When you sit down and really break out the cost of a cross-country move, the tally could potentially be cringe-worthy. Of course, there are ways to make your cross-country move more affordable — which is what we’re here to tell you! We’ve laid out the cheapest ways to move cross country no matter how far you’re going. Have a look.
Rent a portable moving container
This option gives you a number of benefits for $2,000 or more less than hiring a moving company. One? You can keep it on-site for an extended period of time as you load and unload your belongings. No last-minute rush to present all of your nicely-packed belongings to the movers. You can also unpack slowly, giving you time to settle in. All you have to do is load the moving container, and the transport company will do the rest. Expect to pay between $2,000 and $3,000 for a month, including the move.
Rent a moving truck
To get a little more DIY and move cross-country cheaply, rent a moving truck and do both the packing and the driving yourself. You’ll save money on labor costs for the transport and you’ll be able to start budgeting with a fixed price for the cheap truck rental and insurance. Check out our tips for renting a moving truck for some suggestions on how to accurately budget out your costs using this approach — but rest assured that it will be cheaper, and possibly more fun (road trip!), than hiring a cross country moving company.
Use a freight trailer
Think of it as a frills-free moving company: a freight company will drop off a trailer at your residence for three days. You load it up using their guidelines (balancing the weight, securely fasten the freight, etc.), and then they come to pick it up and haul it across the country. The average cost for a long distance move using this method varies by company, but expect somewhere in the $3,000 range. Or? We’ll help you with a moving cost comparison!
Ship your belongings
There are a number of shipping providers online who will bid on your shipment once you’ve identified what will be shipped, how many boxes, etc. If you have the time and flexibility to wait on bids or wait to bundle your shipment, this option can save you a lot of money by sharing the cost of the shipment with others. This choice is best if you don’t have a lot of belongings since it isn’t ideal for lots of large furniture or fragile items. Alternatively, you could ship a small number of belongings through USPS, UPS, or FedEx.
Avoid peak moving dates
If you are trying to move at the same time as a lot of other people (i.e., college move-in day) the costs will be higher both for renting moving trucks as well as hiring a full-service moving company. So one of our tips for moving cross country? Do it during off-times if you can. Simple as that.
Hopefully, you can combine our suggestions above to find the cheapest ways to move long distance that works best for your needs!
