Drive it yourself
Hitch a trailer behind your car and road trip! You might avoid the major expense of a per-mile rate and try to complete your move for a budget of $20 to $50, but you’ll probably have to do some downsizing to make it happen. Need more room? Rent a truck.
If you’ve ever seen moving trucks driving around your city with out-of-state plates, they might have been part of someone’s cross-country move. Renting a truck to transport your stuff is a standard way to move. Rental companies charge daily rates by the truck size, plus mileage — which ranges from $1 to $2 per mile.
For a cross-country move, you’ll need to factor in gas extra insurance, and possibly tolls. With so many variables, it’s hard to estimate the cost. Renting a moving truck can range from $20 to $3,500, depending on factors like the rental company, vehicle size, and distance of your move.
If you don’t have a home yet on the other end of your journey, don’t rush into buying. When newcomers to his town contact Chiarkas, he sets them up in a short-term rental, so they can get familiar with the area. After about six months, they go out and start searching for a new home.
Ship it
Renting a shipping container and filling it with your stuff has become a common way of moving. The company drops the shipping container off at your house, you have a few days or weeks to fill it, and then call them to come to pick it up when you’re ready. On average, shipping a moving container in the U.S. costs around $3,000. However, the final cost may vary based on your household size and whether the move is local or out of state, and shipping a moving container overseas can range from roughly $1,400 to nearly $6,900 in costs.
One big plus to moving like this is that you can take your time. No more rushing to get boxes packed up and taped before a moving company shows up. You pay a monthly fee (based on container size) as long as it sits at your house, then you pay for transport, and then you’ll pay to keep it at your new place until it’s unloaded. Think of shipping pods as portable storage units.
If you’re a bibliophile, shipping your books through media mail can be the most cost-effective way to move them across the country. The post office charges cut rates to send books, which are heavy and can add to the cost of a move based upon weight.
Full-service relocation plan
If your new employer has given you a relocation bonus, money might be less of an issue. Larger corporations sometimes contract with moving companies and relocation services for relocations, and you might not have to do anything to move. Full-service companies pack up your house, arrange for transport, and unpack upon arrival.
To cut the cost of using a moving company, book them for a midday, or midweek move. Weekend moves always cost more. Keep in mind, that the total weight of your stuff impacts the move’s cost, so you still might want to downsize before calling the movers.
When these companies contract with a corporation, they offer discounted rates and other incentives. The cost of a cross-country move with top moving companies varies, usually falling between $1,500 and $15,000. The final cost hinges on the volume of belongings and the distance of the move. However, there are ways to make the move more budget-friendly.
Hybrid option
Just like there’s more than one answer to how to move across the country, you don’t have to choose only one of them. Sometimes, picking a mix of options works best.
Pack your larger furniture into a shipping container, have your car transported, mailboxes of essentials that you’ll need before the shipping container arrives, and pack a suitcase with clothes for a few weeks. Or, drive across the country with clothing and household items in the trunk.
The best way to plan your cross-country move is to combine saving money with practical needs. Plan on doing some research, and getting multiple quotes, before making your final decision.
