5 Reasons Not To Move In The Summer That Movers Wont Tell You

Many moving companies suggest avoiding moving in the summer.

What they’re less likely to tell you is exactly why.

Not to worry, here we’ll give you the inside scoop on the real reasons not to move in the summer.

1. “You’re last in the moving food chain”

Did you know the moving industry has a food chain?

moving industry food chain graphic

Probably not, since we just made it up.

But like any business, movers have their premium clients who get taken care of before anyone else.

For the moving industry, these premium clients are the military and large companies.

The military moves a lot of people constantly. So if you’re a moving company, you definitely want to get a piece of the action.

That being said, if you screw up or have to cancel one too many moves the military is more than happy to take their business elsewhere.

Same goes for large companies that are constantly relocating employees.

So unless you’re being moved by the military or your company, it’s likely you aren’t considered a premium client.

Basically, that means you’re last on the list to get serviced.

So if you’re wondering why all the moving companies you’re calling are booked, it’s probably because you’re last in line.

2. “We’re going to charge you about 20-30% more”

60% of moves happen during the summer months.

If you can remember back to your economics courses, greater demand equals higher prices.

In fact, the demand is so much higher you can expect prices to be 20-30% higher in the summer.

There are a number of reasons for this increased demand but the primary cause is pretty simple:

Schools are out in the summer.

Hate to blame it on the kids, but it’s much easier to enroll children in a new school before the school year begins.

3. “Our schedule is super tight so we may have to cancel last minute”

This is definitely something no moving company will mention as they book your move.

The reality is truck breakdowns, weather issues or major traffic incidents can all screw up moving companies’ schedules.

One hick-up and delays or cancellations can ensue.

It’s not uncommon for people to be left stranded on moving day.

We always suggest having a backup plan, especially if you’re at the bottom of the moving industry food chain.

4. “That low quote you got is probably a low-ball estimate”

Prices are usually high across the board during the summer.

That’s not to say there aren’t any movers offering deals but it is rare.

If you find one moving company is quoting you significantly lower than the others be sure to research that mover thoroughly.

The moving industry has a reputation for being scammy- the most common scam being low-ball estimates.

This is especially true in the summer when people can get desperate to find a moving company.

Just remember:

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is…

Frequently, these low-ball estimates are quoted by online moving brokers who then sell your move to the lowest bidding moving company.

Also, be sure to check out our list of the best interstate movers.

5. “We’ll be using seasonal labor”

You may think moving is just picking up furniture.

moving industry seasonal labor

But believe it or not, an experienced moving crew can be the difference between a perfect move or a pile of broken furniture.

Nonetheless, when summer comes around all moving companies have to hire less experienced, seasonal labor to meet demand.

This is a part of running a moving company and good movers are experts at training and supervising the part-timers.

If all this has you reconsidering hiring a moving company for your move, be sure to use our moving calculator to compare alternatives to professional movers.

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