Hidden moving fees to look out for

Moving fees are inevitable, but not all of them are necessary. There are many hidden moving fees to look out for. And you can avoid a lot of them. The best way to avoid unnecessary moving fees is by setting a moving budget, doing thorough research about all possible fees. Negotiate with the moving company, prepare everything as much as you can. The point is to take all possible scenarios under consideration and in that way prepare yourself and your wallet. This is a perfect opportunity for you to show off your organizational skills. Plan, make a list, set a strict budget, check everything at least twice, and no rush. Try to do things step by step in order not to miss important things. There are many hidden fees. Some of them are hoisting fees, stairs fees, boarding pets fee, etc. Knowing this, calculate your moving fees thoroughly.

Which hidden moving fees to look out for when moving your furniture

One of the most common hidden moving fees to look out for, are for moving furniture. Since furniture is quite different in every household, moving companies often charge additionally for these items. This happens especially if the furniture is bulky and heavy. If this is the case for you and your furniture is like this, then you should count these fees into your budget. The name of these fees is hoisting fees. If, however, it turns out that your furniture is too big to be moved without taking it apart then it must be disassembled and later on re-assembled. With this being the scenario, you are looking at an additional fee for that as well. And another fee of this sort is the so-called stairs fee. This fee is a must if your new place has no elevator and movers must carry all your furniture up the stairs.

Some moving companies charge extra for carrying bulky and heavy furniture, which is one of the hidden moving fees to look out for
One of the hidden fees to look out for are the ones that moving companies have for carrying bulky and heavy furniture.

Fees that you should pre-arrange with the moving company

You can avoid most of the unexpected fees if you negotiate with the moving company you want to hire. If you communicate well and prepare all the questions, there shouldn’t be any subsequent issues. One of the first things that you should talk to them about is possible parking issues and fees for that. If at the moment of your move, there are no free parking spaces in front of your old or new home, they will have to park somewhere else. If they park not so close, they will have to carry all your stuff from your home all the way to the van and the other way around. The name of these fees is the long-carry fees. You should also discuss fees if, for any reason, you have to cancel moving company services. Some companies charge any kind of cancelation. 

Man and woman shaking hands
Be smart when negotiating with your moving company, this way you can avoid almost all additional and unexpected fees.

ASAP delivery, if it comes to that, is also something that moving companies have additional fees for. In this case, they have to meet your requests in the shortest period of time, possibly even pay additional workers, and of course, this must be charged. You should also communicate with your moving company about any possible damages during the move, caused by the movers or bad packing if the company packed your items. The best way to avoid any possible spends is to buy moving insurance. Maybe nothing will happen, but if it does, you will be covered. And last but not least, ask about tips, do they include them in the price, or they are a matter of your free will. If they are not, it would be nice to tip someone for their good and hard work.

Moving fees that almost no one takes into consideration

There are always those fees that most people don’t even know exist. One of them is disposal fees. This particular fee consists of charging for the moving material disposal. Materials like boxes, bubble wrap, duct tape, foam, pads, packing peanuts, etc. If you have no means how to get rid of them, the moving company can do that for you. Also. some companies always charge for this, even if you want to sort these materials by yourself. But they will also charge it. Another additional charge that can take you off guard is parking tickets. If the moving van gets a parking ticket at any time during your move, you will be the one that will have to pay for it. So, in order to avoid these fees, try to do the following:

  • Try to secure safe parking space for your movers because parking tickets are one of the hidden moving fees to look out for
  • Find a way to dispose of the moving material by yourself
  • Negotiate regarding their mandatory disposal of these materials if you are not ok with it, or
  • Negotiate with them about the prices of their disposal

Specific hidden moving fees to look out for

When it comes to moving some specific items like art and some expensive decorative pieces, you will have to hire a moving company that is specialized in these kinds of transports. This is definitely one of the hidden moving fees to look out for. These companies are experienced when it comes to items like paintings, vintage furniture, sculptures, etc. And, of course, they charge for their services. Another specific fee is the boarding pets fee. If your pet is moving with you, moving companies will charge you additionally for this service. And, if for whatever reason, you are not able to enter your new home right after the move, your stuff will have to go to storage and you will have to stay in a hotel, for as long as it takes. Over-night storage unit and a hotel definitely be an additional charge to your budget.

Paintings on the wall
Moving your art and decorative pieces might have to go through companies that are specialized in this.

Conclusion about hidden moving charges

As you can see there are many hidden moving fees to look out for. This is why it is always best to hire a professional moving company that you can pre-arrange everything with. This way, you can go step by step and cover all possible charges and situations and you can move to your new home with money in your wallet. Happy organizing and good luck.

Get A Free Moving Quote

Step 1 of 3

City You Are Moving From(Required)
City You Are Moving To(Required)
This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is hidden when viewing the form