Getting precise moving quotes is more important than a lot of people realize. Especially when moving on a budget. Only by having a precise moving quote can you be sure that the final price you pay will not be an unpleasant surprise. Therefore, it is in your best interest to read this article and find out all you can about getting precise moving quotes. You have to know how much you are going to end up paying if you want to avoid spending a fortune.
How to deal with moving quotes
While getting precise moving quotes is important, it is certainly not easy. The reasons for that are numerous, but they boil down to not being honest. Be it that the moving company is not honest about what they will charge. Or, that the person is not honest about what exactly they would like to get moved. And while you certainly can’t control how honest a moving company is, there are ways in which you can control how good their estimate is.
Multiple estimates
The first thing you need to utilize is mathematics. While moving companies can lie, numbers can’t. Get yourself as many moving quotes as you can. Contact as many local movers as you can. Then average out their estimates. The reason is that there are movers that will right away overprice their services. Others many underprice you on their estimate and then overprice on their bill. The best way to mitigate this is by getting an average. The average estimate will be the closest you can get to the final bill. Furthermore, the more estimates you have the better your average estimate will be. Plus, you will be able to filter out the overly expensive and the suspiciously cheap moving companies.
How to get precise estimates
But, you can you know that the estimates that each estimate that the different moving companies will give you will be close to the final bill? Simple. Be honest. Only if you tell them exactly what you want to be moved and when can they tell you what that is really going to cost you. If you hide something from them during the estimate and end up transporting it anyway, you will end up paying for it. Therefore, there is no reason for you to hide anything. Say outright what needs to be moved and you will get a much better estimate.
Different kinds of estimates
Another thing that you need to keep in mind is that there are multiple types of moving estimates. There are binding and non-binding moving estimates. Most online estimates are non-binding. That means that the price that they give you in no way has to be even close to the real price. If a moving company doesn’t send a representative to give you an on-site estimate, you shouldn’t trust it. Now, if the company does send a representative, that representative will give you a binding estimate. And, while that does sound like it will be the precise and final cost, it doesn’t have to be the case. Legally they always can have some wiggle room to change the final price. But, much less so than it is possible with a non-binding price.
How to work with movers
At the end of the day, how precise your moving quotes will depend upon how good you are with dealing with movers. If you find honest, trustworthy movers, you’ll have nothing to worry about. The estimate you get will be the bill you receive. But it is not easy to find movers like JP Urban Moving Brooklyn. You need to do know how to look and have a bit of luck.
Find reliable movers
Check your movers before you decide that you want to hire them. Check out online if they have good reviews and if someone has complained about them. If you hire local movers, which you definitely should, you can ask around and see how good they are standing with the neighbors. Honest movers are rare, but they are very valuable. Therefore, once you get a whiff of the one you will easily confirm their reliability.
Hidden moving costs
Once you get your estimate, keep in mind that there are hidden moving costs. Nothing that the movers do will be pro bono. Even if they don’t tell you the price right away. If you are getting packing services, don’t expect them to be free just because the company is moving you. Talk with your movers about every part of the move. There are no stupid questions. Make sure that you understand every part of the move and that you understand every cost that goes into the move. Know that movers will charge you for every hour they spend moving you. That includes packing you, cleaning your place, driving you, everything. Know what you are being charged for and your moving quotes will be precise.
Avoid scams
Unfortunately, there are some moving companies that are really dishonest. Some are honest to the bone. Most will try to squeeze out every dollar they can. But, some are downright illegally dishonest. They will not shy away from lying and using scams to cheat you out of every dollar possible. One of the most common scams is to take your possessions hostage. What they do is that they first give you a very low estimate. Then they come to pick up your items and leave. Then you get a notification saying that the estimate they gave you was non-binding. Furthermore, the final bill will be many times higher than the original estimate. Don’t want to pay? No problem. They will simply keep your stuff. Avoid this from happening at all cost.