Average cost of NYC move

Deciding to relocate your household might be the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in your life. Moving anywhere in New York City means a variety of new possibilities. But before you start imagining a beautiful life in your new home, there are a couple of things you need to take into consideration. Since moving is a lengthy process, it means that there are a lot of things to be done. And the more things you have to do, the higher the average cost of NYC move can be. This is why it’s important to plan ahead before hiring Best Movers NY. The thing you will want to focus on the most is planning your moving budget and deciding on what are the things you will be paying for.

Planning the budget to fit the average cost of NYC move

There are many factors that can influence the average cost of a move. If you are moving on a budget, it’s important to take all of these factors into consideration when planning your relocation. One of the things that can help you the most is creating a list of things that you will have to pay for. Some of them are obligatory while others are optional. Depending on the amount of money you want to spend, you can choose to either include or exclude them from your list. We have formed a list you can use as an example. The list consists of the most important things you will need to take into consideration while planning your moving budget. Your list might look something like this, but feel free to change it so it can fit your needs:

  • Location of the move – one of the biggest factors that will determine the average cost of NYC move
  • Moving company – the prices of moving can vary from company to company so choose carefully
  • Moving deposit – an amount of money to book a moving date
  • Additional services – are optional but sometimes necessary, so decide which ones do you need
  • Amount of belongings – the amount and weight of your belongings will significantly influence the cost of the move
  • Packing supplies – depending on the size and fragility of your belongings, you will need different moving supplies

Choosing the location of your new home can influence the moving price

Before hiring a moving company and setting a moving date, it is wise to do thorough research on Burroughs and neighborhoods New York City has to offer. This beautiful and vivacious city offers many possibilities. You just have to consider your needs. Take some time to think about them. Imagine what kind of neighborhood you would like to live in. If you are a young professional, you might be interested in looking into the top neighborhoods for jobs in NYC. Maybe you are already imagining yourself in the Financial District, on its famous Wall Street. The city certainly offers a variety of opportunities for educated young people.

dog on the street
The moving location can greatly influence the average cost of NYC move.

If you are, on the other hand, looking for more quiet neighborhoods so you can start a family, or you already have a family – you might want to consider some of the popular neighborhoods for families in Brooklyn. Depending on the place in the city you choose for your new home, the average cost of NYC move can vary. The closer your new location is to your current home, the cheaper your move will be. And of course, the further it is, the more it will cost you. So, it’s important to take the distance between the locations into consideration when calculating your moving budget.

The average cost of NYC moves depends greatly on a moving company’s prices

Since choosing a moving company is the most crucial part of any move, you might want to dedicate some more time to choose the right one for you. The best idea to inform yourself would be to read some of the FAQ about movers since it can answer many of your questions in a short amount of time. You won’t have to read dozens of articles to find the answers.

man with moving truck
Finding a good moving company is the most essential part.

To find a perfect moving company for you, it’s best to find several moving companies to choose from. Once you’ve done that, you can compare local movers by seeing what the prices are for each of their services. That way you can calculate which company fits the most into your moving budget. Some moving companies can charge you per hour and the average rate among moving companies in NYC is from $25 to $55.

Moving deposits – a fee for booking movers

When choosing a moving company, keep in mind that they might ask you for a moving deposit. A moving deposit is an amount of money that you may have to give in order to book a moving date. Moving companies charge these in order to avoid cancellations and it is usually from $100 to $500.

Getting a moving quote – the best way to determine the price of your move

The safest and the most certain way to find out how exactly is your move going to cost you is to ask your moving company for a moving quote. This means that the moving company you choose to help you relocate is going to send experts to your home to make an estimate. Once they determine the size and accessibility of your household, the number of your belongings and their weight, they will calculate the moving price for you. On average, you can expect to pay at least $1000 for a local move.

movers estimating the average cost of NYC move
Getting a moving quote will help you to know the price of your move.

Additional services can change the average cost of NYC move

Nowadays a lot of professional moving companies can provide a variety of additional services. Besides the services of loading, transporting, and unloading, many moving companies offer storage and packing services as well. Taking additional services means there will be an extra charge, so make sure you need them before including them on your pay list.

Storage services

First of all, you need to decide whether you need a storage unit for your belongings. A good idea to book a storage unit would be in case you have to move on short notice. It can be a lifesaver. You will be sure your belongings are handled properly and are being kept in excellent conditions. And you won’t have to beg friends or family to store your belongings for you. If you decide to pay for storage service, keep in mind that there are certain items that you can keep in storage and items that you can’t keep in storage. Not one company among local movers NYC will accept storing highly perishable items like fruits and vegetables, meat and dairy.

men in storage unit
Storage can be a useful additional service.
Items you can store

Some of the items that are best to keep in storage during the move are large items like vehicles and collections. It’s best for your bicycles, motorbikes and cars to be in storage rather than on a moving truck. It may actually save you some money because they can take a lot of space on the moving truck. And the bigger the truck, the bigger the price. You can always come back later and drive these yourself to your new household location.

As for the large collections like book and art collections, storage can be the perfect place to keep them because they require specific conditions that the storage unit can provide. For example, art collections must be kept out of direct sunlight because it can damage the paint. Humidity levels are of utmost importance for book collections. You won’t have these conditions if you choose the option of self-storage. And buying self-storage units can sometimes be even more expensive than renting one from a moving company.

The price of a storage service can depend on different factors. If you decide to book a storage unit, the moving company will ask you to choose from long term and short-term storage. It will also be important to specify whether you will need a smaller or larger unit. The average cost can be around $190 a month. But keep in mind that smaller units can cost around $90 while larger ones can go up to $300 per month.

Packing service can influence the average cost of NYC move

Leaving the task of packing your belongings to the professionals might make your move easier and stress-free. There would be one task less to think about and you would be able to focus on other things. You won’t have to take time to find the right moving supplies and pack. You will only have to sort out your belongings.

Of course, you need to see if there would be any significant change in your moving budget if you pay for this service. Many residential movers NYC calculate their packing prices based on the number of movers they need to send to pack the items and the number of hours that job will take. For example, if the process of packing your things takes 4 or 5 hours, and you need 2 movers, the average price for this service would be from $200 to $250.

Getting the right packing supplies for your belongings

If you decided that adding the packing service from your moving company will exceed your planned moving budget, it means that you will have to pack yourself. The first thing you have to do is to get the moving supplies. When moving on a budget, it’s best to stick to the basics when it comes to packing supplies. The essentials would be cardboard boxes, packing paper and bubble wrap. Other items you may need such as scissors, markers and duct tape can always be found lying somewhere around the house.

man with boxes
Boxes are one of the most essential packing supplies.

When it comes to moving supplies, it might not be necessary to buy everything. There are a few tips and tricks to save you money. For example, before buying cardboard boxes, go to your local supermarket and see if they have any to spare. But be careful and make sure to check that they are not damaged, since you don’t want anything to happen to your stuff.

Another important thing to consider is packing your more fragile or valuable items. Some of them may need special packaging and that might cost you extra. Make sure to keep your smaller breakables inside their original packages. It is less likely that they will get damaged that way. On the other hand, you can always be creative when packing and put smaller items into larger ones to protect them.

Advice on decreasing the cost of your move

If you still find the average cost of NYC move too high after reading this article, there might be some things you can do to decrease the cost of your move. As you have seen above, the most important feature that determines the overall price of relocation is the amount and weight of the items in your possession. Naturally, by decreasing the number of your belongings, you will lower the cost of your relocation.

woman with books
A garage sale is a fun way to declutter your home.

When sorting your belongings and preparing them for packing, take some time to decide whether you really need to take them with you to your new household. You might be surprised when you realize how many things there are that you actually no longer need. We tend to keep a lot of unnecessary things around the house purely for sentimental reasons. And by getting rid of some of them, you will be doing yourself a favor. You don’t want to fill your new home with random unusable things, do you?

The first thing to do is to throw away anything that is damaged beyond repair or no longer usable. Those items that can still be used, like old clothes that you no longer wear, you can donate to charity. Another fun option is to maybe have a garage sale. You will how decluttering can influence the average cost of NYC move. By doing so you will be lowering the cost of your move and at the same time making some money that you can use to pay for your relocation.

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