Moving Costs to Consider During Your Next Move

Moving can be both exciting and stressful. Whether you’ve completed several successful moves or this is your first time, one aspect of the moving process you’ll want to consider is the cost to move.

Unlike other upfront housing costs to buying or renting, moving costs will vary depending on a variety of factors such as the amount of professional help used, your amount of belongings moved, your location, your distance traveled and more. Here are common expenses you may want to prepare for.

Moving Supplies

During your move, you’ll want to make sure your items are easily organized and protected from harm. To do this, consider buying multiple sizes of moving boxes, which you can label based on their contents. In addition, you may want to have the following items at your disposal for easy packing, moving and cleanup:

• Packing tape.
• Markers, to label boxes.
• Cushioning materials, such as newspaper, bubble wrap, furniture pads or moving blankets to pack fragile items.
• Box cutters and garbage bags, to unpack and clean up.
• Dollies and hand carts, to transport heavy items.

Professional Movers

Unless you plan to move yourself, hiring professional movers is likely the largest cost you will incur during your move. If you plan to hire a moving company, get quotes from more than one provider to ensure you are getting a fair price. Shopping around for a moving company can help you determine the company that best fits your needs and is also helpful in avoiding moving fraud.

Online resources such as Realtor.com’s moving cost calculator can help you estimate your costs, but typically costs increase based on the distance and size of your move. Not every moving company will provide the same services, so make sure you review and understand the terms of your contract. For instance:

• Are you being charged by the hour? Or a flat fee based on weight?
• Are packing or unpacking services included?
• Are they providing items such as bubble wrap, moving blankets, dollies or hand carts?
• Are assembly or disassembly services included?
• Are there extra fees or additional charges you may incur after the move?

Remember to review and confirm these terms in a written contract.

Moving Truck Rental

Some professional movers may provide a moving truck as part of their cost while others may not. Whether you are moving yourself or hiring movers, you may need to rent a moving truck to transport your belongings.

You can rent different size moving trucks depending on the size of your move, though the larger the truck the larger the cost. Typically, you can rent trucks by the hour or the day, but you should also factor in mileage costs and other fees.

Cleaning Services

Whether you are moving in or moving out, you may want to hire professional cleaners to ensure that the space is prepped and ready for you — or the next person — to move in. Cleaning companies often charge hourly rates and rates vary depending on the size of the property.

Tips for Professional Services

If you do hire professional movers or a cleaning service, it’s customary to provide a tip on top of the total cost. Typically, you should be prepared to tip movers 10% of the total cost or a flat dollar amount based on the hours of work.

Specialty or Fragile Item Moving

If you are using movers and plan to move items that require special equipment or care, you may expect to pay additional cost. These items can range from pianos and heirloom furniture to hot tubs and pool tables. If you have items that require climate-controlled storage, that can add more cost.

Moving Insurance

If you want to ensure your items are fully protected during your move, taking out a moving insurance policy may meet your needs. Common insurance options cover loss or damage to your belongings during the move, damage to your moving truck, as well as liability insurance.

If you do hire professional movers, you may want to confirm what types of valuation coverage they offer. The two most common types of coverage are Basic Released Value Protection and Full Value Protection. Though valuation coverage is not the same as insurance, it may provide you peace of mind during your move.

Personal Vehicle Transport

Depending on the length of your move, you may want to factor in certain costs to transport your vehicle or vehicles. For shorter distance moves, don’t forget to budget for the cost of gas. For longer distance moves where you need to ship your car from one place to another, you should factor in higher transport costs.

Personal Moving Costs

For any move, there are other related costs you’ll want to prepare for:

• Short-term housing: Are you moving from one place immediately into another? Or will you need several weeks or months of short-term housing while you search for your next residence?
• Storage unit rental: While you are in between residences, you may need to store furniture or other belongings. Renting a storage unit can provide you a short- or long-term option for your belongings.
• Other travel costs: These costs can include flights, gas, food or overnight hotel accommodations.
• Vehicle license and registration fees: If you are moving from one state to another, you’ll need to transfer your license and register your vehicle. These costs vary depending on the state.