You think you have everything planned and arranged for move-in day. You have even made arrangements for a bank draft to cover the amount of your moving bill when the driver hands you a final bill that is drastically different from the amount you were first quoted. This can put a damper on anyone’s moving day. Such discrepancies are the result of extra moving company costs and while they are unfortunately common, educating yourself can help you to prevent them.

 

First, make sure you are sure you have everything covered in advance in your contract so that you will not have any surprises on the actual move-in day. Some of the most common reasons for extra charges include inadequacy of parking and no elevator for moving items. In the event that the address where the items will be unloaded does not have sufficient parking, moving companies often charge long carry charges. Be sure you have sufficient parking reserved in advance to avoid this problem.

 

Also, if you know in advance that the movers will need to use stairs when unloading your belongings at your new location, be sure to cover this in the contract. Whenever possible, it is best to try to obtain use of a service elevator in order to avoid having movers carry items up stairs. If you are moving into an apartment building or a building with elevators, be sure to check with the supervisor in advance about using the service elevator.

 

You can also avoid additional charges by making sure that you do not change your destination or add an extra pick up location at all as this can increase your costs as well. Also, avoid making any last minute additions to the moving truck. Adding anything to the original inventory list can result in additional charges.

 

Before the actual move-in day, make sure the moving company and the driver know exactly how to reach your new destination. While this is not always the case, if the moving company must spend extra time trying to find your new address, they may charge you extra for the time involved. Be sure to provide them with detailed instructions before move-in day to avoid any possible extra charges for delays.

 

Also, find out in advance whether you will be charged extra if you need the moving company to help you assemble furniture. If you know in advance that you will need this type of assistance it is better to go ahead and mention it up front so that you can have it covered in your contract and be prepared for it rather than facing extra costs that you are not prepared for.

 

Other issues that could results in extra charges include handling of items that are particularly fragile, additional stops along the route and storage of items prior to actual delivery.

 

Understanding the reasons for possible extra charges when using a moving company can help you to make arrangements to plan for and often prevent extra charges to your total moving cost.