If you are moving locally, this is the key question that will give you an accurate time and price for your move. Long distance moves often come with a guaranteed flat-rate price, but local moves are generally billed at an hourly rate. You are charged for however long the move takes, plus travel time. If you are moving locally and you are in a home that is less than three bedrooms or 1800 square feet, chances are your moving company will quote you at an hourly rate based on a two- or three-man crew and the time of month. They will then retrieve an inventory list and some preliminary information to estimate how long the move will take so you can get an idea for pricing.
Estimating Price with Software Programs
The problem with the hourly system is that there is no definitive way to tell you how long the move will take without physically seeing the items and set up of each location. Moving software programs are used to account for the inventory list and variables like a long walk, elevator, or stairs. The software takes generic specifications of each item on your inventory list, like cubic foot or weight, and enters them into a formula to generate an estimated time and price. This is based on how much weight or cubic feet each mover can move per hour. This system is fairly accurate, but since every move is unique. Someone may have an armoire that is barely six feet tall and another customer may have an armoire that is nine feet tall and made of solid wood. The larger and heavier armoire will take more time to properly protect, handle, and transport than the smaller, lighter armoire.
Estimating from Practical Experience
We have learned in our 20 years of moving experience that each room generally contains about 1000 pounds of furniture. It takes about one to one-and-a-half hours to wrap, disassemble, load, unload, and reassemble every 1000 pounds. So if your household move includes two bedrooms, a living room, and a dining room, and each room takes about one to one-and-a-half hours to move, you can assume that it will take approximately four to six hours to move the contents of those four rooms. However, most people do not think about the time it takes to move boxes and miscellaneous items that are loose or not packed properly. If you think like a mover, you’ll realize that if boxes are scattered around and not packed properly, it is going to take more time to gather, secure, and load those boxes. Preparation and proper packing can save you a lot of money if you are moving locally and paying an hourly rate.
Why Professional Movers Are Faster And Cheaper
A lot of our clients think that they can make trips back and forth before, during, and after the move because they have an SUV or a friend with a truck. The problem is, they don’t account for the actual time it takes to load the vehicle, unload it, and carry the items back and forth. They also don’t consider the gas costs for driving a vehicle back and forth packed with boxes. Unless you can move all your boxes and miscellaneous items in one trip, it is always more cost effective to take the additional 30 minutes to have Moving Kings transport the items in our 26-foot box truck with our hand trucks and other equipment. You may think you are saving the money on the hourly rate to move boxes and miscellaneous items, but it will cost you more in time, gas, and energy if you can’t do it all in one trip.
Get An Accurate Quote
The best way to get an accurate quote for your household move is to set up an in-home consultation with one of Moving Kings’ moving coordinators. You can also send us an inventory list if you take the time to make it accurate and detailed. Do your best to account for all the boxes you will pack — it is always better to overestimate the number of boxes you think you will need. When estimating the time it will take in your quote, consider the following:
Total Travel Time
Allocate time for the team to drive to the first location and then back to the shop once the move is complete. If a moving company is fully licensed and insured, that time will count toward your hourly rate, because the team will be on worker’s compensation and occupational hazard insurance programs. These programs will cover medical expenses if anything happens to the team on the way to or from your move.
Realistic Driving Time
Don’t forget about the time it will take a fully loaded 26-foot box truck to drive from your pick up location to your new home. What may be a 15-minute ride in the car will take 30 minutes in a truck if there is any traffic or congestion. A good way to streamline this is to plan a local move for the early morning when neighbors and commuters are at work and not on the roads. Try to get the parking spot as close to the entrance of your home as possible to minimize the moving team’s walk back and forth from the truck.
You can email us your inventory for an estimate and more information, or call to talk to one of our moving coordinators! All of us at Moving Kings pride ourselves on giving you the most accurate quote in the business, so you can plan ahead with confidence. Call us today for more information!
