More than 27 million people in the United States moved in 2021. Moving can be a fun and exciting experience, but it can also be stressful. This is because moving can be expensive, especially if you’re in the middle of a very intense and big move.
But how much do movers cost? Why do some services cost more than others? How can you hire movers without having to pay a ton of money?
Keep reading to learn more about the cost of movers in this moving guide.
Factors That Affect the Moving Cost
It is important to understand that the price of good movers will always be different depending on a variety of factors. This is because many different things can influence the difficulty of labor and the overall cost of a move. The size of the move is an important thing to consider.
How much stuff do you plan on bringing with you to your new location? Do you have a few boxes that you can load into a small truck? Or do you have mountains of items that you need to figure out how to cram into the moving truck?
Will the moving truck need to make several trips to accommodate all your items? Will the moving company need to use more than one truck to bring everything? The larger the move is, the more expensive it will be.
This is because more labor is needed to move all that stuff. There will be next to no labor for a small move, and it won’t take very long either. This allows you to save more money.
This is why people like to declutter before hiring a moving service. This makes it easier and more affordable for you, and the process will be done faster. Your location is another important financial factor to consider.
Some locations have more expensive moving services than others. There is not much you can do about this. If you live in a city, those city movers are going to be more expensive than rural movers.
Some states also have more expensive moving services than others.
You also have to consider the type of move you plan on doing. Do you plan on doing a simple move from point A to point B?
How It Works
Do you plan on using storage facilities to store some of your items while you move others? Do you plan on hiring a packing service as well? The more services you hire, the more expensive it will be.
You have to consider how all this will fit into your budget. If you have a very tight budget, it might not be possible for you to pay for additional services. You also have to think about any large and heavy pieces of furniture you may have.
Large pieces of furniture are often shaped in ways that make it difficult to pack them efficiently into moving trucks. They are also harder to move because of their weight. Very heavy items like grand pianos may need special equipment to move, and this will add to the price.
Don’t forget about the length of the move, either. The farther your items have to travel, the more expensive the move will be. It’s important to think about these factors and how they will impact your budget.
If you have a lot of items but not a lot of money, you may have to part with some of your belongings before you can hire a moving service. Some people try to move their items on their own, but this is not recommended.
While it is possible, it will be very difficult, stressful, and time-consuming. You are also more likely to damage some of your items if you’ve never packed and moved before. If you want to make sure that everything turns out okay, it’s best to let the professionals handle it.
They can do all the heavy lifting while you sit back and focus on other important aspects of your move.
What Is the Average Cost of Movers?
The average cost of movers will depend on where you are. But if you’re looking for the national average, it’s around $1,400. The average range is between $1,000 and $2,500.
But this average concerns a very particular type of move. If two people move your items about a hundred miles, the cost should fall into this price range. A hundred miles isn’t very far for a mover to drive, and it’s still considered a local move.
Local moves are always more affordable than long-distance moves. This is because there is no need to spend extra gas or time getting to the destination. You could encounter some trouble if you need a long-distance move, especially when moving to another state.
This is because not all movers do this service. Some may be strictly local movers. They may offer other services like storage or packing, but nothing that goes beyond the local area.
It is important to ask the moving company if they do long-distance moves before you hire them. You can usually find this information on the company’s website. If not, you should call or email them.
You can also go to the movers in person and ask them these questions. You should ask them for an estimate or quote while you’re at it. This will give you a better idea of how much the move will cost.
This is important because you don’t want to be surprised by the cost of the move at the last second. You may find that you’ll have a hard time affording it. But if you get a quote before the move, you can plan your finances around it.
Choosing the Right Option
You should also be wary of moving quotes that seem too expensive or too affordable. This is why it’s a good idea to get quotes from several different companies. You can then find the average moving cost and discover if there are any outliers.
Many people think that it’s a good idea to choose the cheapest option, but it isn’t. Very cheap options often are low-quality and do not provide very reliable services. Your belongings may get damaged or lost during the move.
Some companies may try to scam you. Very expensive services may be trying to scam you, too. They may try to advertise advanced or luxury moving services, but this is a way to get more money out of you.
It’s best to choose a middle-ground option that you know is high-quality. This ensures that you won’t have to deal with broken or lost items after the move. The move will also be more efficient.
For a short, local move, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a mover that charges more than $2,500. If you’re lucky, your move might land on the more affordable side of the spectrum, around $800, but this is rare. The move will be cheaper if you only need a local mover.
How Much Do Movers Cost Per Hour?
Some movers charge by the hour, while others charge by the project. It is important to consider which option might be best for your finances. If you know you have a lot of belongings and it’s going to take a long time to move them, movers that charge per hour may not be the best.
But if you don’t have many belongings and you think the move will be quick, this shouldn’t be an issue. The national average for the amount that movers charge per hour is between $25 and $50. This is the usual cost for a pair of movers working together.
While this hourly charge may not seem like a lot, it can add up once the clock starts ticking. This cost is also not the total cost that you’ll be faced with. There are also transportation fees, additional service fees, and so on.
The hourly rate is just for the labor that the movers have to put in to move your items from your house into the truck. It is then necessary to spend gas and time to transport those items to your new home or a storage facility. You can get a good idea of how long a move will take based on the size of your living space.
Determining the Cost of Your Move
Suppose you are a single person who lives in a small studio apartment. This should take around four hours or less for movers to move everything into the truck. This may cost you a few hundred dollars or so. If you live in a small apartment and don’t have many belongings, it might be more affordable and faster than this.
Then suppose you live in a 5-bedroom house. Since this is such a large space filled with far more items, it will take longer and be more expensive to move everything. You’ll also need more than two movers to complete the job, which will further increase the price.
You might have to spend several thousand dollars to clear out a house of this size. It might take a dozen hours or so to get this project done. You can add this cost to the other moving costs you’ll have to deal with to figure out the total cost of your move.
Moving isn’t cheap, but letting professionals do it for you is still the preferred choice. This is because you won’t have to physically strain yourself or worry about breaking your belongings. If you want the moving company to pack your belongings for you, you can add a thousand dollars or so to the total cost.
What About Long-Distance Moves?
Long-distance moves are much different than local moves. There are different factors to consider, and the process will be much more expensive. This is because long-distance moves require more effort and more time to move your belongings to a new location.
This is expensive for you because it’s also expensive for the moving company. This is why they have to charge so much more to make it worth it. It’s also why many moving companies don’t offer this service and instead stick with local options.
It may be more expensive if you move to another state. Suppose you have to move 250 miles away from your current location. Depending on the number of belongings you have, this may cost around a thousand dollars or as much as several thousand.
The Cost of Long-Distance Moves
If you have to move 1,000 miles, you’ll be hard-pressed to find any service that will charge less than a couple thousand dollars. This move may be near the price of ten thousand dollars if you have to move out of a very large and cluttered house.
If you have to move more than 2,000 miles, the move will easily cost you around ten thousand. This can be difficult for some people to swallow. This is a tough cost to fit into your budget, but moving so far away is easier when you hire professionals.
In addition to this base cost, you may have to pay more for special items. These include grand pianos, playsets, and so on. If you’re shipping your car as well, add this to the total cost.
Movers Cost: Understanding the Finances
How much do movers cost? It depends on the movers you hire, your location, the type of move you plan for, and so on. All of these factors will pile up and may cost thousands of dollars.
But the price is worth it because professional movers will keep your belongings in good hands. Are you ready to get started on your move? Check out our moving services and see how we can help.