How Do I Get the Best Deal on Movers? 8 Tips for Choosing Affordable Help
Are you trying to figure out the answer to, “How do I get the best deal on movers?” Read this article to learn how to choose a moving company.
Summer is in full effect and with it comes the lion’s share of 40 million+ people that choose to relocate to new locations. If you’re among those that are headed off for greener pastures, good for you!
Seeing more of the world and chasing down new opportunities is what life is all about.
Unfortunately, seeing more of the world often requires complicated moves, many of which you’ll likely need to hire movers to help you manage. That brings us to this post’s big question, “How do I get the best deal on professional moving services?”
Getting a great deal on movers is imperative for people that are cash strapped and need to haul a bunch of stuff over long distances. Below, we share our top tips on how you can slash your moving budget!
1. Move During the Off-Season
Supply and demand apply to all business pricing and moving is no different. In general, moving companies are going to be their busiest during the summer since the weather is dry.
Given that demand, you can expect to pay more for summer moves.
On the flip side, if you were to schedule your move during the winter, a time where most people hunker down, you’d find lower rates for the same quality services.
2. Make Arrangements in Advance
No matter which season you choose to book your move during, the more heads up you can give your movers, the better. Many moving companies charge rush fees which help them offset costs associated with needing to manage your move on short notice.
By giving quality movers like BustNMoves Moving Company LLC or other qualified companies two weeks or more notice your moving plans, you’ll be able to avoid those charges.
3. Go With Smaller Companies
Large moving companies tend to have fixed rates in exchange for clearly defined services. It’s hard if not impossible for you to get those companies to be flexible.
When you engage smaller movers, they’re more likely to provide you with custom moving rates and packages that are better suited to your particular needs. These customization options could save you a significant amount of money.
4. Downsize Before Moving
There are two types of moving rates that you’ll bump into when shopping movers. Those rates are flat rates and variable rates.
Flat rates will take into account the size of your house (how many rooms) and will quote you a flat price that covers getting all of those rooms cleared out. Variable rates are more granular and will depend on how many hours it takes to pack up the volume of stuff you have.
You can support your “how do I get the best deal on movers” ambitions by opting for a variable rate and reducing the number of things you have before moving day. The best way to do that is to throw out junk and donate things you don’t need that have value.
5. Pack/Unpack Items Yourself
Packing and unpacking items are often the most time-consuming part of a move and what inflates mover’s rates. You can nix that factor by putting in legwork the day before your move and packing objects yourself. In the same vein, when your items get dropped off at your new location, you can forgo having movers help you unpack.
Yes, packing/unpacking items on your own can be a big-time suck during a period where time is at a premium. If you’re interested in saving as much money as possible on your move though, this is one of the best ways to do it.
6. Avoid Extra Costs
Talk to your movers before hiring them about any miscellaneous costs they carry. These costs may include “waiting time” (charged for delays you cause), specialty items costs (charged for moving awkward furniture or appliances), and more.
With extra costs identified, you can absorb that damage by making sure you’re running on time and moving odd items yourself, if possible.
7. Put Out an Ad on Classified Sites
If after everything we’ve talked about, you’re still wondering how you’re going to afford moving help, you can forgo hiring a company altogether and just hire day laborers. Most day laborers you hire will not necessarily be skilled movers but can take direction and help you load a truck.
Laborers can be found on sites like TaskRabbit and Craigslist. They can be booked in advance so you can know for sure that when your moving day comes, you’ll have the help you need.
8. Make Insurance a Priority
This tip comes in direct conflict with our last one because day laborers are not likely to carry any sort of insurance policy that protects your property. Moving companies, on the other hand, should carry insurance.
Working with a person or company without insurance is risky. It means that if an item is damaged during a move or even if someone gets injured on your property, you may be liable to cover associated expenses.
That’s why, in our opinion, you should always make hiring a group with insurance a priority. Otherwise, all of your moving savings can evaporate if something goes wrong.
Have More How Do I Get the Best Deal on Movers Questions?
We get asked all the time “how do I get the best deal on movers?” We hope that the tips we’ve outlined serve as an excellent starting point for getting a great rate.
If you’d like more tips on moving, negotiating rates, or related topics, our team welcomes you to browse more of the newest content on our blog.
You’ll be glad you did!
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- What To Ask A Moving Service Company Before Hiring One For Your Big Move
