Costs can quickly get out of control when moving to a new home. Start your next journey off on the right foot with a quick understanding of what goes into moving costs so that you make the right decisions to control your costs while meeting your needs. We’ve gathered some great tips from our long-distance movers in Pittsburgh to help you get started.
First, let’s take a look at the primary factors that affect moving costs like:
- Optional Service
- Size of Household
- Distance
- Fuel Costs
Estimating Local Moving Costs in the Pittsburgh Area
Local moves are typically anything within a 50-mile radius for most moving companies, but it’s important to check as each mover can have its own policies. For local moves, your costs are a simple calculation of the labor required to complete your moving plan and a flat-fee transportation cost. Many moving companies offer attractive low, flat-fee transportation costs to grab your attention and then up-sell you on additional services like full-service packing, furniture wrapping, and piano moving that come at premium prices.
Estimated Long-Distance Moving Costs
If your next move takes you a little further, you can expect the costs to rise with the additional distance. Most long-distance movers utilize freight shipping to move your belongings which provides rates based on weight.
The Importance of Getting an In-Home Moving Estimate
The cost of moving can vary greatly from one home to the next. The only way to get an accurate moving estimate is to make use of a custom, in-home moving estimate that looks at your home and its contents compared to the services you are requesting for a precise estimate. For example, a typical two-bedroom apartment takes about six hours to move. However, if you live a minimalist lifestyle, your home might take three or four hours while a home of the same size that is full to the brim of prized possessions can take eight hours or more.
Understanding Pricing for Additional Services
Most moving companies offer a full range of scalable services like full-service packing, fragile-only packing, furniture wrapping, special handling for statutes and artwork, and much more. These services can be a lifesaver when you need them, but they are also a prime way to run up your moving bill. If you need to control costs, consider tackling some or all of the packing yourself while the movers do the heavy lifting.
What’s the Difference Between Binding and Non-Binding Estimates
Make sure that you know exactly what you’re getting into before you make a commitment. Some movers will provide verbal estimates which are considered non-binding, meaning that they are free to run up the bill with extra fees and services that lead to a big surprise. Protect yourself by requesting a written, binding moving estimate that details the services you’ve requested and the prices charged for each service.
The Takeaway on Estimating Moving Services
Getting an accurate idea of how much your next move will cost takes a little bit of legwork. Your local full-service moving company can offer scalable services to help you achieve your service and budget goals. Get a head start on planning your services with a custom, in-home moving estimate tailored to fit your needs. George Moving and Storage provides residential movers in Pittsburgh that can help you scale services to fit your needs using North American Van Lines for nationwide coverage.
With more than 40 years of experience, the Pittsburgh-based George Moving & Storage provides exceptional moving services at competitive prices. We specialize in tailoring moving services to fit your needs for local and long-distance residential moves in the Eastern US and across the country. Call our Pittsburgh-area movers today to get a virtual estimate.
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