Be careful when hiring a moving company

Documentation and photos may be helpful if you need to file an insurance claim

While more Americans own homes than ever before, the average length of a mortgage is only about seven years. How do people take out 30 year loans and retire them so quickly? There are several reasons, including loan refinancing, but one of the most common reasons is that people move. Sometimes the family grows too big for the house, and sometimes the family needs to move because of job issues. Whatever the reason, people frequently need to move from one place to the other, and most people who do so hire a company to do it for them.

Some people do it themselves; if you don’t have to travel too far, it may be financially savvy to hire a truck and do the job yourself. But if you have a lot of furniture, have a long way to go, or have an aversion to packing things yourself, you will probably want to hire a moving company. If you do, be careful, as problems could ensue should damage occur to your belongings.

When you hire a moving company, they will come to your house and assess your belongings. They want to see how much stuff you have in order to determine how much to charge you to move it from point A to point B.

At this time, they may also quietly assess the condition of your furniture and belongings without letting you know. When you hire a mover, you may receive some sort of insurance coverage, and you may be able to purchase replacement coverage at a slight extra cost. This should protect you in the event that some of your belongings are damaged in transit. In practice, however, moving companies are often reluctant to pay insurance claims, and may even suggest that the damage was already present before they picked up the furniture in the first place.

Your best defense against such problems is a good offense. Prior to having your belongings picked up by the mover, take the time to take photos of everything you own. This is your protection against later claims that the “statue’s head was already missing” or some other such claim by the company. In that case, you can produce photos that demonstrate that the damage was not present beforehand.

Take the time to walk around your home with the representative from the moving company. If he or she writes something down or makes a note, ask them about it.

You should also make sure that you receive copies of all relevant paperwork from the mover, including any documents that may indicate existing damage to your belongings. You should clarify any issues relating to damage before you have your furniture loaded on the truck.

Most moving companies are honest and reliable, and the vast majority of people who use them are happy with their results and have no reason to file an insurance claim. Still, you never know when you might be the exception, and it is very much in your best interests to prepare for any problems that might occur.