Acquiring an Estimate for Your Move
Choosing a reputable moving company is one of the initial and most important steps you will take in your relocation process. There are many companies to choose from that appear legitimate and offer competitive prices. Read our tips on how to choose the right moving company that will work for you.
The next step is shopping around
for an estimate to insure you receive the most accurate and reasonable quote on your move. The cardinal rule here is to be wary of very low estimates and ask all and any questions that you may have.
Some companies lure customers
with promising incentives to get a contract. If you come across a company from your list that offers much lower rates than their competitors, proceed with caution. The cost of your move will closely reflect on the quality of your move.
You may be sacrificing other
things that are actually more important, such as getting your valued possessions moved and delivered safely without damage. They are worth many times more than the cost of your move, both in monetary and sentimental value.
You can acquire a moving estimate in two ways
over the phone or with the company sending a rep to assess your load prior to giving you a quote. The cost of a move is based on many factors: weight, distance, length of time and the manpower involved.
Most companies offer two types of estimates
A non-binding estimate is an approximation of the cost for your move, based on the estimated weight of the shipment and accessorial services requested. A binding estimate is an exact cost for moving services and your final charges will not increase.
You may benefit more from a phone estimate
if you are moving locally and don’t have many items to move or perhaps yours is a last minute move. A reputable moving company is not out to get you, but rather, to provide you with the best moving experience they can, so you will be inclined to use their services again and recommend them to your friends, relatives and neighbors.
Therefore, given the right circumstances
you can trust an over the phone estimate to be accurate and precise.
Acquiring an Estimate for Your Move
You must however provide all items that are going to be moved as accurately and true to your knowledge as possible. Concealing such information in hopes of a lower estimate will just result in more frustration for you and the movers.
If you are moving a large home
or relocating to another city, you may want to ask for an in-home estimate. An in-home moving estimate is a free service provided by most reputable moving companies.
Expert estimators will be sent to your location
to complete an evaluation of all of your items, they will do a walk-through and go through each room very carefully, often making notes of what is going to be included in the move and estimating the total weight of the shipment based on what the customer is going to be moving.
If you know that items you plan to move are out of view, be sure to point them. From this estimation, and careful surveying of the house, the movers are then able to arrive at an initial price that the estimate the move will cost based on all of the factors involved.