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The Average Cost of Moving an Apartment

Byadmin

Dec 1, 2022

All right, you are going to face an apartment moving mission. As exciting as relocation is, it requires:

  • Thorough planning. One of the crucial aspects to be planned is a relocation budget: you have to examine various options and estimate the cost to move an apartment.  
  • Critical thinking. Well, all of us have to face the dilemma: costly peace of mind vs. labor-intensive & low-budget.   
  • Decision-making skills. One of the crucial decisions to make is the choice of apartment movers. The right choice ensures an easy and streamlined transition, while the wrong one may add unnecessary stress.      

The mission is possible when you are ready for it. Below you will find all factors influencing the cost to move an apartment, as well as the approximate relocation cost for 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-bedroom apartments.  

What Factors Affect the Cost to Move an Apartment?

The cost to move an apartment may vary considerably because several parameters influence the final relocation cost, such as the size of an apartment, volume, and weight of your stuff, distance to travel, date, etc.  

Apartment Size

Given the apartment size, the weight and volume of your things, you might pay more or less. The cost to move an apartment with three bedrooms stuffed with furniture differs from the price of moving an apartment of the same size but scarcely filled. Likewise, if you relocate from a studio or 1-bedroom apartment the cost should be much lower than moving a 4-bedroom home.

At all events, decluttering is a good idea. Whatever the size of the apartment is, filter your personal stuff and throw away unwanted or broken items. First of all, you don’t need destroyed things in your new home. Second, you don’t want to pay more for moving things you no longer need.

Distance: Local Moves & Long-Distance Moves

Obviously, the cost to move an apartment from one state to another is higher than the cost of a local move. Let’s say if you move within one city, or within one state, for example, from San Jose to San Diego (California), you will pay less than for moving across the country.  

 

Moving Options: PODs vs Pro Movers vs DIY Move

Even though various moving options are applicable for all moving sizes, you are definitely aware of the differences between moving a studio and a 4-bedroom apartment.

PODs. One of the trending moving options is a portable on-demand container. The popularity of PODs is explained by the relatively low costs and flexibility they offer: you request a container of a specified size, and it is delivered to your place. You can take your time loading it in an unhurried manner. Once you’ve packed and loaded the container, the company will pick it up and deliver it to the indicated location.

Moving company. Ok, this option is the least stressful and tiring but costly. Full-service movers take care of all stages, from getting all packing supplies, disassembling furniture, packing, loading/unloading a truck to unpacking, reassembling furniture, and even disposing of packing materials.

Yes, it is the easiest option that saves you nerve cells. The downside is the cost to move an apartment, which is higher compared to PODs and a DIY move.     

DIY moving. When it comes to studio or 1-bedroom apartment moving, DIY seems a budget-friendly option. If your studio isn’t really cluttered or you rent a furnished apartment and own a pretty large car, you might be able to pack and transport all your belongings on your own. For a larger apartment moving, you may need a truck. For example, a 17-ft. truck rental fee is around $30 per day. However, you need to add here fuel costs, mileage fees (around $1 per mile), and expenses on packing supplies.     

Additional Services

If you decide on a DIY move or PODs but do not have time to pack, you can hire packers. Based on the size of your apartment and density of things, packing services might cost you from $150 to $250.

Cleaning is a must-be thing to do. Again, you can organize and clean the apartment on your own; however, many people feel too tired and hire a cleaning company. An average fee for cleaning services is $150 for a 2-bedroom apartment.  

Season: High and Low Seasons in Moving Industry

As in other industries, apartment movers have their high and low seasons. The busiest time for them is from May till September — most families prefer relocating during the summer holidays so as not to split an academic year for their kids. Add here college freshmen who move to their campuses. Besides, moving services are in high demand at the end of every month and on weekends. Rates during peak dates are usually higher and it is challenging to hire reputable movers as they might be fully booked.

Hence, if you are flexible with moving dates, schedule your move for the low season — the cost to move an apartment should be significantly lower in winter or spring.    

The Average Cost to Move an Apartment

To make facilitate your estimation, below you will find the average cost to move an apartment:

PODs 

The following table shows the average costs for moving an apartment using portable containers:

Distance/

Apartment size

<200 miles 1 000 miles 2 000 miles
1-bedroom apartment $750 $2,000 $2,700
2-bedroom apartment $1,250 $3,400 $3,850
3-bedroom apartment $1,250 — $1,450 $3,600 $3,850 – $4,000
4-bedroom apartment $1,700- $1, 900 $5,500- $6,400 $6,700-$7,200

 

As you see, the costs of a 1-bedroom apartment moving are quite reasonable and affordable. However, the relocation cost for a 4-bedroom apartment or house is approaching full-service movers’ rates. Add here expenses on packing materials, dolly rental, and time you need to pack everything and load/unload a container — the total cost to move an apartment will be comparable to hiring pros.    

Moving company

Let’s face it, booking apartment movers is the easiest way to relocate. Alas, the top-priced too. However, high costs are compensated with your minimal involvement in the moving process.

If you have decided to go with professional movers, the cost to move an apartment depends on the above-mentioned factors, particularly, distance and the size of your apartment.

The average cost of full-service apartment moving companies:

Apartment size Number of movers Local move Long-distance move
Studio or 1-bedroom apartment 2 movers + truck $450+ $1,500 (<500 miles) – $7,000 (>1,000 miles)
2-bedroom apartment 3 movers + truck $1,080+ $2,300 (<500 miles) – $9,700 (>1,000 miles)
3-bedroom apartment 4 movers + truck $1,760+
4-bedroom apartment 4+ movers + truck $1,760+ $7,000 (<500 miles) – $13,000 (>1,000 miles)

 

DIY move

Normally, the costs of a DIY move vary from $150 to $1,750.

The table below shows average truck rental costs:

Distance/

Apartment size

50 miles 500 miles >1,500 miles
1-bedroom apartment $150 $750 $1,650
2-bedroom apartment $150 $750 $1,650
3-bedroom apartment $170 $800-$850 $1,750-$1,850
4-bedroom apartment $200-$220 $1,050-$1,250 $2,150-$2,250

 

Note that costs do not include mileage fees, fuel costs, and insurance. Besides, you need to check with the company if fees include taxes or not.

Keep in mind that you have to pay for packing materials and rent a tow dolly to ease the loading process.

In conclusion

As you see, the cost to move an apartment varies considerably and depends on multiple parameters. Now that you are aware of different moving options and their approximate costs, you can finalize a decision on the best moving variant for your unique situation.

By admin