The surest way to ensure you find a solid moving company that will move your home for a fair price is to take bids. By getting moving companies to compete for your business, you remain in control of the process and have the benefit of choice.
The first thing you should do is realize that different moving companies use different methods of bidding.
Factors that influence the cost of a moving service include:
- Cumulative weight of all the items you are moving
- How far you are moving (mileage)
- Whether or not movers will have to navigate stairs during the move
- Distance from the moving truck to the front door
- Weather conditions
- How much the moving company does versus how much you do
Compare Apples to Apples
It’s best to determine beforehand what exactly you want your moving company to do. Will you pack your items and have the moving company pick them up, or do you want the moving company to pack your items too? Make that decision before you call any mover because you don’t want to compare a quote from a moving company that didn’t factor in you packing your items against a quote from a moving company that did factor it into the cost. Compare similar services.
Ask each moving company to list additional fees they add to their service. For instance, if one company adds a stair fee and another one doesn’t, make sure that you factor in the difference in your comparison.
Also, if moving companies base their prices on different factors, try to convert one of them to match. For instance, Moving Company A quotes you a price of $1,800 for 1,000 pounds of household items you plan to move and 50 cents per mile while Moving Company B quotes you $2,000 to move 500 miles. That 50 cents per mile with Moving Company A means you’ll actually pay $2,050 for the 500-mile move. If there are no additional fees with Moving Company B, that would be the better deal.
Get Your Moving Quotes in Writing
The most important part about taking bids from moving companies is to get a quote in writing. Otherwise, you may show up on moving day only to find out the cost of moving has changed from what you were originally quoted. Compare all moving quotes based on written estimates only.
