A lot has been said about how stressful moving can be. Whether it is long or short distance, there is some amount of stress that comes with the entire process. That said, one of the most important consideration factors is cost.
A lot of the decisions we make when moving are influenced by cost. This is why articles like this one here are popular because they talk about how to make savings on your move. Given the importance of this aspect of the process, it is only smart to try to have a full idea of what the move will cost so you can prepare or make necessary adjustments.
In this article, we will be focusing on helping you understand how to go about calculating the financial implications of your move.
Factors that Influence Your Moving Cost
There are a number of factors that affect what your move will cost you. Knowing these factors and understanding how they affect your overhead will enable you make any necessary adjustments required for you to be able to make as much savings as possible.
Let’s get to it.
Distance
This should be pretty obvious. The farther the distance of the move, the higher the cost will be. There will be sundry costs which will include cost for gas and this is regardless of what method you choose for your move.
The distance will also determine if it is something you can handle by yourself, running a couple of trips with your car or a rented van.
Locations
There are two locations in consideration here. The first is where the move is taking off from and the second is where you are moving to. There are a number of different consideration factors here.
If you are going with a moving company, then a moving company that operates in the two locations in question may be able to offer a better deal than one that does not operate in both locations. There is also the issue of different minimum wage requirements across state lines which may come up.
Furthermore, there are a number of costs that may not readily be obvious from the start. Some of these are enumerated here: https://www.businessinsider.com/hidden-costs-moving-2018-7?IR=T#renting-storage-space-9.
Weight and Quantity of Items to be Moved
This is another obvious factor. If you have a lot of items or a lot of heavy stuff, then you can expect that you will either require a bigger truck or be expected to pay more for the heavier weight. To help manage this, organize your stuff and maximize any spaces that may be available. Pack some stuff in places like drawers, suitcases, and other empty containers.
Service Options Selected
When you choose a moving company, you will need to decide on what services you will require. Most companies will offer full-service moving or partial-service as well as some other services like storage, furniture disassembling and reassembling among others.
Your final cost will come down to how many of these different service options you opt for.
Schedule
This is something that many may not be aware of. When you decide to make your move will affect your cost. There are peak times and off-peak times. Examples of peak times include summer, weekends and holidays. Examples of off-peak times include weekdays, fall and winter.
Scheduling your move for any of these off-peak periods will see you saving some cost. It’s a simple case of the law of demand and supply.
Tools for Calculating Moving Costs
Having an idea of what your move will cost prior to making any commitments will surely be a very helpful development. Thankfully, you can actually get such estimates from third party sites like 9Kilo Moving.
Though these sites do not offer these services themselves, they are able to link you to different moving companies from where you can get estimates. When you visit any of these sites, you will find features like a moving cost calculator or comparison tool.
In some cases, you will be directed to specific pages where you will find companies that specialize in specific types of moves. For example, if your move is long distance, cross country, out of state etc., you can select the specific type and you will be presented with different companies that offer this service. You can then use the calculator tool to check how much a move with them will cost.
Getting Quotes
Getting quotes is a great way of finding out the best cost for your move. When getting a quote, understand that it is just that – a quote. This is not a final offer. A company will only be legally bound by a quote it has given when such a quote is written.
While discussing cost calculators above, what we were actually doing was getting quotes from different companies which is a great first step. This first step helps us trim down our list so we can focus on companies that have offered us their services at prices we consider friendly.
Remember that these quotes that we got online or via phone are simple estimates. To get a real quote which a company will be bound by, we will have to invite them for an in-home estimate. This is the point at which we can really get a quote that is legally binding.
This article is not about choosing the right company but we need to quickly insert here that you should also do some research into the companies you are considering. Search for them online, look for their ratings on sites like BBB (Better Business Bureau), ensure they have a US DOT number among other things. You just need to be sure that you are dealing with a reputable company.
Once you have received an in-house estimate which means that the company agents have inspected the things to be moved and considered all other factors, you can then make a final decision on which company you want to work with.
Conclusion
Flying blind usually leads to a crash and the same is true here. Jumping feet first into your relocation process without taking time to know exactly the cost implications may mean that you will be surprised along the way. You do not want any surprises.
To avoid this, spend some time using the tools that have been made available to you. Get and compare quotes from different companies so you can get the best deal possible.
