This article will tell you how to save anywhere between $200–400 when moving your home. To understand how to do that you will need to:
- choose the right moving company
- learn why expensive is not always better
- learn how to make your moving company do their job faster
- why decluttering will save you money
First, let’s see how pricing for moving companies work.
Moving companies charge for their work by hours. This is the standard in the industry. Where things may vary is whether a company charges for additional movers, for travel time, and for moving extra-heavy items such as pianos and safes.
To illustrate, Simply the Best Movers charge $90 per hour of work. This includes the labour of 2 movers and doesn’t include a travel fee, which is another $90. We may or may not charge our customers extra for moving pianos and safes. This is because it depends on how difficult that process is.
With these facts in mind let’s jump to saving.
Shop around to understand the specifics
When you see a price online, make sure you understand what is included and not included in the cost.
For example, you might see that a company charges $69 per hour of work. But in a small print, it says that this price is for 1 mover only. The problem is that it is impossible to move any furniture with 1 mover. So in the end the price you see online and your final quote might be two very different things.
Another common example is travel fees. Ask how much the company charges for travel and if this is reflected in your quote.
Packing time can also be charged separately. To avoid any surprises clear this question upfront.
So once again, ask about movers, travel fees, and packing time.
Choose a medium-priced company
People tend to choose moving companies in two ways. They either go for the cheapest option hoping to get a good service and save money. Or choose an expensive one thinking this will guarantee them the best possible service. Both of these approaches are flawed. Here is why.
Going cheap is not advisable for many reasons, some of which are:
- Poor quality of work. Companies that charge on the lower end of the scale may not hire professional movers. These movers may not be well trained in specifics such as moving furniture in tight spaces without damaging walls, or how to work efficiently to save their time and your money.
- Poor customer service. Companies that charge cheaper will try and save money elsewhere. For example, they may not be as readily available, or movers may be stressed out and overworked, which may result in mistakes and damages.
- Sustainability of the business. Like in any other business, lower-end moving companies often struggle for survival and underpay their movers. This may result in high turnover and in higher chances of getting a less experienced mover.
The more expensive companies, while deprived of the above-mentioned shortcomings, may not be what they seem to be.
It is common to find moving companies who run great ads but don’t deliver the service themselves. They instead charge a premium price and outsource the work to smaller and cheaper companies, while keeping the difference.
This difference is usually around 20–30% of an actual price. For the Calgary region, this is the difference between $30–40 per hour of work. So, in the end, you will be paying a higher price for the same service that other companies deliver at a smaller price.
We advise choosing a medium-priced moving company. In the Calgary region, such companies charge between $90–100 per hour.
Go for a medium-priced company and avoid the headache.
Pack yourself to save up to $400
A moving company usually spends 4–8 hours just packing your things and taking your furniture apart. So to save you should pack yourself.
We recommend the following.
- Box and pack your items. This will let you save movers’ time and your money. It will also help you to keep things organized and unpack later.
- Take your furniture apart. Especially beds and dining tables, since they are the most time-consuming things to take apart.
- Book an elevator. If you live in a condo, book the elevator with your management company in advance. This will ensure your movers don’t stand by while you arrange it.
- Secure a parking spot for the truck. This will help your movers park their truck next to your home and save time on loading and unloading the truck. You can secure a parking space by putting traffic cones, or by simply putting 2 chairs with a rope between them and a note.
You can find more tips about packing in our “The best way to pack for moving” blog post.
Declutter
Do you need to take this scratched and stained sofa with you? Or what about the tea set which you haven’t used in 4 years? What about the part of the wardrobe dedicated to no longer used clothes (real-life examples here, by the way)?
Moving is a great time to get rid of things you no longer need. Get rid of or donate the things you no longer need. It will create less work for your movers and they will charge you less.
To wrap things up: don’t trust flashy advertisements, do your research, pack by yourself, and get rid of stuff. You will be surprised at how much you can save.