Let me hazard a guess. When you first thought of hiring a junk removal company to help you get rid of all that trash from a house spring cleaning or a renovation project, you probably thought, well, this is just rubbish, so any disposal company will do!
But do think again. There are so many things that can go wrong when you hire an inexperienced or an unethical junk removal company. Their crew can damage your property (think pushed-in fences, scratched tiles, flattened turf, etc.), overcharge you, leave a mess, or dispose of your stuff in an environmentally unfriendly or even illegal way (i.e. dumped in some remote site to save on disposal fees).
So, as with any service that comes to your family home, you need to do due diligence in finding the right junk removal company, one with a solid reputation for being experienced, efficient and ethical.
Check the Ratings and Reviews Online
In this search, the internet is a very useful tool. First, you need to check out other homeowners’ reviews of your local junk removal companies. Sites like Homestar will provide you with reviews and ratings for many companies close to you.
You can also go to the Better Business Bureau site to look for any customer complaints filed against these companies, and if they were resolved. As you probably already know, a low BBB rating for a company is a big red flag!
Get All the Info from the Website and the Rep
After this initial search, visit the websites of your two or three favourite choices, to determine what services they offer and at what cost. A professional junk removal company will be able to meet all of your requirements, such as setting up a timely pick-up date (you don’t want to see all that junk for weeks).
They should also offer eco-friendly disposal services, in combination with recycling and donation services. You don’t want your still usable stuff unnecessarily filling up a landfill, right? A full service professional junk removal company will go through your trash, and put aside what is still usable for donation or recycling.
You also need to make sure that the company will remove all of your junk, so that you don’t have to bag anything and drag it to the curb yourself. If that’s not the case, there is no point in hiring them, you might as well do all the work yourself. A reliable and reputable junk removal company should take everything you’re throwing out, with the exception of hazardous items. They should be able to handle anything from a single item such as a sofa or a washing machine to the removal of everything from the entire property.
Get Estimates And Compare
Then of course, you need to ask for a quote from each company, and compare them. When you call for an estimate, the rep should sound knowledgeable and professional, and give you a quote based on the approximate number of cubic metres your junk will consist of.
The final cost is usually calculated once the job is complete, taking into account the actual amount and weight, but the initial estimate should fully explain what is and is not included in the company’s junk hauling and disposal services, and how any extras will be calculated.
One last tip. When looking for a good local junk removal company, pay attention to how far away from you or from the location of your junk the company is situated. A large portion of the cost for disposal services comes from the fuel for the removal trucks. So, the closer they are to where your rubbish is, the less you will pay!
