Every move can have hidden moving costs. It is very important to read your moving contract before signing it to make these “hidden” fees, not hidden to you anymore. By reading through your contract, you will see that most movers will charge extra for certain situations and specific conditions happening during the move. It is your responsibility to read over this contract and stay up to date with the moving company to make sure you are informed of any extra fees or conditions.
The main reason people complain about hidden costs is because of packing supplies. Some people before reading over their contract will assume that packing supplies come with the moving price and are just unlimited. Most of the time packing supplies are an extra cost, unless already stated differently in your contract. To go along with the supplies, some moving companies will charge you extra fees to pack your items as well as moving them.
The next hidden fee behind moving is bulky items. This is a very specific rule to read over in your contract. Bulky items usually consist of items that can not fit through your normal door, weigh over a set weight, or are too large to pick up by hand. A few good examples of bulky items are pool tables, pianos, and large beds that cannot be dissembled. This is a simple relocation cost that you can prepare for or avoid depending on the items.
Another hidden fee that goes along with large items is known as a hoisting fee. If you have items that cannot go through your normal door, like large couches, beds, etc. Most of the time, you should realize what items you have that are of significant size and cannot be taken apart. This will allow you to put aside funds to cover these expenses. If you do not inform the movers ahead of time, it will cause setbacks on your moving out date, add extra fees, and cause a lack of organizing. It is always good to measure your furniture in advance to avoid bulky items and a hoisting fee.
Then there is sometimes an elevator fee depending on the situation. You may have to pay to reserve an elevator through the building manager to use during your move. If you are able to talk to the manager and get the elevator at your requested time, you may not have to pay a fee.
Another fee that you may not have been informed about is charges for extra stops. Extra stops and pick-ups are both common for being charged extra for. If you are needing more items picked up along the way, at a storage unit or family member’s house, moving companies may tact on extra fees. In another case, you may want items dropped off at separate places; they may also charge you extra for multiple drop locations.
Then, there is also an express delivery fee. If you are wanting your items to be moved, packed, or delivered quicker, you can discuss it with the company, but expect extra costs. Short distance moves usually take less time than out of state relocations. If you are wanting your items to an out of state location in a minimal amount of days, you may wish you to pay extra for an express delivery.
The last fee you should beware of is when cancelling a move. If you want to cancel your moving services that you have requested from a moving company, there may be extra fees added if you do not meet the deadline. In your contract, the cut-off for cancelling your moving services will be listed. After paying a deposit, and wanting to cancel, your moving company may have the right to collecting your deposit as a cancellation fee. Usually you can avoid this if you cancel well in advance, rather than a few days before.
As you can see, understanding your written estimate well and being informed about what your quote includes is crucial to knowing your moving budget well. The hidden costs of moving companies can be avoided and/ or controlled when you know about them. Some of them cannot be avoided when the circumstances are like so but when you do know in advance about them, you can plan more precisely your moving budget.