Moving? Here are Five Expenses You May Not Have Thought About
Moving to a new place can be exciting, but most people agree that it’s a lot of work. Unfortunately, it can be pretty expensive as well. Even if you’ve got your moving budget all worked out, expenses you may not have thought about have a way of popping up when you don’t expect them. When you have a moving company doing the job for you, there may be surprise fees at the other end of your move. Not because anything shady is going on, but simply because you have different expectations from the moving company. There are enough possible surprises when moving into a new house, don’t let your budget be one of them.
Surprise moving fees you may not have taken into account:
Do You Need Your Movers at a Certain Time?
Don’t forget that the moving company won’t necessarily be unloading at your house at the exact time you’re expecting. If you have a small window where things need to be moved, you need to tell them ahead of time. This can happen if you’re local, and closing on a new house while your buyers are getting ready to claim your old one. It’s best to be specific with the hours you need the movers to be at your new house. If this window is less than a few hours, you might need to pay extra, so make sure you ask for this upfront.
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Moving to a higher floor?
If you are moving into anything but a first-floor apartment, you want to notify your moving company of this before the move. Especially if there is no elevator, or if the stairway is narrow, steep, or otherwise difficult to maneuver. Moving companies may charge up to $75 extra per flight of stairs, so this is an important thing to take into account. And don’t discount this extra fee just because you are moving into a single-level house. If you have items that need to go in the basement, the fee may still apply, so make sure you ask before the move.
Do You Own Heavy Things?
Sure, everything feels heavy when you’re lugging it up the stairs to your new home, which is why many moving companies weigh their shipments and charge you by weight rather than the number of boxes. They will also re-weigh if they suspect that items are heavier than you told them in the estimate. If they are right, and you were off in your estimation, they will likely charge you for the extra pounds. It’s always best to try to be as accurate as possible when estimating the weight of the items in your home.
Did You Leave Extra Work for the Movers?
Moving companies usually have a set of directions they want you to follow. Usually, they want everything in boxes, certain items plastic-wrapped, and large items may even need to be crated. If the moving company gets to your house and things aren’t packed correctly, they will probably charge you extra. If they need to crate or box an item that should already have been done, they will probably charge you quite a bit extra. So, either make sure that everything gets done according to the moving company’s requirements or estimate a couple of hundred dollars more into your moving budget.
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Is Your Home Difficult to Access?
Most of us don’t drive a tractor-trailer around town, so we don’t always think about the fact that moving trucks are considerably larger than our personal cars. If your new or old home is on a main road, for instance, there may not be anywhere for a moving truck to park while the movers load or unload. The same applies if your house has a long driveway that can’t be accessed by the moving truck. The movers may need to use a shuttle to move your things, which is obviously going to cost you extra. If you think that your old or new house might be difficult to access, make sure you ask ahead of the move how the moving company would handle a situation like this, and how much extra they would charge you.
Make Sure the Charges are Correct
If you see any charges on your bill that you don’t understand, make sure to ask until you get a satisfying answer. Some companies will attempt to charge you extra for no reason other than to make money, so always ask until you understand exactly what you are paying for.
No Surprise Moving Fees With Primetime
The most important thing to remember to avoid unexpected moving expenses is to make sure that you have a clear understanding of how much stuff you’re moving, where you are moving it to, and just that you are on the same page as your moving company about the job that needs to be done.
Happy moving!