So you are getting ready for your upcoming move? Maybe you bought a new condo, upgraded to a house, your small home based business now requires an office? You will soon have to choose a moving company to handle your household items, furniture and belongings. Finding a good moving company is as simple as finding a good mechanic... not an easy task but knowing how to choose your movers can make things go smoother.

Ordering the proper moving truck size

One thing to keep in mind is where are you moving to or from? If you are moving in the West End, Kitsilano, Yaletown or Gaztown a local moving company with a 2 ton truck should do the trick. For moves in North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Surrey, Delta, Coquitlam, and other areas in the lower Mainland hiring a moving company with a 5 ton truck is recommended. Make sure you ask us what size truck they have, a truck too big will increase the hourly cost but a truck too small will require the movers to do 2 trips. Also keep in mind the distance between moving locations, if it's within 5 kilometers, the smaller truck is better, anything further should require a bigger truck.

Moving equipement

How old are the trucks? While new is not a requirement, old beat up trucks often leak water from both the floor and the ceiling of the box, that can be a problem in a city like Vancouver where it rains so much. An old truck can also have mechanical engine problems and a truck that doesn't start in the morning will not show up for you move! If you have heavy items like a piano or big screen TV, ask us if they have a ramp, while not necessary on small 1 and 2 bedroom moves, they make moving fragile items a little bit more time consuming but also efficiently

Moving company reputation and management

How long have they been in business? How is their BBB* track record? Are they insured and bonded? While none of these questions will guarantee you proper coverage, it can give you an indication of us's commitment to be helpful in the event damage would occur. However, never count on a moving company's insurance coverage to replace things the way they were, it is highly recommended to get extra private home insurance, numerous brokers in Vancouver and the lower mainland offer this coverage. The mover's insurance clauses often carry high deductibles and unless you can prove %100 that the movers are at fault, you probably won't get fair compensation. Private home owner's insurance is the way to go.

How are they answering the phone? A friendly disposition is almost a must, while rude phone ethics might be acceptable from a junk yard...movers should be polite and friendly. How quickly do they reply to emails, are the email responses full of spelling mistakes? That might sound like a small thing, but if they can't even take the effort to correspond with you in proper English, how can you trust them with your $30 000 of furniture?

Moving rates

Rates vary from company to company but there are three basic structure fees that movers charge.

The movers will usually give you the choice. For local moves by the hour is usually the best choice, by going flat rate, movers also get paid on a flat rate, they will hurry up to finish earlier to increase their hourly pay, that could also result in damage...flat rate is ok for moves that require a lot of driving time. That structure fee would also apply to moves as far as Vancouver Island and even Alberta, anything further to the US or Canada should be charged by weight.

What is traveling time? It's the time the movers take to get to your home, the time between the office and the destination. Industry standard is 30 minutes but can be longer or shorter depending on location, traveling time unlike hourly rates can sometimes be negotiated with the moving company. This charge is necessary for us because they have to dispatch the truck and 2 men, there is a cost to that. If a taxi costs $10 for a 5 km ride, it's only fair that a 5 ton truck and 2 employees charge $30 or so. However if you are moving in the West End of Vancouver, we can sometimes make exeptions and give you a no travelling time promotion.