Moving is just the first of many choices you’ll have to make to change your life. From finding a new place to live to picking the right moving dates, your “to-choose” list grows longer the closer you get to the big day.

Choosing a local mover to help you pack up and transport your valuable belongings is perhaps the hardest decision yet. A brief search on the Internet reveals hundreds of local moving companies in your city, indicating a challenging task ahead of you.

Make sure you hire the best possible company for your move; consider it a job interview. You’ll want to ask them these questions to make sure they’re the right fit.

1. How Long Have You Been in Business?

Time is a favorable test for moving companies. Slapdash movers who don’t care about their customers will struggle to stay open past their first year. Meanwhile, reputable moving companies like Metropolitan Movers will have a long-lasting business due to service quality.

Asking about your local moving company’s history tells you a lot about what you can expect from their work. Only successful businesses can stay open for decades, and the best movers show their success in terms of awards and other accolades.

2. Do You Belong To Any Industry Associations?

You can tell a lot about a business by the affiliations they have, so you’ll want to ask your prospective movers about any memberships they have. If you’re planning on a long-distance move that crosses the border, you want a company that boasts both a Canadian Association of Movers (CAM) and American Moving & Storage Association (AMSA) membership.

These industry associations have best practices and high ethical conduct standards that movers must meet before becoming a member.

3. How Will They Protect Your Belongings?

Ask a mover how they intend to protect your belongings on the day of the move. You want to know what packing materials and equipment they plan to use to ensure your belongings are safe. Professional moving companies like Mayflower will offer an insurance policy for your belongings so that you know you are protected if anything gets damaged in transit.

4. What Other Services Do You Provide?

A move doesn’t always happen seamlessly. You may have to leave your first home long before moving into your next.

Other times, you won’t get a lot of warning before you have to leave. Perhaps you possess specialized equipment that requires a delicate touch.

It’s nice knowing your local company can step in to help with any task in these unusual situations. Inquire about their other services to see if they can help you with the following steps:

• Packing and unpacking
• Piano moving
• Express moving
• Junk removal
• Storage

5. How Much Will It Cost?

When you’re on a budget, the final cost will play a big role in whether you can hire one mover or the other. Talk to the representative about the estimates they offer, and discuss the price points of their services.

Question Period Starts Now

Now that you have a list of questions in hand—and a good idea of the answers you want to hear—it’s time to start asking them! Pick the local company that provides the best answers, boasts a high online rating, and makes you feel like you’ll be in good hands.