Understanding Moving Costs

When moving, we are all eager to find out how much the final bill is going to be. Many factors have an influence on the cost of the move, and you should be aware of all of them. We have prepared this useful guide on understanding moving costs so that you can avoid any unpleasant surprises in the future.

Reliable movers will always be upfront with you about the cost of moving services and you will be able to relax. However, there are many movers that do not tell you about the additional moving costs that you are required to pay. You will now be able to recognize them and decide whether you can avoid them or not.

1. The moving costs will depend on the services that you choose

The better the moving company, the bigger is the number of services they provide. Professional movers can help you with basically every step of your move, and you should decide on which services you will use. Let`s see what services are there.

Packing

If you are in a hurry or do not want to spend hours packing fragile items in moving boxes, you can use the packing service.

Loading and unloading

Loading and unloading heavy moving boxes is something that people usually leave to the pros to do it.

Unpacking

After you move in, the chances are that you will want to have a good sleep instead of unpacking moving boxes. So, you can have movers unpack all of your items for you, at a certain price that depends on the time needed to do it.

Special services

Every move is different, and people have unique items that they need to move. So, you can choose to have your movers move your piano, pool table, hot tub, or any other item that requires special equipment and more people to handle it.

2. Additional fees

Next to basic and special services, some fees are charged extra depending on the conditions of the move. Now we will see what they are.

No elevator

If you are living in a building that has no elevator, you will probably be charged additional fees. This is because it takes more time and more people to bring down all of your moving boxes. If your building has an elevator, reserve it for your moving day to speed things up.

The long-carry fees

The ideal situation when moving is to have a parking space reserved in front of your house or a building. In this way, the movers will not have to carry your items two or three blocks away. This can induce an additional fee again because it takes more time and people to do it. So, reserve a parking space on the day of the move as closer to your apartment as possible.

Hoisting fees

This type of fee is charged for the items that cannot be carried out through the door. In this case, movers have to find another way to move your large items. Measure the items, see if they can be disassembled and go through the door. If not, contact your movers and check with them how much it would cost to remove the item through a window.

Of course, other things can lead to additional charges, it all depends on your specific needs on the move.

3. Tipping the movers

This is something that will not be in your written estimate of the moving cost but is something that you should expect. If you are satisfied with how your movers treated your items, if they were professional and eager to help you with everything, you might want to tip them. Tipping the movers is an additional cost that you should count on, as people usually forget about it until the moving day. Of course, this is completely voluntarily, you do not have to do it unless you want to and you are really satisfied with the service they provided.

4. Moving insurance

This is an extra cost, but it is worth every penny. Accidents can happen to everybody, even to the best of movers, and you may have some items damaged during the move. While we certainly hope that this will not happen, we want to introduce the two types of moving insurance that you can take.

Limited-value insurance

This type of insurance is based on the weight of your items solely. The moving company can reimburse you 60 cents per kilo. This is not the happiest solution if you are moving a TV or a piano for example, because it cannot cover even for the tiniest damage on the items.

Full-value insurance

This type of insurance is paid by you in advance. Although this might increase your moving costs, it is worth it for your most valuable items. In this way, the movers will pay for the price of the item or replace the item with the same one. It is really important that you have at least one type of moving insurance and to ask your movers what do they offer.

5. Choose the moving cost estimate wisely

Every moving company will offer you a certain type of moving estimate. There are differences in them, and some are better than the other. There are three main types of estimates.

Non-binding estimate

This type of estimate means that you do not know how much the moving cost will be as it can change on the day of the move. It is based on the weight of your items, but you can pay much more if the items weigh more. You should avoid this type of estimate unless you know exactly how much your items weigh.

Binding estimate

This is definitely a better option. In this case, you will get an estimate of your moving costs, where you will pay the exact amount that was stated in the beginning. However, it comes with a flaw. If your items weigh less than expected, you will still have to pay for the original price.

Binding not-to-exceed estimate

This third option is the best according to the experience of people who have moved. If your items weigh less than expected, you will not have to pay for the original price. If your items weigh more than expected, you will still pay the original price. It is a perfect combination of the previous two types, where you can end up paying less than you previously thought.