Hiring a mover

Want to avoid a major backache you'd get from hefting your oak bookcase or four-poster bed the next time you move from one home to another? Hire someone to do it. How do you go about hiring someone? First, understand that not all movers are the same, and the differences between them can be significant. Some tips for choosing a mover:

Get personal references: Most consumer affairs experts will tell you that getting a personal reference about a mover from someone who's used them is helpful. Don't necessarily trust the references the moving company supplies you.

Get bids: When possible, narrow the field to three companies and then get bids. Do you just take the lowest bid? If one company has a reputation for a quality move, you may want to seriously consider it even if it means several hundred dollars more. After all, if the company is moving your household goods and treasures that may be worth thousands of dollars, what's a few hundred extra to make sure the move goes as well as possible?

Compare services: When you're considering a moving company, be sure that what it's offering is the same as the others. Look at the specifics besides the price. Is one company willing to insure your household goods at their replacement value but the others don't?

Scheduling your move: Schedule your move as early as possible. Plan to sign a mover at least 30-45 days in advance. If you've put off signing a moving company and the fateful day is coming soon, when getting estimates ask if a company will give you a guaranteed moving date. A guaranteed date also will prevent you from getting bumped from a particular date as an airline can bump you if it's overbooked. Also, ask about getting a cheaper rate if you move on a weekday rather than a weekend.

- Protect your property: In a few cases, a homeowner's insurance policy will cover your goods during a move. Check with your insurance agent. Then ask about the mover's insurance. For some moving companies - especially the smaller ones - basic insurance may be only a small number of cents per pound of each item. Larger companies tend to have insurance that's closer to or is actual full value. Is one company only willing to insure if its people do the packing? Many companies will provide little insurance or none if you do the packing.

- Will they pack it all in? Is the moving company willing to do ALL the packing or only pack certain items? Moving companies make a great deal off such labor-intensive work as packing. Most will not insure - or fully insure -the items you pack. It's still better, though, to pack yourself, especially those items bordering on the fragile.

- Boxing it up: How many boxes will you need and what type and size of boxes? Get your mover to estimate how many boxes you'll need even if you plan to purchase the boxes yourself or scrounge up some from local stores. It's almost certain that you'll underestimate the number of boxes you'll need if you do it yourself.

-Plan your payment: When you sign the contract, ask what types of payment the moving company will accept on arriving at your new home. Chances are, the company won't accept a personal check. It may have to be a cashier's check or credit card or some other form of payment. And the movers may not unload your goods until you pay them.

-When to expect delivery: If you're moving a long distance, most moving companies will give a "window" of time when they'll arrive for pickup and when they'll deliver. Remember that your goods may not be the only ones on the truck. What about specific delivery dates and penalties if the company lists but misses them? Most deliveries - especially cross-country moves - are made relatively on time. But it's not unusual for someone to have to sit in an empty new home for a day or two waiting for household goods to arrive.