How to find reliable movers on a budget?

Moving is a difficult endeavor. Much of your wit and nerves must go into it in order for it to proceed smoothly. It can especially affect your financial well being. This means that you should not consider moving if you are not financially prepared for it. However, if you managed to gather enough cash to do the move, you need to know how to spend the least possible amount, and also get a reliable moving company that will not scam you. In this article, we will talk about finding reliable movers on a budget. This is very important because you need to get your money’s worth. Shall we begin?

Determining your finances

The first step you need to do is to determine your finances. When you do this, you will know how much you can spend on the move. Every dollar counts when you are moving on a budget. However, this is a step by step process because you cannot know how much do you need for your move without researching everything there is to know about the services companies offer and their price. Many local movers NYC offer services that will fit your budget well. We will go through each step so you know how to conduct your preparations.

man using a laptop to do finances

Doing finances is an important step in the whole process.

Finding reliable movers on a budget

This is the crucial part, and probably the reason you are reading this article. Finding a reliable moving company can be hard work, but it will be worth it in the end. The first thing you need to do is to check for reviews online. This is a good way to ensure that the company is reliable. However, it has its setbacks. The reviews can be fake. There are some companies that stoop so low that they try to promote themselves using fake profiles.This is mostly done on their websites, however, they also do it on Yelp or BBB, which are considered as reliable. If the company has overly positive reviews be careful. Although these reviews may be genuine, be wary of fake reviews. This can be done by doing some more research, and it is vital if you want to find reliable movers on a budget or even better, interstate NYC movers for your long distance move. 

Calling the company

You can call the company and ask what they offer. There is a catch here. There is a bigger chance that the company is reliable if the official company representative picks up the phone. If a broker picks up, and makes a deal with you, he may try to scam you by charging you less for some services, under the notion that you gave them a bad description. He will then send the request to the company, and you are not his responsibility anymore. You are the company’s responsibility, and they will expect you to pay everything that you agreed on over the phone. So, in order to avoid this from happening, make sure to ask who you are talking to. This does not mean that all brokers seek a way to scam you, but if the company has a representative which deals with orders on the phone, it is a sign that the company is more reliable.

woman inside a box

Do the packing yourself!

Estimates – one of many ways you can find reliable movers on a budget

There are a couple of estimates moving companies can offer you. An estimate is when you communicate to the company what needs to be moved. They will, then, do their calculations and send you an approximate price for their services. Estimates are often determined by weight, the distance of your move, and additional services. You can get an estimate for free online or over the phone, but it can be a whole another story when they actually get to your house and do the actual weighing. There are three types of estimates, and they have pros and cons. We will now go in depth about these estimates and it is up to you to determine which fits you best.

  • Binding estimate:

This is an estimate with which the company gives you a fixed price. It will include every service you want and the price will not change. What you negotiate over the phone can change by a big margin when the weighing comes. This can both increase and decrease the price of the move. When a representative comes to your house and gives you an approximate price of your move, he will then create a contract which includes every additional service you require. When the price is settled, you both sign the contract, and the deed is done. Reliable moving companies often offer binding estimates because there is no space in which they can squeeze in some more services and get more of your money.

  • Non-binding estimate:

This is an estimate when the price can be changed on the run. Imagine you forgot about something and the movers come to your house, and you tell them that you need to move a fragile item you never mentioned before. This will increase the price of the move because they will charge you with this additional service. However, the price can also drop if the weighing results are lower. Making a deal with a company that deals with non-binding estimates can be tricky because they can scam you easily if you are not careful. For example, charging you a lot for a small additional service you thought was never going to affect the price very much.

  • Binding not-to-exceed-estimate:

This is the best kind of estimate, and if the company offers this to you, you are 100% positive that they are reliable. This is when they give you an estimate, and if the weight of your belongings comes up as more than the estimate, the price will not change. However, if the weight is lower than the estimate, the price will also be lower. This is when companies wish to satisfy their customers and sacrifice their profit for that. Reliable indeed!

A row of piggy banks. - Something you'll have once you find reliable movers on a budget

Getting a binding not-to-exceed-estimate is a great way to recognize reliable movers on a budget!

Getting rid of extra stuff

A good way to shed some weight for your move is to get rid of some of your belongings that you do not use anymore. A good way to do this is having a garage sale or donating. Ask your friends if they need something, or give it away to charity. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. With that said, good luck with finding reliable movers on a budget and your move!