Buying a home in Albuquerque involves making important decisions. One of the most important of those is how you plan to move your belongings. If you plan on hiring a moving company in Albuquerque, the thing to remember is that not all moving companies are operating on the same level. There are a number of things that can go wrong during a move. The question is how the moving company you hire will handle those issues and protect your items.

Here are some common moving disputes, and how you can handle them:

Damaged or Lost Items

Things tend to break or get damaged during a move. It's inevitable. Even when you hire pros to help, it can happen. How can you minimize the risk?

A professional mover will offer the option of buying Full Value Protection, which is a type of insurance that fully covers the cost of any broken or lost items. Without this protection, you will be asked to sign a Waiver of Full Value Protection. In that case, only 60 cents for each pound will be covered. That's not very much compensation, especially if you have expensive items that don't weigh very much.

Before you move, take the time to photograph your possessions, or at least the most expensive ones. If anything is damaged or lost, you should submit a claim as soon as possible, as the moving company can take up to 30 days to acknowledge the claim and 120 days to settle it.

Here are a few things to do during the move to make sure any damages are accounted for:

• Look over all of your items to check for damage as you unpack.
• Make a list of any damaged or missing items.
• Take photos of any damage found.
• Determine the replacement costs for damaged or lost items.
• Fill out a claim form with the moving company immediately and return it with your photos. Make copies for your records.

Hostage Shipments

There have been cases where a disreputable mover will hold a delivery hostage until the owner is forced to pay an additional fee. The federal government calls these 'hostage shipments.'

If a mover does try to hold your things hostage, there is recourse. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has a Consumer Complaint Hot line that you can call at (888) 368-7238. The federal organization claims that it tries to respond to hostage shipment as quickly as possible, so you can expect some sort of resolution.

Late Deliveries

Late deliveries are not completely unexpected. But there have been cases where a delay an last several weeks. Not all companies do this of course. Make sure that you carefully research moving company reviews for any reports of late deliveries.

Keep in mind that delays of some kind are possible. If you need certain things that are really important, like a computer, medication, or other critical items, make sure you take them in your car instead of the moving truck.

Moving to a new home is a never a trouble-free process. But if you keep these tips in mind, you can lessen your chance of having issues with movers, and know what to do if you do have any problems.