How to Save Money When Moving Locally
Several researchers claim that the average person in the USA moves more than 11 times in his/her lifetime. When you hear the word move, it probably brings enough stress to give it up immediately. But, lucky for you, there are several things that can be done to make this process smooth and easy.
When looking for affordable movers in Seattle, you can follow several steps in order to make sure you made a good decision and chose the company you will be satisfied with. The Internet can be a step one where you can find different moving companies, but, whether you are looking for residential or office movers, or if you are planning to opt for a full or self pack service, do your best to find a company that will meet your requirements. Professional moving company will ease and simplify your move from one apartment to another, and educating yourself can save you time, money and nerves.
Things you can do to make your move affordable
Think about your needs
Do you need a full packing service? Or just two movers and a truck to help you transport your items? Understanding what your expectations are from a moving company will make a big difference. Whether you are looking for them to come and pack every small item, or just pack the furniture, will make a big impact on the cost of the move. Once you have that figured out, it is time to do research.
Do your research on affordable movers nearby
This is your first, second or third time moving and you have the idea – you are looking for affordable movers , but you don’t know where to start? Make a checklist of things you are looking for from your moving company to carry out and go online. Seattle offers dozens of companies that will be able to move you and a lot of these companies have good reviews. Then, how to choose, and how to know that what you are looking for will be done right?
Check reviews, and check how your chosen company treats their customers. Before making a first phone call, prepare yourself and get ready for a whole new experience. Hiring professional movers can be a great experience – if you hire the right company. Also, it is always good to ask someone you know – a coworker, friend, or a real estate agent for a recommendation. If they had a good moving experience, maybe you would like to consider using the same movers. At the end of the day, a first hand experience is much better than checking for reviews.
On site/Virtual survey
It is very important for your moving company to know which items you will be moving. There is an option of doing an on-site survey, but during Covid, virtual surveys became a much better option of going through your inventory and making sure everything is accurate. Make sure to go through your closet, drawers and cupboards with your estimator so they can be informed of everything you will be taking.
Get at least two-three quotes
Having in mind that Seattle offers a lot of affordable moving companies that will be able to perform your move, it is always good to take a couple of quotes and compare them. Several factors may influence your decision, but, if you are looking for budget movers, have in mind that money is only one of the factors. What matters as well is quality, credibility and the feeling they give you. Sometimes your intuition can lead you in the right path.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions
While talking to your sales agent, don’t be scared to ask questions. There are no silly or stupid questions, it is your move and you are looking for motivated movers to help you relocate. Whether you want a self or full pack service, inform yourself.There are several questions to ask your agent:
How long have you been in business?
Is there insurance included?
Would movers bring wardrobe boxes, and is it included within the cost?
Are you licensed?
Is there any deposit you would require to make a reservation?
What happens if any of my items get lost?
How do we cancel our reservation?
How do we handle potential claims?
Make sure to let your agent know if you have any heavy items, or anything of high value, so they can make sure to include additional insurance if needed. Your sales agent is there to help you and make your move the best it can be, so don’t be scared to show you are a little bit anxious. After all, you are the one to move and your moving company is there to help.
Affordable packing tips
If you decide you will let movers pack your furniture and that you will do the rest, it is about time to think about your packing strategy. When it comes to packing, the most important thing is good organization and good packing supplies because the main goal is for your items to arrive safe and untouched at the delivery. Also, it is very important that once the items arrive, you are aware of what is in which box so you don’t get completely confused. Here are a few packing tips to make your life easier.
Don’t forget to supply yourself with packing materials.Once the move gets closer, you will lose a lot of time by going to re-supply, so make sure you have everything needed. Make sure you have boxes, scissors and markers, tape, plastic wrap, blankets and old sheets, plastic bags and totes.
Use old newspaper sheets to pack glass and breakables
Along with blankets and towels, old newspaper sheets can be a very good way of protecting glass. Just make sure to wrap your fragile items in two-three sheets and cover them with a towel and you will be good to go.
Careful packing without obsessing about it
It is okay if you accidentally packed wine glasses with your favorite magnets from traveling abroad as long as you label what exactly is in each box just in order to skip roaming around when you get into your new apartment. Since you don’t have a lot of time to move, it would be best to skip obsessive packing by colors, shapes and sizes. Just make sure that all items are well wrapped and protected.
Do color coding
It is probably the most difficult thing to keep your boxes organized. It is never easy to find things when you arrive in your new apartment. Do it through a color-code system and just throw a glance at the box and you will know what exactly is inside.
Keep knives in oven mitts
Knives are very dangerous for moving so be careful by keeping them safe in oven mitts.
Pack plates vertically
You definitely want to avoid your items arriving at the delivery shattered. Pack plates vertically like records and they will be less likely to break. When it comes to mugs, first wrap them in newspaper sheets and then carefully place them into the box.
Pack spices with pots
You can pack your spices in the pots and then just open the pots in the kitchen and organize spices.
Packing clothes
There is always an option to use wardrobe boxes for your hanging items. But, if you are hiring movers, you will need to let them know in advance how many wardrobe boxes you will need since they take a lot of space in the truck. Instead of using them, you can use big garbage bags for your hanging items and tie bag’s strings around hangers. If you are moving clothes and dressers, you can let your movers know that there are clothes inside and they will move dressers together with clothes.
Hiring affordable movers in Seattle – flat or hourly movers?
It is very important to know the difference between flat and hourly rate in order to determine which moving company you will use for your upcoming move.
A flat rate is usually determined before your move starts and it includes all potential costs and charges based on your inventory, truck size, and how many movers will arrive.
An hourly rate is price per hour, usually with a minimum and charged per every hour of the job.
Make sure you determine which one works better for you since hourly rate tends to be the best for local moves that last only a few hours.
Choose when to move
When looking for affordable movers in Seattle, inform yourself which days of the month are the busiest and try to avoid them. Usually, the beginning and the end of the month are the craziest, so, if possible, moving mid- month and mid-week can save you a lot of money and time.
Looking how to save money does not mean looking for the cheapest
You are presented a quote, and you think it is a little bit over your price range. When you were looking for movers, you expected it would cost you much less. Reviews say that this is the best moving company in Seattle, and you are completely in awe of how your sales did her job, but still, you are unsure of what to do.
Moving companies tend to promise a flat price without any unexpected fees and charges, and, on the day of the move, the price goes way more than you were ready to pay and you are in the hostage situation, so the whole process runs out of your hands and becomes a huge stress. Seattle Pro Movers is offering an hourly rate with no additional or hidden charges, nothing on top that will surprise you on the moving day and make you go ‘’Wow, I did not expect this’’.
So, think about it, affordable really does not mean cheap – it does not mean you are settling for less. Affordable in this case means you will stay within your budget with no additional surprises, and your move will be done in the best way possible.
Pro tip
The last tip would be for you, as our client. Even though this sounds silly, try to relax as much as possible. Once you locked your moving company down, and once you made sure they have met your requirements, it is time to sit down and enjoy.
Whether you decided to opt for self pack and packed smaller items in advance, or decided to go for a full packing service, you will be amazed by how fast our movers are. They will disassemble, wrap and pack your furniture, lamps, TV’s, and bring wardrobe boxes in case you need them. This is something they are used to doing and our satisfied customers call us every day in awe of how everything went smoothly.
We are really doing our best in making your move easy and changing this narrative of moving being one of the most stressful things in one person’s lifetime.
Get a quote
Seattle Pro Movers will provide you with the moving quote for free over the phone. We really want to make sure you have your move done by a reliable company that will make sure that, if you decide to move again in the future, you have us on your speed dial. Contact us for more details and enjoy!