Decide ahead of time which services you will need.  Are you going to do all of the packing yourself?  If you are, be aware that the moving companies are not usually liable for breakage in a box they didn’t pack, unless of course they drop the box.   Be sure and read all the fine print about insurance because even though moving companies must assume a certain level of liability for damaged or broken items, the key word here is level.  Make sure you understand ahead of time how much of the liability they are to assume in case of breakage.

Another thing to consider:  Many moving companies offer moving supplies such as boxes and tape.  If you’ve been used to getting your moving boxes from the supermarket, it can be a nice change to purchase a package of new and clean boxes all the same size.  If you decide to go that route though, make sure the moving company will buy back any of the boxes that you don’t use.

If you’re going to put some of your things in storage, look at that aspect of the moving before you contract with any of the moving companies because some moving companies also have a storage facility and will offer you one to three months free storage for using their movers.

Finding reputable local moving companies won’t be difficult if you approach it early enough so that you are not forced to make a last minute decision on moving day.