Surprising moving charges

If you are moving house and wondering if you will be able to cover all moving charges, you are not alone. Depending on the distance and the size of your household, a household move may drain your wallet. The truth is that without a proper preparation and timely organization moving costs may skyrocket.

Luckily, this cannot happen to you since you are on the right page right now to find out how to avoid these unexpected moving fees and keep your move as affordable as possible. Having done your research and assessed your finances, you will be able to set your moving budget and to determine how much you can spend on the upcoming move.

However, many people happen to incur some shocking last-minute surprises in the form of moving fees. Those unexpected moving charges no one planned for may significantly complicate your financial situation especially if you are moving on a tight budget.

A household move itself can be an expensive prospect, let alone the extra fees incurred along the way. With a household relocation on your mind, you have a lot to consider. Whether you are moving to another state or within your city, you should have a very wary approach when it comes to budgeting. Certain expenses are perfectly avoidable even if you have no experience in moving. However, being the first-time mover is not an excuse for not doing your advance research. Hopefully the following tips will help you familiarize with the (un)expected moving costs you may encounter down the road.

How to anticipate potential hidden costs

While moving expenses may easily add up, the good news is there are way to keep them under control. Aside from the travel costs, mortgage, rent, security deposit, real estate agent’s fees, temporary lodging, storage, cleaning, you should know that moving companies’ charges may not be always straight-forward.

Unfortunately, some surprising fees may catch your wallet off-guard and burden your budget.  Reputable moving companies usually state all of them in the moving quote they provide, but oftentimes it’s not the case.

If you are looking to reduce moving costs you may want to pay attention to the additional services which may or may not be specifically required. Which services you will be using depends on your specific needs and circumstances.

But, what matters most is to know how much movers charge for those services, so that you can factor in these fees when calculating moving costs. An honest moving company will outline them in advance. On the other hand, there might be also some fraudulent attempts to take advantage of your items. As it turns out, due to a competitive nature of the moving industry, there are various types of moving businesses.

Some of them pride themselves in providing an outstanding and impeccable service. Others are using unscrupulous ways to take advantage of your money by offering extremely low moving estimates and too-good-to-be-true deals. Knowing how to spot those fraudulent actions will help you keep hidden costs at bay.

Additional moving charges to take into account

If you are about to hire a moving company you are likely to encounter some additional moving charges that you may not like. In order to get a better understanding of the overall moving costs, it’s highly advisable to get several in-home moving estimates. Here are some of the most common moving charges that may add up quickly.

Packing services

If you want your moving company to take care of each aspect of the move, hiring full-service movers seems to be the most reasonable decision. Lack of time, proper skills and packing materials is what usually prompts people to choose full-service movers. With the professional packers by your side, you can be sure that your items will survive the trip.

Long-carry moving charges

If you fail to reserve a parking place right in front of the entrance you are likely to encounter this kind of fee. Free parking spots can be tricky, so make sure to arrange for one in advance so as to protect your budget. As it turns out,

you cannot just sit back hopping that a free parking place will pop up when your movers arrive.

Handling large and bulky items

Moving oversized items like pianos, hot tubs or pool tables requires certain skill set and experience as well as proper packing supplies. The truth is that those bulky items will be better off with the professional movers. No matter how strong your friends are, handling cumbersome items also requires special equipment like dollies and cranes. So, with this in mind, you probably realize that paying some extra cash can go a long way toward moving your items safely.

Elevator or stair fees

If you are relocating into a walk-up, you may end up with the additional stair charges. Also, if you forget to arrange for the elevator for a couple of hours on the day of the move, your movers will have to haul all your items up and down stairs, which typically comes with extra fees. But, if you’ve done your homework and reserved an elevator for your movers’ arrival, make sure it’s properly secured so it doesn’t get damaged somehow.

Cancellation fees

Know your movers’ cancellation policy before you decide to change your mind in the last minute. Whether you’ve decided to go for a more affordable moving company or something unexpected happened, make sure you understand how much you will be charged for cancelling the move.

Storage expenses

If for one reason or another you need to secure your items away from home for some time, you should factor in this charge as well. If you are not able to fit all of your items into a new apartment, renting a storage unit is one of the options you may consider.

Insurance coverage

Aside from the basic coverage, you may consider getting a full value protection especially if relocating valuable and fragile items. Although most movers are careful with customers’ belongings, accidents do happen. And you may want to get a proper reimbursement in that case.