Cheap State To State Movers: Mistakes Made When Choosing a Moving Firm

A recent survey found that the average American will move five times in their life. People tend to move for work, for family, and for new opportunities. Between each move, it's easy to forget what moving really entails.

If you're moving from one state to another, you'll likely find yourself in the market for cheap state-to-state movers. The question is, how do you find the right one?

Don't let a lack of experience or a sense of overwhelm lead you to the wrong mover. There are a lot of mistakes people make when looking for the cheapest way to move out of state, and we're here to warn you about all of them.

We're in the business of moving and in providing moving tips. Read on to learn about the most common mistakes made when looking for cheap state-to-state movers and how to avoid them.

Not Looking at Service Areas

Moving statistics paint a telling story. The vast majority of people who move each year are staying in the same state. Only 14% move from one state to another.

Finding movers near you that provide intrastate services isn't all that complicated. After all, if they're willing to pack and pick up household belongings from your state, they're more than likely willing to drop off household belongings in your state.

However, what if you're looking for movers from California to Texas? What about movers from Florida to New York?

That's where things get complicated. Don't waste your time researching a moving company that can't get you where you need to go. Let us help you find the best moving companies that work in the service areas that fit your needs.

Not Looking at Services Provided

Believe it or not, not all moving companies provide the same services. Some may only pick up ready-to-go boxes without providing any packing services. Others might offer the full scope without allowing customers to customize their contracts to fit their specific needs.

Only you know the exact services that you're looking for. Maybe you prefer to pack everything yourself, and only want someone to load, transport, and unload your belongings. Maybe you don't want to do anything but pack a personal bag and set off for your new home.

By working with State to State Move, you can find the perfect moving company that will meet your needs. Whether you're looking to save time, save effort, or save money, we've got you covered.

Booking Without Looking at Reviews

Nowadays, you can find a lot of information online before ever making a purchase or signing a contract. Still, only 53% of customers do thorough research before making a financial decision.

The truth is that not all moving companies are alike. While some offer the cheapest services, they may also have a track record of breaking valuables, losing items, or simply failing to provide the quality customer service you need during a stressful time. Others may provide adequate services at a rate that's far higher than their competitors, something you might not realize without doing your research.

The good news is that at State to State Move, we do a lot of the research for you. We have over 300 moving companies in our network, all of which are vetted and well-reviewed. Whether you're looking for movers to take you from Florida to New York, Delaware to Washington, or Maryland to Arizona, we've got great movers for you.

Forgetting Your Budget

It costs a lot of money to move, and we're not just talking about hiring movers. When you're moving, you're typically going to spend a lot of dough on:

• A mortgage or rental downpayment
• A new home or rental insurance plan
• Gas for your car or plane tickets
• Fees to shut off and/or turn on utilities
• Travel accommodations before and during the move
• Food, including dining out when your kitchen is packed
• Packing materials if not provided by your moving company

In other words, this is an expensive time of life. Oftentimes, people who move without a plan become so overwhelmed that they spend more money than they need to. If you start to experience decision fatigue because you're making a lot of last-minute decisions, it's likely that you'll pay more for services because you're willing to take the first service you come across.

Don't be the person who over-spends during a move. Come up with a budget in advance and do your best to find movers who help you stick to it.

Not Providing Details

Your moving company can only provide adequate services if they know what to expect. In fact, some may discover that they can't help you at all if they weren't given the proper information about your move. For that reason, we often consider it a red flag when a moving company doesn't inquire about details before agreeing to help with a move.

What kind of information should you provide before both parties can make an informed decision? Details include:

• The time and day you need/expect to have your belongings packed up
• The time and day you need/expect to have your belongings removed from your current home
• The time and day you need/expect your belongings to arrive at your new home
• An inventory of your belongings, including information about special items like antiques or pianos
• Pertinent information about your current or new home (ie how many stories it is, whether or not there is a service elevator for upper-level apartments, how many rooms you're packing up, etc)

Before you book your mover, make sure that you have all of the facts straight and all of the pertinent information handy.

Hiring Unlicensed Movers

Hiring an unlicensed mover is a lot like asking your buddies to help you pack up and move house. You can't expect professionalism or proper experience, it's not likely that anyone will come equipped with the right equipment, and the services aren't worth a whole lot of money.

At State to State Move, we only partner with companies that hire licensed movers. When a moving company is staffed with licensed movers, they're more likely to have the experience needed to pack your belongings and move them carefully. They are also far more likely to have access to the proper equipment to protect your items by wrapping, boxing, and securing everything the right way.

Most importantly, licensed movers are almost always insured movers. Moving can be a dangerous business, and the last thing you want is to be held liable for an injury or incident that happens while handling your stuff. Plus, an insured moving company can provide at least some coverage if any of your items wind up damaged or missing in the process.

Not Accounting for High-Value Items

Earlier, we made mention of high-value items like antiques and pianos. High-value items can also include things like state-of-the-art technology, as well as oversized items like bureaus, china cabinets, and large dining room tables. If you own anything that is worth a ton of money or requires extra care to move, make sure that you take this into consideration when picking your movers.

Why? Because some moving companies won't move them. This is especially the case with items like pianos, which can require special equipment and serious know-how to move carefully.

The good news is that a lot of moving companies will, you just have to verify before signing the contract. Don't find out last minute that you need to hire a separate company just to handle your high-value items. Let us help you to find the company that will do it all.

Waiting Too Long to Book Your Movers

Chances are, you've moved at least once already in your lifetime. You certainly know people who have moved, probably within the last few years. Thinking back, it seemed like most (if not all) of those moves happened in the summertime.

Is this a coincidence? Absolutely not. The majority of people who move do so in the summer months, which means that movers are in high demand at that time.

No matter what, it is always a good idea to book your movers at least three weeks early. Whether you're looking for moving companies from California to Texas or moving companies from New York to Florida, whether you're hoping to move in July or December, you don't want to put this step off.

The longer you wait, the fewer options you'll have. Plus, all of our savvy clients will have booked up the good companies, and your remaining choices may not be so great.

Trying to Do It All On Your Own

Do you own an estimated 300,000 things like the average American? There's no better way to find out than trying to pack and move everything, yourself.

People often assume that the most economic choice is to pack up and move from one state to another on their own. It seems logical enough. All you have to do is pay for boxes, packing materials, tape, markers, a do-it-yourself moving truck, gas for that moving truck, service fees for that moving truck...okay, so maybe this isn't the best option, after all.

When it comes to moving from one state to another, we always recommend hiring professionals to give you a hand. Remember, planning and executing a move can be expensive and exhausting, as it is. You don't save as much as you think you do by doing it all yourself and you add serious strain to the process.

Booking Without Asking for a Quote

Here's another red flag in the moving company world: not providing a free quote before asking a client to sign a contract. The problem is that even companies that do offer free quotes won't necessarily volunteer a quote without being asked.

Once again, it's important that you keep your budget in mind when you pick the right moving company for your state to state move. Without a quote, it's impossible to know how much a moving company is going to charge.

If your moving company offers to perform an in-person or virtual survey, take it. These surveys make it easy to offer an accurate quote that won't result in any surprises for either you or the movers. If they don't, make sure to provide a thorough inventory of your belongings, highlighting high-value items as we mentioned above.

Getting Bombarded With Too Many Quotes

You might want to compare your movers from New York to Florida or New Jersey to Florida before you make a final decision. Does that mean that you should request quotes from every moving company that can do the job?

Keep in mind that when you do request a quote from a moving company, they're going to want to call or email. If you ask for too many quotes, you're going to become overwhelmed with all of the companies trying to get in contact with you. In the end, this can make your choice more difficult, rather than more informed.

When you work with us at State to State Move, you don't have to worry about getting bombarded with quotes. We offer quotes from our select movers, and you decide who to call. Our goal is to keep things simple.

Looking for Cheap State to State Movers? We Can Help

You need cheap state to state movers. We can help. If you have any questions about how our process works or what we can do for you, drop us a line and we'll get back to you ASAP.

If you already know everything you need to know and all that's left to do is find the right movers, we're ready to make that possible. You answer a few questions about your move and we start compiling the quotes you need. Get started with our online quote tool that is no-obligations and 100% free to use.