Moving from one home to another is expensive, but the hidden fees associated with moving costs can make a move so much worse if you aren’t prepared! You would think that the cost of moving is as simple as booking the truck for the move, but there are so many factors that are sometimes out of your hands and the moving company’s hands. It’s important to plan and have a budget with enough wiggle room to handle the unexpected moving costs so you aren’t forced to go into your savings account to pay for it. At Champion Movers, we strive to make your move as painless as possible. Here are hidden moving costs to be aware of before you schedule your move!
Packing Materials and Labor
When you get ready for a move, you have to pack your things up. There’s no way around that. What you have control over is how you want to go about packing. Do you want to hire a crew of movers to come in and pack your belongings for you, or do you want to save some cash and do it yourself? Either way, there are costs associated with packing that you can’t get around.
If you hire a crew, the cost of materials is usually included in the packing fee. On the other hand, if you pack yourself, you won’t have to cover the labor cost, but you will still have to purchase enough cardboard boxes, tape, packing paper, bubble wrap, and markers.
Weigh the cost of doing it yourself against the cost of labor. You might find that it makes sense to hire a moving crew to pack up your home.
Moving Insurance
Putting all your valuable possessions on a single truck and transporting them to your new home is a little risky when you consider all of the variables out of your hand from the minute your belongings leave your home. Luckily, most, if not all, moving companies offer some degree of moving insurance.
Basic and limited moving insurance generally includes your move. From the moment you sign the contract, that may not be enough to cover your move fully. It’s a good idea to look into Full Value Protection moving insurance. Make sure that all of your possessions are covered in the event of an accident, theft, or extreme weather conditions.
Long Carry Fee
You should be familiar with paying a cancelation fee, express shipping fee, or delayed shipping fee. But you might be surprised to have to pay a Long Carry Fee.
When your moving truck arrives at your new home, if it cannot park close to the building where it can unload quickly and efficiently, you may be charged a long carry fee. To avoid this fee, it’s best to reserve parking for your truck ahead of time. So they can pull up to the curb for easy access.