Last Updated: Feb 20th, 2024

Below is a hypothetical scenario but based on real data:

A family of five recently completed the purchase of a four-bedroom home in Hillsboro, Oregon. The family will be moving to its new home from Lake Oswego Oregon, a 60-mile round trip. What an exciting time! Of course, once the ultimate decision to relocate has been made, many decisions with big and small implications follow.

The parents mull these decisions as they take stock of what’s around them in their house. There are the beds, living room couches and other large furniture pieces. The kids will need their clothes, school supplies, and toys packed up and readily available amid the shuffle. Valuables need to be secured and accounted for. 

All electronics must make it to Hillsboro in proper working order, from the sound system to the 55-inch television set. Where to start?

“How much will my move cost?”

..they ask on an Internet search.. They enter their parameters and ask for a quoted price.

Their quest for information morphs into a moment of sticker shock: $1,219.10 to employ two movers to pack and ship their belongings in a moving truck. Luckily, for this cost-conscious family money can be saved utilizing resources readily available to all of us.

#1 Pack Your Own Boxes - $311.34 or more SAVED!

From the dining table and chairs to the kids’ clothes to the manila envelope with past tax returns in their file cabinet, the family of four must account for items big and small when understanding what must be done to pack. After receiving the quoted price, the parents ask: Should we pack everything up ourselves?

After accounting for time, labor and materials, packing services make up to 40 percent of the cost of a typical move. We estimate for the purposes of our hypothetical that two hours’ worth of labor, boxes, tape, labels, markers and other ancillary supplies would cost our hypothetical family of four $311.34.

Packing by oneself or with one’s family does require time, and issues do arise -- some people are allergic to the adhesives used in packing tape, as an example. Nevertheless, packing up household materials in an order or logistical system that makes sense to the individual or family being moved may save considerable mental energy and hassle on the specific day. Valuable and sensitive materials may require greater care and general supervision for purposes of privacy or fragility. 

Fewer than five percent of moving customers opt for packing services. We at Fellows believe it should be just that: an option.

#2 Rent your own truck - $398 or more SAVED!

The family of four has two cars at its disposal, but neither have the cargo space to hold a bed, a chest of drawers, a floor-to-ceiling lamp and a flat-screen television all at once. The parents realize that they will need a bigger vehicle for all their belongings. Our family, and you, may be able to derive the greatest portion of savings on a typical move at a local rental truck dealership. 

Ownership of a truck suitable for hauling a family’s possessions incurs significant costs: insurance, licensing, vehicle registration, fuel, maintenance and many more. Here is a breakdown of the costs of renting a truck that our family could expect:

17 ft cube van - $29.99

Environmental  fee - $2.00

Vehicle Licensing Recovery Fee - $2.00

Mileage Rate ($0.99/mile for 60 miles) - $59.40

Tax Rate (approx 14%) - $11.69

Gas refueling (60 miles, 7 miles/gal, $2.99/gal) - $25.62

Insurance: $25.00

The total cost of a rental truck for our hypothetical family would be $155.68. Compared to some moving companies, which charge $300 or more for use of a truck, our family has money to set aside for other elements of the move -- or the new house or apartment!

Truck rental prices are highly variable: times, dates, seasons, and pick-up/drop-off locations may determine how much you ultimately spend. We recommend shopping around and comparing prices from different rental truck dealers in (and possibly out of) your immediate area. You never know who offers the best deal for your particular set of circumstances -- or what type of deals are available!

#3 Find appropriate packing materials - $62.35 Saved

The next step in consolidating possessions lies in choosing the right materials. There is no such thing as “getting away with” buying inferior packing materials. Things need to be put in boxes, and high value items (HVI) or fragile items need to be wrapped and carted in such a way that protects them. 

We have found, based on our 10 years of experience in the moving business, that some packing materials are essential and others are non-essential. The non-essential supplies (think labeling kits, bubble wrap, dish packing kits) are certainly functional, and can be quite useful. However, essential items -- boxes, tape, paper and padding -- have no or few direct substitutes and should be the top line items in any moving budget. By extension, the essentials should receive much of the consideration time in figuring out how to pack and move personal items and housewares. See these items and estimated prices at the bottom of this page.

#4 Buy moving materials in bulk - $49.95 Saved

The parents of our family of four have identified the packing materials they wanted, and where to get them. They decided to buy the materials online, in bulk, and have them delivered to their door in Gresham, ensuring convenience and sufficiency in protecting their belongings.

Buying in bulk saves you gas in the tank, time running around town to various stores and a potential headache of a search for boxes and other materials. We recommend three sources in particular for boxes in bulk. Boomerang Boxes receives used and new boxes from distributors, manufacturers, and retailers and sells good boxes for half the prices of new ones for your moving and shipping needs. U-Haul offers a 100-percent buy-back of any unused U-Haul box, with receipt, at any U-Haul center nationwide; the company also offers free shipping on online orders of packing materials over $99. Uboxes.com has a great wholesale selection of package tape, bubble rolls, stretch wrap, packing paper, and other packing supplies.

#5 Don’t use standard moving paper - $15.00 Saved

Our family goes through the kitchen cabinets and inventories the drinking glasses, wine glasses, and pitchers. A decorative glass bowl, used as a centerpiece on the dining table, must be packed carefully. 

Got junk mail? Catalogs, coupon magazines, newspapers, promotional flyers and other scraps are often sent to the recycle bin without a second glance. Individuals and families on the move, however, may unlock value from all these papers.

Glassware, porcelain, and other delicate and sensitive materials require deft packing to preserve structural integrity and utility. Sheets of paper, balled up or stacked atop one another, offer insulation and shock absorption to ensure that your possessions stay intact while on the move. Paper is far more environmentally friendly than packing peanuts or plastic wrap -- and, unlike those two materials, you can recycle the paper at the end of the move?

Need a LOT of paper in a hurry? One neat trick for movers: visit your local newspaper or printing plant. The production of newspapers and magazines often results in a product called a roll end -- essentially, one thick (and occasionally long) roll of excess paper. Roll ends are typically given away or sold for a nominal fee, usually between $5-10.

#6 Protect your fragile items! - $69.99 Saved

The master bedroom in the family of four’s house includes a beautiful, handcrafted wood frame for the parents’ king-sized bed. It’s clearly far too large to be boxed up with bubble wrap and cardboard; nevertheless, the parents want to preserve it during the move. Imagine if movers leaned metal shelves onto the bed frame to consolidate space within the truck. At the destination city, the bed frame is unpacked -- and scratched up!

This scenario occurs all too commonly during moves but is one of the easiest to prevent. Every household has some form of padding available in the form of sheets, blankets, comforters and even soft rugs. Rental truck companies may offer pads for rent; at U-Haul, $5 nets you a bag of six moving blankets. Not unlike with paper protecting drinking glasses, moving pads and blankets protect the big-ticket items inherent to every household. It’s great value for little or no expense.

#7 Disassemble and assemble your own items - $35.00 Saved

It may seem obvious, but it bears repeating: big and heavy items are difficult to remove. They require advance planning and considerable physical exertion.

Whenever possible, an item should be broken down into component pieces to encourage quicker packing and maximization of space. Consider the dresser, staple of most adult and children’s bedrooms. A dresser with full drawers is heavy and cumbersome to move, but moving the dresser frame first -- followed by the full drawers, assembled in the moving truck lightens the load on each trip while still accomplishing the same moving task.

#8 Consider buying a AAA policy - $25.00 Saved

The parents are members of the American Automobile Association, better known as AAA. That membership came in handy a decade ago, when their car broke down on vacation in a rural area. The organization sends them an email bulletin that mentions moving deals. The parents look at each other and click through the information.

Are you a member of AAA? If so, you may be in line for some exclusive discounts that keep cash in your pocket at moving time. AAA offers discounts with a slew of corporate partners, including Atlas Van Lines and Shell gasoline. The organization advertises discounts at more than 100,000 merchant locations and featured offers depending upon time of year or additional circumstances. Membership packages start at $58 annually.

#9 Consider moving on discounted days - $25.00 Saved

Chances are, the parents in the family of four have full-time jobs, with Saturdays and Sundays available for other activities. The kids are in school, and the demands of the school year must be considered. Is there any such thing as a good time to move?

The truth is, some times are better than others. Early morning is the best time of day to move; there is much less traffic on the roadways and temperatures are cooler, allowing movers to work more efficiently. Weekdays are preferable to weekends, when services are in higher demand. The middle of a month is preferable to the beginning or the end of a month, since many renters time their moves by end-of-month opt-outs or ended lease agreements. And fewer people move between October and April than during the other six months, as people follow academic calendars and good weather.

Moving companies are beginning to introduce dynamic pricing based on day of the week and times of day, according to consumer demand. Creating availability during off-peak hours or slower days may benefit your bottom line. Contact moving companies in the area for potential deals, and don’t hesitate to shop around.

#10 Reduce the size of your move - $75.00 Saved

Among the family’s possessions is a massive office desk that no longer fits in with the family’s lifestyle. The parents consult a junk removal company about taking away the desk and receive price quotes between $75 and $100. Donating the desk also proves challenging, as many recipients of furniture and other large-item donations do not offer pick-up services.

Moving is a logistical challenge for us all, but it provides an excellent opportunity to assess what we have -- and what we don’t need. The opportunity to convert unwanted possessions into extra cash can allay costs incurred on more expensive items surrounding a move, such as a rental truck. 

Moving sales may be held at your place of residence, online (through Craigslist or classified advertisement postings) or at third-party markets. It is important to consider both time sensitivity and ease of sale -- as an example, selling a queen-sized bed may require more effort than selling a closet organizer -- when pricing and marketing items. The optimal end result is fewer possessions, more money in your pocket -- and less stress at the time of the move.

#11 Save your back - priceless

Ultimately, moving is a very stressful time, and although there may be 10 ways to save money, sometimes saving your time (and your lower back), hiring a moving company may be the best way to go!

Think about it: you already have 101 things you need to do; like mopping the floors, changing the cable, setting up a new router, and beginning forwarding your mail, etc. Having to move all your stuff by yourself is just going to take away the time you could be spending preparing for the big change. That is why you should always consider hiring your local movers.

Essential Supplies:

Small Box qty: 5 = $0.99-$1.70

Medium Box qty: 35 = $2.35-$2.79 

Large Box qty: 15 = $1.67-$2.84

Book Box. qty: 5 = $1.25-$1.81

Extra Large Box qty: 5 = $2.49-$3.61

Box Paper Tape qty: 6 = $3.95-$5.72

Packing Paper  (200) qty: 1 = $9.95-$14.42

Moving Pads qty: 36 = $36-$360

—————————————————————————————-

Non-Essential Supplies:

Cushion Foam qty: 2 = $4.95-$7.17

Dish Saver Kit  qty: 1 = $10.95-$15.87

Glass Pack Kit qty: 1 = $10.95-$15.87

Flat Screen TV Cover qty: 1 = $9.95-$14.42

Lg Wardrobe Box qty: 4 = $13.95-$20.22

10’ Lg Bubble Roll qty: 2 = $4.05-$5.87

15’ Sm Bubble Role qty: 2 = $4.05-$5.87

Labeling Kit qty: 1 = $3.50-$15.00