How Are They Calculated
The day of your moving is getting closer, and the only thing ruining your euphoria is organizing the movers. Should you hire a professional moving company or try your like with local freelance movers? How much money do you need to move your things? While moving a few blocks away is something you can do on your own, long-distance moving requires some planning ahead. Thelong distance moving costs can vary quite a lot, and you want to spare every penny possible. Here are some factors you should consider when moving long-distance.
Most of the long-distance movers charge by the load instead of by the hour
The price of the load goes between 2000-5000$, or .50$ per pound. It means the price of the moving fee won’t depend on how much stuff you have, but on how much they weigh.
Usually, the companies send two movers to your address. In case you have a very large amount of furniture, you should contact the movers. You may require more people, and the costs will be higher.
One more important thing is the cost of truck and gas mileage
This is the additional fee to pay, not accounted for in the price per load. The truck size will be determined based on the number of boxes and furniture you have, and bigger trucks cost more bucks. It comes in handy if you have a packing service provided by the agency but beware of the extra fee. If you are left on your own, make sure to pack the boxes as tightly as possible. It is clever to start with a list of things you want to pack per box, it will give you some idea on how big of a truck you will need.
If you own bulky pieces of furniture or some fragile items such as a piano or a glass cabinet, you should mention it to the company beforehand. They may require you to pay an additional fee, but it is usually worth it.
Additional fees
When calculating the cost of long-distance moving, you should take into consideration the additional fees movers charge in specific situations. Every moving company has its own practices, and you should ask them whether they charge additional fees and when. Most of them charge fees in the following situations:
Long carry fees – If you don`t have a parking space available for your movers in front of your building, they will charge you for the long carry fees. This is because they need to carry items to the actual place where they parked the moving truck, which requires more time and effort.
No elevator – If the building does not have an elevator, and you live on the higher floors of the building, you may get charged additional fees as well. When the movers have to carry the items down, and up the stairs, they need more effort and time.
Hoisting fees – In case your furniture cannot be taken out through the doors, the movers need to use equipment and take the items out the other way, usually through a window. Measure the doors and the furniture or other bulky items that you have to check whether it can be carried out through the doors.
Tipping movers
When setting up a budget for relocation, most people forget to include tipping movers in it. While tipping is not obligatory, after a long, successful relocation, you have the urge to tip the people who helped you with your belongings. And since you are moving long-distance, it may so happen that you will have two moving crews to tip. Of course, this is optional, but if you do plan to tip movers, you should tip them around $5 per hour.
Needless to say, some things remain out of our control
Should it happen that the moving truck has already departed with all of your things, and you get an unfortunate call from the real-estate agency that your new home is not ready for you to move in, movers got you covered. You can pay for Storage in Transit and have your things safely put in the warehouse. The price depends on the number of things and the time it will spend in the warehouse.
One last thing, it is advisable to get liability insurance. It may cost a few dollars more, but can you really put a price on all of your life belongings? That way you can rest assured knowing that, one way or another, you will get all of your things to your new home safe and sound.
It may not have occurred to you that there are so many things when it comes to moving estimates. But fear not, if you follow the advice above you are prepared to address any problem that comes your way. Sit back and relax while the movers do all the heavy lifting!
