Hiring a moving company?

[westtexas]

Hey y'all... Just a question for you that I would like to get some thoughts/opinions on:

I'm about to move 500 miles in 2 months. I currently own a 3/2 house and will be downsizing to a 1/1 apartment (approximately 300 sq feet smaller than what I have now and no garage - but I am getting rid of most of my stuff/furniture). Moving my stuff myself is not an option.

I have had 3 moving companies come in today to give me estimates. One company gave me a very reasonable estimate, another gave me an estimate about $500 higher than that and the last company gave me an estimate more than 2x the low one.

Question is - what did the third company see that the other two didn't? I told all of them the same things and asked the same questions from them. I just feel really blown out of the water by that high of an estimate compared to the other two companies. Especially since I will be doing all my own packing.

Thanks for any insight/advice in advance!

[Koronin]

I have no clue. Sorry I can't be of help. When I've moved, I've always done it myself with help from family and friends. That does seem very strange to me as well that one would be that much more expensive than the other two.

Good luck.

[PamNY]

I got absurdly lowball estimates from a couple of companies. I wouldn't assume there's a logical reason for the difference. There might be -- but there might not.

I ended up using Graebel -- they were not the least expensive by any means, but their service was superb.

Do you have recommendations/references? I'd pay attention to that. There are some bad actors in that business. Good luck. Moving is never easy.

[jessmarimba]

My best guess might be truck size? Companies that use enormous trucks (like Atlas) will sometimes charge you for extra unused space if they can't fit another load in the space that would be leftover...but I wouldn't expect that much of a difference.

I thought about going with PODS when I moved out here, since I was in a furnished apartment for a few months until I bought my house. But in the end, I just moved the stuff in a uhaul with my mom and then put it in storage until I found a place.

[tangentgirl]

That big of a difference is kind of nutty. Remember, though, these are just quotes, and you will actually end up paying time and materials. Unless the contract has a cap at X% above the quote, you could end up paying a lot if they lowballed the estimate to get your business.

+1 on recommendations, even if it's something like Angie's List or Yelp. Look for things like the estimate being close to what people actually paid.

Good luck!

[GLC1968]

I think you are already considering this, but often times, you get what you pay for. I have moved dozens of times and used moving companies for at least half of my moves. Sometimes they packed, sometimes I did. Some were good, others were not. Without knowing all the details, it's hard to guess why the estimates would be so different. Did you ask them why? We did that when we got estimates to have our house re-sided and it turns out that the company that was the most expensive also was the only company officially certified by the siding company and therefore the only ones who could offer the 30-year guarantee. The other companies were using the same materials but because they weren't certified by the supplier, no guarantee! I was SO glad I asked!

I agree that getting recommendations is a very good idea. For our last big move (NC to OR), we used Graebel. They were by far, the best moving company I've ever dealt with. I would use them again in a heartbeat!

[westtexas]

All the companies are local companies since this is an in-state move (heaven only knows why Texas is so big). They are all insured and have the proper legal things under control should something happen to my furniture and they all come highly recommended by others on the internet and from people I know. My dad suggested I go with the low bid... especially since the high bid is not in my budget (and it's $1000 more than what my brother paid to move to Wisconsin from Houston with the same amount of stuff).

Thanks for the advice for sure... seems to confirm what I already know. Hopefully the end result will not be horrible!

[Possegal]

Many years ago I could have helped. My family owned a moving company (a United Van Lines company) when I was a kid. If my Dad were still alive, I bet he'd have an answer for you. Good luck with you move.

[soprano]

I just now saw your question, sorry about replying so late.

Most movers charge by the pound. So, when you look at the estimate, look for the estimated weight. The lowest bid could very well have been for a lowball estimated weight.

Were the estimates all for the same services? For example, did Company A include packing (even though you plan to pack yourself) but Company B didn't? How about insurance?

Movers also may offer different types of estimates. It's been a while for me, so I'm fuzzy on the exact terms, but I recall that they will do a "guaranteed not to exceed" estimate - which is usually on the high side, so the final bill will probably be lower - or they can do an actual estimate, which has no guarantee that the final cost won't be higher. Estimate types are regulated for interstate moves, so they might not be binding for your move, but if you got different types of estimates, it could easily explain the cost difference.

Whatever company you choose, make sure to check them over with the Better Business Bureau, Angie's List, or some similar consumer complaint service, because there are some shady movers out there. Also, read the contract carefully before you sign it. Some mover contracts will waive liability for customer packed boxes (so if you pack yourself to save money, and they drop all of your stuff and break it, too bad for you) or particleboard furniture.

[westtexas]

Thanks all for the advice.

They way they are charging me is by size of the truck, mileage (and thus, fuel cost) and turn around time, so weight isn't a factor (that's how they did my brother's move). I don't have to share a truck or wait for one to fill up before I get my stuff to my place either, which is nice.

I decided to go with the low estimate after a 4th one came in last night for lower than that. Luckily people around here are generally pretty trustworthy and I usually have a pretty good "people sense" so I feel like I have made the right choice.

Of course, won't really know until 7 weeks from now...

Thanks again!