Moving furniture yourself is often the cheapest option – but that doesn’t mean it’s the best option.
Take a look at these strategies you can use to minimize your moving costs, and see which method works best for your move.
Cheapest Ways to Move Furniture Out of State
1. Decide on the Furniture Piece to Move
Distance and additional services may cost extra, but the weight of your load has a huge impact on your move’s overall price. Your first step should be to take a full inventory of your furniture to decide what you should ship, what you can carry with you, and what you should leave behind.
2. Get Rid of Old Stuff
The cheapest way to relocate furniture across the country is to not relocate it at all. Organize a yard sale to recoup some of your costs, give some of your furniture away to family and friends, or even donate it to charity. The less you have to move, the better.
3. Reschedule to Another Day of the Week
Remember that rentals usually expire at the end of each month, and summer is the most expensive time of year to move. Avoid these busy periods. Choose the middle of the month, and weekdays from Monday to Thursday for less demand for out of state movers.
4. Move it Yourself
You’ve got muscle, and you’ve got transportation. But when it comes to furniture, DIY may be more of a PITA. You’ll need help moving furniture in a safe fashion, and you may also need to rent or borrow a big enough vehicle to get everything done. Don’t forget, you’ll also have to find furniture pads, moving blankets, and stretch wrap to protect your items by wrapping them up.
Shipping Your Furniture on the Cheap
Sending Furniture in a Moving Pod
Moving pods are a simple “in between” if you don’t want to hire movers, but also if you don’t feel like hauling everything yourself.
Your moving pod company will schedule a date to drop off your container. You’ll be able to load up the container on your own time, and if the company provides a loading service, you’ll have some additional help with the heavy items.
Once you’re all loaded up, the company will pick up the pod, transport it to your new location, and drop it off so you can unload it at your own pace. If you’ve paid for an unloading service, they’ll help with that, too.
Low-Cost Furniture Moving Companies
Hiring furniture movers to move your furniture typically costs somewhere between $25 and $50 per hour for a local move. For long distance moves, you’re looking at 50 cents to $1.25 per mile, plus the weight of the items that you’re sending.
It’s a good idea to contact a few reputable moving companies to compare their provided estimates for shipping furniture, but one of the best ways to obtain a price estimate is to use a moving cost calculator. You’ll have to figure out a few details about your furniture and where it’s headed first, though…
Getting Ready to Move Furniture
If you want an accurate estimate of how much it will cost to move your furniture, here are some details to keep in mind:
How much furniture do you own?
Taking an inventory of your furniture before you do anything else is going to super helpful. You’ll know what furniture you can get rid of, and what furniture you just can’t live without. It’ll also give you a better idea of how much space you’ll need before, during, and after the move.
As an added bonus, taking stock of your inventory will help when it’s time to insure your move. Accidents happen, and a bit of organization before your move can help you avoid a major headache.
Will You Need to Store any Furniture?
Are you going to be able to fit all of your furniture in your new home? Or are you in a situation where some of it is going to need to be stored away for some reason or another?
Storage units can cost anywhere from $10-$50 per week, and $25-$250 per month, depending on the size of the unit and where it’s located. It may also vary in price based on whether or not you need a climate-controlled unit to be able to store your furniture as safely as possible.
Typically, the smallest units are about the size of a closet, and the largest units are the size of a small one-car garage. In some instances, your out of state moving company may also rent storage units as part of their business.
Does any furniture need to be disassembled and reassembled?
If you have larger furniture, you may need a little bit of help to get it loaded up packed away. You could disassemble it yourself, but you may not have the right tools (or enough time) for the job.
Talk to your movers about disassembly when you start the moving quotes process. They should be able to give you an idea about whether you’ll have to pay extra for disassembly, or if the service is covered with your basic contract.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What about my antiques and fragile furniture?
Since there is so much that can go wrong with antique and fragile furniture, you want to be sure that it’s being moved as carefully as possible. Some long distance movers will have moving blankets and other protective equipment included in your move; others may charge a small rental fee.
2. What if my furniture gets damaged?
If you move your furniture yourself and it gets damaged, you have no course of action unless your furniture is still under warranty. On the other hand, if you hire a reputable cross country moving company, they’ll have liability insurance.
3. How long does it take to load up furniture?
It could take an hour or two to get every bit of furniture loaded up properly. Hiring a separate furniture mover to get big items into your new place the day before can save you a lot of time and headaches on an actual moving day. If you’re long-distance moving, however, it may be simpler (and less stressful) to just put it all together.
Are You Ready to Get Started?
Moving your furniture can be stressful and expensive, but there are plenty of strategies to keep in mind if you’re trying to minimize costs. With a helpful list of your inventory and a little bit (or a lot) of planning ahead, you can relocate furniture and leave the stress behind.
