How far in advance should you book movers?

Moving can be a complicated process, and one factor that affects that is the availability of movers. Moving companies are often fully booked, and you should always try to hire them in advance. Today, we will explore how far in advance you should book movers and what you should know about on-season and off-season moving.

A person talking on the phone. — Join us as we explore when you should book movers for the relocation.

Before you do anything, you should organize your move

Before you get in touch with any movers and rent a storage unit, you should organize your move. A moving company is the most critical part of any relocation, and you shouldn’t postpone hiring one.

Also, it would be best if you kept in mind that there is are different kinds of moves. There are local moves, interstate moves, and international moves. Moreover, there is a big difference between office moving and home relocation.

Ideally, it would help if you started organizing and planning your move at least a month, or even better, two months before your planned relocation. It would be best to have a rough idea of when it will be the right time for you to move. And that will depend on a lot of factors:

your personal preferences
when your new job at the new location needs you
the beginning of the school year
when movers are available, etc.

Roughly calculate the cost of your move and search for the movers online

Now it is time to search for available movers online. The first step is checking out online databases. For example, type in details for your move on Verified Movers, get a list of recommended companies and start narrowing down your search. Also, you may want to use different search engines to find movers.

Almost every professional moving company has an online moving calculator, which enables customers to roughly estimate the cost of the move.

Now it is time to calculate the expected cost of your move. You should keep in mind that moving often turns out to be more costly than people expect. Thus, you should always leave a margin in your moving budget. Also, remember that moving companies usually calculate the cost of a move with two main factors. The first one is the weight of the baggage, and the second one is the distance traveled. Remember to include the cost of moving materials in your calculations too.

When searching for movers online, remember that the cheapest option is not necessarily the best option. Pay attention to moving reviews, and if you can, try to get in touch with the moving company in question.

Local moving during the summer

Summer is the part of the year when most moving action happens. Most people relocate during the summer. It is understandable since most schools are closed during the summer, the weather is fine, and many employees are on vacation during the hottest part of the year.

Should you book movers who have a white van? — Should you book movers during the summer at all? Ideally, it would be best to move off-season, but if you need to move during the season, you should book in advance.

So, if you have to move during the summer, book your movers as soon as you know you will have to relocate. If you wait for too long, it may be impossible to find movers during the summer. So, sometimes, people have had to postpone their relocation and pay way more for the services. It would be best to book movers at least two or three months in advance.

Local off-season relocation

If you plan to move off-season, then you can comfortably book a move two to four weeks in advance. However, the best movers are fully booked during the fall and spring. Therefore, book a move at least a month in advance if you want to hire such a reputable company.

Move within the state during the season

Since fewer companies move people to another city in the same state than local movers, your options are more limited. However, moving within the state is less complicated than out-of-state relocations, so booking ten weeks in advance should be sufficient.

Call the movers in the spring if you plan to move in the summer, and everything should be fine.

Moving within the same state off-season

As you may have guessed, booking moves off-season is significantly easier than booking during the summer. If you book movers four weeks in advance, you’ll probably get the date you are looking for. However, we recommend that you arrange your relocation at least six weeks in advance, to be safe.

Interstate relocation during the summer

Interstate relocation can be pretty complicated, especially if those states are geographically large. And you should remember that the US is the third-largest country in the world.

Therefore, you should book your on-season interstate moves at least 12 weeks in advance. Ideally, that period should even be longer.

Off-season interstate relocation

Off-season interstate relocation requires at least an eight-week notice. Also, remember that the further you plan to move, the fewer movers you will find.

International moves

The most complicated moves are undoubtedly international moves. Different companies move to different parts of the world, so you should check what is available for the country you plan to move to. Of course, moving to more popular destinations is much easier than moving to more obscure parts of the world.

Globe with pins. — International moves are the most complicated relocations.

Whatever the case is, you should book your move at least half a year in advance. For some less popular destinations, that period should be even longer.

Also, there is a big difference if you are moving to neighboring countries like Mexico and the US and moving to another continent entirely.

So, how far in advance should you book movers? Most of the time, between a month and three months, will be enough. However, there is no definitive answer on this for international moves. It all depends on when and where you are moving, how many movers are available for your chosen destination, etc.