Are you smart enough to move?

Have you ever wondered how much it would cost for you to pack up and move to Florida, California, or any place on the planet?

Packing up and moving is something we will all do at some point in our lives and some will do it many times over their lifetime. So how is it that you know so little about how it works and how much it costs?

The most common questions I hear when it comes to moving are not: Are the movers trained and background checked?, not even: Are they insured? Instead, I am asked:

How much will it cost?

If cost is your primary concern when hiring someone to come into your home, touch everything you own, and then leave with it all, well you shouldn't be moving. Instead you need to take a little time and educate yourself on the moving process.

In fairness to the consumer my industry has not made it easy for you to look up where our charges come from and what might make them change during a move. When you receive your move estimate (you are getting estimates aren't you?) the billable services are often bunched together or an hourly rate is listed with no explanation of how those hours or the amounts are determined. So, as a consumer that doesn't understand how the pricing was determined you will tend to look for the lowest price and just select the cheapest mover.

Years ago I heard someone say (and later saw T-Shirts) that read:

"Cheap movers aren't good and Good movers aren't cheap"

This simple statement could not be more true and throughout my time in the moving and storage industry I have lost many jobs because I wasn't the lowest bidder. I knew my proposal had more value and was more accurate but when it came down to making a selection all the customer could see was the final cost.

Later when that same customer that said I was too expensive calls me in a state of panic to say "the movers I hired are raising their price", or "the movers I hired didn't show up" I get a brief see what you get feeling that runs through me. Once I am able to control my desire to laugh out loud I begin to find solutions for the customer that usually end up being far more costly and much less convenient than was originally planned.

If you will be moving or know someone that will be moving (realtors) I suggest you subscribe to and follow this blog. I'll be sharing some inside information on pricing and how show you how to see through the sales pitches.