It would be nice to move to a new home or business without paying anything for the relocation. But, unfortunately, even DIY moves come with several expenses, ranging from the truck’s rental cost to pizza for your friends.

When you hire professional movers to manage your relocation, the price tends to be higher than a DIY move. But, in return, you can have an agency like Expo Movers handle every step of the experience. For example, you can have packing help, assistance with loading and unloading, or get a hand with furniture disassembly and reassembly.

Many of those costs fall into an “expected” category. You receive an estimate for the job that gives you a budget expectation.

Moving also comes with several unexpected costs. Many of those don’t involve your movers, which is why you’ll want to take a 360-degree view of the entire experience.

What Are the Unexpected Expenses of Moving?

1. Moving Supplies

moving supplies

Even when you complete a DIY move, the cost of moving supplies can be high. For example, you can easily spend $15 on a wardrobe box and $1 on small containers. So if you have a one-bedroom apartment that needs 50 boxes and something for your clothes, you’ve added $65 to your final tally.

That’s why knowing where to find free boxes is helpful.

2. Building Fees

Some buildings charge fees for the moving services they provide. You’ll see this cost occur when movers (you or a professional team) need access to a service elevator to complete the job. There might also be a requirement to supervise the work as you leave or get into the new place.

This move-in fee can be up to $500 in some locations. Again, your lease should provide details about this cost, but it also helps to ask questions about it beforehand.

3. House Cleaning

cleaning

A deep clean is a must when moving out of your home. However, it’s usually easier to hire a professional team to take care of the work to ensure it’s done right. Most companies that offer this service either charge by the square foot or the hour.

The average cleaning cost is about $200. However, if you decide to do the work yourself, you’ll still spend between $50 to $100 on chemicals, supplies, and documentation efforts.

4. Painting

painting

It’s usually easier to paint before moving into a new home if necessary. That means you won’t have any décor or furniture to work around when updating the space. Of course, this work should be done before moving in if you’re renting, but it’s something to consider when buying a house or condo.

Even if you do the work yourself, the cost of paint and materials is about $50 per room.

5. Groceries

deposits

When you move to a new home, your grocery bills spike temporarily as you get acquainted with your new surroundings. This cost happens for several reasons.

  • You’re not sure where the best deals are in your new neighborhood.
  • More convenience purchases happen at the grocery store.
  • Most people don’t like cooking when they’re packing or unpacking.

You might want to add about $100 per week to your food budget when packing at your old home and unpacking at the new one.

6. Deposits

deposits

You know about the security deposit for your new home or office space. What can be surprising for some people are the utilities that request the same thing. You might also need to pay service fees to connect the electricity, water, or gas to your place.

You’ll need to check with your local providers to get an estimated cost for this moving need. While having that conversation, you might check on the average monthly service charges.

Internet and cable often fall into this category. If your home isn’t equipped, the provider might need to do some installation work with an added cost.

Are There Any Other Costs to Consider When Moving?

The easiest way to avoid unexpected costs when moving is to get a fair and accurate estimate from each provider or agency working with you.

If your estimate doesn’t cover every potential task or need, there’s always a risk that an unexpected cost could get added to your bill.

At Expo Movers, we prefer to keep the experience of a professional move simple. You can get a rough estimate of what to expect with our moving calculator at any time. If you need something more specific, just let us know, and we’ll get in touch with you right away.

You have enough on your mind when moving. The cost of unexpected fees shouldn’t be one of them.

Quality Starts Here

Trust Expo Movers for a hassle-free moving experience.

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By Published On: November 1, 2021Categories: Furniture Movers, Packing, Storage