How to get the most out of your moving expenses
The average house move costs $1,000 to $2,000, according to a new report.
However, many moving companies will not pay the full $1-million to $3,000 required to move a single family.
The most common reason why moving companies won’t pay you the full amount is that they fear that a move will damage the property, the report said.
“The move is not about the money.
It’s about getting your property ready for a new life,” said Matt Siegel, an agent at Movinghouse, a moving company that specializes in moving people’s belongings.
“But in the end, if you’re moving a family, the move is the biggest thing that matters to you.”
The report, “The Price of Moving,” is part of a report released Tuesday by Movinghouse to educate moving professionals about how they can improve their financials and avoid the pitfalls that can plague them.
Moving houses can be expensive, but that’s not necessarily the end of the story.
It can be a time-consuming and stressful job.
“Moving is not a chore that you can do all by yourself,” said Michael Shumway, a Movinghouse agent.
“You can get better, but you can’t get better by yourself.”
Here are some things you can consider when you’re considering moving: •Make sure you know where you’ll be moving and how much you’ll have to pay for it.
“If you don’t know where your house is, you can spend your money on your own move,” said Siegel.
You can get a free quote at MovingHouse.com.
The company has an online form to help you determine how much it will cost to move.
•If you live in a city, try to find an agent to move to your new home.
If you live alone, it’s often cheaper to move in a nearby town.
“A lot of people will find an apartment in another city that’s closer to where they are,” Siegel said.
“They may have a little bit more to spend.”
For example, if your new apartment is in a suburban area, you may be able to find a new agent that can move to the same neighborhood.
•Make a budget.
It may be cheaper to rent an apartment that is close to your old place and you can afford to move with more money, Siegel suggested.
“There are times when you don�t have that option, but it is possible to save money and have a smaller move,” he said.
For example: •A new house can cost you $2.3 million.
Moving costs can vary widely.
For a one-bedroom apartment in a nice part of town, the price tag is $3.8 million.
•A one-story home in a less-than-affordable area can cost as much as $3 million to move, the same as a two-story, two-bedroom house in a more expensive area.
Moving companies typically charge less than $200 a day, Shesis said.
•You can choose to have a new home agent move your belongings if you want to get rid of them.
“It’s good to have someone in your corner who can help you with moving, and they can save you money,” said Shumways.
“In the end it’s your money, but there are pros and cons.”
•If moving costs are too high, consider moving to a different city.
Moving agencies typically charge higher prices in urban areas, where they have more people and fewer complaints, the new report said, citing a survey from Movinghouse.
The number of complaints in cities like Boston and Washington, D.C., rose from 1.2 to 1.6 per million residents between 2006 and 2015.
Moving prices in New York City, where the agency charges $1.2 million a day to move your possessions, rose from $1 million in 2005 to $4.5 million in 2015.
For comparison, moving costs in Portland, Oregon, which charges $2 million to $5 million to get a move done, rose by 8 percent from 2008 to 2016, according the report.
Moving agents also can charge higher rates if they can find the right moving company, Sheses said.
It costs $2 to move 1,000 square feet, or about the size of a single bedroom, but the agency can move 1 million square feet in an hour, or $5.7 million in an entire year.
If moving costs don’t seem too expensive, move quickly and avoid any unnecessary travel expenses.
For some moving expenses, it may be wise to have the agent do the moving, Shesons said.
The agent will usually move only when it’s necessary.
For instance, if a move is urgent, the agent will go to the person with the biggest problems, such as the person who lives in the apartment where the moving is happening, or