If you are moving houses, it is but obvious that you would need the services of a professional moving company, to transfer your household goods from your old house to the new one. While your household stuff is in transit, its security and safety is entirely in the hands of the moving company. That's why, choosing a reliable, professional mover service is very important. Tips on Choosing the Right Moving Company Step # 1 The first thing that you need to do is to sort out your household stuff. Divide it into three categories - goods to be sold, goods to be given away, and goods that need to be moved. This will give you a better idea of what kind of services you will need, in addition to the moving services. Also, before you begin your search for a moving company, see whether you need an interstate mover or a local mover or a household shipper and then choose accordingly. Step # 2 Talk to your friends, neighbors and colleagues. If any of them have used the services of a moving company before and were happy and satisfied with it, you can contact the same too. When choosing a moving company, the ones which are recommended by others are any day better than those whose number you have found out from the Internet or yellow pages. Step # 3 For picking the right moving company, initially contact at least five to eight of them . Ask them questions like how many years they have been in the business, what kind of clients they have handled in the past, the facilities they offer, their estimated delivery time, etc. Also, ask them for the required licenses. Ensure that the company is regulated by inquiring at the state transportation department. Consider only those movers who have a Department of Transportation (DOT) license number. You may even get in touch with the local Better Business Bureau and check whether there are any complaints filed against the moving company by any of their previous clients. And if the complaints were filed, in what manner were they handled and resolved by the company. This should give you a fairly good idea of how reliable and trustworthy the company is. Step # 4 Once you have spoken to a few companies, narrow down on a few of them, based on your conversation with them, how reliable you found them to be, and how friendly the person who spoke to you on the phone was. If the moving company has a website, check it thoroughly to get a better idea of its services. Next, call up these companies and ask them for estimates of cost. The estimate should include all the costs, including the packing fees, insurance, storage fees, fuel, surcharges, etc. See to it that there are no hidden costs, otherwise it can really add on to your final expenditure. Usually, companies provide binding or non-binding estimates. Binding estimates include all the costs and there are no additional charges in it, while the non-binding ones can be upped by up to ten percent or more. Check this with the concerned moving company and only then start comparing rates. To ensure that the moving company provides you with accurate estimates, inform them about all the hiccups that they might face when delivering your stuff at the stipulated place. Problems such as lack of parking facilities, inaccessible streets, stairs that need to be climbed, each and everything should be informed to the moving company beforehand. Step # 5 Finally, compare the quotes and estimates provided by various companies and then choose the one which meets all your criteria. To make the deal final, you would need to sign a contract with them. The contract will contain the costs that have been finalized as well as the services the moving company will provide you. The contract will also list the coverage for loss of goods or damage that will be provided to you by the moving company. Check all such terms and conditions before you sign the contract. Here's hoping that these tips help you in selecting the right one. A good moving company will not only keep your stuff safe, but will also keep you stress-free and relaxed, in the midst of all the chaos that is caused while shifting homes!