How To Choose a Moving Company

Moving is expensive and while the cost of hiring a moving company or renting a truck to haul your own stuff can’t be avoided, here are some ways to cut costs.

Movers: Full Service or DIY?

Whether you decide to hire a moving company or make the move on your own with a rental truck or pod depends on many factors, with how much you have to spend being a major consideration. If you are moving because of your career and the company you work for is picking up the tab, you have it made; but most people have to pay some or all of the cost themselves. A rental pod may be cheaper than a full service moving company: You pack your things and load the pod and the company comes and transports it to your new address when you are ready. Renting a truck and using free help from friends is a popular option if you are young and don’t have a lot of furniture, but is not practical for many people.

What to Ask When Choosing a Moving Company

If choosing a moving company, get several quotes before signing on with anyone and ask if the mover charges by weight or by time. Most national companies charge by weight and will send a representative to your home to provide an estimate; he or she will walk through your house noting what will be going on the truck and give you an estimate of the weight and the total cost. On moving day, the truck will be weighed before and after loading and you will pay accordingly. The cost is based on a price per pound plus mileage to your new destination. While this seems like a fair way to charge, you can actually save money if you choose a company that charges based on time rather than weight, and here’s why.

A company that charges by weight will also do an inventory and from that, they will estimate how many man hours it will take to drive to your current address, load, drive to the new address and unload. It is a cost per hour based on how many men – usually two or four – will be used on the job. The more you can do yourself, the more you will save. If you can pack your own boxes and have all the boxes in the front area of your home, this will save time (and therefore money) because the movers will take fewer steps to load your things. If you are moving locally, you may even want to move all or some of your boxes in advance of the move and just let the movers handle the heavy furniture and boxes, saving you even more money.

No matter how you choose to move, being better organized you are, saves time and money. So pack early and label all your boxes so the movers can easily set them where you want them at your new destination. Packing your own boxes saves money whether you use a mover who charges by weight or by time. Also, get rid of any items you don’t need before you move to save time, effort and money.