International moving sounds scary. Apart from figuring out your budget, you have to gather all the documents, apply for the visa, get a job, find a new place, etc. It is mentally and physically exhausting to move locally. Then, can you imagine moving your entire household abroad? It is expensive. For this reason, you should first see if you even need to move your furniture abroad. If you decide on relocating your items as well, you need to find a moving company. Hiring movers abroad might seem like a gamble. Therefore, here are all the tips for finding a moving company when moving internationally.
Hiring movers abroad – do the research
Research does not sound fun. However, it is necessary if you want to hire the best movers out there. Find a couple of moving companies in the country of your choice. For example, if you are moving to Kuwait, you might find Easy Move Kuwait. Then, you need to check their license. Usually, international movers are members of the International Association of Movers, AMSA, and similar. Reliable movers will display their licenses probably on their homepage. In addition to this, here are things to pay attention to when hiring movers abroad.
- License – as mentioned
- Moving reviews – moving reviews are a great start but do not rely too much on them. They can easily be fabricated by the company.
- Experience – even though you should always give a chance to new companies, it would be better to hire someone with more experience. An international move is more challenging than a local one.
Request an in-home survey
Since an international move is expensive, you need to prepare your moving budget. In order to this, you have to know the price of your relocation. The price depends on several things, such as weight and distance. For this reason, it is important to ask for an in-home survey. Since you are hiring movers abroad, they might have an office in your country. Movers will come and visit your home. It takes around 30 minutes to get the job done. If not, then you can ask for an online estimate. You need to show your items, comment on their size and weight so movers can make an estimation. Most people would like to skip this step since it takes time to show your movers around your home. However, if you are on a tight budget, this is the best way to prepare yourself in advance.
Hiring movers abroad by comparing moving quotes
You should not hire first movers you see. First of all, they might be too expensive. Why spend a small fortune when you can find more affordable movers? For this reason, you should contact at least three to five moving companies. Do not go overboard since you do not need to get moving quotes from ten different moving companies. The difference in price should not be drastic. If you see a moving company that offers unbelievable low quotes, do not hire them because it is not true. They will get the difference by coming up with some hidden fees, for example, when shipping from Kuwait to Dubai. Once you have all the moving quotes, compare them. See which one works best for your situation. Maybe some movers offer special moving services that you need for a better price.
Questions to ask when moving internationally
Before hiring a moving company, you have to ask certain questions. First, see if movers are using the volume or weight to calculate the moving quote. This is important when comparing moving quotes. Then, ask about their shipping method. They have three options.
- Land – only available for non-ocean shipments.
- Sea Freight – it is both the cheapest and slowest way to ship your items.
- Air Freight – the opposite of sea freight, the fastest and the most expensive method.
Then, see if your shipment will be grouped with others which means sharing a container. Ask about the delivery date. It is not comfortable to spend days in an empty house or paying for a hotel room. Then, see if you will get a door-to-door service. Make sure Terminal Handling Charges (THC) and Destination Terminal Handling Charges (DTHC) are included in the quote as well as customs for special items.
Hiring movers abroad- book your move
When you finally gather all the moving quotes, ask all the questions, get all the answers, it is time to make your decision. As mentioned, pick a moving company that works best for your move. Do not focus solely on the price. Pay attention to the moving services offered, such as door-to-door delivery. In addition to this, the shipping method is also important since it influences the transit time. Then, see if movers offer a binding or non-binding estimate. The difference is huge. With a non-binding estimate, movers can change the price by adding more fees. Once you find the moving company that satisfies all your conditions, do not wait. Book it right away. This is especially important during the summer as most movers will be extremely busy with relocations. This means booking your movers a couple of weeks, sometimes even months in advance.
Insurance & the end of your move
You need to get proper insurance. Your items need to travel hundreds of miles to reach the new address. Something unexpected can happen, such as a box getting damaged, lost, misplaced, etc. Moving companies offer free insurance but it covers almost nothing. For this reason, get insurance that covers everything. Either the movers can offer a better one or find some third-party insurance providers. In addition to this, when the moving day finally arrives, make sure to check everything. Stay in touch with your movers. You should buy a new number so you can contact your movers once you settle in. If you find reliable movers, organize your move and dates properly, you will have no problems moving internationally.