How to Determine Your Moving Cost

Moving can get expensive if you don't plan ahead

Moving your home or business can be time consuming and costly. If you are transporting a lot of items to your new residence, you will need to consider hiring a moving company, purchasing packing materials and possibly taking time off work. There are several factors to take into account when trying to determine how much it will cost to move.

Instructions

1. Figure out what needs to be moved. The more things that you have to move, the more it will cost. Although most people like to move all of their possessions when they relocate, this is also a good time to get rid of any unwanted items.

2. Decide which moving company (if any) you want to use. Since the price of moving services varies from company to company, you should do some research and try to find the most reasonable rates. Better yet, if you have able-bodied companions, you can rent a van or truck and move everything yourself for a fraction of the cost of a moving company.

3. Decide if you want insurance coverage. This choice largely depends on how valuable you consider the items you are moving. Insurance costs, but it's a wise choice if you are moving a lot of valuable items.

4. Calculate the distance from your old residence to your new residence. The greater the distance, the more money you will need to allocate to fuel costs. Also, keep in mind that many moving companies charge by the hour so travel time could have a significant effect on your moving cost.

5. Estimate how long it will take to move. Moving companies will usually give you a cost estimate based on how long they think it will take them to move everything. This estimate will include things like packing time, loading time, unloading time, and transportation time.

Tips & Warnings

• Have a garage sale prior to moving. Not only will this allow you to sell some of your unwanted belongings, but it will also reduce the number of things you need to transport and shorten the overall time it will take you to move.

• Try to do as much work as you can by yourself before calling in movers. Pack everything and move items to a nearby doorway to save moving time.

• Do not attempt to lift extremely heavy objects without assistance.

• Be careful not to overload boxes with too many heavy items. If the box breaks, you could risk damaging the items and injuring yourself.

References

• Buzzle: Factors Determining the Cost of Your Move

Resources

• Moving Estimates: Moving Estimate Calculator