Tips for preparing your moving budget

The most important thing that you have to consider while relocating is your moving budget. You have to plan it well because all your moving process depends on it. Preparing your financial plan is a main and first thing that you should handle after your decision to move is final. It may seem difficult and time-consuming, but it is necessary for the long run. Once you know your budget, you will know which services you can afford. Here are some steps that can help you create and organize a moving budget.

How to set a moving budget

These days, making a budget list for your move is very easy. There are many software programs and applications that you can use. You can also find more tips on the moving process on our website. The point is that list is simple and easy to read, so you will better manage your expenses. The application that has a spreadsheet will be more efficient. Microsoft Exel will be very suitable for this task. There are also many templates that you can download if you want to save time. You can use paper and a pen as well. Highlight the most important parts of your budget plan with different colors and make as many bullet lists or tables as you need.

The main entries in your moving budget checklist should include:

• Moving company expenses
• Self-moving expenses
• Vehicle transportation expenses
• Immediate post-move expenses
• Unexpected expenses
• International expenses

Moving company expenses

If your moving budget allows it, you should always hire a reliable moving company. Especially for a long-distance relocation. That is the best way to avoid moving scams. Expenses of the moving company should be the first item on your moving budget checklist and it should contain:

• In-house estimation – request an in-house estimation. At least three moving companies should give you their estimations. The overall moving price will be determined by the total weight of the inventory that you are moving, and the distance to your new home.
• Insurance – In the estimated costs, you will get basic limited liability protection for your goods for free. A basic coverage rate is 60 cents per pound for one household item. That means that you will receive an $18 compensation for a 30-pound TV if it gets damaged while moving. That is why you should seriously consider purchasing additional full value insurance.
• Additional services -The most common additional moving services are packing and unpacking, disassembling and reassembling large furniture pieces, temporary storage, etc. If any of the additional services seem appealing to you, get a clear idea about their costs and remember to put them into a moving budget plan.

Moving budget – Self-moving expenses

If you are moving locally and you have friends eager to help you, you may decide to move on your own. If you don’t have household items to pack, carry, load, unload and unpack, that maybe isn’t such a bad idea. Still, you should know that it will be nerve-wracking and time-consuming.

Here are the typical self-moving expenses that your moving budget plan has to have:

• Truck rental – The biggest issue and the biggest cost of self-moving is the transportation of your belongings. That means that you will have to rent a truck. You have to count the fuel costs and the size of the truck that you need. If you rent a smaller vehicle that can’t accommodate all of your stuff, you will have to make two trips. That increases the cost of transportation too. A bigger truck costs more, so calculate what size of truck you actually need.
• Moving equipment – When moving on your own, you need to include necessary moving equipment into the budget. Furniture pads, moving dolly, moving blankets, boxes, duct tape, hand tools, plastic wraps are all additional costs that you are likely to forget to put in your moving budget plan.

Vehicle transportation expenses

If you are shipping your car to another state, you’ll have to hire a car shipping service. When you find the company that you can trust, request a cost estimate, so that you can adjust your moving budget accordingly. Shipping your car means that you have to take another form of transportation to your new home. Be sure to add the cost of the ticket to your moving budget as well. When you are moving to another state, you should also include the costs of registering your vehicle in the new state and renewing your driver’s license. If you are taking a road trip to your new home, you should add the costs of the gas, food, and tolls to your budget plan. You should also bring some extra money in case of an emergency.

Furniture moving

Do you plan to move your furniture as well? Most pieces of furniture are quite large and heavy. For this reason, you need to disassemble them first before the move. However, if you do not have any prior experience, it can be difficult to disassemble your furniture. You can follow the manual if you can find one. If not, then you can always look up tutorials online. The last option is to hire furniture movers or add disassembling and assembling services to your relocation. This is not free. Make sure to ask your movers about the cost before you add them to your bill. In addition to this, some people rent a storage unit for their furniture if their home is not ready. Therefore, check your storage options. See if your moving company offers storage services as well so you do not have to look for another storage company. 

Immediate post-relocation costs

Rent, mortgage payment, deposits – these are all items that you should include in your moving budget.
Paying your monthly rent or mortgage will be the first financial worry when you move into a new house. That is why it is crucial to include them in your budget plan so you can reduce stress. Groceries, cleaning supplies, and other essentials should also be on the list. Once you relocate, there is a big shopping spree that awaits you, so be sure that you have left enough money for that.

Add unexpected expenses in your moving budget

Since moving is a complicated process, there could be some unforeseen expenses. So, when planning a moving budget always plan it a bit bigger than what the preliminary numbers are telling you. That way, if something goes wrong, and you will have enough funds to fix it. If everything goes smoothly, then you will have some extra bucks in your pocket. It’s a win-win situation. It is only reasonable to be prepared for possible unexpected situations, and you will be much relaxed when you know that you have some space for sudden financial troubles.

International move

Moving internationally is expensive. Here are all the things to take into consideration. First, the moving costs of international movers. They will be much higher than local movers’ fees. Next, vehicle shipping costs begin at around $700 and can reach $4,000. This depends on the size and weight of your vehicle, car shipping method, the distance to the foreign country, and all taxes and charges. In addition to this, insurance is more expensive, as well as storage fees which start around $300 a month. Apart from this, for an international move, you will need to pay visa fees. It is difficult to calculate visa fees as they are between $150 and $2500 depending on a type of visa and the destination country. Lastly, you have to consider accommodation fees and travel costs. Hotels and plane tickets can be pretty expensive. 

How to prepare your moving budget?

Lastly, it is time for you to prepare your moving budget. Depending on your financial situation and relocation, you will need at least two or three months. Moving experts recommend saving at least six months’ worth of your salary if you are moving abroad. For long-distance and local relocations, this amount can be smaller. Now, onto the saving part. Cut down your everyday expenses. For example, you can prepare meals at home instead of dining out. You can skip Starbucks and going shopping for the time being. In addition to this, you can organize a garage sale. This is a perfect way to get rid of all the items you are no longer using and earn some money for your relocation. Apart from a garage sale, you can sell your items online as well. The choice is yours.  

All the best ways to prepare your budget

As you can see, these would be all the things to consider when preparing your moving budget. List all the professional services you want to use. Then, see if you would like to do some of them, for example, packing your items, gathering packing supplies, and similar. Lastly, cut down on your expenses and you will have enough money for your relocation!