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Not everyone needs or wants to hire a full-service moving company to facilitate relocation. Whether it is down the street or across the country, however, some things really need to be considered when choosing to go with a self moving company.
Most self moving companies are rather solid. The big names are generally quite trustworthy and provide solid, reliable equipment. Still, there are some things to pay attention to when signing on to hire a truck through a self moving company. They include:
- Availability. This is one of those measure twice and cut once kind of situations. It can be very important to check and double check the availability of a truck for lease. Line up a truck through a self moving company in advance and then call back to make sure the reservation is still in place a day or two before the big move. It is not at all unheard of for people to find their reservation has been lost, or filed under a different date.
- Contract agreement. Make sure the contract with the self moving company is read and well understood. It is important to check into such things as return date and location, insurance provided or not, and so on.
- Truck operation. Most self moving company trucks are rather self-explanatory as far as driving and loading is concerned, but it is better to be 100 percent certain before finding that turning on the windshield wipers eludes personal abilities in the middle of a rainstorm 200 miles away from a former home. The amount of money available to pay for the move. Sometimes locally owned companies offer better deals for short moves than the bigger names. It can be worth checking out. After getting estimates you may also decide to complete the move yourself.
- Personal assistance. One of the downfalls or perks (depending on perspective) of going with a self moving company is having to handle the move personally. Having assistance on hand can be very useful on both ends of the move. Check and double check with those lined up to help, as well.
- Preparation. Generally, when a self moving company is hired, the trucks come by the day. To save on expenses and hassles, it is often best to make sure move preparations have been taken care of prior to picking up the truck. This means making sure boxes are packed and ready to go, utility shutoff has been arranged for and so on. Having a truck "on the clock" and not being ready to go can be rather costly in extra rental fees. Our Packing Guide has the tips you need to get packed up right!
Going with a self moving company can be fantastic for those who don't want to pay out large service fees. Making sure everything is in order, however, is just as important in this case as it is with professional movers. The more planning, preparation and understanding that goes into a move, the more likely that move is to go smoothly or close to it.
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