Moving is a very expensive game. From the cost of moving your furniture to the fee that movers will charge you, it can be hard to keep track of everything. There are many hidden costs when hiring movers that can drain your wallet without you even realizing it.
It is never easy to move, but it becomes even more complicated when moving a long distance. The costs will be higher than just renting a truck and driving yourself to your new home. You have to hire movers, and these professionals will charge you for their services. In addition to the labor charges, many hidden costs can add up quickly if you don’t plan ahead of time!
Get to know the 11 hidden costs of hiring movers and give some tips on how to save money!
1. Packing material and Packing labor
Full service movers will offer you the option of packing your items. However, this will cost you an additional fee, typically around $60 per hour, for the labor and supplies needed to pack all of your belongings into boxes. If you’re on a budget and wish to save on a long distance relocation, it might be worth doing some research online or even asking friends if they would like to help with this task as well!
2. Insurance
It is always good if the moving company offers you insurance on your belongings. There is a chance that something could happen to them, and you don’t want to be liable for the damages! But this will also be charged additionally. The cost will be around $100-$200 per day of the move. Be sure to ask about this fee when comparing moving quotes with different companies.
3. Cost of assembling and disassembling Furniture and large electronic items
This is an additional cost that most people forget about. For example, if you have a desk in your old home and want to bring it with you into the new one, this will need to be assembled and disassembled. This can also be very expensive! If there are any large electronic items like televisions or couches, these will require more time for moving. Cost of dismantling furniture and appliances that cannot be carried through doorways
Some objects are too big to fit in doorways or staircases, so they need to be dismantled before moving them into a new home. This is an additional cost for large pieces like refrigerators, dining tables, etc. Moreover, it can lead to more expensive because you have to pack these items and dismantle and assemble them once again when coming out from your house at your destination. Hence, don’t forget about this hidden charge while comparing quotes with different long distance moving companies.
4. Charges of Handling Bulky items
Shifting Bulky items may require more time and labor, which the movers will charge. For instance, a coach may need more than one person to move it around
5. Fees of using Elevators
If you live on a higher floor, it’s possible that an elevator will not be available in the building. A moving company may charge this fee if they have to use the service of a freight elevator or other means. It is recommended to inquire about the availability of elevators before hiring movers.
6. Parking Fees
If the relocating companies cannot park in your building’s parking lot, they will have to park in a public street. The property owner or municipality may charge a parking fee for this service. In addition, they will charge you long carry fees if the truck is parked far away from your house.
7. Overage Fee
If you have a lot of stuff, movers will charge for the extra space on their truck your belongings take up. This is called an overage fee and usually starts at $25 per hour.
8. Move Cancellation Fee
In any case, if you require to cancel your move on the decided date, the movers will charge for the cancellation of your move.
This is a fee charged by the long distance moving company if you want to cancel or change your moving date and time than what was originally agreed upon.
If movers cannot accommodate the new schedule, they may request additional fees for an “on-call” truck.
9. Delayed Delivery Fee
If you have a lot of items to move and you don’t want to get into a mess at first hand, you can request the movers to keep some of your items which may not be immediately required in their storage space but hold on, and this won’t be free of cost.
Normally movers will charge you a fee for the delayed delivery. The company charges this to store your items in their storage space which may not be immediately required when they are free from other jobs, and hence it can get expensive as per hour of storing.
10. Express Delivery Charge
For some items, you want delayed delivery, some items you may require immediately so that movers will charge you for the express delivery of those items. However, the company charges this cost to deliver your package as soon as possible, which usually means faster than normal service and it can get expensive if not done properly.
11.Travel Fee
If the moving company is located far away from your location, then that means you will have to pay more in travel fee.
The company charges this cost to drive their trucks and other vehicles, which usually involves on-road expenses like gas, maintenance, etc.
Conclusion
So, when hiring movers or deciding what items should be moved separately, consider these and many other hidden costs as they can drain your wallet quickly if not taken care of beforehand.
