Moving from one home to another is expensive as it is, but the hidden fees associated with moving costs can make the 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 ahead and have a budget with enough wiggle room to handle the unexpected costs of moving so that 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 do 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 choose to 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 cost of labor, 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 of 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 that are 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 comes included with your move from the moment you sign the contract, but that may not be enough to fully cover your move. It’s a good idea to look into Full Value Protection moving insurance to 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 the concept of paying a cancelation fee, express shipping fee, or a 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 they are unable to park close to the building where they 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 that they can pull up to the curb for easy access.