If you have been thinking about moving to a new place, then you probably have a good reason. It might be that you have outgrown your current place or maybe you have a new job and the commute is just too long.
But whatever the reason is, you will want to think about the costs that you will incur when moving.
Many people are surprised to learn the average moving expenses are over $1,000 for an interstate move and over $5,000 if you are moving to a different state.
Storage is not Cheap
If you are facing a time constraint and are considering putting some or all of your belongings into storage, then you will want to carefully evaluate the cost of such a space.
CostHelper.com is a website that will help you to evaluate prices in your area and decide if a storage facility is cost effective. You will also want to decide if you need a space that is climate controlled as that is an additional cost. In addition to the cost of the storage unit, don’t forget to factor in the cost of any truck or any other items that you might need to rent to transport your belongings to the storage facility and then to your new place. It is also always wise to estimate an additional month’s rental on a storage facility in case your move date gets pushed back for any reason.
Utilities and Deposits
In the perfect world you will be able to move out of your old place and into the new place in a single day. But let’s face it, there is no such thing as a perfect world. So in most cases, you will be in possession of two places for at least a short time. And with two places comes two sets of utility bills. So make sure to account for those added expenses for the first month. In addition to the normal fees to begin service of things like water, electric and gas, you will also want to do some research and find out if you will need to pay any deposits. If you are moving within the same city or service area you might be able to simply transfer your service from one address to the other. But in larger cities, there might be a different service provider in the new area and you will need to make a deposit to start your service.
Save Time or Save Money
When you are packing it can be very tempting to pare down some items to reduce the amount of stuff that you are moving. Many times you will throw away small items like spices, condiments, extra food storage containers and soap products. It just seems faster and easier to throw them away and deal with it later. It is faster, but it is also expensive. In a few weeks you will be settled in your new place and be looking for spices, plastic products or cleaning supplies only to remember that you threw away the old open ones. So be careful about what you decide to pack and what you choose to throw away. A new place always has a list of items that you will want to buy but it can be a long and expensive list if you threw too many small items away instead of packing them.
Moving Materials
Many years ago it was common to drive around to grocery stores to collect boxes if you were moving. It was an economical way to get boxes and didn’t take a lot of time. But now everything is being recycled. Cardboard boxes are crushed and bound for recycling at every store. So don’t forget to budget a few hundred dollars to buy boxes for moving. And that number is only good if you are using plain cardboard boxes. If you are going to pack some items in plastic containers for safety or for storage then the number will go up drastically. In addition, no one gets a newspaper any more so don’t forget to buy paper to wrap fragile items before packing them. Bubble wrap is a more secure material but that costs a lot more than packing paper.
Do You Want Your Deposit Back?
Depending on how long you lived in your last place, there could be some cleaning and repair issues that you will need to deal with. Most rentals charge you a security deposit in hopes that you will thoroughly clean and repair any damage to the place when you leave. If you do a good job cleaning then you will get your money back. But if you are in a hurry, then you probably won’t be getting that money back. The dilemma you face could be the cost of taking a day off of work to clean your old place or just giving up the cleaning deposit. There is no right or wrong answer. It is just a matter of understanding that you will be spending that money.
The New Expenses
Even if you have promised yourself that you won’t spend a lot to decorate your new place, chances are that you will be buying some new stuff. It might be small things like shower curtains and laundry baskets or it could be more expensive items like new pieces of furniture. But budgeting for those items is important too. Knowing the cost of the actual move as well as the cost of making your new place into your home all add up. And it is important to know that you will have the money to pay the bills as they begin to roll in. Having a realistic budget and staying within it will make your move much less stressful. Using the cost estimate of average moving expenses and then adding in any new items that you will need will allow you to create a realistic budget for your next move.
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