The upsides of offering online moving estimates

Moving can be expensive. You have to find a good moving and storage companies, buy packing supplies, organize your trip, and so much more. For this reason, you need to have an idea about how much money you need to save. Preparing a moving budget is one of the more important aspects of one move. That is why you should ask for an estimate from moving companies in order to know what to expect. There are several ways how movers can do the estimate. There are in-house estimates and online moving estimates. This article will be dedicated to the upsides of offering online moving estimates. 

What is a moving estimate? 

Organizing a move can be quite stressful, especially if you are doing it all alone. For this reason, you should hire a moving company. You can find it on the Internet, or ask your friends and family for recommendations. If you are searching for moving companies on the Internet, then pay attention to moving reviews. Also, do not forget to check if they have a license issued by the FMCSA. This will help you to avoid fraudulent movers. Once you contact several moving companies, they will offer to do the estimate. This will tell you how much money you will have to spend on your move. However, this specific amount is not set in stone. It can change depending on several factors that will be mentioned below. Lastly, there are two types of moving estimates you should know about.  

Offering online moving estimates – binding vs non-binding moving estimate 

Before you read about the upsides of offering an online moving estimate, you should know the difference between a binding and non-binding moving estimate.  

• Binding estimate – You might be thinking, what is a binding estimate? A binding estimate is a fixed price of your relocation. Movers will tell you the cost of your moving based on several factors. The amount cannot change. This can be an advantage as you can prepare the exact amount you need. You will not be unpleasantly surprised once you receive the bill. However, the final cost can be lower than previously estimated, but you will still have to pay the full price. 
• Non-binding estimate – it is not a set price, but more a prediction which means you can pay more or less than you originally planned. 

Factors that can change your estimate 

Here is a list of all the factors that can change the estimate. 

• Travel fees – it is not the same if you are moving locally or to another state 
• Special moving services – this include moving an art collection, a piano, a pool table, and so on 
• Packing services – you can hire professionals to pack your items or you can do it yourself 
• Storage 
• Packing supplies – you can either buy from your moving company or get it on your own 
• Moving date – moving during the summer is more expensive than during the winter 
• Liability and moving insurance – it is your decision whether to get moving insurance or not, but it would be wise to have one 

The upside of offering online moving estimate – a good starting point 

Today, many moving companies will offer an online moving estimate first. It is more convenient as movers do not have to send out men. In addition to this, online moving estimates are free, so you have nothing to lose. It is also quite easier to get an online moving estimate from many companies. This way you can compare the prices and decide which one to choose. However, the cheapest does not mean the best. Just it was already mentioned, make sure to do the proper research about the moving company you plan to hire. Lastly, you can see which moving estimate goes the best with your moving budget. 

Good for comparing and it saves time 

As it was mentioned before, you can compare different estimates easier and faster if you get an online moving estimate. It is really important to do this comparison. You can save a lot of money. In addition to this, it will also save you some time. Scheduling an online estimate is only a click away. The same thing applies when moving companies are doing the online estimate. For this reason, if you are moving on short notice, this would be a great starting point. In addition to this, once you make a selection, you can go and meet the people from a moving company. 

Cons of offering an online moving estimate 

Now that you know all the upside of offering an online moving estimate, you should be aware of its downsides. The first one would be the lack of accuracy and reliability. An online moving estimate is a great way to prepare your moving budget. However, without actually seeing your house in person, the estimate might not be the most accurate. This can lead to paying a much higher bill than you originally planned. In addition to this, you will not be able to meet people from the company. Meeting the staff is a quite telling sign whether a moving company is reliable or not. 

Fraudulent moving companies 

Many fraudulent moving companies offer online moving quotes. They are quite low and affordable so people get attracted to low prices. Then, they end up victims of moving scams. They can either lose their items or spend a large amount of money since the first estimate is always much lower than the bill you will receive. For this reason, be cautious. Do not hire movers solely based on their online moving estimates. You need to check their credentials and read a moving contract carefully before signing anything. 

All the advantages of offering online moving estimates 

As you can see, these would be all the advantages of offering online moving estimates. Do not refuse an online moving estimate, but rather use them as a good starting point.