The moving van is one of the most expensive aspects of your move.
Moving is very expensive, and it's vital that you find out how much money you can expect to pay before you begin your move. Many expenses will arise when move the contents of a four-bedroom house out of state, but it's better to be prepared than to arrive in your new location completely broke.
Full-Service Moving Companies
Professionals will load and unload your furniture.
The most convenient, though most expensive, way to move is with the use of a full-service moving company. Employees load your belongings onto a vehicle and drive it to your house. Moving a with about 11,000 pounds of weight to a neighboring state costs about $5,000, while a move across the country runs closer to $10,000, according to a 2011 estimate from moving company Bekins.
Rental Vehicle
One of the largest expenses that you will have if you handle the move yourself is the cost of the rental vehicle. Generally the further you move, the more expensive the truck will be. The cost varies per company and the distance you plan to travel. For a four-bedroom home you will need a 24-foot to 26-foot rental truck. As of 2011, the cost to rent a truck to move from Los Angeles to New York varied from $2,100 to $3,000, depending on the company, for an 11-day rental. Moves of shorter distances will be less expensive because you will need the truck for fewer days. Moving during a weekday or using an online promotional code for the company can help you reduce the cost.
Rental Equipment
You might want to rent additional equipment to assist you in moving. You a dolly to will help you move appliances and boxes; expect to pay about $10.
You might want to rent a towing device if you have multiple vehicles but not enough available drivers to transport all of them to the new location. Models vary from a towing device that raises two wheels in the air while dragging the other two wheels to a device in which you drive your vehicle on top of it to avoid any contact between the tires and the road. These devices range from $120 to $299, depending on the type of device and vehicle.
In-town Movers
Save money by finding friends to load the truck.
To save work and frustration, you might hire professional movers. For a four-bedroom house, you will most likely need at least two movers for more than six hours, at an hourly rate of about $25 per hour per mover, although rates can vary. You will also have to pay movers to unload your moving vehicle when you arrive at your new destination. Include a tip and lunch for them, as well.
Gasoline
Another cost consideration for your moving your four-bedroom home is gas. You will need gas for each vehicle you move and the rental vehicle. To compute the cost of your gas, go to a website such as gasbuddy.com to find the current price of gas. Divide the miles you will travel by the miles per gallon your vehicle gets per gallon; multiply this number by the price of gas per gallon. For example, if you are traveling 100 miles and your car gets 20 miles per gallon and the gas price is $4 a gallon, multiply five by four to get $20. If you are traveling a very long distance, use the average gas price in the cities where you will likely refill and multiply by the number of gallons you need for each vehicle.
Other Considerations
Add the costs of lodging for a long move.
Some other moving expenses might apply based on the distance you are moving. Those costs could include insurance for the rental vehicle, charges if you go over the allotted amount of miles, the cost of moving supplies like boxes, and incidental expenses such as food and hotel stays for long travel.
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