Moving your entire home can be cost-intensive, and it’s not just the moving company. And if you are moving out for the first time, you’ll definitely need to budget for your move.
Failing to prepare for your move can really send a shock to your bank account with unexpected costs. And that’s why we came up with this article.
Here are 10 things to budget for when moving to help you out when creating your budget.
1. The Moving Company
The moving company (or if you are moving without one, the moving truck) will likely be one of your biggest expenses during your move process. If you plan and prepare correctly, you can hire a moving company and still have plenty left over for other essential items in your budget.
2. Moving Insurance (Valuation)
Your move will likely automatically come with the basic coverage which is $.60 per pound per item. You may choose to buy additional coverage from the moving company in the form of “Valuation”. Be sure to ask your movers your options for coverage of your items.
3. Packing Materials
Packing materials will be needed to safely pack and protect your items during transit. They can either be bought from your moving company or at stores like Home Depot, Lowe’s, Walmart, or Uhaul Moving Supplies Stores. You can also get items on sites like Amazon.com & Walmart.com. Additionally, packing your moving boxes correctly will help you from damaging your items.
4. Storage
If you need storage options, you can either get a self-storage yourself and have the movers move your items in and out of them, or you can go with the storage offered by your moving company. Depending on where you live and the moving company you choose will determine which option is more affordable.
5. Real Estate Fees
If you are selling your home and buying a new home, don’t forget about the fees associated with your home sale.
6. Cleaning Services
If you’re on a budget, this is likely an area where you can do it yourself. But if you don’t like to clean, you can always hire a cleaning service to come in and clean your old home or the new home before you move everything in. Sometimes, the moving company you hire will have additional cleaning services or can refer you to one.
7. Baby / Pet Sitting Services
You will want to have pets and children away from the home on move day so make sure you budget for someone to watch them while the movers do their work. If you have friends and family around, you should easily be able to get this done with little to no cost.
8. Hotels
If you are moving long-distance, you may need to budget for hotels if you are driving to your new home. Hotels can be expensive, especially if you have a large family and need multiple rooms.
9. Gas
Again, if you are moving long-distance, and driving you will have to budget for the cost of gas.
10. Meals
During the days leading up to the move, your kitchen may not be in order, so it’s likely you’ll be going out for food often. And then likely a few days after you move in while you prepare your new kitchen.
11. New Furniture / Household Items
Most furniture and household items are usually purchased within the first 6 months of moving in. Be sure to budget for these expenses as well.
You can also have a housewarming party and people may end up giving you some housewarming gifts.
When you move to a new place, you’ll likely run into unexpected expenses. Be sure to leave some room in your budget to offset some of the unexpected costs of moving as well as those you can anticipate well in advance. You can save money by tackling some of these items yourself, but be realistic about how much you can take on — and what’s better left to the pros — to ensure a smooth and seamless move.
