Remember the days when you paid your friends with beer and pizza to help you move? Countless trips made with you car filled with items that fit from your home. You spent the weekend moving and if lucky were done by Sunday night. This is when mostly everything you owned fit into your car. Now that you have rooms with furniture sets, dishware, a plush $1,000 mattress, you want your items properly protected and moved and not by you or your friends. 

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How much does moving locally in Cleveland cost 

Professional local moving companies in Cleveland typically charge between $55-$65 per mover per hour, which includes a moving truck. Moving from a 1-2 bedroom apartment under 10 miles average cost is between $500 to $800. The cost of moving is impacted by elevators, stairs, long walk to the truck, and how far you are moving. ‍

How to get an accurate price

There are 3 options to obtain a moving quote. First is over the phone quote. Second is a home survey in person or virtually. Lastly, is an online quote. Most companies are listed online with a website and a phone number. One of the more popular ways to obtain a quote is by calling the company and getting what is called a phone quote. Here is how it works...you talk to a representative at the moving company about where you are moving and then discuss details about the items needed to be moved. The company will then provide an hourly quote to you over the phone. It is important to ask for any fees in addition to the hourly rate.

Full service moving companies tend to like to have an in home survey. These surveys can be done by a representative physically walking through your house or by a virtual survey. Virtual surveys are done via a phone app and can be done remote by the moving company. Virtual surveys are the same idea as an in-home survey but you would walk around your home with your phone showing the representative on the phone the items you are moving. 

Third is an online quote. Most moving companies will ask for your details to be entered which are emailed to the company and then you wait to hear from a representative to follow up with you via phone or email.  Some moving companies are beginning to offer instant online quotes. This service is quick, easy, and simple allowing you to get a price by answering some details about your move. You simply enter your addresses, some questions about both locations, and you are given an instant hourly quote all without entering personal contact information. Be warry of online brokers aka "The Expedia of Moving". Online brokers will provide you an online quote and then sell your reservation to any mover within their network who has the lowest price. This is not a good option!

How to save money when hiring a moving company

The first thing you can do is to “right-size” your home. This means discard and donate any items that you do not want in your new home. Remember your new home most likely has a different layout including different storage availability. This means you will have to adjust how your closet items, seasonal decorations, and more are stored. Why spend time packing up items and why spend money on moving items you will end up putting in a closet and never use. Which brings up the second way to save money when moving. Pack your own boxes and be well organized by labeling (on side and on top) the corresponding room name and 1-2 of the main items in the box. You can view how - to - packing videos on Moving Buddy's youtube channel. We do not recommend using online shipping boxes as these are usually too small and not durable enough to hold your items. We recommend purchasing box kits to make packing easier. We offer three box kits (1 bedroom, 2-3 bedroom, & 3+ bedroom kits) which can be purchased online and are shipped to your front door with tape! If you are looking for used boxes you can check on craigslist or facebook marketplace. 

To make your move as efficient as possible it is important to have all of your items put into square/rectangular boxes or containers. This will allow the moving crew to stack the boxes for efficient dolly loads to and from the truck which will make your move go faster saving you money in the long run. To save time & money you can choose to disassemble your furniture prior to the moving company arriving.  Most moving companies will include basic disassembly and reassembly of tables, beds, large bookcases but remember the movers are on the clock so to save time you can do the disassembly yourself and the movers will spend less time at your home.  ‍

How to hire a local moving company

1. Licensed & insured. Verify the mover is licensed in the state of Ohio and verify they have general liability insurance. Some apartment management companies will ask for the mover to send an ACORD from the mover to prove they have general liability. Do not be afraid to ask for this even if you are not moving from or to an apartment.
2. Read customer reviews. Look for clues and trends. If you see a handful of bad reviews but way more positive reviews then chances are those bad reviews are far and few in between. 
3. Ask about the crews hiring process, including do they perform background checks on their employees and whether they hire full time, trained moving crews or hire day laborers. 
4. Get two quotes. Be wary of any company that offers you a price that seems too good to be true. Some moving companies will “low ball” an hourly quote and end up charging double the day of the move. 

Be sure there is a contract signed and in place with the hourly rate and pricing clearly stated.  Contracts with multiple line item charges like fuel surcharge, truck, mileage can add up quickly and are unnecessary. 

In the end hire a professional moving company, your body & friends will thank you later! 

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Learn more about getting an instant online quote.