If you’re planning to move house, then you’re going to require the services of movers at some point. How much it costs will depend on a number of factors, such as the amount of time required, the size of your house and how many people are needed.
family moving house
Factors that affect the cost
Below are some of the main factors that affect how much you’ll pay for movers –
- The amount of time required – Most removal companies charge by the hour, with the majority having a 2 hour minimum charge. The total amount of time required to complete the job is one of the biggest factors that impacts cost.
- Number of people required – Another thing that will affect how much you pay is the number of people needed. If you have a large house and a lot of possessions that need to be moved, then you’ll likely need to hire multiple movers.
- The size of your house – This ties into the two points mentioned above, since the size of your house will determine how much time is needed and how many people are required.
- Distance – Another thing that will greatly affect how much you pay for movers is the distance that needs to be travelled. If you’re moving within the same city, then the costs shouldn’t be too much higher but if you’re moving far away, then you can expect to pay significantly more.
- Packing costs – Packing costs are another thing you need to take into account. Some companies will offer to pack your items for you but it’s usually better to do this yourself since it makes it easier to keep things organised and can save you money too.
- Furniture dismantling – When it comes to large furniture, it’s usually not as simple as packing it in a box. Things like dining tables will need to be taken apart and reassembled. Many firms will offer this service but at an additional cost. How much more you’ll pay will depend on the amount of furniture you have and the time it takes to take apart and reassemble.
- Special items – If you have particularly valuable items, whether it’s expensive jewellery, antiques or pieces of art, you might have to pay more to more to have them moved. This is another reason why it’s so important to hire a removal company that has good insurance too.
- Moving date – The time of year that you move will affect how much you pay too. For example, if you move the week of Christmas, you can expect to pay more. The same goes for moving during the summer.
- Number of items – The more items you have, the more work will be required and the longer the job will take. This is why it’s a good idea to declutter your home as much as possible before moving.
Hiring the right people
The last thing you want when you’re already dealing with the stress of moving home is to hire movers who are irresponsible and won’t do the job properly. Since they’ll be handling your valued possessions, you want to be sure that the people you hire are competent and responsible.
Before choosing a firm it’s often a good idea to:
- Ask for referrals – One of the best ways to make sure you get the right people for the job is by asking friends, family or colleagues for referrals. A personal referral is priceless since it gives you the confidence that the company you’re hiring will do the job to a good standard.
- Get quotes from different companies – It isn’t just the price you should take into account when hiring a company though. You should consider things like professionalism, reputation and the range of services offered.
- Avoid people who quote too-good-to-be-true prices – Some companies might offer you an incredibly low quote and this is usually a red flag. If you’re quoted a low price, it can often be because corners are being cut, whether it’s them not having insurance, not offering a pre-move survey, not taking care of your items or only offering the most basic of services. You should also avoid any companies that try to charge for a pre-move survey. The majority of companies will offer this free of charge and it’s seen as a standard part of the job.
Men moving sofa in van
How to save money when hiring movers
- Pack yourself – One of the most reliable ways you can save money when hiring movers is by packing yourself. Most companies will provide packing services but it comes at an additional cost, so if you want to keep costs down it’s definitely worth doing it yourself.
- Get multiple quotes – Getting quotes from several different companies is another good way to save money. By getting a lot of quotes, you can easily compare them and go with the company that offers the best value for money.
- Reduce packing material costs – It’s easy to end up overspending on packing materials when you’re moving home. Things like boxes and sellotape can easily add up when you need to pack a lot of items.
- Declutter your house – Decluttering your house before moving. Most people have a lot of clutter that they’ll never use but haven’t gotten around to throwing out. Moving home is a perfect opportunity to do this and could save you a good deal of money since you’ll have fewer things to move.
Things to do on the day of your move
- Make sure everything’s packed – The most obvious thing to do first on the day you’re moving home is to make sure everything is packed. It’s definitely not a good idea to leave packing until the day you’re moving, even if you don’t think you have that much to pack. It’s easy to overlook things when you’re in a hurry so it’s better to pack at least a few days in advance.
- Take pictures of your house – If you rent your property, then it’s a good idea to take pictures of each room to serve as proof of the condition it was in when you moved out.
- Confirm times with your removal company – It’s also a good idea to touch base with the removal company before they are due to arrive. This way you can make sure you’re completely prepared when they arrive and there aren’t any hitches.
- Return keys – Who you need to hand your keys over to will depend on whether you rent or buy your property. If you rent, then you’ll need to give them to your landlord, usually on the day of moving.
Other things to consider when moving home
- Cancel your council tax – If you don’t give enough notice when cancelling council tax, you could end up paying for longer than you should. Although you can claim a tax refund if this is the case, it’s much easier to give plenty of notice so it gets cancelled on time. In general, it’s a good idea to give at least a month’s notice.
- Set up new council tax – As well as cancelling your previous council tax, you also need to set up a new council tax payment in the area you’re moving to.
- Inform companies of your new address – One of the most important things to do before moving home is to inform everyone of your new address. This includes your bank as well as any insurance providers or utility companies.
Summary
We hope this article has helped you to be more clued up hiring movers when you’re moving to a new area. Although moving house can be a stressful event, knowing how to go about hiring movers in the right way can save you a lot of money and stress and make the moving process that much smoother.
I’m Paul Smith, Founder and Director of HouseMoveHelper. I have a great love of business, marketing, the wilderness and love to travel. You can learn more about me here.