Toronto Movers - Book Moving Company with Care

Moving house is said to be one of life’s most stressful experiences after dealing with death and divorce. It’s also not cheap. Booking the right firm of Toronto movers to relocate your worldly goods from A to B can make all the difference.

Your belongings will then be moved efficiently and expertly, and the cost won’t break your budget either. Trust the wrong Toronto moving firm and you may end up paying well over the odds for poor quality customer service. But if you request a number of quotes from different firms, you’re likely to find that you get wildly varying prices. So how can you tell a good firm of movers in Toronto from a bad one? Here, we’ll tell you what you should expect.

Research Moving Companies in Toronto Before You Book

It’s tempting to book the first or the cheapest moving company that’s available on the date of your move. But that’s a false economy. Remember, you’re placing your and your family’s past, present and future in their hands! If one price is significantly less expensive than the other, there’s probably something missing from the service. If a particular mover in Toronto has loads of availability, it could be because he is inexperienced or has a poor reputation. Background checks are essential before you commit to any firm.

Look for a well-established moving service in Toronto with a physical address and a good track record among past clients. The firm should have a professional-looking website that lists its experience and credentials and has testimonials from previous customers. It’s worth knowing that a reliable Toronto mover will adhere to all the required professional standards, such as holding the right certificates and employing a Quality Assurance Agent. You should also ask for evidence that the movers you’re booking for your Toronto relocation hold the correct insurances at the right levels to protect your stuff while it’s in transit.

When looking for testimonials, don’t just trust what the moving company has put on its own website, though. Look at independent review sites to get a balanced view. One or two bad reviews out of a whole host of good ones may not be a problem. But if the negatives begin to outweigh the positives, alarm bells should ring.

Ensure You Get a Full Quote from Movers Based in Toronto

Don’t sign any paperwork from a moving company in Toronto until you’ve had a formal quote for the work. Obviously, because there is a huge number of variables, Toronto moving companies can’t always agree to a final price till the project has been carried out. But you need a fairly good idea before you book a firm for budgeting purposes. So what should you expect from the quote?

Firstly, don’t agree to a price dependant on an hourly rate. You want an indication of the total cost of your move.

Secondly, remember: when you’re moving to Toronto, the provincial law states that the amount you ultimately pay for your move must not be higher than 10 percent of the initial quote.

Thirdly, it’s vital that a quote from any mover operating in Toronto must be based on full disclosure from you! Don’t forget to mention emptying the loft or garage – if that applies – and do flag up awkward or fragile pieces that may require special treatment. If you fail to mention the grand piano that needs shifting or haven’t correctly counted up the right number of rooms that need emptying, your estimate may be invalid and you will inevitably pay more.

Fourthly, If you’re booking a Toronto moving company for a large move, it’s reasonable to expect a professional firm to send a representative round to calculate the volume of possessions you’re moving before finalizing the quote.

And finally, any estimate should be itemized and broken down, so both parties are clear on what to expect. As well as an indication of the price for the Toronto moving service you’re booking, you should expect details on the number of boxes and the sizes and values of individual items that are to be moved, who will be responsible for the packing, the number of professional movers and the size of vehicle the company will supply, how long the move is expected to take, and details of all insurance cover that’s in place.

The Best Toronto Movers Are Adequately Insured

Your stuff is precious. You don’t want it damaged in transit. Never take a risk on so-called professional movers in Toronto who won’t offer insurance against damage. It’s a legal requirement that any mover based in Toronto carries a sufficient level of insurance to cover your belongings if the worst happens.

There are two main options.

1. “Replacement Value Protection” covers the full monetary value of your belongings if they are lost or damaged in transit. That’s obviously the more costly policy.

2. In law, the basic coverage against liability that a moving company in Toronto is obliged to carry will pay out 60 cents per pound of cargo that’s damaged or lost during the move. As a guideline, that would equate to a payment of $60 for a sofa weighing 100lbs (45 kilograms).

One important disclaimer you should be aware of, though: if you pack your own boxes, Toronto moving companies are not responsible for any resulting damage.

What Other Factors Affect Costs When I Order Moving Service in Toronto?

Even the best movers in Toronto won’t be able to give you an exact, unchanging price for the cost of your move. There are a lot of variables. Some items will carry a flat rate that can’t be dropped any lower. Our lowest price for moving a piano in Toronto, for instance, is a fixed rate of $269.99. Other factors that can affect the final price may include the following:

• The distance between the homes you’re moving from and to.
• The hourly rates charged for the move.
• How much fuel fees come to.
• The number of professional movers employed for the project.
• Where your possessions are being moved from and to - for example, are you relocating from a first to a second, floor apartment? Does either house have an elevator or must stairs be used?
• What additional services you request, such as professional packing service and supplies; whether you want your moving team to disassemble and reassemble your furniture; if a storage service is required, and the like. Some companies include some of these items as part of the service, and it’s worth considering these when making your decision on which firm to book. GTA Moving Services, as an example, provide packing services and disassembly and reassembly of furniture at no extra cost.
•  When your move takes place: peak times may attract higher prices. If you want to move on public holidays, over the weekend or at the beginning or end of the month, it could cost you more.
•  If you book your move late or end up needing to move at short notice, you may be required to pay a premium to secure Toronto moving services.

What it all comes down to, as we’ve previously noted, is that no professional moving firm in Toronto will give you a fixed price without having issued a formal estimate. Fail to secure one of these and you could be in for a nasty shock when the bill comes in.

But one way to avoid that is to hire a trusted firm of Toronto movers like GTA Moving Services. With us, you can rest assured that the price we agree when we sign the paperwork is the price you’ll pay.