The Cheapest Way to Move Locally In 2023

Moving home locally is faster and easier than a long-distance move. So far so good. But the question that keeps you tossed up is – ‘is local moving cheaper’ or ‘can local moving company quotes get cheaper’.

This is a hard question to answer as the local moving cost is determined by multiple factors, the mode of transit being the most significant. What’s your approach to move – whether you prefer moving on your own or hiring a local moving company, the number and nature of the items you intend to move, and the way you organize your preparation period decide the overall moving expenditure.

Based on how you plan the moving, the process ranges from being largely hassle-free, slightly problematic, to even nightmarish.

Our essential guide on how to locally move cheap in 2023 will work best for your relocation. Every dollar counts these days and we know it better than anyone. Being moving experts, our tips are valuable, and reading them will help you move the home locally without burning the pocket.

Hire a truck and move yourself to the new home

One of the cheapest ways to move locally is to ‘Do It Yourself’ or DIY, where you do everything related to moving yourself and hire a truck for transit purposes. You are responsible for every activity, starting from scratch. You take the stock of the stuff that needs to be moved, prepare an estimate, decide the truck size, buy the packing materials, pack the household belongings, load the truck, unload them, and unwrap and organize the new home.

You can hire trucks ranging from 9-foot cargo vans to 26-foot trucks. While a 9-foot cargo van can fit the content of a studio apartment, a 26-foot truck is perfect enough to carry a whole more than 4-bedroom household stuff.

What matters is the selection of the truck of the right size. The truck you hire shouldn’t be too big or too small as it may impact the rent. You cannot fit the entire household belongings to a truck if it is small in size and a large truck, your items may slide around and break in the extra space during the transit.

How much does a truck rental cost?

As for cost, a 16-foot moving truck that can take in the stuff of about 2 bedroom apartment will cost around $30 per day plus $0.72 per mile while moving locally. The cost can go high if you have a big home and more stuff. For a 26-foot truck, this can be $47 per day plus $0.77 per mile.

When you rent a truck, you need to consider the duration you would require it and the miles you would need it to cover as well as any other surcharges. Also note that if you want collision coverage and/or liability insurance for your truck rental, it will cost you extra, which may range from less than $100 to almost $200.

Just like moving company quotes, truck rental companies also have different quotes and you need to approach a minimum of 4 truck rental companies and negotiate hard for a better deal. Also, verify with the rental provider the day before to ensure your moving truck is reserved for you so that you relocate the home as planned.

If time is on your side, rent a portable storage container

If you don’t have a time constraint, pack at your own pace without a hard deadline and hire a portable storage container. This gives you the freedom to disassemble the home at your own pace.

You choose the size of the container as per the volume of the household belongings and the company delivers the container to your driveway. You fill it with the stuff and inform the company which carries the items to the new address.

You need to inform the company about the date and time of the delivery. However, this mode of moving has a drawback. There will be no delivery of the container with the stuff at your new doorstep but will be dropped at a fixed point from where you need to take it to the new home. But this mode is in high demand as it is extremely cheaper than other ways of moving.

You need to remember that if you don’t have a driveway or proper space in front of your home, this may not be the best choice.

Portable storage containers got famous recently for their benefit of affordable storage facility if you haven’t found a new home but got to leave the present accommodation. You can affordably store your belongings without having to move anything in and out of a stationary storage unit. Doesn’t that sound great?

Portable moving containers became popular with PODS but several other companies have also come up with this mode of service.

Rent a tow behind cargo or utility trailer

If you don’t find a portal storage container a nice option to relocate the home and hiring a local moving company is not in your plan, hire a cargo or utility trailer. But your vehicle must have a trailer hitch for that.

While hiring a cargo trailer, here are a few things to consider:

• How much weight your vehicle can carry
• What you’re hauling
• Which type of moving trailer you need

What type of moving trailer do you need?

Moving trailer type	Cargo	Utility	Auto
Trip distance	Long	Short	Any
Open or enclosed	Enclosed, lockable	Open, not lockable	Open
What it’s best for	Household goods	Bulky furniture, lawn equipment, rugged items	Vehicles

You can also purchase a used trailer for your move and resell it when you’re done with the relocation. This costs more money upfront, but do remember that you’ll get it back when someone buys it.

Move the stuff in your vehicle if the volume is less

If what you need to take to the new home is very few in volume, just use your car or personal vehicle to transit them. It is one of the extremely cheap ways to move locally. Believe me; you will be shell-shocked to know how many moving boxes you can squeeze into a car with open seats, floors, and a trunk.

The day before you move, ensure that the car is in perfect condition and there is enough gas to drive to the new home.

This mode is applicable only if the stuff is limited to squeeze into your car or MUV. However, if you have more stuff, you might require the help of a friend and his car. And if you have large furniture or heavy equipment, hire a mini truck and distribute the stuff accordingly. In any way, it is cheaper than a moving company quote.

Hire a moving labor service to move a short distance

You can pack the household belongings with the help of your friends or relatives but do remember that they are not professionals and loading the truck may not be their cup of tea. Since you or your friends have no beforehand experience in loading or carrying heavy furniture, this can lead to a disaster. Either one among you may get injured while moving a heavy object or the lack of experience may damage a delicate item like glassware. You should instead hire moving labor.

A professional company when takes up the task to load the truck, you get relieved as utmost security of the belongings is assured. You pack the stuff and hand them over to the local moving labor company which will load the truck in a short span. Similarly, the company will also unload the truck once you are at the end destination.

How much does a moving labor service cost?

Moving helpers charge around $100 to $200 to help you either load or unload a rental truck. The local moving labor company quote is based on the quantity of the stuff loaded and the type of items included. If you have special items at home, the professional assistance to load them may cost high and you need to remember this part while negotiating with the company over the cost. Usually, a special item like a piano will cost $200 just to load the truck and if there is more than one item, expect to pay more.

Can you hire moving labor to pack the household items?

Packing takes a huge chunk of time. Most often, packing can be stressful. Finding accurate packing materials and wrapping the household belongings hassle-free and accurate are challenges. To relieve you from this stress, you can ask moving labor to pack the items for you along with loading them. You need to discuss this part during the process of negotiation as it will be added to the moving labor company quote.

Remember that if packing is not a part of the deal, the workers will not do that at your request. Make sure what you need at the initial process as the local moving company should be clear about your demands.

Is a full-service moving company an affordable option?

The company will box up your household, store your household possessions if needed, load and unload the trucks, and even assemble your furniture and place it in the right rooms for you. But the only issue is the moving company quote. It will be expensive than the other options but not in all cases.

How much does a full-service local moving company charge?

Usually, full-service local moving companies charge on an hourly basis which is up to $50 to $100 per hour. This means, if two laborers are involved in the process, the average moving company quote will be around $200 per hour. Moving to a 1 bedroom apartment will cost you approximately $500-$1,000 and if your home has 3 bedrooms, you will need to cough up an average of $1,000-$1,500.

Let’s be honest. This is something expensive and we know you aspire to make it to the minimum. So is it possible to hire a full-service moving company without robbing a bank?

We can provide you tips that apply not just to full-service moving companies but even to every mode of transit. Let’s see some of them.

The top 6 ways to cut moving costs and expenses

Set up a personal moving budget

One of the best ways to monitor and control the expense is to prepare a personal moving budget. Analyze what you need to move and prepare a moving cost estimate. The budget should fit your pocket and should have the guts to not cross the budget.

Find a low moving quote

If you are not comfortable with the DIY or truck rental option and hiring professional help is what you aspire for, you need to be specific about the moving company quote. Always negotiate hard and ensure you receive the cheapest quote available but there should not be any compromise on the service part.

Schedule the moving in the offseason

Plan the moving early and schedule it for a season that is less preferred. For example, most people prefer moving in summer making it the busiest season. You need to select winter as it is the best time to get affordable moving company quotes. During the offseason, most local moving companies slash the rates by about 30%, which is considerably cheaper.

Save time to cut costs

Plan everything. Create a checklist and ensure every major task is done a week before the moving day. Make sure every requirement is met in advance and this makes the moving process smooth and hassle-free.

Get free packing boxes

Collect free moving boxes as much as possible. You need a lot of boxes and this alone can cost hundreds of dollars. Get them from multiple options, such as supermarkets, office supply stores, bookstores, specialized liquor stores. You can even ask friends and colleagues whether they can spare any cardboard boxes that they won’t ever need again. This will further cut down the budget especially if packing services are included in the moving company quote.

Purge your belongings

You need to declutter the home a month in advance. You’ll be surprised to know that about half of the household belongings are not required at the new home. Sell them off through a yard sale or online stores. You can also give them charity. The money you receive by selling them can be utilized in moving. And on the other side, you cut down the volume of items that need to be moved, whereby the moving cost is slashed down.

Finding the cheapest way to locally move is different for everyone you ask. For someone, the methods to move quickly seem the best while for another, a combo of date and type of transport works the best. You need to assess the situation and make the decision that suits you the best. It’s your call to decide the cheapest option to locally move the home. Which method do you call the cheapest? Decide and let us know.