There are many moving costs that need to be considered in order to budget properly for moving day. Some are obvious, such as the cost to rent a moving truck or the cost to hire movers. Other moving costs seem more hidden such as the cost for extra mileage or using a moving truck dolly or ramp, and then there are some moving costs that are completely forgotten about altogether. Today, we are going to discover the extra kind-of moving costs to ensure you can properly prepare and plan a budget that is as accurate as possible.
Keep the Kids at the Babysitter
If you’ve ever tried moving with young kids, you know that it can be a near impossible task. At the very least, moving day is not as productive as it could have been. Fortunately, if your kids are old enough to help, you can put them to work. However, if you have little ones running around, such as babies or tipsy toddlers, they’ll be more of a roadblock than a helping hand. Hire a babysitter to make the move much more effective. Think about the price it’ll cost to have the children looked after from morning to night and maybe even overnight, so you have enough time to prepare and child-proof your new home.
Send the Pets to a Sitter
Pets can be just as distracting if not more so than little kids. Smaller pets can generally be kept in their cages during moving day but if you have a dog or cat, consider sending it to a pet sitting facility. This will keep their snouts out of boxes, paws off of furniture and fur out of the way, making for an easier and more productive day altogether. However, pet sitting typically comes with a cost and should be factored into your moving day budget.
Grabbing Food for Takeout
Chances are you won’t be in the mood to cook on moving day, and that’s assuming you’re able to unpacked all of your kitchen supplies and ingredients in a timely manner. Not to mention, cooking can take up viable time so ordering takeout for moving day meals is usually the best option. However, it comes with a price. You can opt to pick the food up instead of getting delivery to cut down on costs or a cheaper alternative to buying takeout is to buy some ingredients to make some simple sandwiches. Don’t forget the cost that entails when replenishing your energy while moving.
Professional Cleaner Times Two
It’s proper moving etiquette to leave your current home in the same condition you want your new home to be in upon arrival. This takes a sufficient amount of time and effort, as you have to clean your house top to bottom and in places you’ve never cleaned before such as behind the appliances. Hiring a professional cleaner to tackle your home once it’s empty comes with a fee but it saves you in time and energy. You may also want a professional cleaner in your new house as well to ensure it’s ready for your arrival.
Clean the Carpets with a Professional
If you’re unable to budget for a professional cleaner to come into your current home and/or new home, consider hiring a carpet cleaning company. It’ll make the home look and smell brand new, and is a nice way to welcome to the homeowners.
While these moving costs are certainly extras, they are options many home movers opt for without budgeting in the fees. So, prepare a budget that is accurate by considering all of the costs – even the ones not directly associated with the move per se.
