<article class="article"> <!-- Header --> <header class="article-header"> <div class="article-meta"> <span class="article-category">Insights</span> <span class="article-meta-dot">&bull;</span> <span class="article-read-time">7 min</span> </div> <h1 class="article-title">Can you charge more when it's busy?</h1> <p class="article-intro">Dynamic pricing divides the moving industry. Some swear by it, others consider it unacceptable. The numbers reveal something surprising.</p> </header> <!-- Hero Image --> <img src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/webflow-prod-assets/671a2b3d0c3830f284c6ac20/69d5021bfc9f60e81bbf71f6_dynamisch-prijzen-verhuisbranche-hero-v2.jpg" alt="Couple comparing two moving quotes at the kitchen table." class="article-hero" width="1200" height="675"> <!-- Content --> <div class="article-content"> <p class="lead-text">Your neighbour moved last month for EUR 2,000. You're paying EUR 3,000. Same furniture, same distance. The only difference? You're moving on the 28th.</p> <p>Sounds unfair? Maybe. But it happens. And the question of whether a moving company can charge more during busy periods splits the industry in two.</p> <p>We dived into the data. Thousands of moves, real numbers. Here's what came out.</p> <h2>When is it actually busy?</h2> <p>Every moving company owner knows it: end of the month is madness. But how big is that difference exactly?</p> <h3 class="table-title">Distribution of moves per week of the month</h3> <div class="table-container"> <table> <thead> <tr> <th>Period</th> <th>Share of moves</th> <th>Avg. job value</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr> <td>Week 1 (day 1-7)</td> <td>22.7%</td> <td>EUR 2,055</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Week 2 (day 8-14)</td> <td>22.4%</td> <td>EUR 2,072</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Week 3 (day 15-21)</td> <td>23.3%</td> <td>EUR 2,024</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Week 4 (day 22-31)</td> <td>31.6%</td> <td>EUR 2,087</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> <p class="table-source">Source: analysis of thousands of moves in the Dutch moving industry</p> <p>The last week of the month is nearly one and a half times busier than the rest. Makes sense: rental contracts and property transfers almost always fall at the end of the month. But look at the average job value. It's virtually the same across all weeks. In other words: almost nobody charges more when it's busy.</p> <div class="highlight-box"> <p>The last week is 1.5x busier, yet the average job value differs by just EUR 63 between the cheapest and most expensive week. Moving companies barely charge more during peak periods.</p> </div> <p>Friday is the most popular moving day (20.3%), Monday the least popular (18%). Weekends see barely any moves (3.6%). And looking at the full year, January is the most expensive month (EUR 2,319 average) and March the cheapest (EUR 1,874). That's a 24% difference - far more than the gap between week 1 and week 4.</p> <h2>Team "yes, charge more"</h2> <p>Let's be honest: dynamic pricing is everywhere. The clearest example is the airline seat. Same seat, same flight, same service. But the passenger who books three months ahead pays EUR 89, while the one booking a week before departure pays EUR 340. Nobody complains. It's just how it works.</p> <p>With a move, the principle is identical. Same truck, same crew, same distance. But on the 28th you get three times as many enquiries as on the 10th. Hotels do it, Uber does it, car parks do it. The question isn't whether you can - the question is whether it fits your business.</p> <p>The advocates have a point:</p> <p><strong>Supply and demand is the foundation of every market.</strong> If you have all trucks booked in the last week of the month and enquiries keep coming in, why charge the same price as in a quiet first week? Your capacity is limited. Accepting a job on the 28th might mean turning down another one.</p> <p><strong>Frame it as a benefit, not a penalty.</strong> Instead of "surcharge during the busy period" you can present it as "discount during the quiet period". Psychologically, that makes a world of difference. "Book your move in the first two weeks and save 10%" sounds far more attractive than "we charge 10% extra at the end of the month". Exactly like the airline giving you an "early booking discount" - while late bookers simply pay full price.</p> <p><strong>Better distribution is better for everyone.</strong> If price incentives encourage more customers to choose quieter periods, you get a more even workload. That means less stress for your team, less overtime, and better <a href="/en/oplossing/planning">scheduling</a> across the entire month.</p> <h2>Team "no, fixed price"</h2> <p>But the opponents have a point too.</p> <p><strong>Trust is your greatest asset.</strong> In the moving industry, everything revolves around trust. You enter people's homes, pack their belongings, transport everything they own. If a customer later hears their neighbour paid half for the same move, that trust is gone in an instant. A look at your <a href="/en/oplossing/verkoop">quoting process</a> shows how important transparency is.</p> <p><strong>The customer doesn't always choose the date.</strong> With a flight, you consciously pick a busy or quiet period. But with a move, the notary determines when the transfer happens. The customer often has little say. A surcharge then doesn't feel like supply and demand - it feels like bad luck.</p> <p><strong>Customers compare afterwards.</strong> In an industry where word of mouth is still the most important marketing tool, a negative Google review can haunt you for months. "My neighbour paid half for the same distance" - those reviews are devastating, even if the context is different.</p> <p><strong>And the numbers confirm it.</strong> EUR 63 difference between the busiest and quietest week. 3%. The industry doesn't charge peak prices - whether consciously or not.</p> <h2>The honest answer</h2> <p>Both camps are missing something. No two moves are the same. It's not just about cubic metres.</p> <p>The same 40m3 of household contents can be a breeze - everything on the ground floor, wide doors, truck right in front of the door. Or it can be a nightmare - third floor with no lift, narrow staircase, antique wardrobe that won't fit through the window, and the nearest parking spot 200 metres away.</p> <p>The real question is not "can you charge more when it's busy?" but "can you explain why you charge what you charge?" If your <a href="/en/blog/de-perfecte-verhuisofferte">quote</a> makes crystal clear which factors determine the price - floor level, walking distance, packing work, special items - then virtually any price is acceptable. Transparency makes the entire dynamic pricing discussion irrelevant.</p> <div class="highlight-box"> <p>The real question is not "can you charge more" but "can you explain why you charge what you charge?" Transparency in your quote makes any price acceptable.</p> </div> <h2>How do you approach it then?</h2> <p>We see three models that work in practice. Which one suits you depends on your market and your customers.</p> <p><strong>Option A: Peak rates, but be upfront.</strong> You apply a surcharge during busy periods, but you communicate it in advance. On your website, in your quote, in the first phone call. "Our rates are 10% higher in the last week of the month due to high demand. Want to save? We'll happily schedule your move earlier in the month." Honest, clear, no surprises. And you give the customer a choice.</p> <p><strong>Option B: Fixed prices, but incentivise quiet periods.</strong> Your price is your price, regardless of when. But you offer an active discount for quieter periods. "Moving on a Tuesday in the first week? You get a 5% early booking discount." You keep your base price fair and reward customers who help you achieve better distribution. With a solid <a href="/en/oplossing/inzicht">dashboard</a> you can see exactly which weeks have capacity.</p> <p><strong>Option C: Let your conversion rate be your thermometer.</strong> This is perhaps the most pragmatic approach. You track your <a href="/en/oplossing/verkoop">conversion rate</a> per period. If you're winning 90% of your quotes in the last week of the month, you're probably priced too low. If you're only converting 30% in the first week, you might be too high. Let the market tell you what the right price is. That's not dynamic pricing - that's smart business.</p> <h2>So, can you charge more?</h2> <p>Can you? Yes. You're a business owner, you set your own rates.</p> <p>But the numbers show the industry largely doesn't do it. EUR 63 difference between the busiest and quietest week. The market has chosen - consciously or not.</p> <p>If you ask us: the answer isn't in dynamic pricing or fixed pricing. It's in transparency. A customer who understands where their money goes accepts a higher price. A customer who doesn't will complain about any price - whether it's the 10th or the 28th.</p> <p><strong>How do you handle it? Do you charge more when it's busy, or is your price your price? We'd love to hear.</strong></p> <!-- CTA Coffee --> <div class="cta-section cta-coffee"> <div class="cta-coffee-icon"> <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 512 512" width="48" height="48" fill="currentColor"><path d="M80 0C71.2 0 64 7.2 64 16c0 24.7 9.8 48.5 27.3 65.9l18.7 18.7C121.5 112.2 128 127.8 128 144c0 8.8 7.2 16 16 16s16-7.2 16-16c0-24.7-9.8-48.5-27.3-65.9L113.9 59.3C102.5 47.8 96 32.2 96 16C96 7.2 88.8 0 80 0zM32 224l304 0 16 0 0 192c0 35.3-28.7 64-64 64L96 480c-35.3 0-64-28.7-64-64l0-192zm352 0l16 0c44.2 0 80 35.8 80 80s-35.8 80-80 80l-16 0 0-160zm0 192l16 0c61.9 0 112-50.1 112-112s-50.1-112-112-112l-48 0-16 0L32 192c-17.7 0-32 14.3-32 32L0 416c0 53 43 96 96 96l192 0c53 0 96-43 96-96zM224 16c0-8.8-7.2-16-16-16s-16 7.2-16 16c0 24.7 9.8 48.5 27.3 65.9l18.7 18.7C249.5 112.2 256 127.8 256 144c0 8.8 7.2 16 16 16s16-7.2 16-16c0-24.7-9.8-48.5-27.3-65.9L241.9 59.3C230.5 47.8 224 32.2 224 16z"/></svg> </div> <h2>Let's have a coffee</h2> <p>Let's chat about how things could work smarter in your business.<br>Online or on-site - your call.</p> <a href="/en/contact" class="cta-button">Let's talk</a> </div> <!-- Sources --> <div class="sources"> <strong>Sources:</strong> Analysis of thousands of moves in the Dutch moving industry (2025-2026), CBS Moving Statistics. </div> </div> <script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BlogPosting", "headline": "Can you charge more when it's busy?", "datePublished": "2026-04-07", "dateModified": "2026-04-07", "url": "https://www.bas.software/en/blog/dynamisch-prijzen-verhuisbranche", "inLanguage": "en", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "hero-placeholder.jpg", "width": 1200, "height": 675 }, "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Casper Janssen", "jobTitle": "Management & Sales", "url": "https://www.bas.software/en/over" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://www.bas.software/#organization", "name": "Bas Software B.V.", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/671a2b3d0c3830f284c6ac20/671a38cb4e140824f446da48_logo512.png" } } } </script> </article>