![Find out how to calculate the cost of your move.](https://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/moving-costs.jpg)
Highlights
- Moving costs depend on the relocation distance, the size of the move, and the complexity of the job.
- Short-distance moving costs are time-based, while the cost of long-distance moves depends on the weight of the shipment and the distance to the delivery location.
- The time of the move, the desired liability coverage, and any special requirements and additional services also impact the final cost of the move.
- You need to know the true cost of your move so you can plan your finances.
Moving takes its toll – emotional, physical, and financial. But while you can’t help the powerful moving house emotions, you can greatly alleviate both the physical and financial strain of moving.
Hiring professional movers will lift most of the physical burden off your shoulders – the experts will do all the hard work for you and will ensure a safe and smooth relocation.
Professional moving services, however, come at a price – and if you want to keep that price as low as possible, you will have to complete some of the moving tasks yourself.
In order to strike the most favorable balance between costs and work, you need to calculate the cost of your move in advance – so you can plan your finances and figure out what moving services you can afford and what you need to do by yourself in order to keep some more money in your wallet.
But how can you estimate your relocation expenses? Calculating moving costs is fairly simple, as long as you input the right parameters in the right formulas. Here is what you need to know:
How to Calculate Moving Costs
![You need to know your final moving costs in order to be able to set up your moving budget.](https://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/alloted-money.jpg)
Your actual moving costs will depend on a number of factors, but the weight of your shipment and the distance between your old home and your final destination will play the most crucial role in determining the final price of your move.
Relocation distance
It is only logical that the greater the distance between the pick-up and delivery locations, the higher the transportation costs will be – it will take more time and more fuel to transport a shipment over a longer distance (not to mention that there will be more road tolls to pay, as well as extra parking fees if the truck needs to stop for the night, etc.).
But that’s not all – the relocation distance determines the type of the move and, therefore, the way the moving costs are calculated:
- If you are moving in a 50-mile radius or less, your move is considered to be local and the moving costs will be based on the time required to complete it;
- If you’re moving more than 50 miles away from your old home, yours is a long-distance move and the moving costs will be based on the weight of your shipment.
Good to know: If you’re moving out of state, your move won’t be considered local, even if the relocation distance is less than 50 miles. A move from Wilmington, DE to Philadelphia, PA (two cities in different states, with 32 miles distance between them), for example, will be charged as an interstate move, despite the short distance between the two cities.
Size of the move / Load weight
Quite naturally, the final moving costs will increase in direct proportion to the number of items you have for moving. The more household goods you’re moving:
- the more space they will occupy and the heavier the shipment will be – which will result in higher long-distance moving costs (a larger moving truck will be necessary to accommodate your items, so more fuel will be used for the transportation);
- the longer they will take to load and unload and more people will be needed to complete the job in a safe and efficient manner – which will increase the cost of a local move (it is determined by the time it takes to perform a move and the number of movers who work on the task);
- the more packing materials will be necessary, so you’ll need to spend more on moving supplies.
Bonus tip: A detailed moving inventory will help you estimate your moving expenses – when you can see all the items you have for moving listed on the inventory sheet, you will be able to assess their weight and determine the type and amount of packing supplies you’re going to need to ensure their safety.
Complexity of the job
![Relocating a large household will cost you a pretty penny.](https://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/large-household.jpg)
The complexity of a move is the third most important factor that determines the final relocation cost. Regardless of the distance and size of your move, any special handling requirements, necessary extra services, existing obstacles, etc. make the moving process slower, riskier, and more difficult. The work takes much more time and effort to complete, so the moving costs increase.
Bonus tip: To get a better idea of the complexity of your move (and the ensuing extra moving costs), you’re advised to:
- Make a list of any unusually large and heavy items (pool tables, safes, hot tubs, etc.) and extremely delicate items (antiques, pianos, works of art, sensitive electronics, family heirlooms, etc.) you have for moving and find out what will be necessary to ensure their safety during the relocation and how much the required specialized packing materials and accessorial services will cost you;
- Consider the peculiarities of the pick-up and delivery locations to know what obstacles you can expect during your move (small doorways, lots of stairs, narrow streets, or other physical constraints that prevent the access of a large moving truck to your property, etc.) and to be able to determine what extra services will be necessary to overcome the difficulties (disassembly of furniture, hoisting services, shuttle services, etc.) and how much you will be charged for them (long-carry fee, flight charge, etc.).
Other factors that affect moving costs
In order to accurately estimate your moving costs, in addition to the three major cost determinants listed above, you need to take several other factors into account as well:
The time of your move
Many people choose to move in the summer (the weather is nice, children are out of school, people have more free time, etc.), so moving companies are very busy in the months from May to September and charge more to accommodate a moving date in this period.
The same applies to weekends and national holidays, as well as to the first and last days of a month, which is when most residential moves take place.
So, if you’re moving in peak times, you’ll have to allow for higher relocation costs.
The liability coverage you want for your items
When signing a moving contract, you get basic liability coverage for free. It, however, covers only $0.60 per pound per item.
If you wish to, you can get full value protection for your items, but it comes at an extra cost.
So, the insurance plan you choose will also affect your moving costs.
Your special needs and requirements
![Specialty items and special moving requirements greatly increase the moving cost.](https://www.mymovingreviews.com/move/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/complex-moving-job.jpg)
As already mentioned above, every extra service you use will incur an extra cost.
It may be the circumstances that necessitate some additional moving services, but others are optional and it’s up to you to decide if you want to use them or not.
You can make your move easier and less stressful by taking advantage of packing and unpacking services, furniture disassembly and reassembly, split pickup or delivery, storage in transit, or any other additional services the movers offer, but you’ll have to pay the extra costs they will incur.
On the other hand, if you don’t have any specialty items to relocate, make all moving preparations yourself, and don’t mind your shipment being consolidated with other people’s goods, your moving costs will be much lower.
When you factor in all these considerations, you’ll be able to estimate the cost of moving quite accurately.
We are trying to determine what furniture items to move across country. Deciding to take something depends on what it would cost to transport that item. Would I re-buy that item for the price it costs to move it. Is there a way of figuring out, roughly, what any given item will cost to move it to the new location?