The costs of moving it yourself - printed from North Texas e-News

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Real Estate
The costs of moving it yourself
By David S. Jones, Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University
Jan 28, 2012

On average, Americans will move 12 times during their lifetime. More than 40 million moves occur each year in the United States.

Some moves are college related. Other people have new jobs, need a larger home or just want a change of scenery. Some 40 percent of moves are the result of a corporate relocation.

According to U-Haul, Atlanta is the company’s number one destination for moves of 50 miles or more and has been for four straight years. Dallas is second, and Houston is third. Chicago, New York City, Las Vegas, San Diego, Sacramento, Phoenix and Los Angeles round out the top ten, in that order.

Moving is one of life’s more stressful events — even if everything goes smoothly. That’s why the American Moving and Storage Association (AMSA) has a free online consumer handbook called, “How to Make Your Next Move, Your Best Move.”

Moving families have two choices — do it themselves or hire someone else. Those considering moving themselves should ask a lot of questions and compute the actual costs of self-moving before signing an agreement with a truck rental company.

Rental charges depend on several factors, including rental availability and the time of the year. More than half of all moves occur between May and Labor Day, and rental prices reflect that. Prices may be higher at the beginning or ending of a month. Be sure to inspect the truck before you accept it because the final cost depends on the condition of the vehicle when it’s returned.

Be sure you rent the right size truck. After a long, hard day of loading all your worldly possessions into a rental truck, the last thing you need to discover is that there’s no room for grandma’s antique armoire.

It’s a good idea to rent pads so you don’t scratch your furniture. With a 26-foot truck (a four bedroom house), you will need at least three dozen pads. When calculating the cost of moving yourself, figure out your average hourly wage and how long it will take you to pack, load, drive and unload.

You can collect free boxes if you plan ahead. But the AMSA recommends you buy specialized boxes, such as wardrobes, dish packs and mattress containers. And you’ll need lots of tape and paper padding. Don’t forget the rope to keep the load from shifting.

If you rent a truck, expect to pay for each mile you go over your limit. That could be about 40 cents per mile. Be sure to check the contract. The truck must be returned with the same amount of fuel it had when you picked it up. A loaded, 26-foot truck gets about ten miles to the gallon. At $1.68 per gallon, a 1,200-mile trip would cost you more than $200 for fuel.

Some items need special care when moving. These include refrigerators, grandfather clocks, washing machines and gas stoves. They need special preparation and handling. If you are unsure what needs to be done, you may have to hire a specialist to help prepare the item.

Other items to consider:

Friends and relatives will help you move, but you should provide food and beverages to keep them motivated and energized. According to an online survey by Century 21 and Budget Truck Rental, pizza is the overwhelming (46 percent of respondents) favorite for moving-day food.
Who’s going to care for the children while you are packing? Childcare expenses may be involved.
Back injuries and moving go together. A back brace might be a good idea to reduce lower back strain.
Can you reach your destination in one day? If not, hotel accommodations may be required.
Who will watch the truck while you sleep? An article on the news recently told about a family who lost everything from their rental truck while they slept in a hotel. Their personal automobile also was stolen.

And what do people do with the bubble wrap once they unpack? According to the Century 21 survey, 18 percent save it, but 31 percent pop it.

The AMSA consumer handbook at http://www.moving.org/ has a table for calculating actual do-it-yourself expenses. You also can obtain estimates from AMSA professional movers plus hints on hiring a professional to do your move. There’s also a comprehensive move planner at Century 21’s website http://www.century21.com/.