Finding the best moving team to transport your precious cargo is imperative: you’ll want to pick someone with the skills, experience, and pricing to fit your budget and needs, not to mention moving in San Francisco has its own challenges and you’ll want someone who knows how to tackle them. But how to find just who fits this bill? Here are five helpful questions to ask for this answer:

1. How many years of experience do you have in the San Francisco area? You’ll want to make sure the professionals you use not only have years of service under their belt ensuring they know their craft, but how much of that has been navigating the ups, downs, and tight streets of the Bay Area.

2. Can you provide me a full list of fees and services available? It’s important to get a series of quotes from different teams, to know just what the expectations of your budget should be. Additionally, it’s a good idea to review just how they price their services and if there are any surprise fees you weren’t expecting (i.e. do they charge for moving up stairs, and how many stairs do they count as a single flight?)

3. What dates would you be available for my moving needs? The last thing you want is to finalize on a team, only to discover the won’t have any openings the days you need them.

4. How many movers will be used for this move? This can affect both the speed of the move as well as the cost and challenge of hauling larger items.

5. What are the challenges of moving here in San Francisco? The unique terrain and parking conditions of the city can make moving daunting, can they give advice on how you can help prepare?