With the successful purchase of a new home and the selling of your old home, you are set on the track to moving. As you begin to prepare for your move, one important question to ask yourself is, “Will you be moving by yourself or hiring a moving company?” Of course, both options has it owns benefits and drawbacks.

Any project is easy to take on if you hire the right people and company to get the job done correctly.  You can ask for referrals from friends, family, neighbours and colleagues for a reputable, quality-driven moving company.

• Do you have your own equipment, such as trucks?
• Do you employ full-time staff? Are they trained, experienced and bonded?
• Do you offer a full lacking service?
• If I want to pack my own small items, can I purchase materials from your company?
• Do you provide climate controlled, containerized storage in your facility?
• Do you conduct a pre-move survey of my home and provide a full written estimate detailing the volume of effects to be moved, the move schedule and of course, the cost?
• Do you offer specialist services for moving items such as pianos, large appliances and safes?
• Do you offer crating services for valuable items such as antiques, high value paintings, etc.?
• Do you offer full insurance coverage?

If you need further assurance that you are hiring professional moves, do not hesitate to ask for references. Asking these questions in advance makes sure that you receive the level of service you deserve.

Perhaps you may be moving, not locally, but overseas. Check to see if the moving company specializes in this type of move. If they do, they can recommend the best mode of transportation, time schedule for delivery, cost of move, destination delivery procedure, customs clearance and insurance rates.

If you do not hire a professional moving company, you have the last option of a do-it-yourself move. You can save money this way. If you have access to a few strong, capable, dependable friends who know how to load a truck, you might want to give this option a try.

Compare the costs of moving with a moving company with moving by yourself. Get an estimate from a moving company to do your move from start to finish. Obtain the cost of renting a truck and doing everything yourself. Compare these costs and see which one is the more affordable option.

Be sure to consider these truck rental costs:

Mileage

• How many kilometers/miles are included in the base price?
• What is the cost for additional distance traveled?
• What is the average fuel consumption of the vehicle?
• Will in need to refuel before returning the truck?
• If I don’t refuel, what is the fill-up rate?

Insurance

• Is insurance optional?
• What is the cost and what does it cover?
• What is the deductible?
• Is the fee quoted per day or per rental period?
• Would my car, home or credit card insurance cover any/all insurable damages?

Overtime rate

• What additional charges are applied if the truck is not returned on time?

Drivers

• Is there a charge for additional drivers?

Peak Times

• Will the rate change on certain days of the week, month or year?

Deal location

• Is it close to my starting or ending location?
• Is it easy to get to?

Pick-up/drop-off location

• Is pick-up or drop-off transportation provided?
• Can I drop the truck off at another location or do I need to bring it back to the pick-up location?
• Is there an additional fee for an alternate location drop-off?
• What are the office hours?
• Is there an “after-hours” drop-off policy?

Drivers

• Is there an age restriction or a special driver’s licensed required?

Reserving the truck

• How long in advance should I reserve the truck?
• What is the cancellation policy?
• What happens if the truck I order is not available when I need it?

Deposit

• Is a deposit required? If so, how much?
• Do I need to provide credit card information?

Equipment

• Does the truck have a smooth hardwood floor? Tie-down bars? Ramp?
• Is the truck in good repair, with a full tank of gas, when picked up?
• Can I choose manual or automatic transmission?
• Are packing materials (moving blankets, dollies, tie-down straps) provided?
• If not, is there an additional cost for moving materials?

Now that you are set with what you should look and ask for when approaching moving companies, you should be set to start organizing your move.

Read more about Toronto’s best movers!