Reverse Interview! Questions a Moving Company Might Ask You

While you are prepping yourself with a long list of questions to ask your potential movers, you probably are not even considering that they could be doing the same thing. Some people assume that just because they choose to hire a moving company that the company will automatically accept. This is not always the case. So, don’t be surprised if when you are done with your list of questions that they don’t break out a few of their own.

Do you have homeowners or renters insurance? If yes, what is the coverage?

Insurance is a very tricky topic, when it comes to moving. There are different levels of insurance and while they may cover the goods you ask them to move, there could be restrictions and stipulations. Alternatively, if you have an expensive or rare collection or priceless heirlooms, you may choose to move this yourself under your own policy. If you do this, you need to make sure that your policy is current. If you don’t have insurance yourself, you will need to make sure that you are very honest when telling the moving company of any valuables. If you don’t disclose them and something happens to them, they really don’t have to cover it.

What type of valuables do you need moved?

Now, you may think that this is pretty much the same thing as addressing insurance, but it’s not. If you have pieces of art or jewelry that cost far more than what their insurance covers, or if the valuable are extremely fragile, they may choose to not take the job. It is better to turn down a job than risk an enormous claim filed against them.

Is there parking by the door?

If you are moving in and out of a house, there will be a driveway, or at least a street to park on. However, if you live in an apartment complex or a high-rise building, or are moving into one, they may be forced to park a significant distance away. Some movers will charge you an additional carry fee while others may simply turn the move down completely.

It is rare that a move would be turned down for this, but if you are scheduling during a busy time, there is a higher chance that they will. Then movers take more time, so why charge you a small additional fee when they can pencil in two small moves in the same amount of time?

Are there stairs or elevators at either location?

Again, stairs are time-consuming, and put a lot of wear and tear on movers. So, if they can schedule two small moves to do in the same amount of time, maybe they will turn you down. Also, they may just want to make sure that they are blocking out enough time.

If there is an elevator, it takes a little stress off the body, but it is still much longer to load and unload an elevator. They may ask you to verify that you have reserved a service elevator, if required by your building.