What to check before hiring a moving company

Hiring the wrong moving company can cost you money, precious time and energy. From ensuring the safety of your items to avoiding putting a dent in your budget, make sure you do your research before making any decisions.

Keep reading for a few tips on what you should check before hiring a moving company.

Do your research

Research at least five companies. Search through their history and reviews and get quotes from your top three. Be careful of “Rogue Movers”. They typically give a low estimate over the phone or internet without visiting your home or seeing your goods, and you may end up paying more than the original estimate.

Ask about extra fees

Moving companies sometimes have extra fees that are only added to the final invoice once the move is complete. Make sure you ask movers about any potential extra costs. This way, you can try to avoid them or at least avoid the fright you’ll get when you receive the final invoice. 

Pro Tip: To ensure an accurate quote from movers, ask if the final rate includes physical assistance with packing up, loading and unloading the van.

Do they have insurance?

Insurance is sometimes included if you arrange for movers to pack your belongings. However, if you’re handling the load, it’s unlikely you’ll be insured against breakages caused by improper packing – unless you take out your own insurance. Ask the movers so you know whether you should start arranging or if they have you covered.

Know when to move

You should aim to move in the winter months as summer (peak season) is when moving companies are at their busiest. However, if you have no choice but to move during peak season – mid-week or mid-month will be your budget-friendly options.

Pro Tip: Demand for movers is often highest on weekends, and at the beginning and the end of a month.

If you’re feeling a tad overwhelmed by the moving process, turn to Wigwam. Offering convenient self van hire, Man & Van services, a fully stocked onsite packaging shop and affordable personal storage units, we have all you need for a stress-free moving experience!

Ready to move? Give us a call on 0800 254 5585 or request a quick and easy quote online.

Written by

Simon Fothergill

Simon Fothergill has more than 20 years of experience in the UK self storage industry and is Managing Director of Wigwam Storage. He writes practical, easy-to-follow advice to help customers make the most of self storage, whether they are moving house, decluttering, renovating, storing business stock or simply needing extra space. With a long background in self storage operations and customer service, Simon shares useful self storage tips, packing advice and storage solutions designed to make storage simple, flexible and stress-free.

Customer Reviews

Wigwam Self Storage

4.9

Zydrunas Gerulis

5 days ago

Excellent service from Wigwam Self Storage Lincoln. The staff were friendly, helpful and professional from start to finish. The storage unit was clean, secure and easy to access. Everything was explained clearly, and the whole process was quick and straightforward.

I would definitely recommend Wigwam Self Storage to anyone looking for a safe and reliable place to store their belongings. Great service!

Paul Adams

7 days ago

Very clean space, app works really well. Plenty of trolleys available.

Stephen Grey

1 week ago

I have dealt with both Selina and Sascha, in person and via email. The service each of them has provided has been excellent and makes me feel that I have made the right decision to use Wigwam's services.

Colin C Harman

1 week ago

I have used the storage at Cheltenham for nearly two years now and have always been glad I made the change from a large facility in Kingsditch. I recall leaving a glowing review of Casey and his team when I first took on the unit. Just yesterday I left a less than complimentary review but have discovered my frustration at the time was due to misleading info I obtained over the Internet and nothing to do with Wigwam. So that review is withdrawn and I continue to recommend Wigwam as a convenient town centre facility, well run and utilising a high tech, easy to use entry system.

Dom Hall

1 week ago

I can no longer recommend this storage facility after being a customer here for a few weeks. The lift to the second floor has been broken for some time, and this is a serious problem - the stairs are too narrow to get anything remotely large up to your unit, which makes storing bigger items essentially impossible. For me, that defeated the main purpose of renting a locker here.

On top of that, the dolly trolleys are meant to be returned to a designated point after use, but in practice no one does this, so you end up hunting for one. Most of the time they’re left in a separate building I don’t have access to, meaning I have to walk around 50m through corridors and up stairs carrying my belongings just to reach my unit. I reported this to reception and was told they’d return the trolleys to the proper point, but nothing has changed.

Parking is another issue - the boxing gym attached to the building also uses the car park, so it often feels crowded.

Only use this facility if you’re desperate. Otherwise, I’d look elsewhere.

Steve Rooney

2 weeks ago

Good experience so far ! Staff Helpful and available if any issues ! Appreciate the discounted offered for 8 weeks, so took advantage of that ! wish it was longer !!!
Easy to navigate the site with easy access and facilities !

Tony Watson

2 weeks ago

Fantastic idea to use an app to gain entry. Once set up it's so easy to use and saves faffing around with keys and security fobs. My first visit was a revelation and is a definite encouragement to keep going back.
Well done Wigwam!!

Benjamin Currie

3 weeks ago

Got a small lock up for short term use - getting set up was quick and easy. Introductory offer is also great.

Nick & Katherine Atkin

3 weeks ago

All the team we've dealt with at Wigwam have provided fantastic customer service with some lovely personal touches. Our storage unit and the surrounding site is clean, well maintained and good value for money. I would definitely recommend.

Brian Stacey

3 weeks ago

Really friendly team, very helpful and good facilities. Would happily use Wigwam for short term storage again. Cheers!

Laura Smith

3 weeks ago

Great storage facility, would highly recommend. The process of booking and accessing the unit was really straightforward and customer service has been excellent.

Chris Sabin

4 weeks ago

Lovely helpful friendly staff
Transparent pricing
Very happy with the service.