After you put a down payment on that new house and book your moving company, you might assume that you have accounted for most of your relocation expenses. However, because professional moving businesses have to budget carefully for things like labor and liabilities, you might be subject to extra fees or accessorial charges if you aren't careful. Here are three ways to save money on moving day, so that you can protect your budget:
1: Finish Your Errands Beforehand
Think again before you ask your movers to drop by your storage unit or make a stop at city hall. Extra trips and additional stops can eat through gas and take loads of extra time, delaying your move and putting movers into overtime. To account for the fuel losses and time delays, it isn't uncommon for moving companies to charge as much as $75 for each additional stop — which can drive up your moving day expenses in a jiffy.
To avoid extra fees, try to finish your errands in advance. Move objects into a storage unit beforehand, and set a date to have your utility services disconnected. Say your goodbyes to neighbors, family members, and friends ahead of time so that you don't have to stop on your way out of town. It might seem like a lot of extra work, but it could help you to avoid additional charges.
2: Shorten Moving Distances
Sure, it might make sense to ask movers to park on the street in front of your house, but if that truck is more than 50 to 75 feet away from your home, you might have to pay long carry fees. These fees are designed to compensate for the extra time and physical rigors it might take for a professional moving team to move heavy objects across tough terrain. Fortunately, you might be able to fend off extra charges by shortening moving distances.
To reduce walking distances, consider letting movers park on your front lawn or in your backyard. If you are worried about your lawn taking a hit, consider laying down plywood planks to spread out the pressure and prevent divots. If you live in an apartment building, ask your landlord if you can use the freight elevator for your moving day. These special elevators are typically larger and heftier than traditional passenger elevators, so that your movers can load more into the space and make fewer trips.
Before your moving day, ask a moving company representative come out to your house to inspect your setup. That way, you can plan routes that won't rack up additional charges.
3: Get Moving Insurance
By the time you pay for packing supplies and register your kids at their new school, you might find yourself automatically refusing little extras like moving insurance. Some homeowners mistakenly assume their renters or homeowner's insurance policy will cover their goods, but this isn't always the case. In fact, homeowner's insurance policies typically only cover about 10 percent of the value of your things.
However, most moving companies offer supplemental moving insurance, which protects your belongings from the rigors of the road. Believe it or not, this valuable insurance is incredibly affordable — costing an average of about $7.50 per $1,000 of covered belongings. To put that number into perspective, covering $20,000 worth of household possessions would only cost about $150, meaning that your insurance could pay for itself if one television is damaged during the journey.
By taking care of your errands ahead of time and budgeting for extra moving costs, you might be able to avoid surprises and streamline your moving day.
Share15 September 2015
Businesses come in all shapes and sizes. They provide us with all of the things that we need each day to live the lives we are used to. Are you considering starting up a business of your own? Do you have a hobby, interest, or skill that others could benefit from? Having watched as my son build a concrete finishing company from scratch, I have witness what persistence, patience, and hard work can do for a person. My blog focuses on what it takes to start a business and what you must do to ensure that your business is on a path to success.
