How many moving quotes should you get

Preparing for a move and wondering how many moving quotes should you get? Well, like with most similar questions, there is no definitive answer. You can get as many moving estimates as you want. And the more quotes you get, the bigger the chance that you will find a good and affordable offer. However, acquiring moving quotes is not your only task before the move. There are many other things that you need to handle. That is why, in the following article, Best Cross Country Movers will go through all the important things you need to understand before you start gathering moving estimates. Read it and you will find an answer to your question.

Getting moving estimates online

So how many moving quotes should you get? In the day of the internet, getting a moving quote is easier than ever. That is why, essentially, you can get a lot of moving estimates within a short timeframe. You just go online and find moving companies that operate in your area and offer moving services that you need, leave them with a few basic details of your move, and voila. You get their moving estimates almost instantly. Unfortunately, moving estimates that you get online are not the most precise. To give you a precise moving quote a moving company needs to know the size of your home or, at least, the size of your moving inventory to be able to precisely determine the cost of your move. If you want to get precise moving estimates online, you need to make something that is called a moving inventory list.

What do you need to get precise moving estimates online?

Moving companies usually charge an hourly rate or, in the case of long distance relocations, they charge you according to the weight of your moving inventory. Of course, there are other factors that are affecting the price. But how many items you have is the most decisive factor. Therefore, if you want to get a free moving quote online, you need to tell your movers how big your moving inventory is. Still, telling your movers how many items you have is not an easy task unless you have a list. If you have a list of all items, your movers need to handle, they will be able to give you a precise quote without ever laying an eye on your stuff.

Unfortunately, listing all your items is not an easy task. An average American home has thousands of items so it can be pretty time-consuming and complicated to list them all. And, most of the time, you will miss some items which can, consequently, get you in an awkward position where you have to resolve disputes with your movers because the initial estimate was not precise.

Getting in-home estimates

Even though most moving estimates nowadays are acquired online, you can still, like in the old days, call a moving company, to your home to do an estimate. A moving company’s representative will visit your place and do an in-home estimate, which will be far more precise than getting it online. The only problem here is that movers need a lot of time to do an in-home estimate, which wouldn’t be so big of a problem if you are getting an estimate from only one moving company. But if you are calling several residential movers for an appraisal, it could take several of your precious days. That is why, when you are wondering how many moving quotes should you get, the answer is as many as you can online, and then, only a few in person.

So how many moving quotes should you get?

The best option is to research moving companies online and find a few that look reliable and offer the moving services that you need. Then, ask for their moving estimates without making a moving inventory list by yourself. Once you acquire their offers, compare. Then, find no less than three and no more than five moving companies with the best offers and schedule in-home appraisals. That is the best way to find the most affordable option. Still, the final number you get from your movers shouldn’t be the most important thing that will make you decide on one company over another. There are a few types of moving estimates.

• Binding moving estimates
• Non-binding moving estimate
• Binding not-to-exceed moving estimate

Binding moving estimates

Most moving companies these days offer binding moving estimates. It essentially means that the figure they give you at the start of your cooperation will stay until the end, no matter what changes during a move. This is a moving estimate that you shouldn’t avoid.

Non-binding moving estimate

A non-binding moving estimate means that the final figure can change. If you decide to add a few items to your moving inventory at the last minute or there are some other unexpected occurrences along the way, a moving company can factor them in and charge you more than they previously estimated. If you can avoid such estimates because they are often utilized by fraudulent movers as well.

Binding not-to-exceed moving estimate

Rarely you will find a moving company that offers binding no-to-exceed moving estimates. If you find a moving company that offers such services, you are in luck. This means that the moving estimate they give you cannot be higher, it can only get lower if your moving inventory ends up being lighter than previously expected.

Are you still wondering how many moving quotes should you get? Hopefully, after reading this article, things are a little bit clearer.