Moving can be so exciting—at least for most people. However, the planning, packing and costs which come with moving can be a challenge. If you are looking for a free moving quote, click here. Generally, moving is costly and you need to get the money to finance the move, in time, if you want everything to go smoothly. If you have the time, you could significantly cut on the costs by getting your items ready for the move by yourself. Alternatively, you could ask for professional advice on how to calculate the Moving Costs and how to optimize your budget for the move to save money and time.
Your first step is to understand the financial dynamics involved in moving so that you figure out the most pocket friendly options to make the move affordable. On this post, we’ll share with you some well researched tips on how to tell what moving might actually cost, and how to get the cost of moving spot on.
But first…The Old Way
Calculating Moving Costs the Ancient Way
Initial Estimates
An initial estimate in this case refers to roughly how much a move might cost based on your “guess-timation.” It won’t be very precise, but you have to start somewhere. Consider your biggest items, couches, bed frames, pool table etc…they are your first start to estimating the size of the truck/van you will need to rent. Then consider how many boxes of smaller items you have and go from there.
Visual Estimates
This is a more practical approach to estimating how much moving might actually cost by virtual or on-site visual assessment of your luggage. It’s most accurate if you do the assessment after packing the items or with the help of a moving specialist. Once you have your items packed, you can look at them and estimate a vehicle or wagon in which they’d fit perfectly. If you can, contact your moving company and have them send someone over to help you with the estimation. Normally, they’ll give you a quote; a visual estimate of long distance moving costs.
Actual Estimates
This is deeper than initial and visual estimates. It’s the actual amount of money you have to part with to effect the move. Once you have the visual estimates with you, it will be easy to calculate the actual moving costs. If it’s more that your budget, you may consider reducing the number of items to move. Decluttering is a smart start to any move. Donate what you don’t want or sell big items online.
The actual estimate is the total sum of different metrics. These metrics are but not limited to;
- Packing costs
If you are hiring a full service mover, their package will probably include packing. Packing is the most tedious exercise in moving. Depending on the nature of items you want moved, packing always presents some challenges. Some of the items may be fragile, expensive, large, irregularly shaped, perishable, or very delicate. The packing fee is part of what the move might cost you.
- Insurance costs
The need to insure items on transit cannot be overemphasized. Guess what? If you don’t insure your items, if they break or get lost on transit you suffer the loss. If you insure them, you stand a chance of being compensated if the risk occurs. If you are moving valuable items, you need to fill out a form on high value articles with Discuss all pertinent issues regarding the insurance coverage. You can find a full value moving insurance cover from your moving company or you can get a reputable insurance company to cover them. The insurance cost is part of what the move might cost you.
- Loading, delivery and unloading costs
If you go for a full service move, you will not have to worry about loading, unloading, driving and delivery costs. All these will be cared for by the moving company. Being the professionals that they are, they will handle the necessary requirements such as disassembling and reassembling your furniture.
Now, onto the new, improved and super easy way…
Use Colonial Van Lines Moving App to estimate what moving might cost you
Step into the future with The Colonial Van Lines moving app. Our one-of-a-kind app is a very convenient and accurate tool that can help you with estimating what moving might cost you. The app is available on for free. This user friendly moving app cost estimator will give you an accurate quote in just a few taps on your smart device. With this, you can take pictures and videos of the items you need moved, order for moving boxes, and moving tools to give you a great moving experience.
To create a visual inventory for your goods; simply sign up, then sign in to your account to start the moving estimation process. You can create an estimate of your items by taking photos and videos of every room. The next step will be to order for moving and packing supplies for all your items at affordable costs. It ends with Colonial Van Lines sending you a checklist to help you plan the move.
Benefits of using the Colonial Van Lines Moving App
- User friendly
The app is easy to use; the icons are easy to interpret, and the commands flow chronologically from the first step to the last. You won’t need a techie to figure anything out because it’s easy to navigate through. You’ll easily find captured images and upload them with ease.
- Precise Quoting
Taking pictures and videos allows makes it simple to calculate and come up with an accurate quotation. Once you upload your pictures and videos, an inspector on their end will assess everything, make calculations and provide you with an accurate quote.
- Virtual Inventory Taking
With this app, you don’t need to have an inspector coming to your home to make assessments. You only need to take pictures and videos of the items you want moved. This also helps to keep a record of the items to be moved.
We hope that you found this guide insightful. With these guidelines, you will surely find it easier to estimate what moving might actually cost you. In case you need more information with regards to moving costs, feel free to contact us today.
Reference resources: https://colonialvanlines.com/moving-app/