Moving house is a unique period in a person’s life where tension usually runs high and time always runs faster than a sprinter towards the finish line. On top of that, various concerns and genuine worries tend to lodge in home movers’ minds and won’t leave them in peace until the house move is done and over with.
If you’ve already scheduled a move out of your apartment soon, it’s only normal that your mind will be preoccupied with the average cost to move an apartment. After all, it’s your hard-earned money that will be on the line here so it’s important that you know in advance what to expect as far as moving costs for a 1-bedroom apartment go, as well as 2- and 3-bedroom apartments.
Read on to find more information about the average costs of moving an apartment locally and cross country, including what major factors influence the final moving price.
What major factors affect the price of moving an apartment?
Before we give you specific example prices of moving an apartment, let’s discuss briefly how the moving cost is formed in general so that you try to find good ways to move to your new home for less money.
- Distance. It’s only logical that the greater the distance is to the new apartment or house, the more transportation costs will be incurred during the move. But although greater distances mean more money, the move mileage is the one thing you won’t be able to control in any way.
- Weight. The overall weight of the possessions you’ve decided to take with you will determine, to a certain degree, the final cost of moving an apartment. If you only move the household items you really need, then you will be able to save loads of money before and during the actual relocation, as well as plenty of space in your new home after the actual relocation. How to get rid of things when moving house?
- Extra services. Of course, each extra service will cost you more money, so whenever possible, look for ways to minimize the number of moving services performed by the pros. For example, instead of paying professional packers, if you manage to pack up your entire home on your own, or at least do it partially, then completing the house-packing job by yourself should cut the moving costs significantly. What additional services do movers offer?
- Complexity of the move. Specific circumstances around your residential move will influence the moving cost one way or another. It’s important to note that the overall complexity of your move can increase the final moving cost. For example, if there’s no elevator on the day of the move – either out of service or missing altogether, then the moving company you have hired is likely to charge you extra for the additional time and labor due to the fact that the movers will be forced to go up and down multiple flights of stairs. Also, a long walk from the entrance of the apartment building to the moving truck – usually due to parking issues – is likely to incur extra charges for you because of the extra time and effort lost during the loading process.
- Time of the year. Typically, moving companies charge more during the peak of the moving season (May – September) simply because their services are in great demand. This means that if you happen to be moving out of your apartment during the off-peak season, you have a much greater chance of scoring a great deal because of the decreased demand for professional moving services in that period.
Good to know: What is full-service moving?
How much does it cost to move a 1-bedroom apartment?
The exact price of your one-bedroom apartment move will be determined by the case-by-case factors mentioned above. The good news for you is that, under specific circumstances, your move may be perfectly manageable on your own.
Cost to move a one-bedroom apartment locally
The first thing to remember about short-distance moves is that a local move stays within 50 miles of the point of origin and does not cross any state lines.
Depending on the town or city you live in, the local movers in your area will charge you by the hour: roughly $80 per hour per mover or around $160 per hour for two movers and a truck of the right size.
This means that when you’re moving out of a 1-bedroom apartment, you should expect to pay approximately $640 provided that 2 movers work on your local move for 4 hours or so.
Costs to move a 1 bedroom apartment cross country
Long-distance movers don’t charge by the hour – instead, they calculate the final price based on the distance, the weight of the shipment, and any additional services.
It’s very hard to give any accurate costs to move a one-bedroom apartment across the country not only because of the ever-changing factors (see above) but also because of the fact that different movers have different long-distance rates.
Nevertheless, knowing the average cost of moving out of a 1-bedroom apartment will help you set your budget properly and prepare mentally for the financial side of the relocation.
Here are the average costs when moving out of a one-bedroom apartment across the country for 250 miles, 500 miles, 1,000 miles, and 2,000 miles respectively:
| Home Size | 250 miles | 500 miles | 1,000 miles | 2,000 miles |
| 1-bedroom apartment | $1,210 – $3,013 | $1,598 – $3,213 | $2,363 – $4,930 | $2,576 – $4,998 |
Keep in mind that these average costs are nothing but rough estimates and do NOT include packing or any other extra services.
How much does it cost to move a 2-bedroom apartment?
It shouldn’t come as a big surprise that moving a 2 bedroom apartment is not only a tougher job than moving a one-bedroom home, but it’s costlier too. Naturally, the price difference comes from the larger amount of household items found in the residence.
Cost to move a 2-bedroom apartment locally
As you already know, local movers charge by the hour – roughly $80 per hour per mover or around $160 per hour for two movers and a truck.
Therefore, when you’re moving out of a 2-bedroom apartment, you should expect to pay around $1,440 in case 3 hired men work on your local move for approximately 6 hours.
Price to move a 2-bedroom apartment cross country
When you’re moving out of a 2-bedroom apartment and the destination home is located in another part of the country, then you should be ready to dig deeper into your pockets to cover the moving expenses.
Here are the average costs when moving out of a two-bedroom apartment across the country for 250 miles, 500 miles, 1,000 miles, and 2,000 miles respectively:
| Home Size | 250 miles | 500 miles | 1,000 miles | 2,000 miles |
| 2-bedroom apartment | $1,556 – $4,225 | $2,083 – $4,352 | $2,567 – $5,801 | $3,460 – $6,146 |
It’s important to know that these average moving costs are only rough estimates that do NOT include packing or any other extra services.
How much does it cost to move a 3-bedroom apartment?
The average weight of the things found inside 3-bedroom apartments is approximately 7,500 pounds and that fact alone can make your local or long-distance move too expensive. Make sure you purge your home of anything unnecessary long before your professional movers arrive at your door.
See also: How to organize a garage sale before the move?
Price to move a 3-bedroom apartment locally
By now you are perfectly familiar with the fact that local movers charge on an hourly basis – around $80 per hour per mover or around $160 per hour for two movers and a truck.
Therefore, when you’re moving out of a 3-bedroom apartment, you should expect to pay around $2,240 provided that 4 local movers work on your residential move for roughly 7 hours or so.
Cost to move a 3-bedroom apartment across the country
When you’re moving out of a 3-bedroom apartment and the destination home is located in another state altogether, then you should be ready, both financially and mentally, for the increased moving expenses.
Here are the average costs when moving out of a three-bedroom apartment across the country for 250 miles, 500 miles, 1,000 miles, and 2,000 miles respectively:
| Home Size | 250 miles | 500 miles | 1,000 miles | 2,000 miles |
| 3-bedroom apartment | $1,880 – $4,505 | $3,250 – $5,375 | $3,570 – $6,163 | $4,693 – $7,523 |
Must-read: How to cut costs when moving
Keep in mind that the only way to know the exact price when moving out of an apartment – moving either locally or long-distance, is to get free moving quotes from top-rated movers in your area.
