Knowing your Weigh In Options

There is a tendency for people to believe that to have their possessions moved is a long and difficult thing, filled with complicated criteria to be met - but that's not completely true.

For some newcomers to the moving experience, the official weigh-in is one of the most confusing things, since most would believe that a price is agreed when calculating the estimate and that is that.

The weigh-in itself takes place at an officially recognised weigh-station that is strictly controlled by government legislation. The whole exercise is designed to calculate the true weight of the load to be moved. This is done by weighing the empty moving truck, loading it up and then weighing it again. The difference is the weight of the load.

How valuable this information is all depends on the estimate that was agreed; namely, was it a binding or non-binding estimate? If it was binding then the weigh-in hasn't much meaning other than to confirm to you that the deal was a good one, but if it was non-binding then it can potentially save you move money.

An estimated price is calculated based on the dollar-per-pound weight of the total load to be moved, and it is possible that the weight can be over-calculated at the time that the moving company rep is estimating your load. So, at the weigh-in you could find yourself facing a bill that will be less than what you had expected to pay.

What's even better is that if the true weight is more than that estimated, you won't face any increase is price. The weigh-in can lead to a reduction in cost, but a moving company is not permitted to increase their price if their estimate is incorrect to their disadvantage.

In case you're wondering, the average weight of contents of a three-bedroom house is about 8,000 lbs, while a two-bedroom apartment is around half of that. Weights can vary, of course, as can the dollar-per-pound rate.

Just remember, the weigh-in can prove to be a fully worthwhile exercise, particularly if is saves your some more cash!