Whether you are moving around the corner or to a new city, moving can be a burden. But the main concern is how much movers cost. What are the factors that can influence the price of a moving service? In this guide, we will discuss the various costs that are associated with a moving service, ranging from small to big moves. Also, we will share tips & tricks to bring down your moving expenses. By the end of this guide, you will be able to have a clear understanding of how much a moving company charges.
Overview
When you hire a moving company, many factors are taken into consideration to build a service estimate. This includes the size of your home/office, distance, destinations (both current and new), and other services like junk removal, packing and unpacking, storage, etc. Now we will discuss more about these elements and how these affect your movers’ cost.
Factors Influencing Packers and Movers’ Cost
The primary and the most important factor is the size of your house/office. The more stuff you have, the longer it will take for the loading and unloading process. Due to this, more labour and a bigger truck or container will be needed. Basically, the larger your property, the more moving crew you will need with an average cost between $80 – $90 per hour for a two-mover team. For example, moving a studio or one-bedroom apartment generally requires 2 movers and so on.
The next factor that affects a movers’ price is the distance. Local moves that are within the same city are usually cheaper for a two-mover team. The total local moving service cost depends on the time taken to complete the move. On the other hand, a long-distance move can include expenses like gas, tolls, number of movers etc.
Types of Moves and Their Costs
Depending on the customer’s needs, moving companies offer different moving services –
DIY Move: This is the most affordable moving option that one can have. You won’t need any labour as you will be doing all the packing, loading, and unloading. You just have to pay for the rental truck and gas. Rental trucks usually cost around $20 to $50 per day (mileage cost is separate – usually 50 – 80 cents/mile).
Labour Only Move: This option is for those who can do the packing and transportation. You will get movers to do loading and unloading. Expenses in this are truck rentals, gas, tolls, and mover’s hourly rates.
Full-Service Move: This option is generally for people who want the top level of convenience and service. From packing to unpacking, loading, and unloading, everything is done by your local moving company. Costs include hourly rates of movers, truck rental, distance covered, house size, and total material consumed.
How Location Can Impact Movers’ Cost
Your location plays an important role in the mover’s cost estimate. Sometimes factors like cost of living, demand for movers and location accessibility can all lead to changes in the estimate that you get for a moving service. For example, moving from or to busy cities like Toronto might incur higher costs due to the traffic, parking expenses, labour etc. On the other hand, moving to/from another city might be cheaper due to easy accessibility, less distance and other natural interferences. Another thing that matters is if you live in a house, an apartment with stairs or a condo with 30 floors.
Other Factors Impacting Your Local Moving Estimate
Certain factors that can influence the total moving service cost are –
Number of movers: Hiring more movers means a higher rate per hour. This depends on the volume and weight of your belongings.
Size of the truck: Again this depends on the the volume of stuff you want to move. A bigger truck will have a higher rental charge plus it will consume more gas as compared to a small one.
Distance of the move: Long-distance moves will give you a bigger estimate. This will include the price of gas along with the tolls (if any).
Time of the year: When you move during the peak season which is usually April – September, you get higher prices because of the higher demands of the movers. Similarly, if you hire a moving company in the off-season, you can get discounts up to 20%-25%.
Type of service: Your moving service cost will depend on the service you get. You can select from these services – a DIY, labour-only, or full-service move. Since we have discussed these above, we won’t go any deeper.
Long-Distance Moving Costs
Wondering how much a long-distance moving costs in Canada? Read ahead and find out in this guide. Moving to a new province or a country is referred to as a long-distance moving service. Expenses for this move usually depend on the moving company that you hire.
Factors that can affect long-distance movers’ cost
Distance plays a significant role in every moving service cost. Higher distance = higher quote for the service. Other typical costs for such a move are –
> Truck rental – This option is pocket-friendly but requires effort and time as you have to manage everything – packing, loading, unloading, and unpacking.
> Container rental – In this option, you will get movers just for the transportation. Rest everything will be done from your end. Expenses for container, fuel, and tolls can be around – $1800 to $3800 (again it depends on the size of the container and distance).
> Full-service move – This is a tension-free option. Everything will be done by a full-service moving company. This is the most expensive option because you won’t have to do the hard work.
Other Factors that can affect moving costs
We have discussed many factors that can lead to a change in a moving quote. Now we are going to discover what other factors can be responsible.
Cost of Moving Supplies
Every time you move, you need moving supplies to make sure your stuff and valuable items are packed safely and won’t be destroyed during the process. These supplies consist of durable boxes, tape, bubble wrap, packing papers, markers etc.
Tips for Movers
How Much To Tip Movers? Confused? Don’t worry we will help you in deciding this as well. First of all, it is not obligatory to tip your movers. But this practice is widely done to express gratitude towards the movers for their efforts and professionalism. Generally, people tip about $25 – $50 per mover, based on type of move. Tips are generally awarded in cash after a successful move, while some refreshments, snacks, or meals can be offered in between the process. You might be interested in reading our complete guide to tipping movers.
How to save on moving costs?
Moving can stretch your decided budget, let’s see how you can save some bucks on your move.
Plan your move well in advance
Early planning is always a money saver! Whether a flight ticket booking or hiring movers.
You can get plenty of time to do proper research, list expenses and check what moving companies do. You can also compare different quotes from the companies and make a decision. On the other hand, the rushed decision may get you higher quotes, unavailability of movers or any other issues.
Get Rid of Unwanted Items
Whether you want to take a single truck or multiple – it depends also on the volume of stuff you have. Sort all your stuff and keep aside the stuff that you can probably – garbage, donate or sell. This decluttering process can make it easier for you to move and decide what to take and what to drop.
We hope now you know how much movers cost in 2024. Still, have some doubts? Contact us now and get a quote for the best moving services.
*All the prices and estimates in this blog are based on what moving companies offer in the market. To get exact rates, please get in touch.
Also Checkout – DIY vs Hiring a Moving Company