When it comes time to move, most of us have to budget carefully. But we can’t work up any kind of budget till we get a handle on the moving costs. There are, of course, a ton of smaller items involved in a move that will add to the cost, things such as boxes, tape, bubble wrap, dollies and so on. But the bulk of the cost comes in the form of hiring a moving company or renting a truck and then investing sweat.You can use one of many online moving calculators to help you arrive at a figure, or you can read on to see how to evaluate your moving costs in Chicago.
Variables That Affect Your Moving Costs
Really, there are a host variables that factor into the costs of moving, but the main ones include:
- The amount of belongings you will move – both volume in terms of cubic footage and weight
- How far you will be moving
- The time of year when you move
- The moving services you want/need
- Whether you intend to hire professional movers
Full-Service Moving
Full-service moving is what most people think of. It involves movers coming into your home, loading your stuff on the truck, and then unloading it and carrying into the home at the destination. Depending on the distance of the move – that is, local or long distance – and how many belongings you have, full-service moving can range from as little as $550 to as much as $12,000.
A typical breakdown for your moving costs in Chicago runs something like this:
- Basic Move, Local – $550 to $2,000
- Basic Move, Long Distance – $2,000 to $7,500
- Packing Service, Local – $30 to $60 per labor hour
- Packing Service, Long Distance – $500 to $4,000
- Moving Coverage, Local – Up to $8 per $1,000 in value covered
- Moving Coverage, Ling Distance – Up to $8 per $1,000 in value covered
Bear in mind, too, that full-service movers do much more than just load and unload your boxes and furniture on and off the truck. So your savings in time and effort can make it well worth the cost.
Moving with PODS
Another moving option, one that typically costs less than full-service moving, involves using moving PODS. These are moving and storage containers called PODS from the longer name of Portable on Demand Storage. It will be easier to evaluate your moving costs in Chicago this way because there are fewer variables involved. Here’s a typical price breakdown:
- Container Cost, Local – $70 to $650
- Container Cost, Long Distance – $1,500 to $5,000
- Moving Coverage, Local – $35 to $475
- Moving Coverage, Long Distance – $35 to $475
You will, of course, have to load your belongings into the container yourself and then unload them, but that’s all you’ll have to do. The driving will be taken care of for you. Still, it’s less expensive than a full-service move and more convenient than renting a truck.
Renting a Truck
If in evaluating your moving costs in Chicago you want to go the cheapest but most labor intensive route, this is it – the DIY default move choice. Just be aware, though, that while trucks are fairly inexpensive and readily available, there are often extra fees that can drive up the cost. But here’s a fairly standard cost breakdown:
- Truck Rental, Local –$20 to $160
- Truck Rental, Long Distance – $500 to $1,700
- Cost Per Mile, Local – $0.69 to $0.79
- Cost Per Mile, Long Distance – Usually included
- Car Towing, Local – $130 to $350
- Car Towing, Long Distance – $130 to $350
- Deposit– Up to $150
- Fuel, Local – $5 to $20
- Fuel, Long Distance – $400 to $600
Although renting a truck is the cheapest way to move, you need to way the cost savings against the time and labor you’ll have to invest.
See What Your Agent Can Do
The cost of moving is the primary thing you’ll need to factor into evaluating your moving costs in Chicago. But there are other, less immediately obvious costs you’ll need to figure into the equation. For example, is the cost of living higher where you will be living after the move? If so, that is the cost of moving that you will feel for years to come. In evaluating and dealing with all your moving costs, it might be a good idea to see what your agent can do – maybe even find you home where your paycheck will go further.