Moving can be a big and potentially stressful task, whether you’re upgrading, downgrading or simply relocating. The more proactive and organised you are, the better, and a big part this is dependant on your removalists. So, how do you find a removalist company that’s reliable and efficient?
There are loads of different types of removalist services out there, and many of them offer a range of options to choose from. Here are our top five things to look for to help you choose the right removalist for your circumstances and requirements.
1) Do they have good reviews?
Friends or family might recommend a removalist because they had a good experience with them, but you never know whether that was an isolated incident. You want to find a removalist company that has many happy customers, which proves they are able to do a quality job. Most websites publish positive testimonials from past customers. But, keep in mind that they wouldn’t purposefully post a negative review. So rather than relying on the website reviews only, search their reviews on Google and Facebook as well for more balanced feedback.
A majority of good reviews is ideal. Read through the negative reviews and take care to look out for what you perceive as red flags in the reviews, such as poor professionalism, breakages, bad customer service or price hikes. If they do have low ratings, read the reviews and see what the complaints are – you might find that someone else’s complaints don’t even apply to you. For example, if all the reviews state that the removalists weren’t on time, but you aren’t fussed about punctuality because you will be at home all day anyway, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t go with them. Or, some bad reviews can just be pettiness from an uptight customer.
2) Do they have insurance?
One of the main reasons for hiring professional removalists is to ensure your furniture and belongings are safely and efficiently delivered to their destination. Experience, quality of workmanship and excellent reviews are all good and well, but what happens if an accident occurs? Professional removalist companies make sure they are covered for any unexpected surprises. You are entitled to enquire about their insurance policies and the processes they have in place if things go pear-shaped. Ensuring removalists have insurance will decrease the risk of damage and breakages on your account.
3) What other services do they offer?
Some companies collect your belongings and deliver them to your desired location. Others offer a much wider and more valuable service package, providing for all your moving needs conveniently from one place. A useful service is packing and unpacking. Professional packers know exactly how to safely wrap up fragile goods, and how to optimally pack boxes to save space, time and money. Moving can be made much easier by taking the packing and unpacking load off your shoulders so that you can focus your energy on more important things. You can even get your packing boxes from the same company and add it to your bill so that you don’t have to waste time sourcing packing materials too.
Storage can come in very handy if you’re downscaling or moving interstate and don’t want to move with all your things – but don’t want to get rid of them quite yet either. Mobile storage solutions are particularly quick and easy because the removalists bring the storage unit on the back of their truck, pack your items for storage into the truck, and transport the unit to the warehouse where it remains until you’re ready the retrieve your belongings.
4) Do they provide a breakdown of the quote?
It’s best to know the cost of a removalist’s services before you book and exactly what the quote entails. What is included in the price? Are there any add ons that aren’t included you weren’t aware of that result in surprises of extra charges? Some removalist companies include various services in their quote, and others charge an additional fee.
Here are some things to look out for that sometimes aren’t specified but are charged extra for:
- fuel,
- tolls,
- stairs going up to the apartment,
- speciality items like pianos,
- more than three bedrooms,
- weekends and public holidays,
- packing and unpacking, and
- packing materials.
Take note that a seemingly cheap removalist fee probably covers only the bare minimum, and you’ll be charged additional amounts for any extra services provided. That’s why you want to see the quote breakdown before making a decision. Companies that don’t offer free quotes or quotes with no obligations attached can be a red flag.
5) Are they professionally accredited?
You want to ensure the removalist company you choose is industry accredited. Australian Furniture Removers Association (AFRA) is the independent third-party organisation that certifies and holds removalists to professional standards. They provide protection and guidance to customers to ensure moves are conducted safely and with minimal risk.
You can be assured that accredited removal companies:
- have quality, trained staff,
- have the correct equipment, and
- keep their vehicles up to standard.
Key Takeaways
There’s nothing wrong with going for the first or cheapest removalist option you find, but if you want your belongings moved safely and efficiently, it’s worth doing some research first.
The five things to look out for in removalist companies include if they:
- have good reviews,
- have insurance,
- offer any other valuable moving services,
- provide a quote breakdown, and
- are accredited with AFRA.
Lastly, it’s worth chatting to the team to find out whether they’re actually nice people. If they tick all the boxes but aren’t very friendly or motivated to work, it’s probably worth trying somewhere else. But at the end of the day, you need to consider what your priorities are. If you have very expensive and fragile items, you might want to wrap them up and box them yourself. If you’re just moving a few bed frames and couches, you might not be fussed with insurance. Decide what your non-negotiables are and what your red flags are. Then you’ll have your winning formula for finding the perfect removalist for you.
About the Author:
This article is provided by Victor Berezinas. Victor is the Managing Director of ABC Removalists. They pride themselves in being personable family-owned furniture removalists and have been operating and providing amazing service as Sydney removalists since 2015.
Wawo! What a nice blog. This really helps me. My brother wants to shift next week, but he is really confused about which one is the best removalist.Hire a desirable and best packer and mover and High reputation removalist is a really tough task. But thanks to you, this blog really helps us. Keep it up guys
What caught my attention is when you said that you must know exactly what you will pay before booking the service of a removalist. My parents will surely find this tip helpful since they want to hire a removalist service next month to safely move their belongings to their new single-family house. They have a restricted budget to consider, so shopping for quotes will surely be helpful for them.
Hey! It’s me again. I just have to come back to this article because this time around it’s my brother-in-law who’s going to move to a suburb near Sydney this autumn with his entire family. You did such a great job in making us aware of price quotations from a removalist and how they should be transparent and detailed to help us make proper planning ahead. I’ll forward this info to him to ease the rest of his work later on.
No way! Are you saying that professional removalists must be covered by an insurance policy to keep our belongings safe? Woah, that was quite a revelation. My sister-in-law’s ex-boyfriend is moving to Melbourne next month and there are still lots of stuff he hasn’t packed yet. I’ll make sure he notices this detail so the process can be completed with no glitch at all.
It made sense to me when you suggested choosing a removalist that could provide a quality job, so you must check how happy their past customers were. This is something that I will share with a friend who needs to have her sets of furniture moved to the new single-family house that she bought. It is imperative for her to ensure that her valuables will only be handled by a reliable contractor.
I agree when you said that mobile storage solutions are very convenient and rapid. I want to move houses next month and I want to hire a moving service to help me move my items. Thanks for the tips on hiring a good moving company and I hope that I can find a good service for myself soon.