The Secret To Getting An Accurate Estimate For Your Move

Written by Posted On Wednesday, 03 July 2019 09:57

It can be really tricky getting an accurate estimate for a house move, especially if you've never done it before. There is just so much to consider and if you don't know what you need to be asking the moving or self-storage company about, how will you know if you've got an estimate for everything you need?

The estimate and budget needed for your move will depend on how extensive your house move is. If you're moving towns the costs will be a lot less elaborate and expensive than say a move to another country. Here we look at getting an accurate estimate for a local move:

The Cost Of The Moving Company

When you get a cost from a moving company you are looking to get an estimate for the entire move. You firstly need to know if the company charges by the job or by the hour. If it is by the hour you need to ask them how long they think the job will take them. If they work on a cost per job basis, they will be looking at how many items they are moving for you, how difficult the items are to move, how much the items are worth and whether or not they need to pack them for you as well.

Liability

Most UK moving companies will tell you what the insurance is on the job, what it covers you for and to what value. Look at the small print in detail when it comes to liability as you may not worry during the move, but if you unpack a precious item to find it was damaged in transit, you will definately care then and need to know if you're entitled to compensation from the moving company.

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Hidden Extras

You may find that there are hidden extra costs involved in moving that you were not aware of. For example; if you move in summer the cost of the move may be higher because more people move in summer, therefore moving companies increase their prices. In order to avoid paying through the nose for the last company available, book well in advance and shop around to compare prices for storage and removals. The company may also charge for extra services undertaken during the day that you agreed to because you thought it was part of the service, like an additional trip or extra items. The best self storage companies and moving companies are completely upfront about their services and should tell you clearly if anything is going to cost you any extra, but you can never be too careful so don't be afraid to ask if you're unsure. There are plenty of good removals and self-storage companies that offer great services at no additional cost, such as packing boxes and materials or free collection from your self-storage unit.

Other Costs

If you are moving the items yourself you will be factoring in things like petrol costs, food and drink costs for helpers and packaging costs if you're packing everything yourself. You'll also need to factor in childcare or petcare if that's something necessary to your move. If you're using cheap self storage you will need to estimate how long you're planning on keeping your items in storage, and if you're going to need to hire a van or large vehicle to remove the items from storage when the time comes.

The more you plan ahead and think about the details, the more likely you are to create an accurate estimate for your move. As a back up it is wise to keep a 'just in case' pot so you have some money left aside 'just in case' the move costs you more than you thought.

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