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Sean Donnelly is a writer for USA TODAY Homefront. His content draws on more than three years of experience in the moving industry. He started as a laborer and was quickly promoted to moving crew leader. Sean also served as a move coordinator, where he conducted in-home and virtual estimates for customers. During his time in the industry, Sean assisted more than 500 clients with their relocation needs. Thanks to his years of hand-on experience, he understands all aspects of moving — from proper preparation to the quote process to effective packing techniques. Sean studied English literature and creative writing at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and is still located in the greater Springfield area. When he isn’t writing, Sean is a cohead coach of the boxing team at his alma mater.
Hiring a full-service moving company saves you time and energy but is notoriously expensive. Luckily, there are ways to save on your upcoming local or long-distance relocation, even with a pro mover. Moving APT and International Van Lines are the cheapest moving companies for full-service moves of the seven companies from which we requested quotes.
We secret shopped with our top-rated moving companies and found that the average cost of basic service for a three-bedroom, 1,800-mile move is $7,155. Adding full-service packing increased the average rate to $9,760. These price points could deter you if you’re on a tight budget, so we included alternative moving options to consider.
Renting a moving-and-storage container from a company such as U-Pack is budget-friendlier and the second-most convenient way to move; you’ll have to pack your belongings, but pros will transport them. Renting a moving truck or van from U-Haul or another provider is the cheapest way to relocate. However, it’s a time-consuming hassle if you’re unfamiliar with best practices for packing, loading and transporting your items.
We called for personalized quotes, read hundreds of customer reviews and dug deep into each provider’s offerings to help you find the best moving company for you at a price that fits your budget.
Here are our top picks for budget-friendly and effective moving truck rentals, moving containers and full-service movers.
Top DIY moving trucks:
Top moving container companies:
Top affordable full-service moving providers:
See how top long-distance movers offering comprehensive services compare on key metrics.
If you’re hiring a pro, getting quotes from at least three movers is the first step in finding the best rate. Here are a few tips to help you cut costs on your next move.
Every full-service mover we reviewed offers add-ons, including packing and unpacking, vehicle shipping, storage and more.
In our November 2023 survey of 900 customers who hired a full-service mover in the past two years, 81% of respondents said they opted into one or more additional services. Packing was the most common add-on with 20% of respondents indicating they paid for this service.
These supplementary services may streamline your move, but the costs can add up quickly. Moving companies charge different rates for add-ons; some are more affordable than others, so only consider these services if they fit your budget.
For example, while secret shopping, we found that the average cost of packing for a three-bedroom move was $2,604. This assumed that movers would handle all of the packing and supply packing materials. While convenient, this is a significant expense you could cut by packing your own things.
When packing your goods, starting early is key. Declutter first to reduce the number of things you need to pack, and ask friends or family to help if the task seems too daunting to take on alone.
Properly packing your belongings is necessary to keep them from getting damaged in transit. Unfortunately, buying moving boxes can significantly increase your total moving costs.
For example, Home Depot sells three-bedroom moving box kits. These kits are convenient, but they cost $588.81. Omit that large expense by getting free moving boxes from a recycling center, grocery store, or online marketplace such as Facebook Marketplace or your local Buy Nothing group.
Shipment weight contributes greatly to your move’s cost. Downsizing your home is among the best ways to get a smaller estimate and save money.
“A lot of times, people will pay to move things that they don’t need or that they haven’t used in years and probably never will use,” said Ashley Graber, co-owner of Cool Hand Moving in New York City.
We recommend taking inventory of your belongings before you begin packing and seriously considering whether you need everything you plan to move.
Hosting a garage, yard or rummage sale can help you get rid of belongings while earning extra money to cover moving expenses. You can also try selling lightly used items on platforms such as Facebook Marketplace, LetGo, OfferUp and eBay.
May through September are the most popular months of the year to move — 44% of respondents in our survey said they moved during these months. Most moving companies raise their rates during summer to capitalize on customers’ interest in moving when the weather is warmer.
If possible, plan your move during the spring, fall or winter, when moving rates may be lower. If you must move during peak season, consider moving on a weekday in the middle of the month to secure a lower rate.
Some movers may offer discounts to get your business, especially if it’s the off-season, business is unusually slow, or you book your move well ahead of time.
For example, after we gave American Van Lines our email and phone number for a quote request in early May 2024, we received a voicemail from a representative offering “attractive discounts” if we used AVL for our move.
When we contacted PODS, we found that it offered a 25% discount across all moves, making an already cheap moving option even more affordable.
The federal government requires moving companies to provide released-liability coverage for all moves. This mandatory minimum coverage provides 60 cents per pound per item in reimbursement if goods are lost or damaged during the move, and it is included with every base moving quote. This level of coverage is sufficient for basic moves with durable furniture and a few breakable items and won’t cost you any extra money.
Most moving companies provide additional coverage, called valuation coverage or full-value protection. This insurance will provide you with $6 or more per pound per item in coverage. Your added cost will be between 3% and 5% of the total dollar value of your protection.
This is a significant added cost, so consider waiving valuation coverage unless you’re moving high-value items such as antiques, heirlooms, or expensive TVs and tech items. Out of 900 surveyed moving clients, 77% reported purchasing valuation coverage. Some movers charge a flat rate for this added protection, while others charge a percentage of your estimated inventory value.
You don’t have to choose between the two extremes of full-service and DIY moving if you’re looking to schedule cheap moving assistance. Staging a DIY move with a moving truck or shipping container can involve hiring movers for assistance with loading and unloading.
Even if you only need movers to help with lifting your largest or most fragile items, you can still do so at a fairly low cost. U-Haul’s site lists the average costs of hiring moving labor through Moving Help in each state. The listed costs reflect the typical price tag for two hours of work by two movers. For example, for a move in Florida, it would cost about $204 dollars for moving labor assistance.
Note that most movers have minimum fees that typically amount to two to four hours at your hourly rate. So, even if you only need assistance moving a couple of items, you may end up paying a higher rate than anticipated. Ask about minimum charges upfront to avoid surprises.
While not the most convenient, renting a moving truck is the cheapest way to move. U-Haul and Budget Truck Rental are the most affordable truck rental options based on our secret shopping and research process.
U-Haul is all but synonymous with DIY moves. It has 23,000 locations throughout the country, so no matter where you’re moving to or from, U-Haul is likely an option for your self-service move. In addition to its many locations, U-Haul offers competitive rates on all its rental vehicles.
Cost
The cost to rent a U-Haul varies depending on the mileage of your move, the vehicle size, and your pickup and drop-off dates.
We got a quick quote online for a move between Santa Rosa, California, and Austin, Texas. Given the three-bedroom move we were shopping for, we could select a 20-foot or 26-foot truck. These were priced as follows:
If we wanted to hire moving help, it would cost $400 for two movers and four hours of labor at our destination. If we opted for a tow dolly to haul a family vehicle, we would pay $597 more with the 26-foot truck.
U-Haul requires no deposit for booking and allows you to cancel anytime.
What we like
U-Haul has a larger fleet than Budget. Its vehicles range from pickup trucks — useful for moving a few pieces of furniture across town — to 26-foot trucks capable of transporting the contents of a three-bedroom home across the country.
We also like that getting a quote for your rental vehicle is quick and easy on the U-Haul website. All it takes is a few clicks to see how much you’ll pay for your move.
What we don’t like
Unlike Budget, which offers unlimited miles for any move, U-Haul’s shorter-distance moves include an additional per-mile fee. Paying an additional 69 to 79 cents per mile might not seem like much initially, but that cost can add up if you make multiple trips back and forth.
U-Haul also has a franchise business model, which is why it has so many locations. While it’s nice to have a location near your old and new home, this business model is a double-edged sword. Based on reviews, the customer experience can differ vastly depending on your pickup and drop-off locations.
Budget Truck Rental operates across the continental United States and is known for its upfront and transparent pricing. Knowing your total cost before you pick up your rental can help you budget more appropriately.
We got an instant online quote from Budget for an 1,800-mile move. A 26-foot moving truck would cost $5,966 for this relocation. A drawback of Budget’s is its lack of a 20-foot truck option, which is typically a good truck size for three-bedroom moves.
You can opt to tow your car using a Budget truck, but this comes with a fee. Our quote indicated that the car carrier add-on was an additional $481.
When we got our quote, the website had a “Prepay & Save” promotion for all trucks except the 26-foot truck. By prepaying, we would save $608.55 for the 16-foot moving truck.
When it comes to getting fast and accurate moving quotes, it’s tough to beat Budget. After entering your pickup and drop-off ZIP codes and pickup date, Budget provides you with its rental selection that includes all-in pricing for each option. That means there’s no guesswork or estimates when working with Budget.
Unlike competitors with more extensive fleets of vehicles, Budget only has four rental options ranging from a cargo van to a 26-foot moving truck. These rentals are likely suitable for most moves but may not fit your exact needs.
Getting a moving container is the second-cheapest moving option. While you still need to pack your own belongings, the best moving container companies will safely transport your container from your current home to your new one. See how U-Pack and PODS compare here.
If you want to save money on a long-distance move but don’t want to drive a moving truck, then U-Pack may be your best option. While the three-day loading and unloading windows are shorter than other container providers, it offers most clients enough flexibility to get the job done.
We got an online quote for an 1,800-mile, three-bedroom move within minutes. The $8,566 quote included no labor and required U-Pack’s entire trailer — 27 linear feet of space. This container service charges per linear foot, so you can save significant money by downsizing before you move. For example, 17 linear feet of trailer space costs $7,366 for a move of this length.
U-Pack does not require a deposit for booking. However, you must cancel at least seven business days before moving day to avoid a $50 cancellation fee. Same-day cancellation incurs a $150 fee. The estimated transit time for this move was eight to 10 days from pickup to delivery.
U-Pack offers clear and concise pricing online, allowing clients to easily book trailer and ReloCube rentals. Simply input your basic move information online, including approximate trailer space requirements and move distance, and you’ll get an all-inclusive rate. U-Pack requires no deposit to secure a booking and offers an easy-to-use moving labor portal for hiring help at any stage of the moving process.
U-Pack’s strict three-day loading and unloading windows can be a deterrent for some clients. It doesn’t offer the same flexibility as competitors such as PODS or 1-800-PACK-RAT. The company only offers long-term storage for items transported in its ReloCubes moving containers; you won’t have the same storage option for trailer moves.
PODS is one of the largest DIY moving companies in the world, serving 44 states and Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. The company offers three moving container options that can also be used for temporary storage at your new residence or one of PODS’ secure storage facilities.
We called PODS to get a quote for a three-bedroom home move from California to North Carolina. The representative recommended renting a 16-foot container to fit our belongings. Renting additional mobile storage would cost more.
Our total cost was $6,200. This included drop-off and pickup fees, transportation, one month of storage and $10,000 worth of contents protection. If we needed the container for more than one month, we would owe an additional monthly fee.
We only recommend booking with PODS if you can fit all of your belongings in one storage container. The cost to rent multiple containers can end up being as much as or more than full-service movers.
PODS offers free, no-obligation quotes over the phone, and in our experience, the customer service team is very friendly and thorough.
The PODS website also has a convenient online moving calculator that gives you a ballpark idea of which storage container (or containers) you’ll need based on the size of your home and the belongings you’ll be packing.
While PODS has three container options, its 12-foot containers are only available for local moves. So, if you’re moving a longer distance, you’ll need to rent the more expensive 16-foot container if you have a larger home.
Additionally, if your belongings don’t fit in the 16-foot container after downsizing, you’ll need to rent multiple containers, which will increase your total moving cost.
It’s important to note that no full-service mover can be considered “cheap,” as their services are inherently expensive. However, the following movers are qualified to handle a comprehensive range of services with efficiency and care and gave us the lowest ballpark rates out of seven top movers we requested quotes from.
Moving APT partners with 2,500-plus independent moving companies. Since it is a moving broker, it doesn’t provide direct service for any moves it books. The breadth of its partners allows it to offer local and long-distance service to customers in all 50 states. However, like other brokers, Moving APT is prone to service quality variance in different locations.
We spent 15 minutes on the phone with Moving APT’s representative and a move coordinator from a partner moving company. We got a quote of $6,000 for a three-bedroom, 1,800-mile move with 30 days of free storage. Packing services would add $700 to our bill for a total cost of $6,700. This would require an upfront deposit of around 30% of our total move cost.
Moving APT’s broker status allows for flexibility when booking moving services for container moves and full-service relocations. We like that it provides online company bios for its top moving partners in prominent urban areas. In addition, Moving APT offers a price-match policy when you provide lower quotes you received from competitor companies.
Booking with a moving broker can lead to overbilling by the partner companies that ultimately handle your move. This is a complaint that is highlighted in some negative reviews. To avoid surprises, ask your Moving APT representative about the company that will handle your move and ask about added fees upfront to avoid a company that will inflate charges on moving day.
International Van Lines (IVL) is a nationwide mover that offers service as a broker and carrier in all 50 states. In our experience, it offers quick quotes and even features a cost calculator tool online for easy, instant pricing.
We contacted IVL for a pricing estimate for an 1,800-mile, three-bedroom move. We spent a brief time on the phone with a customer service representative who took our move information down. We then emailed them a full inventory list before getting a ballpark estimate for a move with and without packing.
With no add-ons, this relocation package would cost $6,276. Full-service packing for the entire home would bump the price to $7,158. Long-distance moves come with 30 days of free storage.
IVL’s available pricing information for add-ons and local moves on its site allows for easy planning and budgeting for clients. In addition, its 50-state and 150-country network for long-distance and international moving makes it one of the most widely-available movers in the business.
Like other movers operating as brokers, IVL requires large upfront deposits to secure booking. These typically range between 20% and 25% of your quoted rate. This could be a negative for customers looking for a cheap moving option.
Allied Van Lines is a moving carrier with more than 400 locations spread across all 50 states. It offers vehicle shipping and expedited service for small moves. Allied also features a cost calculator tool online for fast ballpark rates.
We called Allied and got a quote for a three-bedroom, 1,800-mile relocation. We spent about 15 minutes on the phone with a representative who took down our move information and inventory. They stressed that our estimate was a ballpark figure but quoted us a basic rate of $7,000. If we included full-service packing for the entire home, we would pay around $10,000.
Allied services include Allied Express packages for smaller relocations. If your home is two bedrooms or smaller, your move could be eligible for this service plan. It supplies a moving container with moving labor, full-value protection and transportation of your goods at an all-inclusive binding rate. We also found its online and phone quote processes to be stress-free and straightforward.
Some negative reviews for this provider mention final costs that exceed initial quotes. This can be somewhat concerning when looking for cheap moving services. However, we recommend booking an in-person estimate to avoid this. Oftentimes, upcharging on moving day results from incomplete quotes or the addition of services or inventory after you’ve received your quote.
If you’re weighing whether movers are a worthy investment, the following questions may be at the top of your mind. Here are some key things to know before hiring a moving company.
Low-end costs for an 1,800-mile, three-bedroom move fall between $6,000 and $8,200, according to our quotes. These rates increase to $6,700 to $12,900 when full-service packing is added.
The moving company quotes we requested were for cross-country moves, which are substantially more expensive than local moves or moves between bordering states. Per our proprietary survey, 154 respondents who moved within 25 miles reported an average moving cost of $1,802.
Tipping is never a requirement; most moving companies state this in their website’s FAQ section or their moving contract. However, if your movers went above and beyond or made the relocation a stress-free experience, consider tipping. A good rule of thumb is $5 per mover per hour for local moves or $40 to $50 per mover per day for multiday moves.
All reputable moving companies should present proof of licensing upon request. Local moving companies will carry local and statewide registration, while national or interstate movers must carry federal registration with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
Interstate movers must also have active U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and Motor Carrier (MC) numbers, which will be displayed on a company’s moving trucks and moving estimates. You can use these numbers to look up a mover’s registration status in the FMCSA’s database.
Further, any reputable moving company should have numerous customer reviews. You can find these on Google, Yelp, Trustpilot, BBB and social media sites like Reddit. Customer feedback is the best way to get a glimpse into a given mover’s business practices beyond what is listed on their website. Look for positive and negative comments, especially those concerning estimates and fees.
We asked four experts to share their insights about moving on a budget.
“Hiring a moving company is a worthy investment for most families. The amount of physical work and stress involved in moving a household is enormous. The length of the move, time restraints and size of the household are all important factors in determining the help you need.”
“A professional moving company is worth every dollar to save time, protect valuables and minimize damage during your relocation.”
“It really depends on your economic situation. Do you like to spend several days packing and unpacking, or do you want to hire the best moving company that fits your budget and schedule? Is your goal to cut down on moving expenses or would you like to move without sweating by spending extra money?”
“This would depend on the amount of work required for moving. A small one-bedroom apartment with little furniture can be done without professional help, while hiring a moving company could prove cost-efficient for a large house.”
“To save money, consider using a storage container moving company. You can pack the container at your convenience, have the company transport it to your new location, and then unpack it at your leisure.
“Additionally, moving mid-month instead of at the end of the month can help reduce costs, as prices are typically lower during this time.”
“If using a professional company, comparing quotes is important. These days it is rather easy to search and get quotes from several companies.”
“Engage a qualified local real estate agent for your home purchase. A skilled agent will have a network of local connections, including valuable recommendations for a reliable and reasonably priced moving company.”
“Prioritize what you will need in your next home. Take what you need, not what you want. Life changes faster than we notice. We have a lot of stuff that we no longer need, but others might. So donate as much as possible, or find a flea market to reduce items on your moving list.”
“Plan and organize early. Many things, such as car or equipment rental, will cost more last minute. Early preparation helps you find the best deals on moving services and supplies.”
You can save hundreds — if not thousands — of dollars on your move if you rent a truck from a company like Budget or work with a moving container company like U-Pack. However, paying more for a reasonably priced full-service mover will save you time, stress and legwork.
For a cost-effective move with professional assistance, consider Moving APT, International Van Lines or Allied Van Lines. These three movers offered the lowest full-service quotes during our secret shopping process. Moving APT’s price matching guarantee helps assure that you’ll pay the lowest rate.
If you book with a full-service mover, we recommend giving yourself enough time to pack beforehand. Doing so can save you substantial money on your move by eliminating packing costs and helping you purge unnecessary items for a lower inventory weight.
Our moving recommendations are all backed by our detailed rating methodology. To fairly assess both interstate and local movers, we have tailored two sets of review standards for long-distance and intrastate movers.
Both sets of review standards assess factors including reputation and customer satisfaction, availability and range, services offered, pricing and quote practices and customer service. We rate each moving company out of 100 possible points. We then divide the final score by 20 to obtain the 5-star rating we feature in our reviews.
BBB and Google Reviews ratings are current as of June 2024.
Editorial note: The name “Homefront” refers to the alliance between USA TODAY and Home Solutions that publishes review, comparison, and informational articles designed to help USA TODAY readers make smarter purchasing and investment decisions about their home. Under the alliance, Homefront provides and publishes research and articles about home service and home improvement topics.
Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.
Veronika Jelenik is an editor for USA TODAY Homefront, where she edits articles spanning from moving and home warranty to roofing and HVAC. She has a background in journalism, having worked as a news reporter covering local government and municipal planning, a content update editor for Brides.com, and a freelance contributor to several major publications. Her pieces have been published in the New York Daily News, the Hartford Courant, PAPER Magazine and elsewhere. When not editing, you can find Veronika shopping for used books and vintage clothing, reading her poetry and creative nonfiction at open mics and cuddling with her Chihuahua, Beanie. She lives in Manhattan.
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