As ironic as it seems, moving should be a time full of excitement, new job, new city, new environment, new friends and a fresh start but may people feel that moving as a task is a stressful task as there seems to be a million things to do and it can at first be overwhelming. But if you chunk it down into manageable tasks it can be quite fun.

There are plenty of moving checklists out there and apps to help you make a start on what you need to do however to relieve a little pressure on yourself for what it is worth, using a reliable moving company is crucial.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that hiring the right removalist can be a daunting task. Let’s face it, everybody knows a friend or a friend of a friend that experienced a bad removalist. Maybe the dented the fridge, the coffee table stand didn’t turn up, the boxes became or damp or they just did a no show. But if you spend a little time to do your due diligence on choosing the right removalist, you heighten your chances of a smooth move.

Understanding what type of moving companies out there is important.

Local removalist – These are removalists that travel around the local area and are usually owner operators and comfortable to do moves around a limited radius as at the end of the day they want to go home after a day’s work. They usually have 2-3 workers at most and will come and load the truck, transport it to your new place.

Self pack container removals - If you are not in a hurry, then these companies will deliver a 20ft container at your doorstep and leave it there until it is packed. You call them up and they will transport it to wherever it needs to go. The ease of this is, packing the container how you want it. Usually if you are travelling long distances, it may be a cost effective way to move your belongings and if you have a lot of stuff.

Done for you Removals – If you don’t want to break a sweat and if you are limited in time. This type of removalist will do the heavy lifting for you and have a team turn up with boxes, packing material, blankets, bubble wrap and do it all for you. They will then transport to your destination and unpack it all for you as well. Convenience comes at a higher price.

When you have worked out your budget and which type of removalist fits within that. You can now do your due diligence. Aim to get at least 4-5 quotes. There are many sources to find out about a company, Google, Social Media, Review Sites. Check if they have a website and see if you can find out a bit more about the company and from there if you are happy with what you see, it’s time to verify that the company is in fact a genuine and legitimate trading business.

The basic things to look for are if the business has:-

1. Australian Business Number

2. Multiple Contact details, email, phone, mobile

3. Public Liability Insurance.

Also a detailed written quote should include:

1. Total price of your move inclusive of GST and what exactly that includes.

2. Additional add-on’s is there a call out, back to depot fee, additional cost for last minute add-on items.

3. Estimated Delivery Time. Things can happen on the road, so it may not always be exact to the minute but clear communication at all times should be exercised

4. Payment terms and options.

Even the best companies get the odd 1-star review from time to time but if a company has 50 four or five-star reviews and 2 one-star reviews, I would assume that overall, they are a favourably rated company. On the other hand, if a company is consistently under-performing for its customers, this should set off alarm bells for you to look elsewhere.

As mentioned above, review sites are an effective way to vet your list of removalists. They provide real feedback and real stories. Bear in mind though that even the best of the best removalist will have some bad reviews. Use your judgement of the overall reviews a few bad reviews don’t necessarily correlate to a bad company. Look for consistency in the reviews to allow you to come to a decision.

By keeping the above in mind, you can be sure that you would have successfully found the right removalist for the job. One that fits within your budget and one that will look after you as well.