When looking for a professional moving company to help you into your next apartment, house or office building, the initial reaction is to choose the company with the lowest rates. But think about it; these people will be handling your most prized possessions. What you need are trusted moving professionals who will respect you and handle your belongings with care.

Here are some ways to identify a legitimate and professional moving company:

Do they have a landline phone number? Take the company’s phone number and type it into a Google search. This is a quick way to tell if a company is working from a landline or a cell phone number. Today, most reputable companies still have landline phone numbers. Also look to see if the company has a permanent address. If they don’t, chances are it’s a business that you don’t want to be dealing with.

How involved are they in the local community? A good thing to check into when looking for a professional moving company is to see if they put value on community involvement. Calling your local Chamber of Commerce, or finding local news articles and testimonials on the business is an easy way to tell if the business is legitimate.

Do they have a website or professional logo? In today’s world, a professional looking website can be created in just a couple hours, but legitimate businesses will most likely have their domain name registered. You can check when the domain name of a site was registered by checking sites like Domain Tools. Another helpful sign to identify a professional moving company is if they have a professionally designed logo. A good logo says a lot about a company.

Finally, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Any legitimate, professional moving company will understand your concern for your belongings and will readily answer all your questions.