Average Cost To Hire Movers
As you prepare for your big move, you’re probably wondering how much home movers cost. Read on to find out the average cost of a moving company.
They say that moving house is one of the top stressors in life — right up there with divorce and a death in the family.
It’s easy to see why. When you move, your entire life undergoes a major upheaval. Between unpacking and getting settled in your new city (or even your new neighborhood), the effects of a move can last for months.
If you’re preparing to relocate, chances are that you’re also weighing the pros and cons of hiring home movers to take some of the stress off your shoulders. It would be so nice to let someone else do the literal heavy lifting! On the other hand, moving is something that most people can do themselves — at least in theory.
So which way should you go? We’re here to help you take everything into consideration, with research into the average cost of hiring home movers.
Who Can Move Themselves?
Let’s be honest here. If you’re single, relatively young, and don’t have a lot of valuable personal possessions, you can probably handle moving house by yourself. (Especially if the “house” in question is a dorm room or a one-bedroom apartment!)
Asking friends to help you move is a time-honored rite of passage. They will probably say yes, not least because you’ll owe them one when it comes time for them to pack up and move. Of course, tradition dictates that you provide everyone with plenty of pizza and beer at the end of the day — as well as a place to crash, should they ever need it.
It’s also good manners to make sure your buddies aren’t stuck hauling your old, heavy couch — you know, that awful floral monstrosity that was a hand-me-down from your cousin? — or unnecessary items. Do the right thing and donate some stuff to charity (or the curb) before you ask people to break their backs for you.
The Downside of DIY-ing a Move
Let’s say you’re a little bit older and more established. You have a few semi-decent pieces of furniture, maybe a set of dishes that you don’t want to see broken. And you’ve spent too much money collecting all those books or vintage LPs to just give them to Goodwill.
Should you call on your crew or spring for home movers? Well, it depends.
You’ll definitely be taking chances with your valuables. You can pack everything with reams of bubble wrap, but if Chad and Steve take a tumble down the stairs while carrying your china….
The same goes for your furniture. Maybe that chair isn’t stately or something you’re going to take to Antique Roadshow, but it wasn’t cheap, either. Professional home movers will take steps to wrap and protect your furniture. Your friends might be lucky to get the dining table down the stairs without taking out a banister.
That brings up another danger: doing damage to either the apartment you’re vacating or the one you’re moving into. Crack a door jamb or scrape a wall, and that’s gonna cost you when it’s time to recoup your security deposit.
Consider Bringing In the Pros
All right, you’ve decided that while you don’t own a collection of priceless Ming vases, it might be worth the splurge to have someone else handle your move. It’ll be worth it, you reason.
Heaven knows you have enough stress, between changing jobs, navigating a new neighborhood, and handling all the annoying administrative tasks associated with relocation. Letting home movers take care of transporting your belongings will be a huge relief.
The Average Cost to Hire Home Movers
Intrastate Moves
If you’re moving “locally,” that is, within your city or state, you can expect to pay home movers an average of $200/hour each. A three-bedroom home whose contents weigh roughly 7,000 lbs. will require four movers, bringing your total to $2,300.
In some states, however, your move might not be considered “local” if you’re going more than 50 miles. Moving companies will generally offer a flat-rate fee in these cases, based on their estimate of how long the job will take, multiplied by their hourly rate.
Interstate Moves
Interstate moves are naturally going to be more expensive because the home movers will factor in the costs associated with traveling long distances. Most interstate relocation services aren’t priced by the hour, but by the weight of your belongings.
Say you’re moving that three-bedroom house of just over 7,000 lbs, and you’re going about 1,200 miles away. The average cost here, according to the American Moving and Storage Association, will come in at $4,300.
Additional Costs
Stretch wrap, felt pads, mattress covers, and other add-ons will cost more. Ditto furniture disassembly and reassembly, should that be required. You will also need to factor in the costs you’ll pay out-of-pocket, for boxes and packing materials.
It Pays to Pay the Professionals
So, is it worth it to hire professional movers? In a word, yes — unless you are a freewheeling singleton whose belongings will fit into a pickup truck.
Moving companies will offer insurance against breakage or damage, which is something even your closest friends likely won’t provide.
Remember, too, that the value of hiring home movers can’t always be measured in dollars and cents. Should you throw your back out, or sprain an ankle, you’ll have to take time off work and incur medical expenses.
The cost of an injury will likely be many times that of professional movers, who are trained in proper lifting procedures and who will take their time. Don’t forget that they also have tools at their disposal, like dollies to help wheel your belongings as well as years of experience.
Neither can you put a price on the peace of mind you will undoubtedly feel when the house is empty and the truck is full — but you haven’t lifted a finger other than to point at which boxes should be loaded next.
The same is true at the other end of the journey. Instead of sitting on a pile of boxes, sweaty and tired from hauling your stuff, you can be feeling fresh and ready to unpack.
If you value your furniture, collectibles, and other possessions, it’s well-worth the cost to leave this stressful process to the pros. Give us a call to get an estimate, and to learn more about the stress-free process of hiring home movers!