Why Your Home Square Footage is Important When Moving

If you are planning to hire moving help for an upcoming move it is likely you may be asked about the square footage of your home. This question is much more likely to be asked if you are hiring a full-service moving company- a company that provides movers and a truck -but it may also be necessary when hiring moving labor help. This is especially true when you are hiring movers to pack your home into boxes, as the square footage gives an accurate representation of how much packing is involved, and how many moving boxes you will need.

In this moving guide we will help you understand why square footage is such an important unit of measure when it comes to your move.

How Many Rooms Do You Have?

If you have ever submitted for a moving quote before you may have been asked, “How many rooms do you have?” An odd question if you really think about it. How big is a room? Therein lies the problem – a “room” is not a unit of measure. Room sizes vary from home to home, and especially from city to city. For instance, a home in the Houston area will typically have a much larger square footage for the same number of rooms than a home in the Boston area. The same can be true when you compare a new construction home to that of a home that was built in the 1950’s. While each home may have 7 rooms, the one in Houston may be 2,800 square feet, and the one in Boston might only be 1,500 square feet.

So, as you can see, based on the total square footage, your moving company would need to schedule more movers and packers, allot more time, and bring out more packing materials for the home in Houston, than they would for the home in Boston.

Avoid Moving Day Complications

Unfortunately, many moving container companies (commonly referred to as a 'POD'), and some freight moving companies, will ask you for the total number of rooms in your home to determine the number of storage containers or truck space that you will need. As we've already discussed, that method is not very accurate and often leads to complications on moving day.

Avoid potential problems by using the total square footage of your home. By doing so your moving company and the movers assigned will have a much more accurate representation of the size of your move.

How to Determine the Square Footage of Your Home

We've outlined the best methods for locating or calculating the square footage of your home in a separate moving guide.

Knowing the Square Footage of Your Home Saves Time & Money

No one wants unexpected “surprises” on moving day that could cause delays, and/or added costs. Not you, not your family and friends, and most certainly not the movers you've hired to help. By taking the additional few moments needed to determine your home’s total square footage, you can be assured that your moving labor will be scheduled in the most efficient manner for all your moving labor needs.