6 Tips To Help You Choose The Best Home Removalist For Your Needs

Moving can be such a hassle, especially if you’ve lived at your current property for a long time.

Like 60% of Australians, you might have lived at your property for more than five years – so you’ll have a lot of precious belongings to take with you!

The last thing you want to worry about is whether or not that antique vase Nana gave you is going to arrive at your new home in one piece; or twenty!

To that end, you want to choose a Home Removalist that’s no less than top-notch. But with so many options for home removalists in Ballina, how do you know which one to choose?

No worries! The following tips will help guide you through the process so that you know what to do before the move.

1. Suss Out Your Needs

Whether you’re moving to a new house or apartment, you will have specific needs that you need to be addressed.

When selecting a home removalist, keep these things at the forefront of your mind so that you’re able to choose the best removalist for you.

That antique grand piano, that massive mirror in the foyer, or even those porcelain figurines you just have to keep, all require special handling. You need a removalist that’s not only going to help you package them with care but handle them like their very own throughout the whole process.

To figure out what your specific needs are, consider the following checklist;

• What is your budget like? This is the first and probably most important thing to keep in mind as you search for a home removalist. When you start getting quotes (more on this later), knowing how to do a budget first will give you a better idea of how to narrow down your choices.

• Do you have any large, fragile items? Think items such as pianos, big-screen televisions, a statue perhaps (hey it happens)

• Do you have any smaller fragile items? (i.e. glass figurines, porcelain dolls, a mug collection, etc). Some companies may ask you to package these yourself because of their delicate nature. But once they’re packaged, you want to know they’ll be handled with the ultimate care.

After you’ve figured out what your needs are, list them, and refer to this when checking out removalist companies.

Start by reviewing the information on their website:

• Do they talk up how they promise to carefully handle your belongings?
• Do they explain how they’ll be careful (i.e. packing materials or methods they use)?
• Are they more concerned with letting you know that they’re not responsible for any damages that occur?

Give them a call and ask how they would handle your valuables. Do they seem genuinely interested in providing the best moving experience possible? Or are they quick to brush you off with a ‘yeah yeah we’ll take care of it’ kind of manner?

Their level of concern and detail will give you a good idea of just how much they will - or won’t care, for your precious cargo.

2. The Quote: How Much Bang For Your Buck?

When it comes to finding a good home removalist – the quote is one of the most important factors of the process. This is essentially where you see what you’ll be getting, and for how much you’ll be getting it.

Don’t rush this, and don’t allow the company to rush you either! Take your time. Make sure all of your questions are answered to your satisfaction.

Consider things such as:

• Where are you moving to? Across town? Across the state? Make sure any mileage is taken into consideration, and if you’ll be charged by the mile or a flat rate. For longer journeys, see if there’ll be a charge for tolls and petrol stops.

• Do they provide insurance? If so, is it extra, or part of a package deal? If you’ll be transporting fragile or delicate goods, you’ll want to seriously consider this. Make sure you also understand what they cover.

• Do they offer any packing materials? This includes anything from what’s used to wrap up your sofa, to what’s used to package your valuables.

Be sure to get everything in writing so that there are no surprises later on! ## 3. Longevity

How long has the business been around? Sure, newer businesses may no doubt be reputable. After all, even the most well-established companies started somewhere. However, think about it like this. Longevity = Experience.

Home removalists that have been around for 10 years or more typically have experience with several different scenarios. They’re prepared to handle anything that comes their way; from carefully transporting your art collection, to making sure your couch doesn’t scuff up your new wooden floors.

Those with more experience will be a much better fit for you, especially if you have particular concerns about the transportation of your more fragile goods.

4. Ask Around

One of the best ways to find a great removalist, is through word of mouth. In fact, 86% of consumers trust word of mouth reviews and recommendations. With this old-school method, you get the advantage of hearing a first-hand experience from someone you know who has dealt with the particular company.

Your co-worker may be able to suggest a removalist who handled her cello with the greatest of care, or your cousin might know of one who packaged up his gaming computer set-up perfectly.

However, a measure of caution is required with this method. Who knows, maybe the person you speak to is recommending a company that is owned by one of their mates!

Though these may still be great choices, keep in mind that even if the business isn’t reputable, or let’s face it, any good, friends and family might suggest them anyway, in order to garner them more business.

Use these suggestions to add names to your list, but still proceed to do your own research.

5. Review the Reviews!

97% of people read business reviews before making a purchase – and for good reason! Google is the perfect review platform where people can share their experiences with businesses – the good and the bad.

Many removalist companies also have social media profiles on Facebook. These are a great place to look for reviews as people are usually more willing to share their thoughts on social media. The variety of clientele and experiences can end up giving you a nice, well-rounded view of the removalist company.

It’s a good idea to only consider home removalists in Ballina with ratings of 4 stars and up. Only 14% of people would choose a 1 or 2-star rated business – let’s face it, we don’t want to live that dangerously.

If you’re faced with a large number of reviews, sorting them may make them easier to read. For example, sort from lowest to highest rated. If the reviews at the bottom of the barrel are few and minor, you know you’re in the right place.

Next, skim through a few more reviews to get a gist of what people have to say about their experience with the company.

• What do they say about customer service?
• Professionalism?
• Handling of their items?
• Adding charges at the last minute?

If there are any negative reviews, does the business respond? How do they respond? A reputable removalist will always be courteous and attempt to rectify the situation.

If the business begins an argumentative back and forth – run. Very quickly. In the opposite direction.

6. Pay Attention To Red Flags

With all the hassles of moving, at times it may be tempting to just ignore the red flags because you just want to pick a place and get it over with already. But don’t do it! These red flags could potentially cost you lots of money, lost time, damaged items, and even a few gray hairs!

So what are some red flags to look out for?

• Prices that are too good to be true; they probably are. Huge price discounts can often mean huge deficiencies in service. While you don’t want to pay an arm and a leg, you want to steer clear of dramatically low prices.

• Bad reviews. Enough said. If their overall reviews are 3 and below, and the bad reviews outweigh the good; for your own sake, keep it movin’.

• Unpleasant customer service. If the people at the front desk, the literal faces of the company, can’t get it right, how are the people moving your goods going to? Nope, not worth it. Next.

• Constantly changing prices. One minute it’s this, the next it’s that; chances are they’re trying to see how much they can squeeze out of you. Save yourself the headache and move on.

Conclusion

There are quite possibly a zillion choices out there when it comes to home removalists in Ballina.

Keep in mind what your specific needs are, as well as your budget – these are the two most important things to help you choose the best removalist for you. Doing so will make sure you and your precious possessions arrive at their destination safely – and in one piece!

Frontline Removals has over 20 years of experience providing a friendly, top-notch service. As a family-owned removalist company, we have experience providing high-quality moving services and can adjust to whatever you need.

Give us a call and let us know what we can do for you!