Moving house can be an exciting time, ripe with possibilities and the feeling of embarking on a new adventure. It can, however, also be eye-wateringly expensive.
The average cost of a local move in the US now hovers around $2300, a figure that can rise several times higher for those planning on moving overseas.
However, your moving costs can be kept low as long as you know what to expect and do some proactive budgeting before those costs arise.
If you’re looking to make your next move as affordable as possible, make sure to consult our essential moving expenses checklist to stay on track.
1. Housing Costs
The first, and perhaps most obvious, common moving expenses concern is housing. If you are moving to a new rental, you will need to consider down payment and the first month or two of rent, as well as any upfront utility costs.
When choosing a place to live, you will also likely need to provide proof of your income to your landlord.
If you’re an entrepreneur or freelancer, you can, fortunately, use a free paystub generator online to create all of the documentation you need without spending a single penny.
2. Logistics Costs
The actual process of physically moving is often the most time-consuming and expensive. Hiring a moving service will typically run you hundreds of dollars.
Moving yourself can be just as expensive, particularly if you are moving overseas and having to fork out thousands of dollars in flights and visa fees.
The most effective way to keep these costs down is to plan ahead and shop around as much as possible with as much advance notice as possible.
3. Leaving Costs
An essential component of the moving costs checklist than many people fail to consider is the costs associated with simply leaving your old home.
Packing supplies such as boxes, tape, labels, and cleaning equipment will cost a pretty penny.
As will those multiple trips to the dump to get rid of unwanted possessions. In addition, you may need to hire a professional cleaner or painter to bring your old home up to snuff.
This too can be costly. Make sure to consider these costs and think about what you can do yourself for free.
4. Insurance Costs
Insurance costs are the most sensible moving costs to consider. Moving is, unfortunately, rife with certain low risks that you should be covered against.
Furniture can be damaged during the moving process. Your flights could be canceled. Your new landlord could end up canceling your lease before you arrive.
Comprehensive moving insurance, purchased well before the move date, will cover you financially for all of these possibilities.
5. Settling Costs
The final important item on this moving expenses list is the cost of settling down. Few homes are truly ready to begin living in on day one. You will need a kitchen full of groceries.
Then there are toiletries. There may be costs associated with setting up utilities such as gas, electricity, and water.
Your outdoor areas may need some grooming. All of these common costs can be mitigated by bringing as much as possible from your old home and, again, planning ahead.
Did This Moving Expenses Checklist Help? Learn More
If this moving expenses checklist taught you something valuable, you can always keep learning Make sure to consult our comprehensive How-To Guides to learn more about just about anything.
