Moving Costs 

First off, it is important to find out if you have a local move or a long distance move. Local moves are any moves within around 150 miles of your residence while long distance are well, farther than 150 miles. Here are the factors involved in figuring out your hometown moving costs.

LOCAL MOVING COSTS

Local movers near you will charge an hourly rate. Lots of people search “movers by hour near me” for a local move. This is a very simple calculation and no matter what the estimate says, every moving company has a disclaimer that will state *actual moving time will be multiplied by the hourly rate. Essentially the price is how ever long the move takes multiplied by the hourly rate. Our hourly rates are below for reference. You will see the pricing changes during peak times of the month/year. Other fees that moving companies tack on are usually for materials. Monster Movers always includes shrink wrap, tape, blankets and tools for every move. Disassembly and Assembly is always included as well

LONG DISTANCE MOVING COSTS

Long-distance moves are usually calculated by distance, not the hour.

Here are some other factors that might influence your moving cost:

The volume of your goods: Moving a few boxes and furniture pieces will obviously be much easier to move than a whole household full of things. The more things you have, the longer it will take the movers, making the cost of moving to go up.

Packing: If you are having the movers pack and/or unpack for you, it will take more time, making it more expensive. You can usually choose between a full pack, partial pack, or no pack.

Supplies: If you are having the movers pack for you, you will need to provide additional supplies for this service. For example, you’ll need boxes, packing materials, tape, bubble wrap, and whatever else they might need.

Access: Think about where the movers are able to park their truck in both your old home and your new home. If the movers need to walk a long way back and forth, it will take them much longer than if they could park right by the door.

Stairs/elevators: Make sure to think about how long it takes to use both the stairs and elevators. If you’re moving to or from a home on a higher floor, this will add time to the move. Although elevators are great for moving a lot of objects, they actually slow down the process since you have to spend time waiting for the next elevator to pick you up. There is no getting around this added time, but it’s something to keep in mind.

Furniture assembly/disassembly: If you have furniture that needs to be disassembled/assembled that will take additional time. Try to do this yourself, or buy new furniture for your new home so you don’t have to take any with you.

Distance of the move: This is an obvious time addition. If you’re moving far away, the movers will have to make the drive a few times, depending on how many loads they will need to make. Also, the time includes traffic, so it’s smart to move on days/times that there isn’t as much traffic.

Special items/requests: If you have fragile or antique items or pianos that take extra care to move, this will also add more time to the move since it takes additional equipment and cares to move these items.

Full-Service Movers vs. DIY Moving i

With all of these expenses adding up, you might start thinking about just moving everything yourself. While this might seem like a cheaper option, there are a lot of downfalls of doing everything yourself. Here are a few reasons why moving yourself might not be as glamorous as it seems:

Usually More Expensive: There are many hidden costs to moving yourself. You’ll have to rent a truck and buy gas, as well as materials for moving and renting equipment. If you’re recruiting your friends you’ll also have to buy them lunch! These hidden costs can add up to the same costs as hiring pros. Movers come with the truck, the equipment, and will be a lot more helpful than your friends.

Lots Of Moving Pieces: Movers know what they’re doing because they move people for a living. Hiring professional movers can give you peace of mind since they will handle all of the aspects of the move. Lots of moving truck operations and day labor facilities cannot be trusted to have your equipment and labor on time if at all. 

Save Time: Even if you recruit friends, moving yourself will take a lot of time. Movers are very efficient at what they do since they are trained and have done this hundreds of times. They will make the move faster, easier, and more organized so you don’t have to spend your valuable time moving yourself.

Correct Protection: Like we’ve said, these movers know what they’re doing, and you might not. Movers use moving blankets, shrinkwrap, and other tools properly to make sure you’re not damaging your old or new house during the move.

Storage: Did you know movers can provide short-term or long-term storage? If you were doing that yourself you’d not only have to pay a lot for it, but you’d have to do two moves on your own.

Safety: Moving can be dangerous, believe it or not. Moving large items can be difficult and dangerous. If you hire movers you won’t have to lift things, so you won’t get hurt.

Average Moving Costs in Your Hometown

The average moving cost to the city depends on a lot of factors all relating to the time it takes to move. On top of that, the cost will depend on how many movers you’ll need for the move.

Cost to Move a 1 Bedroom Apt

Your 1-bedroom apartment move will require 2 movers and take between 3 and 6 hours. To get the final moving estimate you multiply the hourly rate by the number of hours.

Cost to Move a 2 Bedroom Apt

Your 2-bedroom apartment move requires 3 professional movers and will also take between 3 and 6 hours. To get the final moving estimate you multiply the hourly rate by the number of hours.

Cost to Move a Home

Smaller home moves require 3 to 4 movers and average 4 to 7 hours. To get the final moving estimate you multiply the hourly rate by the number of hours. Larger homes may require more movers and longer hours, but we strive to complete all local moves within a single day.

Regardless of the size of your home or whether you are moving from an apartment or a mansion, give us a call for a local moving estimate and quote for any additional services you may need.

If you’re moving cross-country, out of state, or other long-distance moves, we provide binding moving quotes based on the distance traveled and the amount of belongings to relocate rather than the number of hours the relocation takes.

If you are looking to save some money on moving, we have found a great resource: 99 Ways to Save Money On Moving

How much should you tip your movers?

Usually, you should tip $25 per mover for local moves and about 5% for long distance moves up to $100. Some people prefer to buy lunch etc instead or in addition to a smaller tip. Of course tips are never expected but always appreciated.