Calculate Your Moving Expenses Accurately
Jason Rider, Financial Consultant, MovingCompanies.us Staff
Moving is a huge undertaking, and there are many different aspects to any move. It does not matter if the move is local or long distance, you will find that there is more to the cost of a move than just what you pay the moving company. In order to help you calculate this cost accurately, we have compiled a basic list of expenses that you may incur during your move. By taking all aspects of a move into account, you can create a reasonable moving budget that you can also live with.
Packing Costs
Packing your goods is what will take the most time. There are a couple of options open to you in this area, however. If you hire a company that packs for you, you can expect to pay for the service as well as the packing supplies. If you want to pack your things on your own, all you need to worry about is the cost of the supplies that you use.
Many times you can cut down on your packing costs by reusing boxes that you can get at your local stores. Often they are happy to let you take as many boxes as you need. Make sure that you call ahead to verify that they have not crushed all of the boxes yet.
Transportation Costs
Transporting your things is what will incur the largest cost. If you hire a professional company, you can expect to pay a premium for all of the services that they will provide you. If you choose to do a self service move, your costs will be quite a bit less as you are only paying for the actual movement of your things from one place to another.
Storage Costs
You need to consider if you are going to need to store your things for any amount of time when you are planning your move. You can either choose a self service company that will store your things for you or you can arrange for your moving company to deliver your things to a storage facility of your choice. Either way, you need to add the cost of storage to your overall calculations.
Insurance Costs
Most moving companies offer some form of insurance that covers any damage that occurs to your things during the move. The companies are limited by law as to how much coverage they can offer you, so it is vital that you make sure you have enough to cover total loss. Homeowners policies will sometimes cover your goods in transit, or you can pay for an in transit insurance policy.
If you are renting a truck to move your things, you need to verify that your auto insurance policy will cover damage done to the rental truck. This is something extra and cannot be counted on to cover the goods that are contained in the truck. Make sure to read your contract with the rental company to make sure that you have adequate coverage.
Extraneous Costs
With all of your things taken care of, you need to remember that it will cost something to move yourself as well. While the costs of driving or flying to a new place will depend on how large your family is, you still need to remember to include these costs in the moving budget. Don't forget to include food and lodging expenses as well. If you are driving to your new home, you should also figure in a fuel cost as well.
New Home Costs
Moving to a new home can cost quite a bit. Aside from everything mentioned above, you also need to include the costs of moving into a new place. These costs can include utilities deposits, rental deposits, and any supplies that you need but do not have right now such as light bulbs. While much of these costs can be small, you still need to include them in your budget because they will add up.
Be Prepared
If you keep all of this in mind, you are sure to be prepared for your next move. By creating a budget and sticking to it, you will be able to relieve some of the stress that would come with a move. While this list is quite comprehensive it may not include every single cost. Thus, it is important to sit down and figure out all of your own particular costs. Once you are ready, feel free to request a free moving quote using our instant quote form!
