Some people move to San Francisco because of work, while others do it simply because they want to get a fresh start in life. No matter how different each client's reasons for moving are, they are all concerned about one thing: long distance moving costs. This is why the first thing customers ask from their long distance moving company is a moving quote. Getting a quote of their moving fees gives them perspective and prepares them for the journey ahead.
The Search for A Cheap Moving Company
Customers want their valuables and personal belongings to arrive at their destination in one piece. If possible, they also want their moving experience to be as comfortable and effortless as possible. But of course, all that is second to their desire to find a budget-friendly company that will give them all of these.
This is why customers must take advantage of free moving quotes. We recommend shopping around and comparing quotes from various professional moving companies so you can get the best deals.
However, moving quotes do come with questions a lot of times. You'd be lucky if you could find an estimate that is fully itemized and has an explanation of what each item means. This way, you know exactly which items are driving your moving costs higher than they should be so that you can do something about it.
A Breakdown of Long Distance Moving Costs
To help alleviate the strain that moving has on customers, here's a little breakdown of every item that contributes to your total long distance moving cost and ways on how you can possibly lower it.
Total Distance Travelled
The most significant factor that will affect your long distance moving cost is the distance from your old home to your new home. And unfortunately, this cost is hard to lower because point A and point B are pretty much set. Your only recourse is finding a long-distance moving service with a low cost-per-mile-traveled.
Of course, if you're moving to San Francisco from the east coast, this doesn't mean that you will see an excessive amount on your bill of lading. The cost of moving per mile usually starts at 75 cents per mile; however, this rate does decrease the longer the travel time.
Total Volume of Goods
When you call in for a moving quote, the agent usually asks you about your home. You'll get questions on how many bedrooms your home has, and if each room is packed with items, or if you are more minimalist when it comes to decor.
This helps determine your initial moving costs because total volume and weight can affect it significantly. All moving trucks have a definite capacity and weight limit. If your items cannot fit in a smaller truck, they will use a larger one, which is more expensive.
If you want to lower your long distance moving costs, you can discard some personal items instead of taking them to your new home. While packing, you can set aside items for donation, or you can even hold a yard sale before your move.
Services Included in Your Moving Package
When booking your move, you will be asked which services you want. People trying to save money will always go for the cheapest option, which is moving truck rental. You rent the moving truck and get nothing else - you have to move your items on your own and drive the truck yourself. If you're simply moving from one part of San Francisco to another, you only need to spend around $150-$200 for truck rental. For long distance moves, the costs can go up to $3,000.
One thing that drives your moving costs up is labor. If you need to hire movers to help you load and unload your items, your moving costs will triple. To compare, renting a moving truck for a local San Francisco move will cost around $200, while a move that includes 2-3 movers will cost about $800.
The more people involved in your move, the higher your shipping costs will be. The moving truck driver and crew are all paid by the hour, so a long distance move to San Francisco can get extremely costly. And this is if everything goes well. If your move experiences delays, you have to pay your moving team for the extra hours they put in.
Of course, there are safety nets in place to keep customers from paying an enormous amount in case of delays. Some long distance moving companies have a cost cap, which means the company stops charging after a set number of hours. Some companies also have a fixed rate service for their long distance moves, so customers don't have to worry about amassing hefty, hourly moving fees. While speaking to your long distance moving company for the first time, ask if they have a billing cap or a flat rate plan available like this one.
Costs Versus Quality
While other factors can potentially affect your moving costs, most of them (such as extra packing services) can be avoided easily, so we decided to focus on the factors you have no choice but to spend on.
Of course, in the quest to find cheap moving services, let's not forget that moving takes a lot of preparation and resources. Hopefully, although moving costs will always be a big influencer in people's decisions, it's also not a good idea to forsake other variables such as quality, customer service, and convenience for the sake of cheap moving services.
