Are you planning to move across the country? Are you planning to go? Let me show you how to make your trip more enjoyable before you go.
The cheapest way to move across the country.
Maybe you are looking for a better job, a more favorable climate, or better schools. You might be moving because you have a more difficult reason and wish you hadn’t. You need to find the best way to move your stuff around. This should be the most straightforward part.
Not necessarily.
It can be confusing and complicated to rent a truck or hire a moving company. If you don’t take into account all factors involved with cross-country moving, you can make bad decisions.
It’s possible to make it easier by researching and following some guidelines. We are here to help. We can help you choose the right truck rental company or moving company, save money on long-distance moves, and avoid expensive services that you don’t require.
You Are Not Alone
The United States is witnessing a rising trend in migration. Many Americans are moving to new places due to climate change and full-time remote work. Many of these transplants are moving to other states and regions.
According to census data, 2021 saw the lowest level of relocation in 70 years due to the pandemic. Last year, only 8.4% of Americans moved.
However, most of the workforce affected by the pandemic in the first two years has resumed full-time employment. Many of these employees are now able to work remotely, without any need to be present at the office.
The 2020 census shows that the states with the highest population growth are those that take “remote” very seriously. Utah (17.37% population growth) and Idaho (17.32%) experienced the highest population increases since the 2010 census. Texas was also among the top five, along with Nevada and North Dakota.
Standard snowbird destinations like Florida, Arizona, and South Carolina finished 8th through 9th respectively in population growth. Illinois, Mississippi, and Virginia were the top three states that lost population between censuses.
Nine of the 10 largest metropolitan areas in the nation had the highest population growth between one census and the next. Myrtle Beach, S.C., topped the list. Sixteen of the top ten growth metros in Florida were located in beachfront areas. This is expected and not surprising given changes in weather patterns and concern over rising sea levels.
All that aside, you’re moving and need to make it as financially efficient as possible. Here are some things to keep in mind.
Are Rental Trucks the Right Choice for You?
Either you are unsure if you trust someone to manage your personal property, or you don’t want to pay someone else. You have made the decision to move across the country.
Move.org reports that the average rental truck cost for a local move is $130 and $1,780 for a long-distance move. These estimates will rise as gasoline prices increase.
Before you start looking for rental trucks or planning your budget, here are some things you should consider.
How to Move Yourself
You will need to pack as much as possible if you plan on driving your car to the new place and renting a truck. You can rent a truck of any size, but you will need to be able to save money.
If you require them, bubble wrap, moving containers, and mattress pads will be included in your moving expenses.
Truck rental rates can vary depending on the truck’s size and mileage.
Some rental companies limit mileage, while others allow unlimited mileage. Others offer both. Remember that gasoline will be charged. AAA estimates that gasoline costs $4.13 per gallon in the United States as of April 26, 2022. This price is higher at gas stations located near interstate highways. The average mileage for a rental truck is 12 miles per gallon. A 1,000-mile trip using this rate would require 83 gallons. At $4.13 per gallon, that adds $343 to your cost.
Food costs will also be assessed based on the food you bring along and whether you are a fan of fast food or snacks.
Do you think you can do the trip in one go? Add the cost of lodgings to your trip, or find a friend to share a bed with at a halfway point.
Which Rental Company Should I Choose?
Let’s take a look at some of the options. We compared the prices of four well-known rental-truck companies to help someone move a one-bedroom apartment (approximately 1000 miles) from Chicago to Boston on April 27, 2022. These prices do not include the cost of transporting a vehicle. This adds a range of additional costs.
Budget Truck Hire: $1,341
Budget’s cargo vans are priced at $1,341. These vans are easy to drive with automatic steering and a steering wheel similar to a car. They can also accommodate a mattress, box spring, and dresser.
The budget offers unlimited mileage which is an enormous benefit.
A 12-foot truck can carry two rooms of furniture and costs $300 more.
The budget also offers a 20% discount on your first rental at the time this article was written. This is a great way to save money if you’ve never rented from Budget.
Enterprise Truck Hire: $452
Enterprise rates are likely to be lower than others, but they do not offer an online quote. This price was obtained by phone.
Enterprise demands that the vehicle be returned to the original location where it was picked up. This means that you, or another person, would have to drive an additional 1,000 miles.
The low availability of cargo vans can also cause problems for enterprises. Your chances of getting cargo vans are better if you plan ahead.
Enterprise quoted a rate of $452 for a flight from Chicago to Boston on April 27, 2022, and a return flight on April. Enterprise quoted a rate of $452 from Chicago to Boston on April 27, 2022, and returned on Apr. 30, 2022. This included unlimited mileage. This is an amazing deal for a trip that covers approximately 2,000 miles round-trip.
If you don’t take the time to return your truck as money, the total is clearly lower than the other ones.
Penske Truck Rental: $2,458
Penske says that cargo vans are not readily available, but it offers its 12-foot truck for $2,458, plus unlimited mileage.
If we booked for May, the price fell by around a third to $1,645. This shows that you may get a discount the more advanced you make your reservation. The estimate might also be affected by the fact that there are times of the year when things are busier than others.
U-Haul Truck Rental: $1,806
U-Haul’s quote for a 10-foot cargo van is here for five days and up to 1,166 miles. After that, a 49-cent per mile mileage charge would be added.
U-Haul offers trucks from an 8-foot pickup truck to a 26-foot moving vehicle. U-Haul offers 20,000 locations for rental in the United States as well as Canada.
I Want a Full-Service Moving Company
You’ve decided that professional movers are needed to transport your belongings from Chicago to Boston. Congratulations! Congratulations! ).
You’ll also need to do some research and examine your move across the country.
There are many ways you can reduce your expenses and avoid any losses from breakage. Before you call a moving company, there are many things you should consider. Let’s get started in finding the right moving company for you.
Step 1: How much will the Movers move?
The number and weight of the items being moved by moving companies are factors that affect their charges. If you’re looking to save money, you can reduce the number and weight of your items.
You can move as much as possible in your vehicle, depending on how far you’re moving. You can transport less than one day by car if you have a limited distance. If necessary, store your items in a safe place until you move to your new home.
Another way to cut costs is to decrease the number of items that you are moving. You might not need certain items in your new home. It might be more cost-effective to replace items than to transport them (the orange sectional that you have been carrying around since college).
You hate garage sales just as much as moving. There are many websites that can help you sell items you don’t use or want.
Have fun getting rid!
Step 2: The boring but necessary inventory
Now you know which items professional movers will need to move to your new house. This is the most important and boring step.
Make an inventory.
It is important to note every item that you send with a moving company and the approximate value of its replacement. Even the most skilled movers can break things, so items may get lost.
Movers will want to know the furniture and how many boxes they will be moving. You care about what’s in the boxes. They don’t care. You need to be careful to avoid financial loss in the event of a breakage.
You can take your most valuable items with you if you drive a car to the new place and are able to carry them in the car. Murphy’s law states that the higher the item’s value, the more likely it will be lost or damaged by a moving truck.
If you’re moving without a vehicle, you will need to pack everything as best you can. You could also hire movers to do it for you.
Step 3: Choose a Moving Company Carefully
There are many ways to determine if a moving company values your business or your property.
Does the company conduct an inventory? While you may have taken inventory of the items to be moved, the moving company should also take a detailed inventory. They want to be able to assess their liability regarding the value of the items that they are moving and carrying.
Is the name well-known? These are the names that you may have heard of the moving companies below. It is dangerous to use a company that you have not heard of or that advertises under a different phone number or name than the one they offer on their website.
What are the rating services saying? Yelp! and the Better Business Bureau are good starting points. These are great starting points. However, there are also specific rating services for movers. American Moving and Storage Association was disbanded in 2020. However, many members have moved to the American Trucking Association which offers the ProMover certification for high-quality service. Move.org is an excellent resource that does not have any affiliation with any specific moving company.
What are the opinions of other reviewers? See what other people have to say about the company you are interested in. Although customer reviews are often written by people who are unhappy, they can give you an idea of the satisfaction of previous customers.
What would your family and friends say? It is not common for people to move across the country. Most likely, you know someone who has done it before. Ask them about their experience with the moving company and their opinions on it. Use that information to help you in your decision-making process.
It is important that you have all the details in writing. The contract of your moving company should be clear and detailed. It should include all the details, including what you’re paying for, as well as any additional fees, such as fees for moving items upstairs if an elevator is not available or too large.
Can you get a final estimate? The final estimate must be binding. This means that it cannot be modified without agreement between the parties. Non-binding estimates that exceed estimates are available, which give you an exact price at the end.
Step 4: Estimating Your Moving Costs.
Many well-known moving companies offer online estimators that will give you an estimate of the cost of your move. Some companies will ask you questions online and then send you an estimate. It is also possible to do it over the phone.
United Van Lines asks you, for instance, if you:
You want your items packed by them
Shipping a car?
You want items to be unpacked by them
You want them to take out all your packing materials
Storage is a must
Online quotes are not binding numbers. They are just jumping points that will be used to help you determine the best course of action after an estimator has reviewed your job.
These are the three companies that can provide estimates for someone moving from Chicago to Boston in August 2021. They will be transporting items starting at a one-bedroom apartment. These estimates were collected one month before the move date.
Allied Van Lines: $2.294-$3,008
The Allied website asks you if you are moving “not a lot”, “average” or “a lot.” This variable will likely be settled once an estimator has reviewed your moving needs. This explains why estimates vary by approximately $700.
International Van Lines: Estimate unavailable
International Van Lines has been rated the best company on move.org. However, they do not provide a quote without speaking to an agent. International Van Lines offered a 15% discount if you were flexible with your dates and recommended a lower rate for “consolidation moves” (your items are being moved together).
North American Moving Services: $1654-$2,700
North American, like Allied, offers a range in estimated prices based upon how much you answer the question “How much stuff do I have?”
Small: $1,654-$2,010
Medium : $2,033-$2,665
Large: $2720 and Above
U-Pack: $2,541
U-Pack estimates include information that other websites do not offer: items will be moved to their new destination in five to seven working days. This is a question you can ask other movers to get a quote on your moving needs. U-Pack doesn’t offer packing services, unlike the other movers.
Get packing
Moving across the country is not going to be easy if you wait. You will be able to save money on renting trucks and moving company contracts if you get started as soon as possible.
Consider all options and your preferences to find the best way to move across the country. Are you able to do it yourself? Do you feel confident enough to do it? What proportion of your personal belongings do you want to have moved by movers?
Start your internet search by pulling out your yellow legal pad. Make a list of your needs, create an inventory, and decide on a budget. You’ll be receiving a lot of calls once you start asking for quotes.
