Moving days are notorious for their costs. With so much tugging away at your attention, you might struggle to track many important things, including your moving cost. Your moving costs can vary depending on factors like size, distance, and location.
In this quick guide, we provide tips on how to create and implement an airtight budget for your moving day. We’ll show you how to stay within your budget and prevent nasty surprises down the road.
A Quick Breakdown of the Average Moving Costs
One of the most important factors in moving day expenses is who’s doing the moving – you or professional movers. If you’re going it all alone, then it’ll be more of your time and energy and fewer expenses. You still need to budget for things like truck rental, gas, moving insurance, packing materials and equipment.
When hiring a professional mover, you fork out more cash but spend less time and energy. Depending on your arrangement, you may need to shoulder bills like moving fees, packing and unpacking fees, special packaging services (for precious valuables like artwork), and moving insurance.
You can also opt for a combination of professional movers and personal efforts. Do as much as you can to minimise the cost of hiring professionals.
Other important moving expenses include transportation, lodging, storage, and additional costs like cleaning services, repairs, etc.
Budgeting Tips for Your Moving Day
Establish Your Timeline and Location
The primary determinants of moving day costs are the time and place for the move. You must have all these firmly established before beginning to plan your budget. Choosing an off-peak moving period could also help reduce the cost.
Inventory Your Belongings
Next, you’d want a set up a list that lets you see all your belongings at a glance. Use categories like rooms, type of item, and rate of use for better organisation and accessibility.You should also have a section for disposable items. You can significantly minimise your moving cost by doing away with some used belongings.
Plan Your Moving Day Budget
With a firm idea of what you’re taking with you, you can now begin creating your moving day budget. Many professional movers provide a free moving-day calculator on their website, but you can also make do with a good old pen and paper. You can create two separate budgets – one for professional moving and one for self-moving, and then compare them to find the best possible combination of both options.Also, add at least 5% extra to the total amount to make up for any contingencies.
Get Quotes from Multiple Movers
When choosing a professional mover, get quotes from many companies to find the best possible bargain. Make sure all your movers have a proven track record and a fully-transparent process with no hidden fees.Track and Minimise Your Everyday Expenses
During the days leading up to the move, you might want to minimise your expenses as much as possible to give yourself a comfortable start at your new location. Track your daily expenses closely and try holding off on expenses like new personal belongings or home appliances until after your move.These tips will help you avoid going into your moving day with headwinds. Take time out to plan and inventory everything. Then check multiple moving companies for the best deals, and minimise your daily expenses on days leading up to the move.