How Much Does a Move Cost?
What affects the cost of a Move?
Like many things, the answer to “what does a move cost” depends.
- What does a one-bedroom move cost?
- What does a two-bedroom move cost?
- What does a house move cost?
- What does it cost to move across town?
There are a ton more factors that go into the cost of a move. You may need to worry about stairs, volume and weight of what you’re moving, particularly bulky items, belongings that require special attention, and so on.
Of course, you’ll also need to make a decision. Get your move done with friends or family? Borrow a truck? Rent a truck?
Or go all the way and hire professional movers?
Cost of a DIY Move
A DIY move, where you call in a few helpers and make do with the vehicles you have access to, is obviously the cheapest possible option. At least in terms of what you spend on the move itself.
You’ll want to thank them with a traditional pizza order, of course, but with friends and family, you aren’t paying for labour.
But there are downsides. With smaller vehicles, it’ll be harder to safely and securing pack all your items. And you’re looking at more trips between the two homes to get everything in. You can partially address that by booking a moving truck. The cost of a moving truck might start around $50 for a day, which can be quite manageable, but can get up to $100+.
At the end of the day, when you are going with people you know, you do run the risk of poorly packed belongings and a more jarring drive, simply because people who don’t move every day don’t have the experience required for a smooth move.
What you save on upfront cost you could easy pay multiple times over if your antique dresser falls and not only breaks itself — but the entire box of glassware underneath.
Cost of a Professional Move
A professional move is often the best option. You may need to pay by the hour, and many movers will want to know a few pieces of information to put together a quote.
- Type of home you’re moving from and to
- How many stairwells there are
- Time of day and month you need the move
- Amount of things you’ll need to move
- Any items that will need special attention
- How far you’ll be going
With all that accounted for, you’ll likely be looking at spending more than you would renting a truck on your own.
But you’re getting the assurance that your things will get there on-time and undamaged. Go with a mover with insurance, and even if something does go wrong, you’ve saved yourself an awkward conversation with your brother about who’s paying for the damaged sofa that he transported on his truck.
Don’t Forget About Packing!
Moving itself is one thing but moving prep can quickly add additional costs. Many people choose to collect boxes beforehand to save money — but the drawback there is you often end up with a mish-mash of boxes that don’t fit together well. And are more prone to breaking.
The last thing you want is to have to pick up 50 books that fell down a flight of stairs on moving day.
The price can add up, but buying boxes specifically for moving gets you much higher quality and a more consistent fit. These boxes are built to handle the moving process and are often quite reliable.
Perhaps better still? If you do go with a professional mover, they can often help you out with all those moving supplies. They may be able to rent you some sturdy boxes — saving you the trouble of deciding what to do with them afterward.
So, What’s the Cost of a Move?
When it comes down to it, the cost of a move is what you’re ready to pay balanced against how much stress and risk you’re willing to take. Often, the cost of that stress and risk outweighs saving the money.
If you want yourself a simple, hassle-free move in the Vancouver area? Get yourself a quote from us. Our professional Vancouver movers get families and businesses through their moving day without the worry — and we’ve got a whole host more services from packing supplies to junk removal to cover all angles. Start below.
