adding up to $1,500 more than what a moving company would charge them. Between hotel expenses, gas, truck rental fees (including insurance) and moving supplies, ultimately, the smart choice could be to hire a moving company if moving across the state.

Here are 4 helpful tips to choosing the best moving company. Hopefully, these can help you pick the right service for you:

Be smart about your budget

First things first. Before even looking up at different moving companies, what is your actual budget for the move? Take into account weight and dimensions of your furniture, and also, if you have any special items, keep in mind that those could rack up the prices if they need specific handling.

On average, a local move costs up to $1,250. Interstate moves (e.g. 1,000 miles from your current location) are 4-5 times pricier, costing as much as $5,000.

Research your mover thoroughly

After deciding on your budget, the next order of business is deciding if you’re going with a carrier or a broker. Carriers are companies that handle your entire move (e.g. United Van Linese), while brokers only handle billing for you and help you find the best carrier, they don’t do the move themselves (e.g. Purple Heart Moving Group). Reputation is the most important thing you should factor in.

Look up things like:

• Has the company been around for long or are they new?
• Do they have positive or negative online reviews?
• Do they have all their proper accreditations and licenses?
• Do they have insurance?
• Have they been in litigations?

All moving companies handling interstate moves are required by law to be licensed by the DOT (Department of Transportation). If you have their unique DOT number, you can access their current driving records and see if they were any complaints filed against them.

Clarify all your questions and concerns

In addition to checking for their safety records and proper licensing, ask them to break down their quoting prices. How do they come up with your estimate? Is it a ballpark figure or accurate? Avoid surprise costs by asking the right questions. If you can’t find any information online, like their insurance policies, licenses or DOT number, it is your right as their customer to call them and get the information, in writing.

Get at least 3 quotes

Don’t go with the first company that gives you an estimate. Shop around and get at least three quotes from different companies. Ask for potential extra costs, like holidays, weekends, changing the date, cancellation penalties and weight restrictions.