Moving budget checklist – How much will my move cost?

In moving, just like everything else in life, planning is everything. Moving costs can ramp up quickly if you are not organized and plan well for the en devour. whether you hire a professional moving company to help you with your move, or if you plan to do the job yourself, you need to prepare for the task, the better understanding you will have for move’s the time line and the expenses associated with it. It is easy to be caught off guard with unanticipated moving expenses. Use this check list to plan your move thoroughly and avoid surprises on moving day.

Moving budget checklist- How much will my move cost?:

Your move cost will be determined by a few major factors.

1. The time of the year – Moving cost change according tot he supply and demand in the real estate and moving industries. Summer is the busiest season for these industries for reasons we detail in our blog post: What is the best time to move to a new home? Check it out for more details and guidance. In general, moving in the winter months is cheaper than moving in the busy summer months.
2. What is the size of your load – Regardless if you intend to hire a moving company, or move on your own. The more things you have to move, the bigger the cost for the move. Moving companies usually charge by the hour, or a flat rate for a local move. The more items you have, the longer it will take to pack and move them. The bigger the load, the bigger the price tag will be for your move’s flat rate. On long distance, or interstate move, movers usually charge either by weight or by volume. Again, you will pay less for smaller, lighter shipments. Even if you intend to move on your own, a bigger load will require you to rent a bigger truck at a higher price point.
3. The distance to your destination – Moving companies charge by distance for interstate moves. The longer the route to your new destination, the more expensive the move will be. If you intend to drive the truck yourself to your new destination, you will need to factor the cost of gas, food and lodging on the way to your new home.

Your moving expenses usually breakdown to three major components:

• Real estate related expenses
• Move logistics
• Travel cost

Real Estate related expenses:

• Broker’s fee for finding the new place
• First month’s rent
• Security deposit
• Pro-rated current month’s rent (if you move in the middle of a month)
• Utility deposit (Not always necessary)

You can calculate these costs easily and accurately by talking to your broker and landlord. you will probably need to prepare certified checks or bank checks for these first payments.

Move logistics and execution:

These are expenses related to the move itself.

• Cost of hiring a moving company. Or cost of truck rental
• Moving insurance
• Packing materials
• Temporary storage unit (if needed)
• Food and drinks for the movers or for your friends who agreed to help you in your time of need…
• Tips for the professional movers
• Clean up costs – Sometimes you will need to repaint the apartment, or clean it up before handing it back to your landlord

These type of costs are a little harder to accurately quantify before hand. Let’s say that you are moving your apartment, or moving your home from Brooklyn to Queens, and you would like to hire a trusted Brooklyn moving company perform the move for you. You should than invite at least three reputable moving companies to visit your place and submit written estimates for the move. Compare these estimates, check the companies references on Yelp, Google business center and on the Better Business Bureau websites. Only choose a company with good reputation and a good track record of dealing with claims. Find the best moving value and best reputation and choose this company.

Travel related expenses:

Travel related expenses are only related to long distance moves.

• Air fare
• Lodgings
• Food
• Gas
• Tolls
• Unexpected expenses (Allow an overflow of 10% from your budget for unexpected expenses. They always happen….)

Here also, it is hard to estimate the expenses accurately before hand. You can use the website Travel math to help you calculate these expenses. the longer the distance, the higher the cost of your travel.

These are the main factors that contribute to the price of your move. If your calculations indicate that the price of the move is more than you can afford, than try to reduce it by making a change to the price factors you might have control upon. the timing of your move, the size of your shipment or the distance to your new place.

If you have more questions regarding moving cost, do not hesitate to call U.Santini moving and storage at 718-768-6778 and we will be happy to talk to you about your moving or storage needs. Hiring professional movers, especially a trusted moving company like U.Santini moving and storage is a sure-fire way to have your move go smoothly and on budget. We have been in business more than eighty years and have moved tens of thousands of satisfied customers. If you think your move is complex and hard to execute, we probably did a similar one to it in the past. A trusted moving company like U.Santini moving and storage will save you money by providing excellent moving service at an affordable price and a professional attitude. To help you on your move, we offer a $100 off coupon for your move. Click on the coupon link if you need to move soon, or send it to a friend who needs to move.