By Harry Wignerz

The shifting costs of hiring the movers often what puts so many homeowners in a jittery state. Although there is said to be a binding estimate which guarantees homeowners to a fixed moving price, some feel skeptic about this type of contract for they feel they are paying too much to the moving company. That’s why some will simply resort to non-binding estimates in which the homeowners obtain an initial estimate and the final cost of the move will be computed on the day of relocation. Lots of homeowners feel they can get the actual price of their relocation by doing this method. However, prices can easily change because there can be many circumstances that need to be factored in. To avoid the shock of exorbitant costs, it becomes important that you know how your moving costs can shift on relocation day.

It should be known that estimates are often given to provide you a fair idea of how much your moving costs can be. Mostly, this is based on how much items you possess. In the process of estimating your possessions, you easily forget you may have a stash of personal equipment situated in your parent’s house that needed to be brought with you or you may have told the representative from the moving company that you have no desire to haul in the contents found in your attic yet you managed to grab several boxes out of there. All these can change the overall weight of your load and in turn can hike up your moving costs.

You should also be prepared for accessorial charges. These are costs imposed on the difficulty of accessing your household possessions. These include elements such as stairs, tight turns, narrow hallways and other areas which present difficult maneuvering of packed boxes or furnishings. If it is a complete hassle to go through your narrow stairwell, you should expect to pay up for that inconvenience. Labor services can go up slightly or if you are charged by the hour, then the slow pace by which the moving crew can pass through your hallways, doors or stairs can result to extended hours and eventual hiked up pay.

If the moving truck cannot park closely to your home and heavy items need to be shuttled, then be prepared to have your moving costs include additional transportation charges. If you also have bulky items that require special handling such as your antique dresser or massive glass chandelier, then it’s easy to see and realize how your moving costs can change on the day of your move.

Packing, moving, then unpacking are all a part of the undesirable process we call moving. Being excited about a new life and home are one thing, but the leg work is never something we look forward to. Often rushed by the surprise that the move day is quickly approaching we pack things poorly and throw them in to oversized moving trucks. An option for a quick move is considering a professional mover to handle your boxes and furniture, allowing you to entirely enjoy the experience. Whether you need a quick move to a storage unit or a full move from home to home, movers are available to have your back the entire way.

The first part of a move involves the tedious task of packing. You can either decide to have movers handle the job or request packing supplies from them. When allowing them to take full control they will carefully place materials in boxes while using the appropriate supplies to prevent damage, especially with breakables. Packing your clothing is simple, but nearly all home furnishings are at risk of damage when just thrown in to a box. When wanting to handle the job on your own, you will notice that these professional movers can offer you green products. Since the tape, boxes, and cushioning are likely to be thrown away after the move why not use recyclables to help the planet out a little?

The next part of a move is typically loading all of the boxes and furnishings in to the moving truck. No matter how safely you pack your boxes, if not carefully placed accidents can still happen. A professional mover knows exactly how to pack the truck to prevent any shifting when the vehicle takes off while maximizing the space for less trips. If a plan is not thought out before beginning to load then you will end up with gaps that are usually what leads to broken objects. In addition to the planning, they do the lifting. If you have ever moved before then you know this can be a very lengthy process. Having the help of a skilled moving staff will speed things up tremendously.

The last and most important part is the driving and unloading. This is the part of the move that usually brings the damage. Since movers are trained to drive these large vehicles you can be sure that they can handle any given traffic. First time truck drivers tend to slam on the breaks and make sharp turns which can shift even the best packed truck. With their confident drivers you will be happily greeted with your belongings. They will make the unloading process as quick as possible and place items in the correct rooms for you to easily unpack. Their just a speedy and reliable option for a risk free move.

Moving boxes and supplies can be purchased online at various box stores. Most stores will pretty much have everything you need for your move. This includes boxes of all sizes: small, medium, large, x-large, and specialty ones such as wardrobe, computer, TV, and picture boxes. Supplies include bubble wrap, packing tape, packing paper, styrofoam peanuts, blankets, and so on.

When you buy everything from one store online, you tend to get the best deal. Typically, most stores offer free shipping regardless of how much you spend, but this isn’t always the case. Also, stores may offer discounts when you reach a certain spending threshold.

Unless you have a moving box and supplies store just around your corner, ordering online is probably the best route. As mentioned, shipping is free and it’s all delivered to your front door. The prices are pretty competitive online because of the amount of competition. You won’t find one store offering prices far lower than another.

Moving kits probably provide the best overall value. They offer the chance to get boxes and supplies together in a bundle for a lower price than buying it all separately. Kits are also beneficial if you are having trouble figuring out just how many boxes and supplies you need.

Stores have moving kits for 1 room up to 10 or more rooms. So if you are moving out of a 3 bedroom house, then you would buy a 3 room kit.

One moving kit I saw at a box store offered 55 moving boxes, over 200 yards of tape, a 50 foot roll of bubble wrap, 6 pounds of packing paper, and 2 markers.

Now, you still may need to buy more boxes or supplies on top of a kit, but this is a pretty good start. What kits often lack are specialty boxes for your wardrobe, computer, flat screen TV, and so on. So you may have to buy those separately.

Some might just think that supplies aren’t necessary, but this is not the case. Supplies will provide the right amount of protection for your most fragile items, such as glassware, dishes, and any other special items you may have.

Your best bet when packing such fragile items is to wrap it in packing paper or bubble wrap. Then, you want to fill the bottom of the box with bubble wrap, then fill the top as well once everything has been packed inside of it. That way, it has some cushion in something falls on top of it.