The decision to relocate to a new city can be exciting, but it can also be stressful. The sheer magnitude of packing, moving, and then unpacking are among the top reasons that dampen the excitement. Thanks to moving services, the process has become much less exhausting. Hiring professional storage and moving services saves you time, eliminates the cost of packing material, and reduces the effort of shopping and the risk of fatigue and accidents caused by long hours at the wheel. Most importantly, it is extremely convenient.

Selecting the right storage and moving service, particularly for long distances, needs considerable effort and research.

1. Verify the company’s credentials
   Always choose a company or a franchise from your locality, be it a national or state service, and one with an office you can visit. You can check the condition and quality of their equipment, like the crates and bins, and see if their trucks are well-maintained. You can also meet the employees and understand their professionalism and services or visit websites like the Better Business Bureau to check the company’s credibility.
2. Check for licenses from state and federal agencies
   You should verify that the storage and moving service you select has current and updated licenses and permits from national and state agencies. Some states need interstate carriers to carry a number allotted by the Department of Transportation and a carrier number provided by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. You can look for the numbers on the company’s website and verify that they are present on the respective department websites.
3. Check the quality of their services
   Several moving services are available in every city. You can get hold of one that best suits your needs by filtering them based on online customer reviews. You can select the companies with positive reviews and further shortlist based on their credibility, cost of services, and customer support.
4. Get binding estimates
   Request an estimate after their staff visits you and inspects the amount of stuff to be moved. If you request a quote over the phone or online without an inspection, you may receive a low estimate but face a problem at the time of moving. The issues could include additional weight that requires you to pay more when moving. So, always get a binding estimate to ensure that the storage and moving service does not quote a higher cost at the time of moving.
5. Compare costs
   Once you receive estimates from the shortlisted companies, compare their rates and the weight of the items to be moved. The American Moving and Storage Association states that interstate moving costs an average of around $4,300 for a distance of 1,225 miles. On the other hand, intrastate moving can cost an average of about $2,300 for four movers at $200 per hour.
6. Negotiate for additional services
   Almost every storage and moving service offers packing and unpacking of goods, disassembling, and assembling of furniture, but you can try and include one or more add-on services as part of the job. Include crating of fragile equipment and items if needed, and check if the company can handle special items like a car, piano, pool table, and a safe. Also, verify that they have the required hoisting equipment for items that cannot be moved through doors or over stairs.

Once you have clear and verified information about the shortlisted companies, you can call them over the phone or visit their office to reassure yourself about their authenticity and credibility. If a storage and moving service provider insists on a large amount as a deposit when booking or refuses to give a binding estimate, it’s best to avoid them.