The Real Cost Of Moving
Moving is a hassle, even when you plan everything down to the last detail. At College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving, we do everything we can to help make your move as smooth and as stress-free as possible. And to help ensure that you know exactly what you’re getting in to, we’ve come up with this helpful cheat sheet to show you the real cost of moving a house (or an apartment).
When it comes to buying or renting a new place, many people often forget to factor in the cost of actually moving. And this is more than just the cost of a moving company, or some people to help load and unload plus a truck. Below we’ve broken down some of the most common costs associated with moving so you a better idea of what you need to budget for.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO MOVE?
More than you think.
Supplies. To move your stuff from one place to another, you’re going to need supplies. Specifically, you’re going to need boxes, tape, bubble wrap, and paper to help keep your items protected. Depending on the size of your home and the amount of items in your home, the number of boxes you’ll need (and their sizes) will vary, but on average, you’ll need:
- 10-20 small boxes (for heavier items like books, and smaller, more fragile items like glassware)
- 20-30 medium boxes (for things that aren’t too heavy, like towels, decorations, clothing)
- 15-30 large boxes (for bulky, lightweight things like bedding, blankets, clothing)
- 5-10 Wardrobe boxes (for hanging clothing)
You might want to consider buying boxes that are specially designed for dishes and glasses to help keep them protected. Small boxes that are carefully packed work just as well too — just make sure you clearly label these boxes to avoid any broken glasses.
Generally, 1 roll of quality tape will handle about 10 boxes, though it might be more or fewer depending on how much tape you use — and if you’re anything like my grandmother, 1 roll will tape maybe 6 boxes. Just kidding. Kind of.
There are also special boxes for televisions, mirrors, and artwork. If you’re moving a considerable distance, you might want to consider these boxes for an extra layer of protection. Similarly with bubble wrap and wrapping paper. These things might seem a little unnecessary, but they could help protect more of your items. As a general rule of thumb, if you think it could possibly be broken during your move, wrap it in something, whether it’s bubble wrap, wrapping paper, a blanket, or an old t-shirt.
Moving Help. Not even the Incredible Hulk (or the Incredible HUNKs) can move a house all by himself, though he would probably have an easier time of it than most. That’s where help comes in. If you think the best way to save money is by shanghaiing — I mean, asking your friends and family members to help, you might want to think again. It’s unlikely that your friends and family members will be professional movers, so you’re running the risk that an accident could occur with your favorite lounge chair. If you’d rather not run the risk of strangling your cousin, take our advice and consider hiring a moving company. It might be cheaper than bail.
There are different levels of moving help that you can get from a professional moving company. If you really don’t want to deal with anything, you can hire a company (like, oh say, College Hunks?) to pack, load, transport, unload, and even unpack and arrange your items for you. This is probably the most expensive option, but it does take a lot of the work out of your hands and puts it in the hands of trained and insured professionals.
Another popular option is to just hire movers — people who will load, transport, and unload for you. If the company is worth their salt (like College Hunks!), they will know how to properly wrap and protect your larger items so you don’t have to worry about them. This is a great option for moves within a city or town.
If you’re moving to a different town or state, you also have the option to rent a truck, hire loaders on one end, and hire a different set of loaders on the other end. This will require you to drive your truck yourself, but it is an option that might be cheaper than hiring a long-distance moving company.
When hiring any of these services, you’ll be asked a couple of different things to determine the cost of the service. These things include;
- Size of home — the bigger the home, the more stuff, the higher the cost
- Number of items to move
- Number of special items moved — if you have a piano or an extra large couch that can’t go in the elevator or down the stairs, you’ll need to pay extra to have it moved.
- Move distance — the further you have to go, the more it’ll cost you.
- Moving date — not only can the day of the week affect the price (weekends are more popular, and therefore busier, than weekdays), but the time of year can change price as well. The busy season for moving is typically between September-May.
- How early you request service — the sooner you can request service, the better off you’ll be. You’re more likely to get the company you want and the day and time you need if you book at least a month or so before you move. If you book your services too close to the move date, you could run into availability issues and extra charges.
If you do decide to hire a company’s moving services, no matter how much of your move they assist with, you’ll want to tip the employees for their work. Make sure you pull some cash out before moving day to thank everyone for their help.
Truck Rental. If you’re going to move yourself, at the very least you’re going to need something to haul all of your furniture and boxes in. Whether it’s a trailer or a 40’ long truck, you’re going to need something. Even if you’re only moving down the street or around the corner, there’s a good chance your couch won’t fit in the back of your pickup.
Travel Expenses. If you’re moving to a different city or state, you’ll probably need to prepare for additional expenses that come with travel. If you’re driving, you’ll need gas, and we highly recommend that you get your car thoroughly checked out before you hit the road. If your trip is going to take more than 1 day, you’ll need somewhere to sleep, and to eat. If you’re flying, you’ll need to factor in ticket cost, any luggage cost, and possibly any meals if it is a long flight.
Time. This is something most people forget to consider, but moving is going to cost you time, regardless of how far you’re traveling to get to your new home. You’ll need time to pack, time to set up your utilities, time to find a new doctor/school/grocery store/daycare/etc. And you’ll need time to actually move and unpack in your new place.
If you can afford to take a few days off of work after you move, you won’t regret it. It’ll give you a chance to really settle into your new place and set things up so that it really feels like home. You can find the perfect place for your Star Wars action figures, and the right drawer for all the fancy knives you bought to help you become a better cook that you’re definitely going to start using in your new place.
Make sure you set aside time to get everything done. Even if it’s just 20 minutes a day to pack 1 box from the time you decide to move. It’ll help make everything more manageable and less stressful.
Or, you could just hire College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving to handle everything for you. Every HUNK is thoroughly trained, licensed and insured in moving services to give you the very best moving experience ever.
However you decide to move, we want you to be completely prepared for the costs associated, so you can move like a pro and experience less stress. We want you to enjoy your move.