BUSY SEASON IS HERE: PREPARE FOR PEAK SEASON
Approximately 40 million people move annually and 80 percent of those moves are done between May and August. Peak season for the moving industry officially starts on May 15th and ends on August 31st. Summertime for movers is similar to what retailers deal with during the holiday season – it’s pure mayhem. Hiring a mover is already expensive and prices go up by about 30 percent during moving season. Here are some tips to help you save money and prepare for peak season. You can also read this post about moving during peak season.
Don’t get wrapped up in a moving nightmare. Do some research.
1. DO YOUR RESEARCH
Peak season is a feeding frenzy for scam artists. It’s the time of year where companies pop up out of nowhere and claim they’re the best mover in town. People fly in from all over the world to create “fly by night companies” so they can capitalize during the busy season. They build websites, use fake DOT numbers and purchase leads from ad agencies. Once they have your stuff, they will demand more money, plain and simple. It’s essential to prepare for peak season.
Instead of jumping on the internet and requesting quotes you should do some research. Google is an excellent tool for checking online reviews, but more importanlty you should go to the DOT SAFER website which will provide you with company history. Here you will be able to find the years in business, complaint history and whether or not they’re a mover or broker. Moving is already stressful so save yourself a headache by doing some research before choosing a moving company. Also, check out this post on moving industry laws.
Save money on your move by reducing the size.
2. SAVE MONEY ON YOUR MOVE
Moving is expensive and even more so during the busy season. As a fellow shopper, I’m always looking for savings, but price shopping is not the solution. Hiring a mover is not like looking for a new TV. Movers are not all created equal. If you’re the person looking for the cheapest solution you will put yourself at risk of being scammed. As mentioned above, do some research and prepare for peak season properly.
REDUCE THE SIZE OF YOUR MOVE
Moving companies base their price on weight or cubic feet. The number one way to save money would be to reduce the size of your move. The less you have, the less the price; it’s that simple. You can get rid of unwanted items by holding a garage sale, having local charities pick up your unwanted stuff or selling stuff online.
SELF-PACK
Self-packing is another excellent way to save money. You can purchase moving boxes at any local Home Depot, Uhual, Walmart or even directly from our website. If you can manage to self-pack, I would recommend it.
BOOK EARLY
Booking your move in advance is another great option to save. If you reserve early, you will be able to lock in off-season pricing which is almost 30 percent less expensive.
Don’t wait until the last minute to book your move
3. DON’T WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE – PREPARE FOR PEAK SEASON EARLY
There’s a lot to think about when planning a move, but finding a mover shouldn’t be on the bottom of your list. We suggest reserving a mover at a minimum of 8 weeks before the pickup date. It will give you time to plan, prepare for peak season and it’s one last thing you need to worry about. Peak moving season can get hectic for movers so don’t wait until the last minute to reserve your date. It can cause more stress for you, the mover and ruin the entire moving experience.
Booking your move in advance is also a great way to save money and find the most reliable moving companies. Remember that the military also moves the majority of its personnel during peak season. Quality movers will be busy so get on their calendar while you can. You don’t want to be left with the scraps to choose from.
