How Much Does a Move Cost?

Many things are taken into account in the quote a professional mover gives you. Things like distance, volume to move, and the season all play important factors.

How to calculate the cost of my move?

To properly calculate the cost of your move, one of the key things to know is the volume of the furniture that needs to be move. There are several handy volume calculators online you can check.

Another variable is the accessibility of your home. Generally, houses have way easier accessibility than apartments. With apartments, movers may have to deal with stairs, elevators, and longer distances carrying heavy furniture. SO expect an upcharge.

The price of your move may also depend on the type of goods you need to be transported. When you move, you declare the value of your property. This is usually billed at 0.3% of the declared value.

If your move involves valuable or fragile items, you can opt for comprehensive insurance, which will bring billing to 0.6% of the declared value. A percentage to take into account when calculating your estimated moving cost.

Remember summertime is peak season and will leave you very little leeway to move cheaply. Usually, you can get a lower price in the offseason which is usually fall and winter months.

Also. if you want to save money, avoid weekends, the end of the month and especially the end of the year. These are times when everyone and their dog wants to move.

Choose your quality of moving service and get the best price

Moving companies generally offer three levels of service. It's up to you to decide how much you can afford to spend.

• Economic: loading, unloading and transporting your furniture and boxes.
• Standard: support for fragile objects, assembly, and disassembly of your furniture, transport, and loading.
• All-inclusive move: packing of your furniture and goods, taking care of fragile objects, assembly, and disassembly of furniture, transport, unpacking, and loading.

I've done the unpacking service before. NOT WORTH IT. They pretty much just dump everything out of the boxes on to the floor and call it a day.

How far will my movers go?

Last but certainly not least is mileage. This will be a big factor in how much your move will cost. The rate totally depends on the moving company you chose so do your research beforehand.

Moving alone or with professionals?

To calculate the price of a single move, take into account the van rental, the journey (for the costs related to fuel and tolls), the purchase or rental of the necessary equipment and boxes, the various expenses for meals and possibly for accommodation over long distances.

Moving alone also means finding the labor, often friends or family, to pack and handle all the goods and belongings. There's a multitude of things to plan and organize that complicate the process. Not to mention it's a huge source of stress.

Moving by yourself isn't always cheaper. The final bill can often be saltier than expected. Meanwhile, professional movers can offer you additional services, like temporary storage. They adapt to your situation, whether you stay in your neighborhood or go abroad. In the end, it's a personal decision you have to live with. Happy travels!