Moving the contents in a four-bedroom house costs anywhere from $1,000 to $21,000 depending on the distance, with most long distance moves coming in between $4,000 and $10,000.
The average cost to move a four-bedroom house more than 100 miles can range from $4,000 to $10,000, with a high-end cost of $21,000 or more. If you’re moving a four-bedroom home less than 100 miles, you can expect to pay between $1,000 to $5,000, with an average cost of $7,000.
Since the contents of a four-bedroom home vary greatly among each homeowner, so will the cost of moving. The total cost will depend on the house size, weight, distance, your moving method, and more.
The total cost of moving your four-bedroom home long-distance will depend on several factors. Let’s take a closer look at some of the cost factors that you’ll need to consider when planning your long-distance move.
One significant cost factor in moving your four-bedroom home long distance is, well, distance. Generally speaking, the farther a moving company has to travel with your belongings, the more you’ll end up paying.
Usually, if you’re moving across the country or any distance greater than 100 miles, a moving company will charge you by the weight of your belongings rather than by the hour. You’ll also be required to pay per additional mile traveled, and for gas, lodging, and toll expenses.
| Mileage | 1–2 Bedrooms | 3–5 Bedrooms |
|---|---|---|
| 250 | $700–$2,500 | $2,000–$6,000 |
| 500 | $1,000–$3,000 | $3,500–$7,500 |
| 1,000 | $1,400–$3,500 | $4,000–$8,000 |
| 2,000+ | $2,000–$4,000 | $6,500–$9,000+ |
The size of your home will also play an important role in determining how much you pay for your long-distance move. Typically, a larger home will have more items to move. However, if your four-bedroom home is extravagantly furnished and holds many large items, like a piano or gun safe, you’ll likely have to spend a bit more to transport it to your new faraway home.
| Numbers of Bedrooms | Cost to Move Long-Distance |
|---|---|
| 1 | $700–$3,000 |
| 2 | $2,000–$7,000 |
| 3+ | $4,000–$10,000+ |
Long-distance moving companies usually charge by the weight of your belongings rather than charging by the hour. To do so, the moving company should weigh the empty moving truck and provide you with a receipt, which gives the truck’s weight before adding your belongings. Then, once your belongings are in the truck, the moving professionals will weigh it again to calculate your moving cost.
If you’d like an estimate of your weight-based moving cost before moving day arrives, your moving professional can provide you with a quote based on the average size of your home. For instance, the contents of a 2,800-square-foot, four-bedroom home usually weighs around 20,500 pounds.
There are several ways you can execute your long-distance move, and your chosen method will also impact your total cost. Some options can save you a significant amount of money, but require you to do the heavy lifting and moving on your own. On the other hand, hiring professional movers will cost more but are well worth the investment. After all, you can’t put a price on a moving day that’s free of physical strain and mental stress.
Here are a few moving methods and their associated costs.
Renting a moving truck and moving yourself is a budget-friendly way of moving long-distance. For a four-bedroom home, you’ll likely need a larger truck; a 26-foot truck costs around $1,750 on average. Choosing this method will mean handling every aspect of the move yourself (renting, packing, loading, driving, unloading, etc.). Make sure to also account for fuel prices.
You also have the option of renting and shipping a moving container. With this option, you’ll be responsible for packing all of your belongings and loading them onto the container. Then, a professional will drive it to your new home. Renting a moving container could cost you anywhere from $3,000 to $6,500 for a four-bedroom home.
If you don’t want to lift a finger, hiring a full-service moving team is the way to go. For a four-bedroom home, full-service long-distance moves cost anywhere from $4,000 to $21,000, if not more.
Here are some often overlooked (but equally important) additional costs.
Moving supplies: Essential moving supplies, such as moving boxes and packing tape, can cost $350 to $400 or more for your four-bedroom house.
Insurance: If your homeowners or renters insurance doesn’t cover your move, you may need to buy moving insurance through your moving company or another third party. Full value protection typically costs 1% of the total estimated value of your belongings. Third-party insurance is usually 1% to 5% of the shipment’s total value.
Packing and unpacking costs: If you would like help packing and unpacking, you could pay professional packers to handle the packing and then do the rest yourself. This service can cost anywhere from $270 to $2,200.
Tipping: Since a lot of hard work goes into moving long-distance, tipping your movers is a wonderful way to show your appreciation. Of course, how much you tip will depend on factors like the quality of service, distance, and the complexity of a move. However, tipping 20% of the total moving cost is a standard practice.
You may be wondering how the cost to move a four-bedroom home long-distance yourself compares to how much movers cost. While it’s true that moving yourself can cut down your expenses significantly, it’s usually best to hire professional movers for larger homes and greater distances because they require intense physical and emotional labor.
The cost of hiring movers to help you move a four-bedroom house long distance will cost between $4,000 to $21,000, depending on the cost factors outlined above. However, you can’t quite put a price on the peace of mind that comes from saving time and avoiding injuries that could occur from doing all the heavy lifting on your own.
The total cost of moving yourself will depend on factors such as distance and home size. A DIY four-bedroom, long-distance move could cost anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000. Long-distance DIY moves generally cost more than local moves on account of the truck rental and gas prices. For a local, four-bedroom move, you could pay between $250 and $2,500.
There's no doubt that moving can be expensive, especially when moving a large home across a long distance. If you want to move without breaking the bank, here are a few ways to save during the process.
Move during the off-season: The off-season for moving is from October through April, during which you’ll find lower moving costs and greater availability from moving companies.
Get multiple moving quotes: To find the most affordable prices, you’ll want to get quotes from several types of moving companies to ensure you get the best deal.
Get savvy with supplies: Instead of buying supplies for your move, get resourceful and use recycled supplies. Look for any items around your home (or your family and friends’ homes) that you can use. You can also obtain discarded cardboard boxes from grocery and hardware stores.
Consider hybrid moving options: A hybrid move allows you to save money by handling some things yourself, and save time and stress by leaving other aspects to the pros. For example, you could pack and unpack on your own. Then, hire moving professionals to load up the truck and transport your belongings.
Leave unwanted items behind: Moving long-distance is the perfect opportunity to start fresh with less clutter. Before packing, spend some time throwing out, recycling, and donating any unnecessary items. This step will save you money on your total weight cost.
You can calculate the cost of moving by evaluating your home size, the weight of your belongings, distance, and the method of moving. You’ll also want to account for moving company fees, cost of supplies, gas prices, storage fees, insurance, and more. To get the most accurate estimate for your upcoming move, get price quotes from several moving companies in your area.
Depending on the type of expense, it is possible to deduct moving costs on your taxes. For example, you can deduct for packing, crating, insurance, in-transit storage, and using a trailer. However, you cannot deduct expenses such as moving furniture, security deposits, and home buying and selling expenses.
