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How to Find Affordable NJ Movers You Can Trust

How to Find Affordable NJ Movers You Can Trust

Finding the right NJ moving company to help with your relocation can be a daunting process. Looking for a trustworthy affordable one can be even harder. With so many moving companies in NJ to choose from, it’s important to take the time to do your research and find one that matches your needs and budget. Luckily, the steps below can help you find an NJ moving company that is affordable and trustworthy.

Start Early

The sooner you can start your research, the better. While there are hundreds of reliable companies in NJ (including NJ Great Movers), there are also plenty of scams out there. The more time you give yourself to research companies, the better odds you’ll have of finding a reputable one. Ideally, you should start your search at least a month before you plan on moving out of your current home. You might want to start earlier if you’ve moving during peak season which is from May through September. 

Of course, sometimes you won’t have the luxury of time. If you need to move out in a hurry, you should still take some time to do as much research as possible and don’t go for the first company that offers you a good deal. Ask questions, look up reviews, and most of all, trust your instincts. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. And if the moving companies seem to be dodging your questions or trying to pressure you into signing the estimate, they’re probably trying to scam you. Look for companies that provide full answers, are helpful, and most of all, have an active Department of Transportation (DOT) number listed on their site.

Ask for Recommendations

No moving company is going to say that they’re bad or mediocre. Every single one will claim that they are the best. Instead, ask people you know first for recommendations. You’ll likely get better advice and feedback from them since they can provide you with reliable information regarding their experience.

After that, go online and look for customer reviews about cheap NJ movers. There are plenty of review sites online that you can check and you can even join some online groups and ask its members their opinion on various moving companies. When checking online reviews, take it with a grain of salt. The moving companies themselves create the listings on these sites and can manipulate the reviews to make themselves look good.

While you’re at it, make sure to look the company up on the Better Business Bureau and look for complaints. You should also look up the DOT number online to make sure the company still has a valid registration with the state and federal government.

Call the Movers

Once you’ve narrowed your choices down, it’s time to look up the movers themselves. Check out their website to make sure that they have things like a DOT number listed on their site, a business email, phone number, and address. From there, check the DOT site to ensure the name of the company and address listed on the site matches what is registered with the DOT.

If everything checks out, give the movers a call. When answering the phone they should say the company’s name not a generic “movers” or “moving company” or, worse, their name. If you do hear the latter, move on to the next company. In case everything is fine, ask for an estimate. Most companies will either need a virtual or in-person tour to see what you are bringing with you. Make sure to convey important information like if you need them to navigate stairs or other things like dealing with building management. These could add to the estimate.

Most estimates should be within the same range give or take $10-20. If the estimate is suspiciously low, it’s likely a scam. Ask the company for clarification and make sure there aren’t any hidden costs. Always discuss every aspect of the move including additional services like packing and unpacking, storage, furniture disassembly, insurance, etc. If you’re working with professional NJ movers you should have released value protection included for free, but it doesn’t hurt to ask. If it’s not included, RUN! By law, all professional moving companies need to offer this for FREE.

Quality Over Price

Even if you’re moving on a tight budget, it’s important to understand that you get what you pay for. Renting a van might be an inexpensive option, but you’ll spend a lot of time doing the moving yourself. And unless you have people to help or the appropriate equipment, moving bulky or large pieces of furniture will be out of the question. Even with help, you could easily injure yourself carrying boxes or other items because you don’t know proper technique or know moving safety guidelines. There’s nothing worse than having to move into a new place while injured.

Even when hiring professional movers, it can be worth it to go with a company that is a bit more expensive but has great recommendations and reviews. An experienced company will be able to efficiently and safely move all your belongings from one place to another in a few hours. Not only that, but they’ll have all the appropriate equipment and materials for a successful relocation.

When it comes to cutting costs, one of the easiest places to save money is with packing supplies. While they should be sturdy and durable, you don’t have to buy them new. In fact, you should try to use as many things in your home as possible such as bags, plastic bins, suitcases, etc. If you’re low on boxes, ask your local supermarket to see if they have any extra boxes or papers lying around. You should be able to scrounge up enough, but if not, you will only have to buy a handful of boxes instead of a couple dozen.

Ready to Move?

Whether you’re making a local or long distance move, NJ Great Movers can help. Our highly qualified employees can provide you with useful information and help with creating your custom moving plan. Just give us a call and we’ll walk you through the process.

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Moving Tips

How to Save Money on Your Next NJ Move

4 Tips to Save Money on Your Next NJ Move

Moving to a new home can be exciting, but it’s also expensive. In addition to the money you spent securing your new home, moving comes with its own set of costs. Luckily, there are ways you can bring down the cost of moving, but it will take a bit more planning and effort on your side. Is it worth it? That’s up to you and how much time and energy you have. With that said, the money saved during the move might mean you can splurge on new decor or a nice dinner out once you’re settled in.

If you’re looking to save some money, try out the methods below for your next NJ move.

Declutter and Sell Your Less Useful Old Items

Decluttering is one of the best ways to save money on your move especially if you’re using professional NJ movers. After all, the less boxes and furniture you have, the less time it will take them to load and unload your belongings from the truck. It also means less time you need to spend packing and wrapping.

Of course, deciding what to get rid of can be difficult especially if you have an emotional connection to certain items. However, moving is the perfect time to unburden yourself. Take some time to look at everything you own and think about the last time you used that item. If you haven’t used it in the past year, chances are you don’t need it, but there’s someone out there who might get great use out of it.

One of the best ways to make a little extra cash is to have a garage or yard sale. While you won’t recoup the original cost of the item, whatever money you do make from it you can put towards your moving expenses. If you have items like camera lenses or vintage clothes, you might be able to put these up on eBay for a decent profit.

Of course, there will be items you might not be able to sell. If they’re still in decent condition, you can donate them to your local Goodwill store. While you won’t get any upfront payment, you can write off your donations in your taxes at the end of the year. So make sure you get an itemized receipt after donating! Otherwise, you can post on your local neighborhood Facebook group letting people know they can take the items away for free. Either way, the goal is to reduce the amount of stuff you need to move.

Avoid Buying New Supplies Right Now

The cost of moving supplies adds up quickly – some tape here, bubble wrap there, and all of sudden you’ve spent a couple hundred dollars and you still need more for the rest of your stuff. While there might be times where you have to buy supplies, there are plenty of ways you can avoid it with a little planning.

Besides hiring movers, the biggest moving expense is the boxes. Thanks to online shopping, almost everyone likely has some empty boxes lying around. Consider asking neighbors, friends, and family members for any boxes they might have. You can also go to your local grocery store or liquor store and see if they have any.

If you work in an office, check with the mailroom to see if they have any empty boxes that they plan on tossing. Chances are, you’ll end up with more boxes than you need. If you don’t have any luck with friends and family, you might be able to find some options online via Facebook, Nextdoor, or Freecycle.

You can also reuse some of your own items for packing. Instead of using bubble wrap, why not wrap fragile items in t-shirts, towels, newspaper, or sheets? They’re an excellent option as they will still protect your valuables without costing any extra money. Just make sure that the movers are extra careful as you don’t want to deal with broken glass in your clothes!

Consider Self-Packing Everything to Save Money

Sure, hiring professional packers might make your job easier, but it comes at a pretty hefty cost especially if you do full-service packing. While it might be a time-consuming task, it’s a lot cheaper to pack everything yourself. If the money you save isn’t enough motivation,  then consider this: you can pack your boxes in the way that makes sense to you.

While professional packers will generally do a good job, sometimes they’ll group items together that don’t necessarily make sense. You have complete control over what item goes into which box. That will make it a lot easier when you need to unpack as you’ll know exactly where everything is.

If you need the extra help, instead of springing for the full-service packing consider a partial packing option. This allows you to pack the majority of your items while leaving certain rooms to the pros. So maybe you don’t want to deal with packing all the fragile items in the kitchen.

Hire the pros! It’ll save you some time and, while more expensive than packing yourself, will still be cheaper than if they packed everything. Just make sure to ask the movers how much they charge and how long the packing services will take before you agree to this option.

Hire the Most Affordable NJ Movers

Yes, you can go the DIY move, but doing everything yourself is not just stressful, but can be dangerous! Even if you’ve moved multiple times in your life, you won’t have as much experience as professional movers who move almost every day of the week.

The pros know exactly how to stack the boxes in a truck to avoid damage, navigate tight corridors and corners, and lift heavy items properly. Many people have injured themselves trying to move furniture or even heavy boxes and there’s nothing worse than having to move with a strained back or ankle.

There are plenty of NJ movers to choose from, but that doesn’t mean they’re all equal. While it might be tempting to go with the cheapest option, chances are they won’t be very professional and could end up damaging your belongings during transport. In the worst case scenario, they might be a scam and hold your belongings for ransom until you pay a higher fee.

To avoid this, you’ll need to do plenty of research online and by directly calling each company. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and always look up their Department of Transportation number to make sure they are properly licensed. You should also look up online reviews to see what their customers think. Once you’ve done all that, you should be able to find movers NJ residents trust.

Once you’ve found the right movers, make sure to read the contract carefully. Are there any fees you weren’t expecting? Most local movers charge an hourly rate, which ends up being cheaper than volume pricing. However, if there’s inclement weather or you haven’t finished packing yet, your final price might end up higher than what you expected.

Also, don’t forget to check what kind of insurance and liability options they offer. If you own a lot of valuable items, you might want to get full liability coverage. If the company doesn’t offer it, you can always get a third-party option.

Easily Save Money on Your Next NJ Move

By following these tips, you should be able to save yourself a few hundred dollars. What you do with that money is up to you! These tips only work if you start planning your move at least a month in advance, so make sure to start as soon as possible. When it comes to finding reliable NJ movers, you can always give NJ Great Movers a call for a free quote.