How To Estimate Moving Expenses
The relocation process can be emotionally, physically, and financially straining. Most people opt to hire professional movers to lift the weight off their shoulders. Moving experts do most of the work for you and ensure your relocation is safe and less tiring as they do most of the hard work for you. Relying entirely on professional movers, however, increases your moving expense, which may not be what you want.
Finding answers on how much moving would cost you can help you decide as to whether or not to move. Completing most of the tasks by yourself can help save you a lot of money. All you need to do is carefully calculate the costs of moving and make plans as to what moving services to seek to save some cash.
How To Calculate Moving Costs
Several factors will come into play here. You need to factor in the distance you will be moving, when you will be moving and how much stuff you need to move. The following factors will determine your final cost of moving:
1. Distance Between Your Previous Home And Your Destination
The greater the distance, the higher the costs for transportation will be. Longer distances will require more fuel and time to transport the shipment. The truck may also need to stop at night, so the parking fees will be a lot more and will need to be put into consideration. A 50 mile or less move is a local move, and only time will determine the moving cost for local moves. However, a move that is more than 50 miles is long distance, and the weight of your shipment or stuff is what determines the moving costs.
2. The Size Of Your Move
It is logical that the number and size of the items you are moving be directly proportional to the cost. Many items will cost much more, and fewer items will cost less. Put into consideration the amount of space your stuff consumes, how heavy your stuff is, the amount of time it will take to load and unload, and the number of packing materials you will require. Creating a moving inventory will be of great help. You can list all the items of great importance and an estimation of their weight so that you can estimate the total cost of labor, transport, and packing material. Moreover, if you are moving a 3-bedroom house on a budget, you will definitely need to hire professional movers.
3. The Moving Date
The time or date you move is equally important. The moving date can affect your moving costs a lot. Peak times will require you to pay more. During summers when the weather is great, and the weekends and holidays when people are free, moving companies tend to increase their moving fees as they are very busy. If you have to move during these times, you should put that into consideration. Moving during weekdays or off-seasons will cost much less.
4. Storage
Some moves are complicated and require storage by the moving company before, during, or after moving. If you think you might need storage, be prepared to pay extra for the storage service.
5. Liability Coverage
Basic liability coverage is offered for free by the moving company during the signing of the contract. It, however, does not cover all the items, and you might need to purchase liability coverage. There are many levels of protection offered, and the cost depends on what you need.
6. Extra Services
They will incur an extra cost. Some of the extra services are optional, and it is up to you to decide whether to do the tasks yourself or whether to pay for the moving company to do them for you. Some of the tasks are packing and unpacking or assembling and disassembling furniture. If the items you are moving are not that complicated, consider doing most of these things yourself to lower your moving cost.
Ways To Reduce Moving Costs
If you are looking to save money, there are a few tips you might want to use. Firstly you can use an online approximate moving cost calculator to get an idea about the approximate cost that you are going to incur for your upcoming move. Secondly you can get rid of extra stuff or belongings that you don’t need. This can be done by selling or donating them. A Do It Yourself move is also possible if you rent a truck and ask your friends and family to help you move. You can also find moving supplies like boxes by yourself and pack up yourself. Ensure that the moving date is also less expensive. You can opt to move mid-month or mid-week.
All these factors will ensure that you estimate your moving costs well. Also, using a moving cost calculator that has been provided by a good website might give you an idea of how much you need. Good luck!
