It is a known fact that moving can be costly because you are essentially uprooting your whole life and transferring it to a new place. That being said, it helps to set a budget for all the possible expenses that you might encounter so you won’t get caught off guard by hidden costs and surprise expenses.
Of course, it’s also a good idea to try to eliminate unnecessary expenses and save money where you can. If you can schedule your move outside of moving peak season (which is during the summer), a lot of your moving expenses will be significantly cheaper. Be strategic about canceling certain plans (water, electricity, internet, etc.), so you can avoid additional expenses too. But aside from those precautions, there are certain expenses that are simply non-negotiable that you should include in your budget. Here are some of them:
- Moving company expenses. If you’re moving to the other side of your state or to a new state altogether, it’s for the best that you hire movers to help you. Not only do you get additional assistance with your belongings and save yourself from the stress of that, but your moving can be done faster and go smoother than doing it by yourself. That being said, looking for a good moving company that charges reasonably can be challenging at times. It helps to contact the movers that you’re thinking about hiring and ask for an estimate of their prices. That way, you have a clear ballpark figure that you can put in your budget once you hire the right movers.
- Equipment rentals. Shorter and quicker moves are doable without the need to hire a moving company, but you will still need to rent a few things to get it done. For one thing, you’ll need to rent a truck if you’re moving a lot of furniture and heavy items with you. Other forms of helpful equipment that can be rented include loading ramps, dollies, mattress covers, and more. The costs of renting these need to be accounted for in your moving budget as you’re spending for this equipment to help with your moving process.
- Travel costs. Long interstate moves can often feel like road trips and will incur expenses that are similar to taking one. Make sure you budget for hotel room stays, food, gas, supplies, and other similar expenses for the long drive to your new home, especially if you’re bringing your family with you.
- Packing supplies. Sometimes, the packing part of your move can be costly as well. While you can find free boxes from your workplace or local grocery store easily, the quality of these boxes may be less than great. If you’re packing a lot of large and fragile items, you might need to buy brand new boxes as well as other supplies like packing peanuts, wrapping materials, tape, and more.
- Storage costs. Sometimes, you might need to store some of your belongings temporarily before, during, or after your move. Even if you’re doing that for a short time, renting a storage space can still become costly if you’re planning to store a lot of items. Look around for businesses that offer this service and list down the estimated costs in your budget so you can clearly decide how much money to set aside for the duration that your belongings will be in storage.
- Redecorating costs. There are times when the home that you’re moving into might not be as furnished as you’d like it to be. Or, it could simply not feel like a home and could use some fixing up before you and your family can settle in. Whichever the case may be, you will need to do a bit of redecorating at the new place. It helps to add this to your moving budget as it is still related to moving (especially if you fix it up before moving day).
- Incidental costs. Consider that some things may not go according to plan during the move. Make sure you have some extra money set aside for these emergencies because you never know what could happen.
As a rule of thumb, list down the average or highest prices for these items in your budget so you are more prepared for these expenses come moving day. Moreover, the more detailed your budget is, the easier it will be for you to calculate how much you should set aside for your move. While some things are beyond your control and may change along the way, what’s important is that you’re still as ready as possible so you can save yourself from a lot of unneeded stress during your big move.