There’s a lot of good things about moving house. You can thin out the clutter in your life, if you feel it’s become too mundane and ordinary. Or you can move to somewhere with better work and education prospects so are allowed the opportunity to move on in a positive way. Or maybe, you’re moving out for the first time, and the whole world is your oyster. What ever your reason for moving may be, there is one constant. Hiring a removal company will help enormously.

There’s a lot of different companies with different price points and services, but for the most part they all share one goal. To make your move as stress free as possible. The question is though, how do you decide which one to go for? Well, there’s a few techniques that will narrow your search down;

The first thing to do is to ask yourself; what do you actually need from a moving company? Well, you obviously want the bare essentials, a van, some trained staff etc, but what else do you feel you need? Moving firms usually offer a wide range of services; they can handle your packing and unpacking for you, they can handle the disassembly and reassembling of your larger furniture pieces for you and some will offer thorough cleaning services. If any of these sound useful to you, then note them down, and ask about them when searching for the right company. Keep in mind too, that some of these services may be essential. If you’re disabled, or old, or if you’re hiring the company on behalf of someone who’s old or disabled then it makes sense to get these additional services.

Another way to narrow down your search is to ask your relatives, friends and neighbours about their moving experiences. Get recommendations, in other words. If someone you know has had a good experience with a certain company, then it stands to reason that they’ll be right for you as well. Ask about how much care and attention to detail, they took with the job. If they’re up to scratch, then they’re worth adding to the list.

Look on the Internet too, to see if you can find a website or forum where ordinary people share their moving experiences. This shouldn’t be taken to close to heart, as everyone is different, but if someone mentioned that a moving company took seemingly zero care with their possessions, it might be worth staying away from that firm, or approaching them with caution.

Now that you’ve whittled your amount of choices down to a few, it’s then time to start comparing prices. Make sure you have a good look, and that the price advertised includes all of the services you want. Do some research on how far away your new home is, as most companies charge per hour, or per mile as well as a flat rate. Once you’ve taken that into account, you can check which one has the best deal.

Don’t just go off price, however. Convenience is also something to consider. If you have a choice between a local company that offers a good deal, and a less local firm that only under cuts by a small percentage, then it may be worth going for the one that’s closer, just because there’s less chance that they’ll be late. Convenience is king when it comes to hiring a moving firm. A more timely move is a less stressful one, remember that.