Educate yourself with This Cost Saving Moving Guide

No matter whether you are moving locally or interstate, be ready to spend around hundreds to thousands of dollars on your move if you don't do your due diligence. In the case of local movers, it all depends on the distance you are moving, and which local moving company you are hiring for your move. To understand everything about your movers and to learn how much do movers cost for a local move, it is important to get free moving quotes before you hire a mover. This will also help you avoid any surprises on your final moving bill.

The main reason behind getting local moving quotes is to get an idea of your local moving costs before you move any further. These quotes will also assist you in choosing the best local moving company that would meet your budget and all your requirements. A local moving company will generally provide you free moving quotes online or through phone, but it is always better to get accurate moving estimates after in house inspection, especially if you are dealing with a big move. In fact, all moving companies are legally bound to provide you written estimates that contain all the information of your move such as the date of your move, the size of your move and more.

Before you get local moving quotes, it is important to know that local movers offer two types of moving estimates, they are:

Hourly Rate Moving Estimates - Many local moving companies will provide moving quotes based on hourly rates, which means they will consider the number of hours the movers will spend in your moving process.

Flat Rates Moving Estimates - Few local movers will charge you flat rates which are based on the distance of your move and size of your move. They have fixed rates, which varies from place to place. No matter how many hours your move will take, you need to pay a fixed rate as quoted on the moving estimate.

Here are five important tips that you must follow while getting local moving quotes. If you are moving for the first time, begin with understanding how to choose a mover before you move ahead.

• Do Not Sign an Incomplete or Blank Moving Agreement

You must know that you should never sign blank or incomplete moving estimates. If a mover asks you to do so, consider it as a red flag. If any moving company, no matter if it is a local mover or long distance mover, mandates you to sign an incomplete moving agreement, never agree to it and don't go for that mover. The wise decision would be choosing another mover who does not provide such terms and conditions before you move. In case you sign a blank agreement, then the moving company might charge you more than you ever expected, or it will result in a scam.

• Prefer Getting In-home Estimates Instead of Phone or Online

If you have a large number of belongings that you want to move, then it is best to ask your moving company to conduct an in-home survey instead of trusting phone or online moving quotes. When a moving company offers you flat rates, then ensure you ask for in-home survey moving estimates, as the moving estimates are based on the size of your move. Even when you get hourly rates, it would still be better to have moving estimates after in-home surveys only, as you will get all the information and knowledge about the charges of additional services that you may require for your move.

• Consider your Moving Dates

Your moving date will significantly affect your moving costs. You should know that the peak season of moving is summer, and usually, all local or long distance movers charge higher prices during the months of April to September. So consider being flexible to change your moving date, if your moving estimates go higher than your budget only because of your moving date. You may get a better deal and cheap moving prices if you plan to move during the offseason.

• Additional Moving Costs

If a local moving company is providing you hourly rates moving estimates, then it is important to ask the mover about additional charges beforehand of certain moving services that you may need or require to finish your move. It is better to be clear about all such additional services before you finalise a mover for your move and ensure a mover adds additional service charges in the written estimates too.

• Final Inventory List

This is extremely important if you are paying fixed rates to local movers. Make sure you have a comprehensive list of all the belongings that you want to move to your new location. Ask your moving company to give you an inventory list and you need to check it thoroughly for accuracy.

Additional Moving Charges that May be Added Later

• Stairs Charges

If your new house or current location has stairs, and a mover has to move upside down to get your belongings, then definitely the mover is going to charge you additional fees as stairs charges. Usually, one flight is added in free moving quotes, but for more than one flight, you have to prepare yourself to pay extra for such service. Don't forget to ask the moving company to mention this additional fee in your written estimates, provided you avail it.

• Packing Costs

Mostly all moving companies offer packing services, and it is added in your free moving quotes. But if you have a certain moving budget, then you can ask your mover to exclude packing services from your moving quote. In both cases, flat rates or hourly charges, packing charges are included in long distance moving quotes.

• Long Carry Service

In case the moving crew has to carry your belongings a long way from your front door to the moving truck, then they will charge you long carry fees. Make sure to question whether this service is applicable to your move.

However, there are several other factors that affect your final moving invoice, kindly do some research about how the entire moving process flows and proceed to choose the movers that fits in your budget and custom moving requirements.