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Cost Moving Tips

Budgeting for Your NJ Move

Budgeting for Your NJ Move

One of the biggest concerns many people have when hiring NJ movers is managing all the costs involved. When budgeting for a move, it can easily be overwhelming as there are so many different costs associated with it from moving supplies to additional moving services. Plus, many NJ movers might not be upfront on additional fees you may need to pay when providing their quote. Even when working with reputable NJ moving companies, it can still be difficult to understand all the costs associated with a move. But it doesn’t have to be that way! Below are some tips and tricks on how to understand how much money to set aside for your NJ move.

Factors That Affect NJ Moving Cost

The cost of hiring NJ movers varies widely depending on what you need for your move. For example, a local move tends to be cheaper than a long distance move and they also tend to have different pricing structures. Most professional movers will charge you an hourly rate for local moves and a flat rate based on a few factors for your long distance move. In general, local moves range between $500 to $1,500 depending on the size of your move versus $2,000 to $5,000 and above for long distance.

So how do movers come up with these figures? It’s based on a few things including:

  • Distance – the further away your new house is from your current home the more expensive it will be. Speaking of distance, the clock starts on the move when they leave their warehouse and stops when their truck is back at their HQ, not when they finished unloading their truck!
  • Volume – The more you have, the larger the truck and the more time movers will need. This directly impacts cost especially for flat-rate moves as costs are calculated by combining distance and volume.
  • Services – If you need anything else besides the basic loading and unloading, expect to pay more! Packing, unpacking, storage, etc. are all services moving companies provide at an additional cost.
  • Time of year – while most companies won’t charge you more when moving during the summer or holiday season, you likely won’t be able to find as many discounts or negotiate a better deal as you might be able to during off peak season.
  • Accessibility – Does your home have stairs? Will the movers need to park far away from your old or new home? All of these could incur an extra charge.

And don’t forget about other moving expenses like buying moving supplies, getting a hotel if your home is not move-in ready, renting a car, etc. All of these things add up! 

Common Hidden Fees

Before you sign the contract for the movers, it’s important to understand any potential hidden or extra fees you can expect. Remember, the initial quote you get from the company is their best guess based on information you provide. If you realize you need extra services or forget to mention something like stairs, the final bill will likely be higher than the initial estimate. That’s why it is important to give as much information as possible for an accurate quote. A few things that can add on extra charges to your bill include:

  • Stairs – many moving companies will charge extra money for each flight of stairs. So if you are moving out from a third floor walkup, expect to pay at least $30 more.
  • Long carry – not all companies utilize this charge, but you should always ask if you don’t think the company will be able to park directly in front of your house or apartment. These fees are charged for carrying items a long distance from your home to the truck. The distance varies between companies and could be as short as 100 feet from doorstep to truck.
  • Shuttle service – if you’re moving somewhere with narrow streets that can’t fit a full size moving truck, the company may charge you a shutter service fee that provides a smaller vehicle to move your belongings from the truck to your home.
  • Packing materials – you’ll be charged extra for packing supplies like boxes, tape, bubble wrap, etc.
  • COI – if you are moving into an apartment that requires a certificate of insurance, some moving companies might tack on a fee to produce the COI to building management.
  • Travel time – in addition to the hourly rate for the move, many companies will also add a travel surcharge to your bill if your home is outside of a certain radius from their headquarters.

If you don’t see any of these fees listed out in the quote or contract, make sure to communicate potential issues clearly and ask questions about other additional charges.

Deposits and Cancellation/Rescheduling Fees

Once you have found the company for you, you will probably need to pay a deposit. This amount is usually $50-$100 depending on the cost of your move and will be credited against your final bill. However, since you will have to put this payment a month or more in advance, you’ll want to make sure you have it available. This deposit will also be held if you end up canceling or rescheduling outside of the contracted rescheduling time frame, usually up to 2 days before moving day. Some companies will even charge you the full amount of the move for these last minute changes, so make sure the moving date you provide works for you and if anything changes, contact the movers as soon as possible so you don’t get hit with these fees.

Tipping

The biggest fee many people forget is the tip! While it isn’t a required part of your move, it is still customary to provide a tip to your NJ moving crew if they ticked all the boxes. The standard tip is around $15-20 per hour per person. So for a 2 person crew that worked 4 hours, that would be $160 that you should set aside. Feel free to tip more if you felt the movers did an exceptional job and/or had to move a lot of bulky items. You can also provide the movers with some cold water during the summer or some hot coffee during the winter time. They’ll definitely appreciate it!

If the movers did not do a good job, don’t feel pressured to tip. Some red flags that warrant decreasing the tip amount include:

  • Arriving late with no communication
  • Poor attitude
  • Making excessive noise or using profanity around children and neighbors
  • Disregarding directions on your fragile, marked boxes
  • Damaging belongings
  • Demanding cash for each mover
  • Slow, lazy service

If the movers try to threaten or pressure you, call the office and let them know what happened. You do NOT need to provide a tip if the crew does not do a good job with your move or, at any point, make you feel unsafe.

Reducing Your Moving Costs

While some costs are fixed, there are ways you can save money on your move. The first thing you should do is declutter as much as possible. The less stuff you have, the less you need to move, which means fewer boxes and less time movers need to take loading and unloading your belongings. You can even make some money on the items you decluttered by hosting a garage or yard sale. While you’ll never recoup the original amount you paid for the items, you could earn back a couple hundred dollars depending on what you’re selling, which can give you some extra wiggle room in your moving budget.

Another great way to save money is to shop around. Don’t hire the first movers that show in your search. Take note of a few and call them up to compare services and quotes. If one company offers the services you need but are a little more expensive than a comparable company, try and negotiate the rates down. You can also ask if they have any deals or discounts available.

Finally, pack as much as you can yourself. It’s tedious, but it will save you money in the long run. If you still need some help, see if the moving company provides partial packing service. That way you can have them focus on packing a certain room or area while you pack the rest. For the best value, have the movers pack your fragile items. While the movers do cover your belongings with the released valuation for free, it will usually only cover items the movers packed themselves. If you packed the items and they get damaged, it won’t be covered in released or full valuation unless it can be proved that the damage happened due to negligence by the movers and not poor packing on your part.

Ready to Make a NJ Move In Your Budget

At NJ Movers, we provide excellent service at affordable prices. Our company has become the movers NJ residents trust. So if you’re looking to make your NJ move, reach out to us and we’ll help create a customized moving plan that matches your needs and budget.

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Certificate of Insurance for Moving (COI)

Certificate of Insurance for Moving (COI)

If you’re moving to a new apartment or condo, you might hear from your new building management that you need to provide a certificate of insurance before you can move-in. In fact, many luxury buildings require you to provide a certificate of insurance (COI) for moving, which means you’ll need to hire professional NJ movers. NJ Great Movers provides our COI directly to the management team, but we also send it to you so you can keep it in your files. Even though you don’t have to worry about the COI, it’s still a good idea to understand the form.

What is a COI and Why Do You Need It?

A certificate of insurance (COI) essentially is proof that the movers you are using have insurance and are able to cover issues should something go wrong. It will list out the insurance the movers have along with the liability and loss coverage. This way, if anything happens to the building, such as a damage or injury, the mover’s insurance covers the cost of repairs or accidents.

Most reputable moving companies, like NJ Great Movers, can easily procure and provide a COI to your building management company. Although there is no standard for what a certificate of insurance should look like, most businesses use the form created by the Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development (ACORD). A COI generally includes the following information:

  • Date of issue
  • Information about the certification of insurance
  • Insurance agent or broker that produced/issued the certificate
  • Name and address of the business covered by the policy
  • Liability insurance coverage (general, commercial auto, umbrella, and worker’s compensation)
  • List of insurers
  • Coverage in dollars each policy provides
  • Description of operations, locations, and vehicles
  • Expiration date of insurance
  • Signature of agent, broker, or authorized representatives

While not all buildings will require a COI, if you live somewhere with a doorman or hands-on super, chances are your move won’t happen if you don’t provide one. That means you’ll have to scramble for last-minute storage space for your belongings and reschedule your movers. That’s extra money you probably don’t have! Even if your building says they don’t need one, it’s still a good idea to provide a COI just in case. Why? Because a COI also protects you!

As an example, let’s say you move into a building that doesn’t require a COI. You then move your stuff in but damage the walls and maybe even the elevators! Maybe you even get a parking ticket during the move. You will be held liable for these damages and have to pay for any repairs and tickets out of pocket. This could cost you thousands of dollars! There’s also the matter of your belongings. If it gets damaged during your own DIY move, you will have to cover the entire cost of replacement or repair. This can get costly if you own a lot of high value items.

On the other hand, you don’t have to worry about any of that if you hire professional movers. They will shoulder the responsibility for any damages done to the building and, of course, take care of any parking tickets that were for their vehicles. Your items are also automatically protected by something called released value protection, which will cover up to $0.60 per pound per item for free. If you want, you can spring for the more expensive full value protection. If something gets damaged, the movers will either try to fix, replace, or eventually reimburse you for the damaged items. Ideally the professional NJ movers wouldn’t damage anything since they are highly experienced and know how to maneuver tight corners and narrow hallways.

Even if you don’t think your building needs a COI, call up your super or building management company and ask. They will probably appreciate the heads up and most prefer their tenants to use moving companies anyway as it reduces the chance of potential issues in the future.

There’s also another hidden benefit of asking for a COI. It shows whether the company you chose is reputable or not. All legitimate moving companies are required to carry a minimum amount of insurance. The best moving companies provide more than that. For example, NJ Great Movers has the following insurance:

  • $1 million limit for commercial general liability
  • $1 million limit for automobile liability
  • $5 million for umbrella liability
  • $1 million for workers compensation

Asking for a COI early on in the moving process is a good litmus test to see how trustworthy the movers are. If they aren’t able to provide one or they only provide the bare minimum when it comes to insurance coverage, you’ll have enough time to look for other movers.

When requesting a COI always ask for a copy. That way you can also check the information. While most movers are legitimate, there’s always the chance you could run into a scam company. So even if they do provide a COI, it could be fake or not up-to-date. When looking at the COI check to make sure the name and address matches what is listed on the company’s website. Also, check the expiration date of the insurance to make sure the company is still covered. You should also make sure the COI is filled out exactly like the sample. Otherwise, the building will reject it! While most buildings will find these errors immediately, you can save yourself a lot of back and forth and potential stress by catching these things early.

NJ Great Movers Simple COI Process and Steps

If you work with NJ Great Movers, we make the process of requesting a COI as seamless as possible. With that said, you’ll still need to do a little legwork. Naturally, your first step is confirming with both your buildings whether you need a COI to move in and/or out. While you’re on the phone, see if a COI is needed to reserve the freight elevator. If that’s the case, let us know so we can expedite the process. You’ll want to reserve a time as soon as possible to avoid conflicts with other people. After all, you don’t want to waste an hour or two waiting for the freight elevator! After that, get in touch with your property manager(s) and get a sample of the COI and then send it over to us.

We’ll take over from there. We’ll send the sample COI over to our insurance company so that they can fill the forms out properly. Our team will also check to make sure all of our insurance has expiration dates after your move date and provides the appropriate insurance and coverage amount. Once we’ve double-checked everything, we’ll send a copy to your management company and to you. That way, if they somehow miss the email, you will have a copy on file. We do ask that at least a week before your move date you confirm with the property managers that they received the COI and that everything is in working order. Just in case, we’ll also bring a hard copy of the COI with us on the move date as there have been a few occasions where the security guard and/or doorman on duty did not have the COI we had sent on file. This way, we can prevent any delays in your move!

Our goal as professional and trusted NJ movers is to make your move as smooth and easy as possible. That’s why we triple check everything to make sure nothing falls through the cracks. Thanks to our decades of experience, we can cover even the most complex building management requirements. Just let us know as soon as possible so we can get the process started!

Conclusion

Getting a certificate of insurance might sound daunting at first, but if you work with trustworthy moving companies like NJ Great Movers, we make the process as easy as possible. You can rest assured knowing that we will take care of everything come moving day and that if anything should happen, you won’t have to worry about paying.