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Are you moving to a new home? Relocating for work? Moving out of state? You are not alone. More than 35 million Americans move every year for a variety of reasons. No matter what stands behind your packing adventure, there are only three ways you can do it: hiring a moving company, renting a moving truck/container/trailer, or getting your belongings to a new place on your own.

According to Zillow, roughly half of all people who move use professional movers, whether they’re moving short or long distances. Hiring professional movers seems like the easiest solution but it might not always be your fit, depending on the distance, the number of belongings you have and cost. If you are seriously considering hiring a moving company, it’s important to plan ahead to avoid overpaying. To get an estimate and make the decision in favor or against hiring professional help, look at several factors which contribute to the moving company cost:

• Size Of Place: are you moving a studio or a 5-bedroom house?
• The Number Of Items: remember, the less weight, the cheaper the cost.
• The Size Of Items: extra heavy items like pianos, fish tanks, safes will usually add to your total cost.
• Packing: if you are not ready to deal with bubble wrapping every plate, it might be a good idea to use packing services.  Usually billed hourly plus the cost of used moving supplies.
• Distance: mileage and driving time are major cost factors in long distance and local moves. Make sure to ask if there are any additional transportation charges, like fuel or tolls.
• Storage: if your moving dates don’t line up perfectly, you might need to temporarily put your stuff in a storage unit or moving container.
• Furniture Assembly: if your furniture needs to be disassembled or reassembled, most likely you will have to pay extra.
• Conditions Of Loading and Unloading: does your old or new place have any stairs, elevators, narrow hallways, steep driveways? Since most companies bill hourly, the easier and faster it is to navigate from the house to the truck, the cheaper the cost.

How To Reduce Moving Costs

Whatever kind of move you’re planning, there is a way to reduce your moving costs.

• First, throw away those never-worn shoes, old TV that never worked, donate, gift or just leave the stuff which you no longer need to lighten your load.
• Aim for the off-season. If you have a choice, avoid summer as pricing is usually at its peak.
• Disassemble furniture and do some easy packing (small items, personal items etc.)
• Make sure there is an accessible, easy in-and-out parking spot reserved for the moving truck. Remember, time is money and you don’t want the movers to be looking for parking for hours.
• Book in advance. Planning ahead of time gives you plenty of flexibility and options. Moving last minute might cost you more.
• Ask questions. To avoid any unexpected charges, it’s always a good idea to ask questions and get a detailed quote in advance.

With so many options available, hiring a quality professional moving company might not be the easiest thing to do but if you find the right one, you will never want to move on your own again!

Learn more about Dominant Moving Company and get a free quote for your future move. Happy moving!