The first thing you’ll want to know when you start considering moving from one home to another is “How much is this going to cost me?” Obviously a very important question. There are so many different options available – from renting a truck and doing everything yourself to hiring a full-service moving company, like Corrigan. It can be overwhelming to know where to start.
Let’s take a minute to understand how moving costs are determined, so you can be more confident when discussing pricing with your mover.
First and foremost, make sure your mover is physically seeing your home and everything to be moved. The best way to do this is to have an in-home estimate. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough. With so many factors going into calculating the moving price, the only way to be accurate is to see your home and belongings for themselves. If your schedule does not allow for an in-home estimate, schedule a Virtual Survey with your mover. This video-chat version of an in-home estimate is the next best thing.
A local move is typically defined as being less than 35 miles, with both the origin and destination within the same state. Some states have different definitions, but this is pretty standard.
At Corrigan, the pricing for local moves is hourly based. After taking into consideration all the factors assessed during the in-home estimate, your move consultant will determine the needed crew size, truck size, and hours needed to complete the job. If you want us to do your packing for you (and yes, you do!) then your estimate will include separate charge for the boxes that are needed to pack your belongings.
Our local move pricing includes all necessary supplies and materials needed to protect and transport your furniture and home. We will cover your home in protective materials to ensure no damage or dirt is left behind. We will pad wrap all your furniture, shrink wrap upholstered pieces, and cardboard protect any glass on furniture pieces. All of this is included in the local move hourly rate. Some local companies charge extra for tape and shrink wrap (and then they shrink wrap everything – a wasteful process because shrink wrap does nothing to protect wood furniture). Be sure to ask if these items are a separate line item.
In most states, it’s a regulation that local move pricing is not bound. This means that the actual cost of your move will be based on the actual number of hours it takes to complete the job. Because of this, be skeptical of any company that says they can do a move for significantly less time or less manpower. Because at the end of the move, you’ll be paying for the actuals even if they weren’t honest upfront.
Long distance moves are basically any move that is over 35 miles, or crosses state lines. The pricing for long distance moves is calculated differently than local moves.
For long distance moves, the cost is based on the amount you have moving and the distance. Because the amount you are moving is such a big factor in calculating the price, it’s especially important that your move consultant has seen everything to be moved. In-home move estimates are the best way to do this, but the Virtual Survey option works, too.
When working with Corrigan for your long distance move, your belongings basically have 2 options when it comes to transportation. The first is via our traditional move option, where your goods will be loaded onto a 53’ semi-truck with other families who are headed in the same direction at the same time. These moves are priced based on the weight of your shipment. Your move consultant will use the estimated weight she calculated during your in-home estimate to give you a price. This price is usually bound, meaning the price won’t change on move day.
The second transportation option is our Snapmove program. This is ideal for smaller moves and homes up to about 2 bedrooms in size. In this program, your belongings are loaded into large wooden crates, sealed, and transported to your destination inside the sealed containers. There are many benefits with this program including the ability to select 1 specific day for delivery. When it comes to the cost of moving through Snapmoves, the pricing is based on the number of containers your shipment takes up. Again, the assessment made by your move consultant in-home will determine the number of containers needed to safely ship your belongings.
Based on what your move consultant sees during your in-home estimate, you may need additional services added to your quote. These would be for items such as appliance disconnection and re-connection, protection of fine artwork, pool table disassembly, uninstalling anything from drywall, etc. Your move consultant will discuss each of these items with you.
When comparing multiple moving companies, I can’t stress enough the importance of understanding what is and isn’t included in your estimate. Here are some questions to ask to ensure you have a complete understanding:
Being confident about how move pricing works can make a huge difference in setting you up to have a successful move with no pricing surprises. There are so many factors that go into determining pricing. Keep asking questions until you feel comfortable and confident with the mover you’ve selected
