How Much Does it Cost to Move

Moving is an engagement that could get costly depending on the specific details of your move. In order to plan your budget, you need to calculate the moving costs well. There are a few factors that influence and form the cost of your move – the size of the move and the time of the move are the most determining ones. Packing, bulky-item handling, shuttle, long carry, storage, and insurance services are charged separately. Finding the right moving company that will fit your budget takes time. Now, let me give you some more information on the most common moving expenses.

Costs when Moving a House

In order to estimate the price for your moving you need to have in mind first the costs for hiring two men and a truck – it is between $80 and $110 for an hour approximately. After that for every extra mover that you wish to hire you will be charged additionally $50 on an average. Another factor that defines the costs to move a house is the distance. Short distance moves that are in the same state are the majority of the moves that take place. The price is calculated per hour. How much does it cost to move out of state? For long distance moves the cost is formed based on the weight and the cubic feet of your belongings. They are usually more expensive. For example, moving a 3 bedroom house from Chicago to Boston would cost you around $8,600. But if you need exact price for moving your house you better contact a few moving companies with request for a quote. There is no other way to obtain an accurate cost for moving.

An additional factor is that moving companies have additional fees and taxes based on the specifics of every move  – like for example reserving an elevator or renting a crane for moving a piano out. They can boost up your moving expenses. Also if you want to have a moving insurance, if you have to reserve a parking place in front of your new home or if you have missed to tell the movers everything you are moving. Before hiring a moving company ask the person you are speaking with to tell you what services they offer and at what cost. This is how you will be able to decide if the price you are given suits you. When it comes to costs you should have one thing in mind: one of the typical moving scams begins with a very low cost. A moving company that gives a price which is much lower than all the others usually means it is not a reliable one. Ask questions, read everything before you sign and don’t sign blank papers in order to ensure yourself a trouble free move.

How much will your moving cost depends on the distance, the volume of your belongings and their weight. For these reasons long distance moving is more expensive. You can get an accurate price only by requesting a quote.

After long distance moving highest comes to be the price if you are moving to a foreign country like Australia or Canada, for example.

Commercial Moving Expenses

Moving an office or a company is more complicated than residential moving. The reason is that companies may need to do a lot more than households in terms of preparing and organizing their moving. This includes not only the actual moving but also moving the production capacities like informing clients, moving content of warehouses or storage departments, etc. This is why every office or commercial moving is strictly unique in terms of organization and therefore costs which does not enable us to provide an average price. Getting at least several quotes from different moving companies in your area is the right way to choose a mover.

Packing Costs

The costs for packing also vary significantly. One option for you is to purchase the packing materials and pack yourself. Another possibility is to contact a moving company and request packing services. Movers can also supply the packing materials and after the packing is over whatever has not been used goes back to them and you won’t be charged for it. This is very convenient, isn’t it! But first you need to make sure that the moving company you contact can offer to you all of the services you are interested in. Packing will cost you approximately about $500 for a 3 bedroom apartment. Of course it depends on the charges of the moving company, the condition of the items in your home, the type and quantity of packing materials you will need and etc. You can obtain exact amount tailored to your move by a moving company. If you want to save some money from the packing you can look at these great packing tips.

The estimated costs for moving will surely be unique for every household. Still, we have been able to give you a few example of the costs of moving into a new house which are average ones. If you have further questions please feel free to ask in the comments below.

Additional useful information:
Moving 101 Best Tips
Getting Organized to Move – Guide

Author: Pamela Smith on June 2, 2012
A knowledgeable moving industry professional and expert writer at The Moving Blog.