How moving companies charge for their services
Have you ever requested moving estimates? If yes, then you know the cost factors that interstate movers use. Companies keep their pricing private to avoid misleading clients. The exact pricing depends on individual circumstances. Price will turn to be deceiving when taken out of context.
Here you will get a broken-down analysis of how moving companies determine their prices. Each company has its way of approaching these factors.
Move type
Your move method is an essential pricing factor. You will pay less than hiring full-service movers when you use moving containers. Renting moving trucks that you pack and drive yourself are also cheap options that you can use.
If you are moving long-distance, moving containers appear cheaper than renting trucks. It’s evident when you include factors like hotels, gas and road trip food.
A cheap price doesn’t, in most cases, come with less convenience. Going for cheaper options means you will have to handle some tasks yourself.
Shipment weight
Shipment weight is the total weight of everything movers deliver to your new home. The shipment weight is part of the essential factors that determine your final price to pay. The best way to save your money is to reduce your shipment weight by moving essentials only.
You get an inventory checklist to fill when you ask for an online moving estimate. The checklist gives a moving company a rough idea of your shipment weight. It generates a ballpark estimate to aid you in budgeting for the move.
The online checklist doesn’t give the final price until the moving company has a physical check.
Distance and moving routes
The distance between your old house and the new home is also the main factor in determining the price of a movie. A journey over 1000 miles will cost more than 500 miles though there are some exceptions.
The routes used by movers also can affect their pricing. If your old and new homes are along major highways, then a 1000 miles move will be cheaper than 500 miles using backroads. Moving on highways has the advantage of getting another person moving. You can cost-share the expenses.
Port-to-port delivery is also cheap than door to door delivery method.
Seasonality
Truck availability will also affect pricing. Moving in peak seasons is expensive than in off seasons when few people are moving. Weekdays from Monday to Thursday are cheaper than Fridays and weekends. Many people have time to move from Fridays to Sundays since they are busy with work duties the other days.
Labor
Full-service labor is expensive. It involves loading and offloading your shipment by the company. The company loads the luggage into the trucks, drives them to your home, and unloads them there. Don’t opt for full service since companies calculate this per hour if you want to reduce cost.
Moving coverage
A moving coverage is an insurance-like service. The coverage protects your property while en route. You will get either full value protection or basic liability coverage.
The full value protection is the optional coverage. It protects all your items at their market value. At most times, the full value protection is expensive.
Special accommodations and add on services
An added service refers to anything not included in the base package for your move. The services are optional services that come at a cost. They differ between companies, but the common ones are:
- Auto-shipping
- The long-term or temporary storage
- Trash removal
- Computer network setup
- Home theatre setup
- Packing
- Furniture assembly
Conclusion
The above are the main considerations that affect moving costs. They differ between companies but these are the common ones.
