Understanding Moving costs

There’s no surprise that moving services are expensive. If you’ve ever moved from one house to another, you’d know that some moving services can cost you an arm and a leg.

Understanding a moving cost estimator is a must because he or she may use a moving cost calculator to determine the average cost of your upcoming move.

If you’re looking to get a rough estimate of the prices before you start talking to the moving companies and want to know how you can reduce that high price, you’re at just the right place.



Here’s all you need to know about moving cost estimates.

Moving cost calculator

Every moving company have their own rate whether it is a local move or long distance move. Moving companies also use different criteria when presenting a moving quote from their moving cost estimator.

Here are the main components that determine the average moving cost:

1. Move size
2. Move travel distance
3. Move date
4. specialty item
5. Storage

 Though, despite the difference, most companies take into consideration theme size, date of the move, their availability, the quality of their service, etc. Another thing that is taken into account of whether is move is local or long distance move.

Often some companies strictly do either local moves or long-distance moves. The number of items being moved and the distance of the move are the main determinants which a moving cost estimator will let you know.

Understand How Much Cargo You Have

The first step is to approximately calculate the amount of household item(s)/furniture you’re going to be transporting.

Pro tip: Consider selling or giving away heavy or specialty items like fitness equipment and book collections.

In local moves, the weight affects the number of hours the move will take, hence, adding to the overall cost of the move.

As for a long distance move, however, you’re expected to pay for the weight directly, as well as the distance to be traveled between origin and destination. So, the first place to start should always be the weight of your cargo before seeking to get a quote.

How do you estimate moving costs?

"To calculate the cost of a local move, you'll need to take Number of Hours estimated to complete the move and multiply that by the Hourly Rate the moving company charges". This is what a moving cost estimator does.

As you begin to look around your home, take into consideration everything that needs to be moved to your new home before getting a moving quote.

As a professional moving company will want to know these things...

The Route

What route will your cargo truck need to take? This factor is often overlooked by most.

Trucks aren’t allowed on the same route as a sedan, and oftentimes, they’ll have to take alternative, longer routes that could significantly extend the travel time.

 The amount of time it take a box truck to get from the loading and unloading address is usually longer than your average vehicle.

Truck Access

Truck access matters a lot on both ends of the move. If your current or new home doesn’t have enough space to accommodate a truck directly in front of the driveway, then moving  companies may have to get a small rental truck or move the goods manually.

All of this including long carries and stairs can also add a lot to your total cost.

Packing and Moving Supplies

If you’re going for a full move where the company will be responsible for packing and unpacking as well, you will have to pay extra for the supplies as well.

These supplies include moving boxes, bubble wrap, packing paper, etc.

Pro tip: If you are on a tight moving budget, then you should pack and let the professional movers handle the rest of the moving process.

Moving Date

If the moving date you’re aiming for is on special occasions like the holidays, weekends, etc., you will subject to extra costs.

 Try moving on weekdays and off-season dates to take a chunk off your moving bill.

So make sure you take into consideration the time of year to get the best price for your upcoming move because your move date can fall either during the slow or peak season.

Add-Ons

Sometimes there will  be add-ons required, which will bring up the prices a little bit. Disassembling and assembling furniture, packing supplies is an example of that. A moving cost estimator can better explain during a in-home assessment, so make sure your questions or concerns get addressed.

Moving companies offer moving containers or storage as additional services as well.

 If there are things you need professional movers to take apart and put back together, do mention that beforehand as it will increase the cost of your move because it is considered additional services.

Key Terms You Should Know

Perhaps the most important technique that can help you out in signing favorable estimate agreements and streamlining your overall moving process is to familiarize yourself with the terminology that is used within the moving industry.

Here are ten of the key terms that you will encounter while you’re comparing the price quotes between different moving companies.

Bill of Lading

The Bill of Lading, often stylized as B.O.L., is a formal contract between you and the moving company for the transportation of all your belongings.

Essentially a receipt for your move, this bill is of utmost importance, and it must be thoroughly read and understood before you sign it.

Keep your copy of the bill in a safe place since you’ll need to refer to it in case there is any issue during the move.

C.O.D.

“Cash on delivery” is one of several methods that you can use to pay for the transport of your household items to your new home.

Other payment methods may include credit cards and cashier checks. If you’re using the C.O.D. method, make sure that you receive a signed receipt for the amount paid for the moving cost.

Carrier Packed

The sign “C.P.” or “Carrier Packed” on your shipments refers to those boxes that your moving company has packed for you.

Make sure to differentiate the cardboard boxes which you have packed yourself from the C.P. ones so that you don’t accidentally overpay the movers.

Check-Off Sheet

A check-off sheet is a numbered list of all your items that are going to be moved to your new home.

Once the move is complete, you can check off each item from this list to make sure that all your household goods has safely arrived at its destination.

Destination Agent

A destination agent is a moving agent that works at your destination, providing you with services and information relevant to your move.

Inventory

The inventory refers to the list of all your household goods along with their respective details, such as quantity, the condition of the items at the time of the move, or their physical descriptions.

Packed By Owner

The sign “PBO” or “Packed By Owner” is the opposite of the sign “C.P..” This sign means that the following boxes have been packed by the owner themselves and are, hence, not to be included in the final invoice.

Valuation

Valuation or “Maximum Value Protection” is a charge that depends on the value or worth of your household items as determined by the movers which may cost extra.

This protection plan ensures that in the unfortunate circumstance that any of your items are damaged beyond repair or cannot be replaced, you will be compensated base on the current market value of that item.

The popular and economical valuation option is the general liability insurance of sixty cents per pound per article which is what a moving company will pay for a damaged item.

Read more: Moving Companies Prices  and  Moving Cost Calculator

Conclusion

With that said, we want to give you a disclaimer that this is only an estimate. The accurate quote for your upcoming move can only be calculated if you contact a moving company.

They’ll give you a better idea based on your exact requirements depending on you move size, or whether it is a local move or long distance moving.

Before moving day, make sure that you talk to a lot of moving companies before you pick. There’s a huge possibility that one company might provide you a much better deal than all the other ones.

So understanding a moving cost estimator do put into perspective the cost of moving.