As well as being a complicated and stressful process moving can also be very expensive. Moving is always an unknown and full of uncertainties. To make it easier and less stressful it is important to plan it and organize it well in advance. At the same time, it can be very expensive with the expenses adding up pretty quickly. To keep control of your move you will have to prepare a moving costs calculation well in advance and on time. Budgeting a move is not easy so you have to take care of certain aspects of your move.
Make a budget template
Making a budget template is important as it will help you plan ad keep track of all of the moving costs you may have. Your calculation should list all of the possible expenses that you should keep track of and analyze. You can use any software that can handle calculations. It must be suitable to display and separate expenses into categories and allow you to keep track of the planned and real cost. This is important to analyze and decide on your course of action as you go.
Costs to keep track of
Making a realistic cost calculation or a budget is crucial in making sound decisions in your moving process. These calculations will help you make rational decisions and save money. How high your basic moving expenses are will depend on your choice on how you will handle the move. Your calculation will be a lot different if you decide to do a move yourself (DIY) then when you decide to use professional movers. You should do the calculation for both options before you make your decision.
DIY or professional help
If you are planning a local move then a DIY option is reasonable. However, you should know that this kind of move is stressful, risky and complicated. You carry the load of the move on your shoulders and must endure the pressure by yourself. This type of move may seem less expensive but in reality, it has a lot of hidden costs that you don’t consider:
- Mileage and gas expenses and truck rental cost
- Rental of specialized equipment (dolly, ramp, covers…)
- travel insurance
- Packing materials
Professional movers can make your move stress free
Professionals will take some of the stress and burden from your shoulders. Hiring them might seem expensive but actually, when they save your time and relieve your stress it is a considerable help. Hiring professional mover will entail another type of expenses like:
- Movers fee,
- Extra moving insurance,
- Additional packing services or
- Storage locker lease
When you know all of this cost that you must consider you can play around with the expenses to make your own moving cost calculation. You will probably be able to cut some costs by disassembling the furniture yourself instead of paying your mover for the service, etc.
Making a realistic moving costs calculation
If you want to make the best possible moving decision you should try to make the most realistic mobbing costs calculation possible. Besides these expenses, you should also incorporate other usually unseen expenses. You should also make sure to make certain contingencies in case of unpredictable and unexpected occurrences. The unexpected can drastically influence your calculation and increase your moving costs and budget, therefore it is advisable to make a contingency of at least 5% to cover the unexpected costs.
So, to make rational moving decisions you must be aware and take control of your moving expenses. You must have a realistic picture of all of the costs connected to your move. To that end, you should try to make your moving costs calculation in due time and preferably well in advance. This will help you manage your move, save money and relieve your moving stress.