Hiring the right professional moving company is important.  Choose wisely and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy and affordable using a pro mover can be.  But make an uninformed choice, and you could really regret your decision.

With a little research, you can find the best moving companies.  Use these tips to understand moving estimates and compare moving companies to get the best deal.

Get an accurate moving quote
Comparing moving companies starts with getting moving quotes.  Getting a few different moving estimates from both local and national companies will give you the best idea of what you should expect to spend on your move.

But you can’t expect to get an accurate moving quote without first taking stock of your situation.  When you get moving estimates, professional moving companies always want answers to a few questions:

• What is the square footage of your current apartment?
• What is the square footage of the apartment you’re moving to?
• How many oversized furniture pieces (armoires, sofas, tables, pianos, etc) do you have?
• About how many boxes will you have packed?
• Is there an elevator in your building?  Do you have stairs?
• Can a moving truck easily access your current apartment?  Your new apartment?

All of these questions are designed to help moving companies figure out how much stuff you have and what kind of time and manpower it will take to complete your move.  All of those factors will affect how much your move costs.  Once you compile this information, contact at least three to five professional movers for moving estimates.

Interpret moving quotes
Once you’ve collected several moving quotes, you can start to compare moving companies.  By carefully looking over your moving estimates, you can spot differences in policies and fees that indicate the kind of quality and value you’ll get from a mover.

When you look at moving quotes, the first thing to get a handle on is a professional moving company’s fee structure.  Understand how a company charges for a move and what kind of additional charges you may accrue.  You’ll likely get a flat rate quote for the move itself, but don’t forget to factor in gratuities for movers, moving insurance, and other miscellaneous fees.

If you don’t understand an item on a moving estimate, ask about it.  There’s a lot of specialized language associated with professional moving companies, so it’s not uncommon to have questions.  A professional moving company that offers good customer service will gladly answer all of your questions.  (You might also want to check out our Moving Terms Dictionary.)

Once you’ve had a careful look at all your moving estimates, you should get an idea of which company can offer you the best value for your money.

Spot the best moving companies
Looking at the dollar amount on a moving quote is just one part of comparing moving companies.  On paper, a professional moving company may seem to offer a great deal.  But if they don’t have a good track record, their cheap quote may not be a good value in the end.  That’s why it’s important to go one step further and do some research to find top moving companies.

The best moving companies are businesses in good standing.  You can spot them by looking at how long they’ve been in business, whether or not their finances are in order, and how they respond to customer complaints.  All of that information can be found on the Better Business Bureau Web site.  You can also compare moving companies by looking them up on review Web sites.

By comparing moving companies this way, you can ensure that you hire a professional moving company that offers you good customer service and great quality — not just a good price.