Download Moving Expenses Checklist 2020

The year 2020 has not be been the easiest of them all due to the pandemic situation. However, moving to a new home has not been affected, and a stress-free move has always been the goal. Now, in order to achieve this, you need to make your own moving expenses checklist. We have created the ultimate moving expenses checklist 2020 that you can use and adjust to the needs of your move. Although it may seem that the relocation presents an endless money-consuming process, we broke it down into categories of the most important expenses. In this way, it is easier to navigate and manage the process and avoid some mistakes.

The ultimate moving expenses checklist 2020

Moving Company

If you are planning to hire professional movers, then they will be on the list of the moving expenses checklist. Do not worry, though, hiring movers usually turns out to be a cheaper option than a DIY move. First things first – moving estimates. Ask your local mover to do an in-house survey in order to estimate the final cost of the move. Of course, some other things can be added to the final bill, so let us take a look.

Additional fees

Many moving companies charge additional fees when things are out of the ordinary. For example, if your building does not have an apartment, you will be charged additional fees. The same things apply when there is not an available parking space outside of your house. Make sure to ask your movers what additional fees they will charge you.

Additional services

The basic service that your moving company offers is relocating your items in a moving truck to your new house. You can choose what other services you will use depending on the budget and your needs.

Packing – Packing is a service where the movers will bring their own packing material and pack your items carefully.

Unpacking – In your new home, the movers will unpack all of the moving boxes and get rid of packing supplies in an eco-friendly and safe way.

Loading and unloading – Excellent service for avoiding moving injuries. The skillful movers will safely load and unload all of the heavy and bulky items as well as the fragile ones.

Assembling and disassembling furniture – If you are moving your furniture with you to your new home, you will need to include this service on your moving expenses checklist 2020.

Storage service – It is quite common that you actually need to store all or part of your household belongings for a certain period before your new place is ready. Plus, the storage unit needs to be safe and secure, and usually climate-controlled. You want to have only the best storage units for your items, as they have both sentimental and financial value.

Insurance

Whether you are using the services of professional movers or not, insurance is the single most important thing that you need to have during the relocation. Here is what professional movers can offer you:

Released value protection – This type of insurance is completely free and you get it when you hire a moving company. But, if you have valuable items, this type of moving insurance may not be suitable for you. Namely, you would get around 60 cents per pound if your item gets damaged or lost. This is not particularly suitable if your recently-bought expensive TV was damaged during relocation.

Full value protection – This type of insurance is excellent if you are moving valuable items. In case of loss or damage, you will be compensated for the current market value of the item. However, if you decide to take this insurance, you will need to pay a premium upfront. The premium is usually 10% of the total value of your items.

If you have items that are worth more than 100 dollars per pound, you will need to let your moving company know, as the insurance process for these items is different. Also, you can choose to have additional insurance with some insurance company regardless of the moving company, in which case you would have to pay a premium as well.

Tipping the movers

Although there is no written rule about you having to tip the movers, you should add this cost to your moving expenses checklist. Only if you are satisfied with the service provided you should tip your movers. Usually, people tip 20 dollars per mover. Once again, this is not obligatory. If you feel the need to reward movers after they have done a great job, go for it. On the other hand, if your movers were making frequent breaks and were not particularly professional, you should not proceed with tipping them.

A DIY move

If you decide to relocate on your own, you will be faced with slightly different expenses. Here is what you should save money for:

Renting a moving truck – Make sure to rent the moving van or the moving truck of appropriate size. If your moving truck is too small, you may need to return for the rest of the items, which will have a negative impact on your finances.

Gas – You need to calculate how much gas you will need for the trip and always count a little bit extra in case of some detours.

Packing equipment – Since you are not hiring movers, you will need to rent or buy packing equipment and other moving supplies. These include a furniture dolly, straps, safety ramps, but also bubble wrap, moving blankets, moving boxes, etc.

Unexpected costs

Feel free to add this to the moving expenses checklist as well. You always need to have more money than you would actually need. If your car breaks down, or you need to spend a few nights in the apartment because your new home is not ready yet, having extra cash is a blessing. It will greatly contribute to the stress-free aspect of the move definitely. So, our final tip is to have enough money for unexpected events, while you hope for the best, of course. Dumbo NYC wishes you good luck!

You Can Download Moving Expenses Checklist Here:

Dumbo Checklist