3. Moving Company vs. Moving Broker

If you’re looking for a mover on the internet, you’ll likely find a lot of links to moving businesses—but are they legitimate? You may unknowingly end up clicking a link that sends you to a moving broker rather than a moving business.

While it’s a legitimate service, a moving broker contacts moving companies on your behalf and charges up front. You can save that money by contacting the moving company directly.

4. Binding, Non-Binding, or Not-to-Exceed Moving Estimates

Interstate moving costs are mainly based on the distance traveled and the weight of your goods. Once an interstate moving business representative comes to your house (or does a virtual moving survey), you’ll be given an estimate based on those factors, among others.

There are three different types of estimates:

A binding estimate is when the shipper (you) pays exactly what is on the estimate, even if the weight of your goods is lower than on the estimate.

A non-binding estimate means that all related expenses can differ from what is estimated, depending on the actual weight of your shipment. Nonetheless, a competent moving representative should give you a fairly accurate estimate.

A not-to-exceed estimate is a popular option that allows you to pay only what is agreed to after the estimate is done, even if the shipment weighs more. But that’s not all; you’ll also pay less if your shipment weighs less than what was estimated. One critical drawback to be aware of is that the moving contract can become null if you decide to add things to the shipment once the contract is signed and the quote has been provided to you.