Nobody likes unpleasant surprises – especially unpleasant financial surprises. Particularly when it comes to expensive endeavors – such as a house move, for example.
There is no doubt then, that if you’re moving house and have decided to perform a self-move in order to save money on your relocation, financial surprises will be the last thing you want.
Fortunately, there is an easy way to avoid miscalculations and financial shocks related to your move – you just need to get aware of all possible expenses you may incur during the relocation, see if you can cut any of them, and budget for the rest.
Keep in mind though that while some moving expenses are quite obvious – truck rental fee, fuel, etc. – others are not. And in order to avoid financial surprises with your move, you need to make sure you don’t overlook any potential costs.
Here is a list of commonly forgotten self-moving costs to help ensure you don’t miss anything important when budgeting for your forthcoming relocation.
Packing Expenses
Your “valuables” need to be properly packed for the move…
In order to survive your move safe and sound, your belongings will need proper protection – and in order to provide that protection, you will need quality packing materials.
Packing supplies are not very expensive but when packing your entire household for moving, you will need a lot of them – so the costs will add up.
You can reduce your packing expenses by using alternative packing materials and old moving boxes you can get for free, but you will still need to buy some quality packing supplies (packing peanuts, bubble wrap, specialized boxes, etc.) for your more delicate and more valuable items. And if you’re moving some specialty items that have special packing requirements (antiques, musical instruments, artwork, etc.), you may even have to pay for professional packing services.
When moving house you cannot do without some moving equipment – even if you have a lot of people to help you. If you try to simply lift and carry all your belongings with your bare hands, you risk property damage and personal injuries – and these will cost you dearly.
So, you need to provide at least a dolly and furniture lifting straps(to avoid getting hurt when lifting and carrying heavy items – and to avoid dropping heavy objects and damaging them (and damaging floors and stairs in the process too)) and furniture sliders(to slide your large furniture and bulky appliances around without scratching the floors).
Your best friend when moving.
Having the right equipment for the job will make your move much easier and much safer – but the specialized moving equipment won’t come for free. You won’t need to buy everything, of course, you can rent the necessary equipment from your truck rental company (or from any local moving company), but you still need to budget for the associated costs.
The worst thing that could happen during a move – and definitely not only in terms of unforeseen expenses – is a personal injury.
If you – or any of your friends or family members – get hurt during the moving process, not only will you have to pay the likely expensive medical bills, but you will also need to deal with the consequences of the injury – pain, guilt, ruined move, etc.
Therefore, it’s crucial that you take every possible measure to prevent accidents and injuries during your move – provide appropriate moving equipment, ensure a safe route to the moving truck, use safe lifting and carrying techniques, etc. You may even want to consider hiring moving labor if you have too many large and heavy items to relocate.
It’s always better to spend the money on precautions than on medical bills, you know.
Property Damage Prevention Costs – or Repair Costs
When moving out, you need to make sure that your old property remains in good condition – either because it is for sale or because you want to get your deposit back. So, if any damage is inflicted to your property on move-out day, you will have to spend some money for paints and other repair materials – and you may need to pay for professional repair services too, if you don’t have the time or the skills to complete the necessary repair works yourself.
Repairing your old home with Lego blocks may not work…
Such unforeseen extra expenses will put a lot of strain on your moving budget, so you need to do everything possible to prevent property damage when moving out – take measures to protect the floors, stairs, railings, banisters, walls, doors and door frames, windows and window frames, etc. To provide adequate protection to your old home though, you will need appropriate protective materials – and old blankets, sheets, newspapers, and rags won’t be enough. You will need some professional protective materials (floor runners, carpet protectors, corner guards, etc.) – and you will have to pay for them.
You will need to clean your old property before leaving it for good – and you will certainly want to clean your new home before moving in.
You will probably have all the necessary cleaning equipment for the job (make sure you don’t pack it before you finish the task – and be sure to unpack it first upon arrival at your new home) but you may need to buy some extra cleaning products. And if you don’t have the time or the energy to deal with cleaning, you may even decide to hire professional cleaning services to do the job for you – it will cost you extra, of course, but it will save you a lot of time and effort.
You cannot really perform a house move entirely on your own – if you have decided not to hire movers, then you will need reliable friends to help you take your belongings out of your old home and load them on the moving truck. You may also need someone to take care of your young children and/or pets on moving day, so you can focus on your moving tasks.
While you won’t need to pay your friends and relatives for helping you out, you will still have some extra expenses:
Food & beverages – The least you can do for the people who sacrifice their own free time to come and help you move is to get them some nourishing snacks and refreshing drinks on the exhausting moving day. Buying food and beverages for your moving helpers may not be a substantial expense but you should not forget to put aside some cash for these essentials;
Gifts – You’re not obliged to give gifts to the people who help you move but such a kind gesture of gratitude is not only a proof of your good manners but also a sign of your appreciation and warm feelings towards your dear friends. Plan for something small but nice that will bring a smile to every face.
The magical phrase “Open Sesame” may not be enough to get you through some barriers during your move.
When renting a moving truck to transport your belongings to your new home, you know that you will have to pay the truck rental fee, of course, and you have probably planned for the fuel too.
What you may have overlooked, however, is the fact that you will also need to pay for parking fees and road tolls – not a great financial burden but it’s the little things that add up quickly to the final cost. (See also: How much does it cost to rent a moving truck)
Good to remember: If you’ll be towing your car behind the moving truck, you will need to rent the necessary towing equipment and buy auto tow protection. Besides, the truck will get worse gas mileage when towing a vehicle and you’ll need to refuel more often. (See also: How to tow a car when moving)
Insurance Costs
Driving a moving truck is very challenging and there are a lot of things that can go wrong on the road – so, it’s a good idea to have proper insurance.
You can buy different kinds of additional insurance coverage from your truck rental company – damage waivers, supplemental liability insurance, cargo protection, etc. Having appropriate coverage will ensure your peace of mind and will protect you from liability and financial loss in the event of an accident during your self-move.
You can choose not to spend extra money on additional insurance, of course, but remember that auto insurance usually doesn’t cover rental moving trucks and homeowner’s insurance may not cover damage that occurs to your items while they’re in transit.
You won’t need to worry about meals and lodgings when moving locally but when moving long distance, you may need to spend a few nights in hotels – and you will definitely need meals on the way. You can prepare sandwiches and snacks to avoid spending too much money in fast food restaurants but you and your family will need proper meals in the evenings.
Forwarding Mail
You need to change your address with the USPS when moving and while you can do that for free (or for a very small fee), it will be a good idea to leave some money to your previous landlord or to the new owners of your old property and to ask them to forward any mail mistakenly sent to your old address.
Service connection fees and deposits are among the most frequently forgotten costs when moving.
You’re advised to contact your service providers and inform them about the forthcoming move well ahead of time. Pay ALL your utility bills up to the present moment and request to get your deposit back (if applicable).
Be sure to schedule the utilities in your old home to be disconnected on the day after move-out day so you don’t end up paying for services you’re no longer using – and arrange the utilities in your new home to be running on move-in day, so you have water, electricity, and gas when you arrive at your new place.
When calculating your moving costs, you probably consider only the expenses you’re going to incur during the actual moving process – and don’t even think about post-relocation costs. Once you’ve bought your new property (or paid the security deposit and the first month’s rent), it’s easy to forget that you will have a lot more expenses until your new place becomes ready to live in.
Renovation and Furnishing Costs
When moving into a new home, it is recommended to complete any necessary repairs and desired renovation projects before the relocation. You may need to repair the roof or replace the windows, you may want to renovate the bathroom, the HVAC system, install solar panels, or repaint the walls, etc. But even if you’re not planning any major upgrades or your new home doesn’t need any extensive repairs, you will still have a lot of costs when moving into a new place:
1) Security – In order to feel safe in your new home, you will need to change the locks and invest in burglar alarms, security cameras, smoke detectors, etc. Don’t forget about homeowner’s or renter’s insurance either.
2) Furnishings – If you’re moving into a furnished rental or if you’ve taken most of your old furniture and appliances with you, you may not need to not spend a lot of money on new household items, at least in the beginning. Yet, you may still want to get new curtains, fancy lighting, or some other things that will help turn your new place into your dream home.
If, on the other hand, you don’t have any furniture or appliances (or have decided not to relocate your old items), or your old furniture doesn’t fit through the door or doesn’t fit the layout of your new home, you will need to purchase new furnishings without delay. Furnishing a new home is really a great expense, so you need to plan your finances very carefully.
Living Expenses
In order to be able to live in your new home, you will have to stock it up with everything necessary – groceries, toiletries, medical supplies, cleaning supplies, etc. There will be a lot of things you will need to buy without delay – and you will have daily expenses to provide for too (food, transportation, healthcare, clothing, bills, etc.).
A good financial strategy is what you need.
Good to know: In addition to your other post-relocation costs, you may need to pay some small fees for updating different documents after the move (driver’s license, car registration, insurance policies, etc.) as well.
So, when considering your moving-related costs, you must not forget to figure in your urgent post-relocation costs and your living expenses for a couple of months after the move too.
Last but not least, it’s crucial to have an emergency fund when moving to a new place – you never know what might happen, so you need to be prepared. From replacing broken items and paying for storage you didn’t think you would need to hiring professionals to remove the raccoon family from your attic or a fallen tree from the back yard, there may be a lot of unexpected expenses you may need to cover immediately after the move.
Having a contingency fund will put your mind at ease and will allow you to feel financially comfortable with your move.
Many of the above commonly forgotten self-moving costs exist when moving with a moving company as well. To find a detailed list of the other hidden costs and expenses when hiring movers, click here.
The forgotten costs of moving can play a bad trick on you if you’re unprepared. Make sure you’re aware of all potential relocation-related costs when planning your moving budget and be careful not to overlook anything. Your financial prudence will pay off in a smooth and stress-free relocation experience.
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“Remember that some moving costs can be deducted when paying your taxes! ”
Pretty sure this is no longer accurate. 2017 tax cut bill got rid of this provision.