Learn the ins and outs of moving quotes before planning your long-distance move.

When moving out of state, hiring a professional moving company is essential to ensuring your belongings arrive in your new home safely and undamaged. However, Long distance moving costs can often come as a shock to customers once they have finished moving and are handed a bill that was way more expensive than they were initially expecting. Therefore, to avoid unexpected costs, it is vital to estimate the cost of the move from moving companies to ensure you are not left with a surprise at the end of the day. To educate our audience on what they should know about moving quotes, we’ve put together a comprehensive list intending to assist you before your next big move.

What is a Moving Quote?

Just as you would get a free quote from a construction company to fix your roof, a moving quote aims to provide customers with an accurate idea of what your long-distance moving cost will be before you end up moving. However, it should be noted that you should be aware of various types of moving quotes before calling your preferred moving company. Here are the three different types of quotes you may be offered:

Types of Quotes

• Non-Binding Quote: In some instances, moving companies will offer a non-binding quote in which they will provide you with their best guess as to how much it will cost for your long-distance move. However, the final price will be decided by your items’ overall weight and the other services they provide you. In the end, it is possible for the actual amount you spend to be way higher than the original quote. However, the moving company can only charge you 110% of the estimate at the end of the delivery and will issue a bill afterward.

• Binding Quote: A binding quote, on the other hand, requires a moving company to honor the original quote they provided you over the phone or online as long as you have not added additional items to your inventory list.

• Binding not to exceed quote: A binding not to exceed quote is similar to a binding quote. However, if your items end up weighing less than the original quote, you will end up paying less.

Moving Out of State Trips

Here are a couple of essential tips that we have created to ensure your moving company appropriately serves you:

• Make sure your inventory list is correct: Ensuring that your inventory list is as accurate as possible is essential in avoiding extra costs at the end of your move. Therefore, once the moving company provides you with the list, go through it a couple of times to ensure that every piece of furniture is listed and all boxes are listed.

• Avoid signing documents before you read them: This will help prevent you from being scammed by a moving company. Make sure to read through the entire quote document and ask as many questions as possible to ensure you completely understand what you are being charged for and your expectations with the company and its services.

• Moving costs that are based on weight are more reliable: When you are moving out of state, moving companies that base their pricing on the weight of your items are way more trustworthy than companies that charge you based on cubic feet and is often a common scam that many untrustworthy companies will try and sell their customers before billing them with ridiculous invoices at the end of their move.

• Think about when you are planning on moving: Contrary to popular belief, many moving companies will change their pricing based on the time of year. Therefore, to get the most cost-effective price, make sure to ask your moving company whether it is cheaper to move within a couple of weeks of your planned date.

Is Your Moving Company Experienced?

While most moving companies have years of experience with long-distance moves, it is crucial to inquire whether or not the moving company you choose is qualified to handle your move with the utmost care and professionalism. Therefore, before agreeing to hire the moving services from your preferred company, make sure to ask who will be handling your move.

A confident answer is what you are looking for that will not cause any reasons to be concerned with who you are placing your trust in. The best way to know that you are in good hands is to take a look at the reviews the company has online beforehand. This will help you narrow down your choices so you can find the right fit quicker and more comfortable.

Long Distance Moving Costs: Additional Service Costs

Depending on how many belongings you plan on shipping across the state, almost all moving companies offer additional service costs that you should be aware of before you are charged unilaterally without your consent or knowledge, including:

• Packing Services: If you are someone who has tons of belongings they intend to bring with them when moving long distances, some moving companies will charge extra for their staff to help you pack up all your belongings, which is the perfect solution in situations where you are short on time.

• Larger Item Charges: Most moving companies will charge customers extra money for large, heavier items such as bookcases or dining room tables. Therefore, it is vital to inform your moving company of any larger items before you are provided with a quote. Hence, you avoid extra charges at the end of your move.

• Stair Charges: If you by chance are moving to a 4-level home or any other type of location that requires you to climb a lot of stairs, your moving company may charge extra for their movers to bring all your items up to their desired location. Therefore, you should also inform your moving company before you are quoted. You may be charged for elevator moves as well if you are moving into an apartment building.

• Long Haul Charges: You should also be aware that your moving company may charge you extra if your home location is distanced from where the movers are able to park their trucks. Again, ensure that you are open with this type of setback before you provide your moving quote.

Moving Out of State Insurance

Suppose your items are damaged during your long-distance move. In that case, it is essential to understand that it does not guarantee you will be reimbursed for your damaged items. Therefore, you should also note the different types of insurances that your moving company offers to protect your items. Here is a list of the three types of insurances that you may be interested in purchasing when you are moving:

• Limited Insurance: This type of insurance requires that the moving companies pay for your items’ weight. However, by law, they are only required to pay 60 cents per pound per each damaged item. Therefore, this type of insurance isn’t the best when it comes to coverage as some people would like.

• Full Insurance: Full insurance coverage will reimburse or replace any damaged items that occur on behalf of the moving company during the move.

• Third-Party Coverage: If you are not satisfied with the insurance coverage options that are provided to you by your moving company, many insurance companies offer moving coverage for clients.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, when it comes to moving long-distance, there are many more factors to consider that most people never realize before it is too late. When approaching a moving company, it is crucial to establish open communication with them from day one, so you are not surprised at the end of your move. Ensure that you inform the company of all the items you have and make sure to purchase insurance that you feel confident in just in case. Remember that it is always better to be safe than sorry in these types of situations –especially when moving out of state. However, after reading through our article, you should have the required knowledge to make an informed decision before reaching out for a phone or online consultation with a moving company. This way, you can move with confidence and a clear mind during your long journey across the country.

If you would like to find out more information about moving, please head over to our main blog page for more details you may find useful to you.