Surprise! 4 Moving Costs You May Not Have Planned For

Published: June 29, 2017

No one ever said moving was easy on your checkbook. Between paying movers, realtor fees or security deposits, your move is likely to cost you a pretty penny. Most people have planned for these expenses ahead of time. But are you ready for those surprise bills and costs that sneak up on you during your move?  Avoid being blindsided with unexpected moving costs by making room in your budget for these things:

Transfer and set up fees

When you move into your new residence, chances are you’d like there to be electricity and air conditioning, right? Utilities companies are willing to set up internet, water, gas or electric at a new location – for a price. Be prepared for up to a couple hundred dollars of fees from these service providers when they come out to uninstall or set up.

On top of the transfer and set-up fees, it isn’t uncommon for a utility bill from your old home to get lost in the moving mayhem. Make sure your mail from your old address is being forwarded to your new one, or you might end up paying some hefty late fees on a gas or water bill.

Temporary lodging

Sometimes there’s a little too much time between the move-out and move-in days. Your lease may end in the middle of the month and the new one may not start until the start of the next month. Or someone might have bought your old house and want to be moved in before the ink is dry on the deed.

In these situations, you’ll need a chunk of change on hand for temporary lodging, even if you don’t plan on staying in a 4 star hotel. There’s always the possibility of some unexpected event throwing off your moving schedule and leaving you without a place to sleep for the next 2 weeks.

Meals and Groceries

When you’re in the middle of moving you don’t have the time, energy or supplies to prepare a homecooked meal for the entire family. A week of dining out for breakfast, lunch and dinner takes a big hit on your wallet. Don’t forget to allocate a budget for your dining expenses during the entire moving process.

Once you’ve finally unpacked your cooking supplies in your new home, don’t overlook the inevitable cost of restocking your new pantry and refrigerator. While non-perishable food items can make the move, other essentials such as milk, bread and frozen pizzas will need replaced. Plan for a extensive trip to the grocery store once you get moved.

Time Off Work

You’re going to need to take time off work at some point during your move. This is unavoidable. A lucky few may have enough vacation time to take off a few days to pack and let the movers in, but for others these moving days will be unpaid.

While you can plan on getting everything done in the evening after work or on the weekend, but this often turns out to be unrealistic. Even if you’re only moving a few miles away, expect to take at least two days away from work during your move.

Moving isn’t always easy, especially on your wallet. Even the best planned budget may hit a road bump from unexpected moving expenses. Thankfully, with UNITS Moving & Portable Storage, you can easily plan ahead for one more moving cost. Get your free quote now!