Calculating interstate moving costs

Moving interstate comes with various tasks and things that you need to prepare for. One of the most important things to plan when relocating your household or business is your budget. We all know that moving can be pretty costly, and that requires some mental preparation. Before you start packing your boxes and hire the best cross country movers, we suggest calculating interstate moving costs. Being aware of the expenses you’re facing will help you organize the move and realize if you can splurge or if you need to try and reduce the costs. Don’t worry, we’ll tell you what to pay attention to in order to calculate the costs of interstate relocation. Let’s see what you should consider.

Factors that affect interstate moving costs

First things first, it’s good to get familiar with the numerous things that can influence the cost of your interstate move. This will help you calculate interstate moving expenses easier. So, here are the biggest factors that affect the moving price:

• The distance of your move – how far away is the state your moving to?
• The complexity of the move – are there stairs that make maneuvering of the furniture harder?
• Extra services and add-ons – do you need extra moving services of just someone to transport your things from A to B?
• The weight of your shipment – the more you pack, the higher the price.
• The time of your move – if you’re moving in the summer or on a weekend, the moving price will be higher than, say, a winter relocation.

What do you choose: DIY moving or hiring movers?

Once you know the biggest factors that affect the moving expenses, it’s time for the next step. Now you need to decide whether you’d like to work with professional residential movers or if you prefer to do it alone and move DIY. Both decisions come with some pros and cons, of course. To help you select the right option, we’ll tell you what to consider when calculating interstate relocation costs in both scenarios. This will show you which option is better for your budget.

Calculating interstate moving expenses when moving DIY

Some people believe that moving DIY is a guaranteed way to save money. Well, that’s not necessarily true. Here are the things you should bear in mind to calculate state-to-state moving costs when moving alone.

• Renting a moving truck. Consider the size of the truck you need and how much it costs.
• Fuel and transportation costs. How much will it cost to transport your possessions to the new state?
• Packing supplies. Figure out how many supplies you need for packing up your household and which type of supplies you want to use.
• Car transportation. If you’re the one driving the moving truck, who will transport your car? You might need to pay for car shipping services.

Calculating interstate moving costs when hiring movers

If you’ve decided to hire professional movers to help you out, there are a few different things to consider when calculating the price of interstate moving. Here’s what you need to know.

Get moving estimates from interstate moving companies

When you’re working with professional movers, there’s one thing that will make calculating interstate moving costs easier. Simply ask your movers to provide you with a moving estimate. Moving quotes are a great way to see what the movers are charging for and how high their prices are. There are different kinds of moving estimates, but we suggest getting written, binding estimates so that the movers can’t add any unexpected charges at the end of your move.

Which services do you need?

Most moving companies offer a wide array of moving services you can choose from. Of course, you can decide which services you want depending on your needs. However, you should keep in mind that the more extra services you go for, the more you’ll be paying.

• Packing services. Do you want to avoid the hassle of packing and hire professional packers to do it instead of you?
• Car transportation. If car shipping is an issue for you, you might want to ask your interstate movers to help you out.
• Special moving services – these include piano moving, pool table moving, etc. When you’re calculating the costs of interstate moving, remember that these services will make the price go up.
• Storage units. If you need a place to temporarily store your belongings, it might be worth checking out storage services.

Depending on the company, you might have even more options to choose from. So, decide if you can splurge and get the movers to do all the work for you or if there are things you’d rather do alone.

Ask interstate movers how much their Full Value Protection costs

One of the things everyone wants to avoid when moving state-to-state is their belongings getting ruined or damaged. Luckily, interstate moving companies are required by federal law to offer you Full Value Protection. However, the price of Full Value Protection is different from company to company. So, ask your movers about the price of their insurance.

If you decide against getting Full Value Protection, you’ll still be getting the basic level of liability – Released Value Protection. This is automatically included in your move, so you’ll at least have some coverage without extra costs. Once you decide the type of coverage you want, you can finally calculate the interstate moving price.

Ways to save money while moving

If the relocation is looking a little too pricey for your liking, don’t worry. There are some things you can do to reduce moving expenses and save some money.

• Downsize – you can sell your things and earn extra cash or just donate them.
• Avoid summer moving – moving prices are up to 30% higher in the summer months as it’s the peak of the moving season.
• Look for free packing supplies – get free carton boxes from local supermarkets or look for used packing supplies online.
• Pack on your own – though packing services are very useful, doing this step alone is better for your budget.

So, if after calculating interstate moving costs you realize that it’s too expensive, follow some of these tips to save some money. You can find even more ways of saving money online. We hope that this guide has given you an insight into figuring our moving prices and defining your budget!