How to precisely calculate moving costs

Moving house is a process, as you surely already know if you’ve started it. There are many moving tasks you need to complete before you can successfully leave your current home and move to a new one. Regardless of whether you are moving for the first time or not, you probably have a lot of questions. One of them is almost certainly how much your move will cost. And Grunts Move Junk and Moving MA are here to help you calculate moving costs Massachusetts accurately.

Average moving costs

The American Moving and Storage Association puts the average cost of a local move at about $1,250. A long-distance move (at least 1,000 miles) will, on the other hand, cost you on average $4,890. These numbers are based on prices for moving a 2-3 bedroom house (or apartment) at approximately 7,500 pounds of weight.

How to calculate moving costs

Moving costs Massachusetts and elsewhere are based on a number of things. As each move is unique the costs reflect that. When estimating how much your move will cost it is therefore important to take into consideration the specifics of your situation.

Factors to consider when calculating moving costs

The key factors that affect the cost of a move are:

• the size of the move or amount of stuff being moved
• the distance between the two locations and
• the additional services you may require.

Let’s look at all these factors individually.

The size of the move

The amount of stuff you are moving is important because it affects the time it takes to move it, the weight that needs to be relocated and the number of people needed for the job. The more stuff you have, the longer it will take to pack, load and unload. As the number of things being moved grows so too does their weight and volume. This means more manpower and more trucks are needed to move them. If you are moving a lot of bulky and heavy things, this can make the move more complicated. All of these things may result in an increase in moving costs Massachusetts and elsewhere.

The distance of the move

The location of your old house and the place you are moving to, as well as the distance between them, will affect the cost because it defines the difficulty of the move and affects the time needed to complete it. Generally speaking, the larger the distance – the higher the price. This is because larger distances bring higher travel fees. These travel fees can include fuel costs, labor costs as well as any additional travel expenses.

The additional services

Any additional services you choose will be an extra charge because they will cost the moving company more in time, manpower, supplies, space and the like. You may, for example, want the movers to pack your stuff. This makes the move more convenient for you, but will also make your move more expensive as it will take time. If you do not provide (enough) boxes, bubble wrap, tape and other packing essentials yourself, you may also be charged additionally for these supplies. Any storage of things by the moving company will cost you extra. As will additional liability coverage (beyond the basics moving companies are legally required to offer).

The difficulty of the move will also raise the moving costs Massachusetts and elsewhere. This includes obstacles such as excessive stairs, lack of parking space nearby, moving on short notice or moving during peak season and/or on a weekend. For example, hiring junk removal Massachusetts professionals is an additional service that will cost you extra.

How to cut moving costs

Some of these things you cannot control. Things like the distances between your old and your new home, narrow hallways or parking space are not something you can affect. So don’t bother trying to save on these.

What you should be looking at when trying to cut costs is the size of the move and additional services. You can drastically lower the price of your move by throwing out anything you won’t need in your new home, scrounging up or buying supplies like boxes, crates, tape, packing paper or bubble wrap and packing the entire house by yourself. This may, however, make the move more stressful and difficult on you.

Ultimately, you will be making a choice between convenience and cost.

Estimated local moving costs Massachusetts

Costs of local moves will vary depending on exact state and city. Moving costs Massachusetts will, for example, be cheaper than in New York. An average cost can, however, give you a good basic idea of what to expect. The cost of a local move is easier to calculate as local movers usually charge a flat rate by the hour. This means you will be charged on average $30 per mover per hour regardless of activity being performed. All you will then need to know is how much time it will take for the move to be completed.

• studio apartment: usually takes 2 workers about 4-5 hours to move, putting the cost at about $240-$300 without any additional costs
• 2-bedroom apartment or house: normally requires 3 movers working for about 6-7 hours which should cost you about $540-$630 without additional services
• 3-bedroom house: requires on average 4 workers working for 8-9 hours putting the cost estimate at $960-$1080 excluding additional services

Add to this:

• a travel fee based on how long it takes to travel the distance between houses
• a packing fee or any other additional services

calculated by multiplying the number of hours required with the hourly charge. You should now have a pretty good idea of how much you can expect to pay.

Every move is individual and unique, so an estimate should be taken as just a rough idea of price. However, there are companies that invest in precise online moving estimate calculators for their customers to use. A typical example of this can be found in the customizable instant moving quote calculator that you can find on moversdev.com.

Estimated long-distance moving costs

Long-distance moves are harder to estimate. The charges are based largely on the distance traveled and weight moved as well as the difficulty of the move as opposed to a charge by the hour. But here is what you can expect without additional services:

• 1-bedroom apartment: assuming the weight of 3,500 lbs, this move will cost you about $1,500 to a distance of 500 miles or $2,000 to a distance of 1,000 miles
• 2-bedroom apartment or house: assuming the weight of 5,000 lbs, this move will cost you approximately $2,000 at a distance of 500 miles or $2,500 at a distance of 1,000 miles
• 3-bedroom apartment or house: assuming the weight of 7,500 pounds, this move will cost you about $2,600 for a distance of 500 miles or $3,600 for a distance of 1,000 miles

Keep in mind that these are rough estimates. You should get a moving estimate based on your specific situation before moving. Remember also to budget for unexpected additional costs along the way and potential tips. This should give you a pretty accurate idea of how much you will spend.