There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to hiring a full service moving company. Most people seem to think it’s an awfully costly affair. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.
A casual search over the internet will show that most moving companies have reasonable rates. More so, when you consider the time, effort and skill put into the moving process coupled with the convenience it offers you.
After reading this article, you will understand what it takes to come up with the average moving costs for local or long distance relocation. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide what service offering you need as this affects your final costs.
Average Moving Costs
According to the American Moving and Storage Association, the average cost of an interstate move is about USD4,300 – for distances of up to 1,225 miles.
For intrastate moves (aka moves within the same state) the cost is lower at roughly $2,300.
Note that these estimates are all based on cargo weight of up to 7,400 pounds.
Obviously, the average cost of moving depends on the extra services you get from your mover. While full moving services may cost a little more, they offer you peace of mind knowing that everything is catered for.
Full Service Moving
Your full service moving company goes over and above the average moving service.
At the bare minimum, they offer you premium services including but not limited to packing, disassembly and reassembly of bulky furniture, use of custom crates for your valuables, and the use of specialized equipment for hoisting heavy items; use of their storage facilities even.
Prior to relocation, get an informed cost estimate that includes all the premium services that come with the package.
Intrastate Moving
If your move is local, you need to understand what goes into your pricing. Basically, three things are involved in costing for this:
- Local moving costs are dependent on your exact location – that is, your city and state.
- Typically, local movers bill at an hourly rate. This is irrespective of the activity they will be engaged in at any particular time, be it packing, furniture arrangement, driving to your new home etc.
- Then there is the travel fee. This charge caters for fuel and time spent getting to your current digs and subsequently to the new home. Usually this equals 1 hour of standard move-related work.
Interstate Moving
The pricing model for interstate moving is different from intrastate moving. While you may not be charged hourly, the cost depends on three factors:
- Distance between your home and your new address is one. Generally, the longer the distance between the two homes, the higher the moving costs.
- The weight of the shipment is another. The more your items weigh, the more you are going to pay. It may help to consider moving only the absolute necessities. Items you really don’t need only serve to add dead weight and result in an increase to your overall moving charges.
- Additional services also play a key factor here. Mostly, these include basic moving parameters and add-on services like packing, unpacking, furniture disassembly and reassembly and so on. The cost of handling specialty items like pianos, hot tubs, pool tables, grandfather clocks and the likes, also attract additional charges.
All in all, it’s good to bear in mind that the moving costs are only an approximation and only give you a rough estimation of what your full service moving costs will be like.
In practice, getting the exact cost is not as easy as the final price is calculated on a case-by-case basis. But the estimate will be within a good ballpark of the figure your final invoice will come bearing.
