One of the most pressing questions our clients have about their move is how much it will cost. This is %100 understandable. When you have such a huge transition coming up in your life, it is natural to want to know how much it will cost you to hire professional movers. However, this can be tricky because there are so many unknown variables. Keep reading to discover why your movers can’t provide you with an exact price on your move and why you may be better off without one.
Why Giving an Exact Bid for Moving Costs Is Difficult
In most cases, movers can’t provide you with exact moving costs because the logistics of the move make it impossible to know exactly how long your move will take. The vast majority of movers also have an hourly rate, therefore the length of the move determines the charges. Many people also want to know the length of the move so that they can plan out their day.
These factors include but aren’t limited to:
- The amount of belongings you have
- The distance of your home to the loading zone, the distance of your locations (your starting point, ending point, and any stops along the way like storage units)
- Whether or not the movers are going up and down stairs
- If they have to use an elevator
- If you are actually packed when the movers arrive (read more about the difference between a packed and unpacked home)
- Furniture being disassembled, assembled, and rearranged
- Weather complications
What Are the Repercussions of Giving an Exact Bid for Moving Charges?
Unless the moving company comes to your home and surveys the setup and contents of your home, they have no way of knowing how long your move will take and cost. But why can’t they give you a bid if you tell what you have in your home over the phone? There is usually a disconnect in the amount of items in the client’s home. Most people think that they have way less stuff than actually do and there’s usually a disconnect in what being “packed” on move day really looks like.
It is also against the law in the state of Texas for a mover with an hourly rate to give a customer an exact cost before the move occurs. This law was put into place to protect the consumer.
If movers who have an hourly rate give a customer a length for their move and an estimated cost and it doesn’t turn out to be the case on move day, the consequences can be disastrous. The best case scenario for the customer is that company has overestimated and the final bill is lower on move day than expected. However, when it’s the other way around things go downhill pretty quickly.
What Can You Do to Get a Better Idea of Your Final Bill and Time?
The best thing that you can do is to take initiative on the factors of your move that you can control. Make sure that your items are packed in sealed boxes and ready to load when the movers arrive, ensure that your mover knows every stop and location during your move, and ensure that your mover is aware of all the items that you need loaded (springing a garage full of items on your mover at the end of the move is a bad idea).
It is also best practice to block off an entire day for your move if you can. There are things that you can control during your move but many of the factors that we listed may be out of your control. Don’t schedule an important meeting or dinner date on the day of your move just in case things end up going longer than expected.
In Conclusion
There are so many factors that go into the amount of time that a move takes. If a moving company does give you an exact time for your move, know that there’s a great possibility that it won’t be accurate. They can’t physically see what is in your home, what you have packed, and what the other variables surrounding your move will be. Give your moving company all the information that you can upfront, be prepared on move day, and make sure that you have enough time blocked off on move day to account for any unforeseen factors.