When you need to relocate within New York City, of course, you want to have it as affordable as possible. But when does the affordable become cheap? And how can you keep from losing more by ordering mediocre service? Among many a local mover NYC has generated, there is certainly one that’s yours; make your choice wisely!
@mikbutcher
Primary Calculations
When you decide to start a new life in a new location, you always take a part of your previous life with you. And it’s not about your past or your personality traits: down to earth, it’s your things. The bigger your family is, the more things it requires. Buying all new in a new place sounds like a complete restart, but do you want it? Most people prefer to take their belongings with themselves: after all, you have chosen these items, from furniture to gadgets, and got used to them.
That’s what moving services exist for. Along with transportation, they offer a wide array of extra benefits, including (first of all) packing and unpacking of your things. If you need to store some of your things away while arranging the most necessary, you can use the company’s storage facilities. In addition, you can select the desired date and time where your relocation begins, and this way schedule the moment it ends.
Yes, all these actions and services contribute to the final price. Let’s see how exactly they influence the numbers you get.
How Moving Company Calculate Their Prices
In general, when it comes to local relocation (within one city, even as big as The Big Apple), the moving companies have similar methods of calculating the price which depends on the costs. The primary factors that impact the price are the following:
- The weight of your freight. Any heavy objects? Furniture, techs, art objects, and anything large?
- The number of employees they need to do the job. It depends on the challenges they will meet in the place. Heavy objects that require several carriers, potential obstacles on the way to the truck, special expertise necessary to handle certain items – it all counts.
- Extra services you require (including packing, unpacking, and special handling).
- The time necessary to do the job. It includes packing, moving, and unpacking in the new location. This time, again, depends on the volume and potential challenges on the way.
Other factors that influence the price include the date (the more popular the date, the higher is the price as well as demand), the distance between locations (even within the city), and the priority.
Last but not least. Nearly any moving company has a calculator on its site which lets you roughly estimate the costs before you start. By changing certain parameters, you can see the approximate price change and so make your conclusions. If you need a more detailed calculation, you can have an expert visit you and do an exact estimation after a visual survey.
What Can You Do to Decrease the Costs?
As you know the factors that impact the price, you can change your preferences to minimize the costs. The weight, the date, and everything can be adjusted. If you move away, pursuing a new life, you can start it even before that day. Here are the steps you can take:
- Take fewer things with you. Relocation is the perfect moment to see what you need to leave behind. The heavy squeaky armchair from your late granny’s childhood – is it of so much value to your family now? Which books on the shelves do you really want to have in hardcovers, and which will be just as good on your Kindle? And isn’t it a time to get rid of jeans and sweaters you don’t fit in anymore? So, it’s time to have a garage sale or to call charity organizations in your town.
- Relocate smaller items yourself. You can quite safely transport them in your own car, while the professionals only handle what requires special strength or skill (like furniture, large appliances, and so on).
- Choose the date wisely. You know, the more demanded the service is on a certain day, the higher is the price. If you can afford to relocate on a regular weekday, it may decrease the overall price. The same applies if you do you’re moving between September and May, but not in the summer.
- Buy packing supplies yourself, so the moving company does not include them in the bill.
- Negotiate! If the overall sum they name seems unpayable or unreasonable, you can always come up with your own conditions. Knowing how it is calculated, you can prove they want too much from you.
Yes, many of these actions take time, just like relocating on your own would. On the other hand, as a result, you get more than the same environment in a new location. You review your life quality, and it’s certainly worth your hours.
What’s Not to Do
What you definitely should not do is hire the cheapest moving company. While the final price indeed seems lower than that of its alternatives, the damage done to your things while transportation can be much higher. It includes delays and uncertainty about your things as well as material damages and losses possible. In addition, there is no coverage for those.
The second money-saving option that is not recommended is neglecting insurance options. There are mandatory insurance options mandated by the federal laws that moving companies have to provide. This means you won’t need to find any third-party insurance agent: the moving company does it for you. The very fact that you have insurance will make the company treat your things more carefully (even in case it’s not in their ethics code).
Finally, we think saving on packing can cost you too much. If there are precious or expensive items, make sure everything is done to deliver them safely. It’s the case of better safe than sorry.
Something Ends, Something Begins
Moving services make your life easier, but you can make it still easier by making the right choices concerning both the relocation itself and the way of life. It’s a challenge that you can go through and raise your quality of life. Not only will you get good service for reasonable money, but maybe change your attitude as you get a new look through your daily routine and dare to adjust it to your real needs.