The Three Types of Moving Estimates

As soon as you confirm that you're moving house, the first thing you'll think about is moving your stuff. You'll have to decide whether your want to do it yourself, or if you should hire professionals. While you may save money by doing it yourself, having a professional moving company does have its advantages; for one thing, you'll be able to free yourself to attend to your work and other important things, and for another, you'll have professional with years of experience watching out for you.

So, if you decide to go with professionals, you'll most likely have to talk to several movers and get some estimates. To help you with your dealings, here are the three types of moving estimates and what you can expect from them.

Non-Binding Estimate

With this type of estimate, your moving costs may increase or decrease, depending on the circumstances. In a non-binding estimate agreement, the moving company will first go to your home to evaluate your furniture and other items you need to move. Then they'll give you a close estimate, but the actual amount won't be determined until moving day when they come to move your things. The price can than go up or down, depending what the actual weight is. This can be the best deal, as you're only really paying for what you are moving, but make sure you give your movers accurate information about what you're planning to move out with you so you can get an amount that will be as close to the actual weight as possible.

Binding Estimates

Much like in a non-binding estimate, the moving company will send someone over to take stock of what you have to move. In a binding estimate, however, the amount they give you is exactly what you'll be paying, and if you have less things than you thought you would, you will still have to pay the full price. If you like knowing upfront what you want to pay, then this is what you should get. However, you should make sure that you fully vet your moving company and deal only with companies that are reliable and honest.

Binding Not-To-Exceed

If you're watching your moving budget closely, then binding not-to-exceed estimate might be a good option for you. With this type of estimate, the moving company will give you a quote, and they will guarantee that you won't pay more than the quote, but you could potentially pay less if your items weight less than the original estimate.

Which type of estimate is best for you? Only you can decide that, but ask you mover for their opinion and try to weigh your options carefully.