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Located west of Dallas, Fort Worth is a prime relocation hotspot due to its rich and diverse culture as well as being chock full of major tourist attractions.
But moving can be very exhausting and time consuming, especially if done on your own. However, why stress about moving when you can hire hourly movers in Fort Worth to do that for you while you spend time with the family at the Stockyards or at Sundance Square?
That’s why most of the time, people reluctantly opt to hire movers to deal with the moving process but get confused on what rate they should pick for their move.
In this article, we’ll be covering why hourly rates are good for local moves as well as 7 reasons why hiring hourly movers in Fort Worth is the best thing for your move.
Is it a good idea to hire professional movers?
The short answer is, yes! Whether it is moving across Fort Worth, TX or to another neighboring state, moving will take time, money, and energy away from you.
If you’re planning to do a DIY move, you can feel overwhelmed with how much work you have to do. You have to plan, schedule, pack, load, and do all the heavy lifting by yourself while burning a small hole through your pocket.
Sure, you can get some help from a couple of friends or family members, but they’re not available most of the time, and when they are, they’re slower than a professional mover.
If you have time constraints or need to immediately vacate your current area and you can’t bother doing it yourself due to your busy lifestyle, it’s usually a good idea to book a schedule with a moving company ASAP.
What are the benefits of hiring a local moving company?
There are three benefits:
The main benefit is peace of mind, knowing you have professional movers working with you since moving is one of the most stressful things in life that you have to do at some point in time.
The second benefit is you are free to spend your focus and attention elsewhere since your movers will lift the heavy burden off from you and take care of the moving process from start to finish.
The third benefit is that by having professional movers around, you can save costs in the long run since their expertise can save you time and minimize damage to your furniture while moving.
Moving companies go by two rates: hourly rate and flat rate.
Hourly Rate
Hourly rate simply means you’ll be hiring movers that charge by the hour and then pay accordingly to how many hours your move lasted.
Your time will usually start once the movers leave their office or arrive at your location and then once they have done everything in your chosen moving service.
According to Forbes, the national average price for local moves is about $25 to $50 per mover per hour but your local hourly rate can depend on several factors, such as:
- number of movers
- weight and quantity of your belongings
- date and time of your move
- accessibility of your residence (you might pay additional fees for stair and elevator carries)
- driving time
In particular, local moves in Fort Worth cost around $400+ per move. We recommend getting an hourly rate if you have a small home or looking to move locally in the area.
However, it is very important to mention everything before getting a quote because moving a piece of furniture that you didn’t mention to your movers might result in extra fees.
Flat Rate
Flat rate simply means you’ll know exactly how much your move is going to cost, and you’ll be hiring movers at a fixed price.
That’s because sometimes, moving companies cannot accurately estimate how long a move will last or how long it will take them to fulfill your moving services (such as packing, loading, furniture disassembly, and junk removal), so they might offer you a flat rate instead.
With flat rate pricing, you know exactly how much your move is going to fully cost you from the minute you get a quote from your moving company.
However, flat rates are on the pricier side and are not budget-friendly for local moves, especially if you live in a small residence. Flat rates under 100 miles can cost you $300 to upwards of $1,500.
So, that’s why we recommend asking your moving company if they offer an hourly rate since you’ll just be asking to bleed money by moving at a flat rate.
It’s best to choose an hourly rate if you:
- Are Moving on a Budget
Moving services come at a premium, but the strongest point of an hourly rate is its affordability.
For local moves in Cowtown, hourly rates are better since you’re getting the exact service you’re paying for. Hourly movers grant you access to the same high-quality service for a cheaper price point.
While a flat rate may seem convenient since the price is bundled up in an all-in-one package, it costs more upfront compared to hourly rates. You can also pay additional costs if you have extra items to move that are not mentioned in the estimate.
The downside to an hourly rate is that moving companies require at least 2-3 hours for their service. So, if your move took less than their minimum requirements, then that’s money down the drain for you.
At the end of the day, moving companies are still a business that needs to turn a profit. You’ll have to eat up the loss, but most movers understand that dilemma and will go the extra mile to provide you with a quality service.
Distance plays a vital part when weighing your moving options.
If you are moving from suburb to suburb or moving a short distance around Fort Worth, an hourly rate will especially benefit you since your stuff can be packed, loaded, and unloaded in the span of a couple of hours.
However, if you’re moving from out of town or cross-country (a long-distance move), then a flat rate will benefit you in the long run since a predetermined price for your entire move is more cost-effective, hassle-free, and practical.
When moving, it’s important to take note of how much stuff you have before getting an estimate. This means getting the full weight and quantity of your belongings.
If you live in an apartment, a small house. or just own a few things; getting an hourly rate is the best and cheapest option since you’ll spend fewer hours packing and loading (probably less if you packed it yourself) and more time transporting your belongings to your new location.
There are two advantages to hiring a moving company at an hourly rate.
One is that your moving process will go smoother rather than enlisting the help of friends and family. That’s because professional movers have the training and work experience to properly handle your stuff as well as efficiently pack and load your heavy items in your truck.
Two is that if you have a health condition, you can avoid any moving-related health issues or accidents down the line. You can sit back instead and relax while your movers complete the grunt work for you.
- Live in a Low-Traffic Neighborhood
Traffic can surprisingly eat up a large portion of your moving time, especially if you live on the busier side of Fort Worth.
When moving, you can expect moderate to heavy delays in your driving time since the roads in the city have become increasingly congested. This is due to the numerous toll booths lining the highway and the influx of people moving to the city.
you can avoid driving on these roads when scheduling your transit, especially during rush hour:
- NE 28th Street
- Interstate 35
- Interstate 20
- Interstate 30
- Interstate 820
To work around this problem, you can always employ local movers near you, since by patronizing their business, there is a high chance that they would waive any driving fees you could incur.
Good things take time. If you have a flexible schedule and want your items to be properly packed and loaded, you can incentivize your movers by hiring them at an hourly rate.
Unlike flat rate movers who are paid to blitz their way through your move, hourly movers are paid by the hour and wouldn’t rush the job and possibly break a few things in the process.
If you have a lot of fragile and heavy items in your home, your movers might need more hours to pack and load them correctly since they’re handling more-delicate items.
Sometimes, we change our minds on the fly and may need some additional moving services such as packing, unpacking, loading, unloading, furniture disassembly, reassembly, and junk removal.
Hourly rate movers excel in this by allowing you to be fully flexible with what services you require and customize the services you need and only pay for the time spent working on these additional tasks.
That’s because unlike hourly rated movers, flat rate moving services do not cover any additional tasks that are not included within the quote or estimate, and it will be deemed as extra fees.
Most moving companies also assign a remote coordinator for your move. This person will relay any of your questions, inquiries, and other requests and help you coordinate with your movers.
Ready to Hire Movers near Fort Worth?
Hiring hourly movers can be very beneficial for small and local moves since not only are they affordable, but they also take their precious time to make sure every single one of your belongings is properly accounted for.
However, since Fort Worth is beginning to be an increasingly popular moving destination, moving companies can charge an average of $437 per move to keep up with demand, with hourly rates going from $80 to $200 per hour, which can get on the pricier side. But, with the tips and tricks discussed in this article, you have a better basis on hiring movers in Fort Worth.