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How much does it cost to move in 2022

move in 2022 Whether moving excites you or instills trepidation, let’s be honest. Moving is an expensive affair. there’s no getting around the necessary moving expenses. How much does it cost to move? 

You may not particularly like the quote that money is what makes the world go round. However, whether you like it or not is largely irrelevant as you will soon realize that whenever you’re facing a house move, it’s practically the dollar bills that will make the wheels of the truck go round until the destination city or town is reached.

Moving. It just might be a universal word that can almost invoke a headache when it’s spoken.what makes you tense is the cost that you need to bear through the whole process. So how much does it cost to move in 2022?  

As thrilling and adventurous as it might be to relocate to a new house or new city, the hassle of packing up, transporting, and unpacking your belongings can make almost anyone dread the overall process. But once begun, it must be done, and there are plenty of ways to make the move easier.

Relocating the home will have physical, economical, and psychological stress but the most important among them is economical. When you move the home long-distance, cross-country, or internationally, transporting your belongings from your current house to your new abode will encompass relocation costs. And multiple factors determine estimated moving costs.

What is the average moving cost in 2022?

If you have chosen to use a full-service moving company, then in most cases, that will be the most expensive option to move your belongings. When moving from one state to another, then the relocation cost of your move will be based on the distance between the old and new locations and the overall weight of the stuff you’re moving.

Of course, the average moving cost will also depend on the extra services you choose to get from your full-service mover or are required for the successful completion of the house move. Therefore, if you wish to have your household items packed professionally, then you’ll have to pay for the additional service of packing.

Utilizing the resources of a reputable moving company is one of the best ways to take the stress out of moving. You might be wondering, “How much does it cost to move?” The average moving cost is $1,250 for a local move. That is the amount you need to spend if your destination is within a radius of 50 miles. And if you are moving long-distance, that is 1,000 miles or more, you can anticipate an average price of $4,890. These costs are determined by the amount of belongings being moved (generally based on the number or type of rooms in your house), the distance of the move, the number of movers required, and how many supplies or extra services are needed. Keep reading to learn more about how much it costs to move.

Factors in Calculating How Much It Cost to Move  

Since every house and its belongings are different, it’s challenging to use a one-size-fits-all approach for determining the cost of moving. Whether you move yourself or use the help of local moving companies, moving expenses can add up quickly. The distance and quantity of the goods being moved are two of the most significant factors in determining how much it costs to move. You’ll also need to factor in the size of the moving vehicles, the amount of time and labor required, plus any supplies or additional services. The time of year and your location could influence your total price as well.

Local vs. Long Distance 

It’s easy to guess that moving around the block is the cheapest move you might ever make. There’s little distance to travel, and you might not need much assistance or careful packing. However, even moving across a city can make a move more expensive. Residential movers can ensure your possessions are packed securely for the trip across bumpy roads. 

A long-distance moving company is the best option for moving your belongings farther than 100 miles or across state lines. These companies have the right equipment and know-how to make sure your goods are transported securely for the duration of the trip.

Size of the Move

The volume of belongings in a studio apartment is naturally less than what’s in a 4-bedroom house. In your search for a “moving company near me,” the first or second question moving companies will ask when quoting a price will be something like, “How many rooms are being moved?” The moving company will then try to determine the types of rooms that will be moved. Family rooms tend to have large, bulky furniture and delicate TVs. Garages and attics can be filled with numerous boxes. Bedrooms have heavy furniture. All of these factors are assessed to help determine a custom quote for your move.

Size and Type of Moving Vehicle

Whether you hire a helper or a moving company to move your house or attempt the journey on your own, you’ll need a moving vehicle to haul all your goods. Moving trucks come in several sizes that are estimated for the number of bedrooms being moved. For example, a 26-foot truck can typically hold around four bedrooms’ worth of items. Small apartments with a few pieces of furniture might only need a small moving trailer. Still, larger moves might need the assistance of a full 52-foot semitruck through a licensed moving company.

Moving Time

For local moves, you’ll likely be charged $25 to $50 per hour for each mover. Since the distance within a city or two isn’t far, it won’t take long to do the actual moving as long as you have all your belongings packed up and ready to go. Long-distance moves require much more time, which means you’ll pay more for the driver’s time and effort. You can estimate the time and distance using an online map to get an idea of how long it will take to travel from point A to point B. Keep in mind that if you move during rush hour, the time could increase dramatically.

Movers and Labor 

Local movers often have a flat-rate fee for a move with a certain number of rooms. However, that fee can quickly change based on a few factors. If you have more heavy items than average, they’ll likely need to bring in extra movers. A high number of fragile items will require more packing supplies and potentially cost more for handling. Moving items up or down numerous stairs can increase the cost, especially if you’re in an apartment building without an elevator.

Moving Supplies

One of the not-so-hidden costs of moving that quickly adds up is the amount of moving supplies you need to pack and transport your possessions safely. You’ll need to purchase boxes, lots of tape, bubble wrap or packing paper, and possibly moving blankets or specialty boxes for china and glassware. While it’s common to toss everything in the back of your car when moving between apartments at college, that’s not as feasible for moving a long distance with furniture.

Packing Services, Storage, and Other Add-Ons

Consider adding packing services to your moving contract if you’ve surveyed your mountain of belongings and wondered where to start. Many homeowners appreciate—and look forward to—handing over the headache of packing the multitude of items they’ve acquired over the years. Movers can quickly pack up your goods without any sentimental attachments, which makes them much more efficient. Packing services often average $1,000 for a home.

Depending on your situation, you might not be able to move into your new house right away. Most local and long-distance movers have access to storage facilities to store your goods while you wait. The cost depends on how long you need them stored and can vary between companies. Other add-on services include having the movers disassemble or reassemble items, provide wooden crating, or move specialty items like pianos (which requires a special mover).

Day of the Month and Time of Year

Most people move in the spring or summer, which means that’s the most expensive time to move since demand is higher. Additionally, weekends tend to have the highest moving rates, as most people try not to take extra time off work to move. If you can schedule a midweek move, you can likely find lower rates and more availability in most areas. Most of all, avoid moving on or near holidays, as these dates typically cost extra.

Liability and Insurance Coverage

When you entrust valuables to any company, you should—and in most cases must—purchase liability insurance coverage. Moving companies usually offer one or more insurance packages to meet your needs, whether it’s basic or full coverage. Basic insurance doesn’t usually cover the entire cost of your goods, so consider what’s best for your situation if you have a high quantity of expensive items.

Special Considerations: Pets, Cars, and More

A moving cost calculator won’t usually estimate any special considerations you might have. If you have pets other than dogs and cats, it might cost extra to move them. Handling cages, aquariums, or other items takes extra care and packing, and the pets themselves need ventilation. If you have more cars than available drivers, you’ll also need to pay to have the vehicles transported. Classic or exotic vehicles will be better protected in enclosed transport, but it does cost extra. Finally, specialty items like pianos, antique furniture, or safes may require a specialty mover or extra movers to handle them.

Moving by yourself vs. Hiring a Professional to Help You Move

Moving houses is not an inexpensive venture, especially if you add closing costs on top of everything else. Choosing to move yourself is usually driven by the desire to save money. But it’s easy to underestimate the amount of packing supplies you need, and potentially, even the size of truck you need. Most importantly, there are time and safety considerations to make. Do you have the hours necessary to pack and move? Do you have the physical capacity to move your belongings? For smaller moves like apartments without many furnishings, you might be able to safely move with the help of a few friends, but a larger house may prove difficult.

Without a doubt, hiring a local moving company is your best bet when it comes to moving an entire household of goods and furniture. Paying for movers is one cost that has immediate benefits. You’ll save yourself time and effort, prevent potential injury, reduce stress, and possibly protect your belongings better than if you haphazardly packed them yourself.

The great thing about movers is that they won’t dread or struggle to move your biggest pieces of furniture, unlike you and your friends or family. It’s what they’re paid to do, and they do it efficiently. If you hire them to do a full-service move that includes packing and unpacking, you might think moving is the greatest thing ever. Movers are experts at properly packing items to prevent shifting or breaking during transport, and they’re familiar with methods to safely move heavy items to avoid injury. Most importantly, if an accident does happen, a licensed and insured moving company is prepared to compensate you.

How much does it cost to pack your belongings?

Local movers may charge about $25-$35 per hour for the extra service of packing up your home. For long-distance moves, the moving company quote will include the packing cost, depending upon the size of your home, and the number and nature of the items.

How much does it cost to rent a portable storage container?

Moving containers are more of a portable storage unit that can deliver household belongings to your new house, loaded, and then shipped or stored local or long distance. Hiring a portable storage unit is more like a “DIY move” option and it does not include the labor or any packing services. However, local movers provide storage units as an additional service and may include them in the moving labor quote.

To move 50 miles, a portable container will cost around $400 to $700. For local moves, companies generally charge a fee every time you move the container. The typical move involves 3 container charges: a drop-off fee, a transfer fee, and a pick-up fee. If you plan on moving the container more than 3 times, costs can add up quickly.

Also read: The Ultimate Moving Checklist

If you want to move a portable container interstate, the average cost will range from $900 to $4,500+ based on the distance and size of the move. As usual, the more distance you want to cover, the it will be more expensive. If the company offering a portable container does not have an office at the nearby location at your destination, it can also ramp up the price. Ideally, you need to find a company that has nearby locations on both ends of your move.

How to Save Money When Moving

Reducing moving costs is one of the top ways people look for ways to save money. Keeping to a budget is essential during a move since costs can add up quickly. Fortunately, there are several ways to save money when moving.

Pack your belongings yourself. This is the most apparent method of saving money up front. As helpful as it is to allow a moving company to take on the hours of packing, it’s also a great way to knock off several hundred dollars or more by doing it yourself. If you have a few extra-delicate items, consider leaving those for the movers to pack if you’re unsure about packing them carefully enough.

Donate, recycle, dispose. Three magic words when it comes to moving. The less you have to move, the less it will cost overall. Do a thorough review of the items in your house and garage to decide what really needs to be taken to a donation center, recycled, or entirely disposed of. Old or broken items that haven’t been used in years don’t really deserve the precious cargo space of a moving truck.

Set up a garage sale. If you’d like to make a little money on the items you want to get rid of, consider setting up a garage sale a week or two before moving. Or, if you know of a neighbor who is doing one soon, see if they’ll sell your items for a flat fee or commission.

Collect free boxes. An easy way to save money is to collect as many free boxes as you can. Ask for boxes from your place of work or local stores. However, if you have fine china or stemware, be sure to purchase the boxes specifically designed to protect them during transport. It’s one cost that’s always worth it.

Look online for discount moving supplies. Wrapping dishes in towels only works as long as you have an endless supply of towels. When it’s time to purchase tape, bubble wrap, or packing paper, look for cheaper sources online, and compare them to local prices.

Move in the middle of the week. Weekends tend to have the highest moving rates since almost everyone prefers to move on a Saturday or Sunday. If you can, opt to move in the middle of the week when the moving company has more movers available and the rates are lower.

Avoid moving on holidays. As with most services, you’ll pay a premium for moving over a holiday. Keep your costs lower by avoiding moving on a holiday.

Consider renting a moving truck. In some cases, it may be cheaper to rent a moving truck for a move that’s just beyond the boundaries of a local move. Be sure to choose the right size of truck for your belongings to avoid overpaying.

Obtain multiple quotes. Your best bet is to ask for multiple quotes from multiple local moving companies. This lets you compare any variable fees you may need like storage, navigating stairs, or distance.

Review the contract carefully. Always ask for a line-item quote to make sure no hidden fees are added to the contract. You shouldn’t be charged for excessive stairs when there is a working elevator available.

Consider whether you want a fixed-rate or hourly contract. If you can easily estimate the time it would take to move your belongings across the city, you might benefit from a fixed-rate contract. Just make sure it’s a reasonable price. If the job takes much less time than anticipated, you’ll already be locked into a higher rate. On the other hand, you could save money if the job ends up taking longer.

Be wary of excessively low quotes. As with most services, a significantly lower price can often indicate that the company is not reputable. Cheaper is not always better. Be sure to check the company’s reviews and ask for references.

Enlist the help of friends and family. You might be able to have friends and family help you move the bulk of your belongings that you’ve packed up. If moving heavy furniture is beyond the abilities or inclination of anyone you know, then leave just those items to the movers.

Resist eating out the entire week you’re packing up. This tip is beneficial to prevent an unexpected cost of moving. It’s easy to order pizza and take-out to avoid spending time in the kitchen, but it’s a fast way to spend extra money. Consider doing some meal prepping the week before your move to minimize excessive spending on food.

Consider shipping your goods. Do you only have a bunch of boxes to move across the country? It’s possible that it’s cheaper to simply ship them. Compare quotes from moving companies and shipping companies to see which works best for you.

Deduct your moving expenses. Did you know that some moves qualify for an IRS tax deduction? Talk with an accountant to see if your move qualifies. Just be sure to save every single receipt related to the move, as you’ll need those when it’s time to file your taxes.

Have a trusted friend or family member watch the kids. Rather than paying for a babysitter, enlist the help of a trusted person to keep an eye on the kids while you get the house ready for moving.

Keep your TV box. Moving a TV is a tricky job. If you can, save the original box and packaging material the TV came in so you can safely move it again.

Double-check that your furniture will fit. If your new furniture doesn’t fit in the space of your new house or apartment, don’t bother bringing it with you. Save the cost of moving a heavy item by selling it and purchasing a new one that fits.

How do you plan to move?

This is an important factor in moving the home. There are three ways of moving the home

Let’s see each in detail.

Moving the home yourself

Doing it yourself or DIY is the process where you hire a truck and do every other aspect of moving yourself. This is the least expensive way of moving. You here don’t pay for any service other than for the truck. 

You decide the date, get the packing materials, and pack the household items to load the truck. Once you reach the new home, you unload them and unpack the boxes.

Also read: Tips To Make Your Home More Valuable

Let’s take a look at some of the average costs for the different steps of a self-service move:

Truck rentals: This cost varies based on the distance and the number of days you’re going to use the truck. The approximate costs may go up and you need to consider additional mileage fees, tolls, and a truck cleaning fee while preparing the moving cost estimate.

Truck rental insurance: This can be somewhere up to $150. However, there are some damages not covered by your insurance policy, for example – overhead damages.

Gas/diesel expenses: The fuel cost is not included in the truck rental. The fuel consumption of most truck rental vans is between 7 and 10 miles per gallon based on the size of the truck. If you hire a 26’ moving truck to your new home 1,500 miles away, an average of 200 gallons of fuel will be required at approximately $4 per gallon. 

Hotel expenses: If you are moving beyond 1,500 miles, you will stay at a hotel overnight, where the average cost will be $100 per night or more based on the place where you decide to stop by.

The Pros of DIY

It is more affordable 

There’s a personal touch in moving

You can decide when and how to move

The Cons of DIY

There are chances of injury ads you don’t know how to move heavy objects

Valuable items may get damaged as you don’t have experience in moving

The quality of packing may be compromised

Hiring a full-service moving company

When you hire a full-service moving company, it handles every task involved, starting from scratch. The professional team arrives at the home evaluates the volume of the goods to be moved, provides you a moving company quote. 

On a moving day, the team will pack and load the truck and drive it to the new home. It will unload the stuff and unwrap it for you. The cost involves every aspect involved in moving. However, it is highly expensive.

The Pros of full-service moving services

Every process is professionally handled

There’s no scope of injury or damage to products

The household belongs will be insured against loss or damage

The entire process is over within the scheduled time

The Cons of full-service moving services

It’s highly expensive

There can be hidden costs

There’s a risk of handling your valuable to an outsider

There’s no personal touch in moving

Moving labor service

If the full-service moving company is expensive, you can hire a moving labor service, where you need to pay only for loading the truck and unloading it. You hire the truck your own and get it driven to the new home. If you need, packing services can be availed at an additional cost added to the moving labor quote.

Moving labor quotes are comparatively cheaper than full-service company cost. They are more convenient as the team of laborers will help you load the truck, giving it a professional touch. However, you need to pay extra for any additional service required.

The Pros

Security of your belongings is ensured

The task is done within the schedule

Packing services are available at an additional cost

The Cons

There are chances of hidden costs

You need to hire a truck and provide packing materials

Loading special items make moving labor service expensive

Questions to Ask About the Cost of Moving

Entrusting your personal belongings to a moving company can feel unnerving. The most important steps you can take are to make sure the company is licensed and insured and that they have a good reputation online with customer reviews and the Better Business Bureau. Doing your homework ahead of time can save the frustration of booking with the wrong company. As you begin your search, consider these questions to help you understand the costs of moving and selecting a moving company.

Questions to Ask the moving company:

How many years have you been in business?

Are you licensed, bonded, and insured?

Do you have references I can speak with?

Are you registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration? (This is required for interstate travel.)

Do you outsource to other moving companies?

Do you conduct background checks on your employees?

Are your workers full-time, part-time, or seasonal?

Does workers’ compensation insurance cover your workers?

What documentation do you provide before moving day?

Do you offer full-value insurance?

Are you able to transport my vehicle?

Questions to Ask about the cost:

Can I review a line-item quote?

Do you offer discounts?

What do you charge for storage?

Are your rates based on weight, movers, rooms, etc.?

What will you charge me since my apartment building doesn’t have an elevator?

Do you offer hourly or fixed-rate fees?

What will you charge for packing my items for me?

What unexpected fees should I be prepared for?

Is the contract binding or non-binding?

Can you do a free consultation to assess my belongings?

What are my payment options? (Requesting a large deposit or full payment before the move is not a reputable practice.)

What is your cancellation policy?

Questions to Ask about the move:

How long will it take to move?

How far can you take my belongings?

How many movers will you assign?

What items are you prohibited from transporting?

Do you have movers qualified to move specialty items?

Do you guarantee pickup or delivery dates for long-distance moves?

Do you provide an inventory list to review together?

How do you handle loss or damage claims?

Do you offer shipment tracking? (This is not a standard feature, but some companies are now offering tracking.)

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