Short distance moving companies move household belongings in-town and over short distances. They differ from long distance/cross country moves in several ways, including more more flexibility, lower pricing, and less regulations placed on your moving company. Based on your amount of belongings, budget, and goals, you have a number of different options and service levels for your move. Here’s how to weigh your options, make your move go as smoothly as possible, and how to select a high value local moving company for your short distance move.
Related: Short Distance Moving Guide
Here are some of of the differences you can expect for your local move as opposed to moving to a new state or cross country.
Moving in-town will be less expensive than a long distance move because you will not have to pay an additional mileage or weight fee. While long distance moves bill around 75 cents per mile for transit + 50 cents per pound, short distance moves will typically only charge a set hourly rate billed per mover per hour. The average rate per mover per hour is between $40 and $60. So if you have a 3 bedroom house with 2 movers that takes 8 hours to move, you can expect your bill to be between $640 and $960, plus any additional packing, taxes, or insurance fees.
Related article: Cheapest Ways to Move a Short Distance
Since you are moving to a close new location, you have the luxury of taking multiple truck or car load trips. If you are going to you new place periodically, you might as well put in some miscellaneous items like fragile TV’s or lamps. You can also rent a smaller truck and take multiple truck loads. This is a great way to get a head start on your move and lower your bill from your moving company.
While it is always important to properly pad and protect your belongings, the good news is that your items have less of a chance to get damaged while traveling a short distance.
It is always a good idea to have a properly licensed, bonded, and insured moving company, but in-town movers don’t need to meet as many requirements, for example they don’t need a license to travel across state lines with state goods. This can broaden the list of moving companies in your search process.
In town movers can provide a wide array of services. Depending on the level of service you are looking for and your budget, your in-town moving company can provide all or some of the following services:
Moving companies can pack your items for you. They typically bill by the box, i.e. $10 per book box, $20 per kitchen box, etc.
The most popular service of your moving company is loading and unloading the truck.
Your moving company will properly secure and transport your items to the new location.
Heavy or awkward items will require special skill and equipment to move, such as pool tables, aquariums, pianos, etc.
If you need a halfway house for some of your items, you moving company can often times store your belongings in their warehouse. Another option is a moving container such as a Pod.
Bed frames, dresser mirrors, etc. Some of your items will require disassembly and reassembly for transportation. Your moving company will have the necessary tools to take care of this for you. You can also do that part yourself to save some money for your short distance move.
While less common, your moving company can also unpack your items for you. It will cost more, but the option is definitely there.
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Move Honcho provides free moving estimates, rate comparison, and moving tips from a network of top rated moving companies from coast to coast. Our strict commitment to quality ensures that all movers in our network are properly licensed and insured, with a consistent track record of satisfied clients. We understand that no two moves are the same. Whether you are looking for a move on a budget, or a full-service white-glove move, we will connect you with certified professionals to meet your needs. Our mission is to simplify your move by taking the heavy lifting out of your search process.
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