5 Items and Services to Make Sure are Included During an In-Home Moving Survey
Before you select which moving company to work with, it is important to get several quotes from reputable moving companies. Before giving you a moving quote, the company should perform an in-home estimate. This involves looking through your home and determining exactly how much work will be involved packing and moving your belongings. If a company does not offer an in-home estimate, then it is difficult for them to offer an exact estimate and you may end up paying more than you expect when it is time to move your things. An in-home survey provides an excellent opportunity for you to understand what may or may not be included in your final quote.
Once your in-home survey is completed, you may get an immediate estimate or your moving company may take a few days to review your situation. Either way, you should double-check to make sure the following items and services are included in your quote.
Packing Supplies
If you are paying your moving company to pack your home, then they will usually insist on using their own packing supplies. Because of this, packing supplies may already be included in your quote. However, if you are packing your own belongings and the movers are simply loading and transporting them, packing supplies may or may not be included in your quote.
To make sure that you will not have an unexpected cost or be paying for something you will not use, ask your relocation expert if packing supplies will be included in the estimate during your in-home survey. This is also a good time to point out fragile or delicate items that may need specialty packing supplies.
Dismantling and Assembly of Furniture
As you are going over the larger pieces of furniture in your home, discuss which ones will have to be dismantled and which ones can be moved while assembled. While you are asking this, discuss whether you want dismantling and assembly of furniture included in your quote. Be sure to let your relocation expert know if you plan to dismantle any of the pieces on your own so they can adjust your quote appropriately.
Elevator or Stair Fees
If you currently live in a building with an elevator or stairs this fee should automatically be added to your estimate. However, when you are discussing your move you should also let your relocation expert know whether your new home will have an elevator or stairs so they can add those fees onto their estimate.
Shuttling Fees
Shuttling fees can be difficult to estimate ahead of time because you may not know if you will need shuttling until the day of your move. However, if there is often not parking in front of your building and you cannot secure a moving permit, you may want to discuss adding shuttling fees into the quote. This will allow you to negotiate a lower shuttling price than you would be able to on the day of your move.
Insurance
Most estimates include minimal insurance. While your relocation expert is going through your home, you should ask them if there are any items that might require additional insurance. Ask them to include the cost of insurance in their estimate. Some companies only offer insurance separate from your moving estimate. If that is the case, ask for a full estimate of the insurance as well as a moving estimate.
Getting these items included in your estimate (or taken out if you will not need them) can give you a more realistic expectation of what your move will cost. They can also give you more bargaining room before you sign your final moving agreement.
Learn more by visiting moving company websites like this one.