People who plan on moving homes often worry about two things – lack of time and the financial outcome of the whole process. Luckily, there’s a way to avoid all of this. You can prevent hectic relocation and last-minute mistakes with on-time planning and preparation, and in this post, we’ll discuss more on how to financially prepare for making a new place your home.
Valuable Tips to Get an Accurate Estimate for a Local Move
We’ll focus on getting a precise estimate for your move and ensuring it’s exactly what you can expect when paying for the moving services. Here’s everything you need to know to get an accurate estimate for a local move and avoid unpleasant surprises on your moving day.
Common mistakes when requesting moving estimates
Let’s identify common errors people make when requesting a moving estimate. These usually result in an unpleasant financial surprise and misunderstandings with your moving team:
- Underestimating the size of your household – Unrealistic expectations are common in the moving business, as it can be challenging to estimate the quantity and size of your items. Be sure to measure and count all the items in your home so your moving team can adequately estimate the cost of their services.
- Not decluttering before packing – Clutter can consume a lot of space in our homes, but it can also unnecessarily increase your moving bill.
- Forgetting to ask the right questions – choosing the right moving team means having someone available to answer your questions. That’s why you need to ask the right questions to ensure your team understands the load size and the relocation conditions. Ask about minimum working hours, the number of movers included in the quote, insurance options, special charges, and more.
- Sticking to one solution only – to ensure you get an accurate estimate for a local move, you must inspect various techniques and observation methods. It’s also necessary to compare at least two estimates of different moving companies to understand the average prices and the best deal possible.
Ways to get a precise moving estimate for your upcoming local move
To plan your relocation with minimal stress, you must know every step of the moving process. And this includes the financial part of the move – an accurate estimate of your final bill. Here are some simple techniques that can help you get a precise moving estimate from your moving company and save you from stress and unexpected costs.
Go for a professional moving team
Verify the company you’re about to choose if you want a transparent and trick-free moving estimate. Go for a reliable expert with plenty of experience and a history of satisfied customers. Some of the techniques you can use include:
- Reading online reviews – Research the moving company’s online presence to identify fake reviews and get accurate information from previous customers.
- Recommendations – Word-of-mouth is still the best to get recommendations for great moving teams. Ask your family, friends, and co-workers if they have someone for you.
- Look for red flags – Half-empty websites, vague information, and no company branding are all signs of suspicious moving companies. Also, asking for an upfront payment is a sign you’re dealing with a potential scammer – reputable moving teams won’t ask for any payments before they finish the job.
Have enough time
Last-minute moves are possible, but they tend to be hectic and have a high risk of getting scammed. Make sure you start your moving preparations early so you’ve got plenty of time to research moving companies, sort out your home, make an inventory list, and get a couple of estimates to compare. Time is everything in every moving process, so use it wisely!
Know the terminology of moving estimates
To make sure you’ve got an accurate moving estimate for a local move, you need to understand the relevant moving terminology. This includes the types of moving estimates, which include:
- Binding moving estimate – A fixed price of the moving services provided that shouldn’t come with any later surprises. This estimate is typically given by flat-rate moving companies that offer a fixed price for a local move rather than charging by hour. Depending on your household size, this can sometimes be more pricey than the hourly rate.
- Non-binding moving estimate – This type of moving estimate is not set in stone, and it depends on the number of items and the time it takes to relocate you to a new address. Even though it’s the most realistic choice, it can be risky, resulting in you paying more than expected if you underestimate the size of your relocation. If a company offers just this moving estimate, this can be considered a red flag.
- Binding-not-to-exceed moving estimate – This is the most popular option among customers. You won’t pay anything above the quoted price, but if your items weigh less than expected, you’ll pay the lower price.
Understand the extra charges
It’s important to know that a moving estimate can include some charges in addition to transporting your belongings. Your bill can be increased if there are some exceptionally large, specialty, or fragile items, difficult carrying or loading conditions, and packing supplies.
Sometimes, your moving team will have to pay a parking permit that they can include in the bill – depending on your location and local conditions. They also might charge more for a steep or narrow driveway for home relocations, high building floors, and long distances between your home and the vehicle. These could all affect the price, so be sure to include them in the calculations.
Consider all types of moving estimates
Depending on your size and type, there are many ways to get an accurate moving estimate. For simple relocations with just a couple of pieces of furniture, you can quickly get an estimate by phone.
A virtual survey is great for medium-sized households with a relatively simple list of items. With a FaceTime call, you can easily tour your household so the moving company representative can give you accurate information on your moving estimate.
However, if your household is quite large and includes several fragile items and some specific conditions, it’s best to have a moving representative come and check that in person. This is called an in-home estimate, and you’ll have every box and piece looked at by a professional. This makes in-home and virtual estimates the safest techniques to get a precise estimate of your move and be sure there are no surprises.
Check the hours
Very often, moving companies will charge you per hour, including factors such as the number of movers, the complexity of the move, etc. With hourly rates, check the clock at the start and end of your move. This is very important if you live in a bigger city that can include rush hours and make the transport time longer, so be sure to check when they begin and finish charging you for their services.
Learn how to lower your relocation expenses
Even though plenty of factors can increase your moving bill, you can also explore different ways of saving up. Here are some of the techniques that will help you pay less for your move:
- Choose ‘off-season’ moving dates – If you’re flexible with your moving day, choose off-season months when moving companies offer better deals. You can also avoid weekend dates as these tend to cost more.
- Pack your own – DIY packing can decrease your moving bill. Ask friends and family to help you, get creative with packing supplies, and pack your home for less.
- Shorten your inventory list – Experts at Apex Moving Systems always advise decluttering before moving. Get rid of unnecessary items before you pack, and you can save on your moving expenses.
It’s time to move your home!
It’s time to prepare for the big day! With these valuable tips, receive an accurate moving estimate and embark on a transparent, successful relocation journey.
