Best Short Distance Movers: Short Distance Moving Tips:

There are so many things to take into account when moving from one home to another that residential moves often turn out to be overwhelming for the people involved. Impeccable organization will give you a much greater chance of success as it is considered to be the backbone of smooth relocation – simply take care of the tasks inside your personal moving calendar and it should be a good move altogether. Or at least that’s how it is supposed to be unless the move distance ends up being a much more important factor than you initially thought.

The move distance!

This external factor alone will determine not only how you prepare for the upcoming relocation, but also what type of help you will need to pull it off. In theory, the shorter the distance is to your new home, the easier and cheaper it will be to do the short distance move, and vice versa. In practice, however, things are not that black and white and you need to understand better the short distance moving options you have before you can reach the best decision out there.

The following short distance moving tips will give you more information on what to expect from your local move, including vital advice on what’s the best way to move short distance, how to choose the best short distance movers (if you decide that using professional relocation services is exactly what you need), how much short distance movers cost, and whether or not you are supposed to tip your professional helpers.

What’s the best way to move short distance?

Often, the best way to do something is a balanced combination of easy and cheap. Therefore, if you do manage to find a way to complete a task with minimum efforts and that successful completion won’t cost you too much in the end, then usually that is the best method do it. But the moment you transfer that simple idea to the world of residential moving, then things suddenly become a bit more complicated than they actually need to be.

What’s the easiest way to do a short distance move?

Without a doubt, the easiest way to move short distance is to leave all the move related work to people who you can trust with your personal items. Or at least the tasks that either will eat up huge chunks of your time (packing up your entire home is one good example) or jobs that you can’t possible finish on your own even if you tried (disassembly or re-assembly of large furniture, carrying large items out of the house, or loading the moving vehicle). You may also have special items in your home that will require even more special handling than your ordinary belongings – specialty items include but are not limited to pianos, antique furniture, huge and heavy furniture pieces, pool tables, hot tubs, heavy safes, kitchen appliances, and so on.

When using one of the reputable short distance moving companies, you pay professionals for peace of mind (your things should arrive in your new residence in the condition they left your old one) and for extra free time – you can use the scheduled break for doing other important things that you wouldn’t have the chance to do if you were moving on your own. Saying goodbye to your dearest friends by spending quality time with them just before you move away? What a great idea!


Is your new home located within walking distance?
The only thing that may stop you from hiring short distance moving services is the price. If you’ve only received short distance moving quotes that exceed the limits of your preliminary relocation budget, then you might want to consider planning and executing a self-move – perfectly doable when moving locally.

What’s the cheapest way to move short distance?

It’s important that you know how to look for and possibly find cheap short distance movers as your relocation partner. Moving only a short distance has its clear advantages, and one of them is the lower overall price compared to a long distance move across the country. After all, there’s a huge difference whether your final destination is hundreds or thousands of miles away, or whether it’s conveniently located just across town or within the reasonable limit of 100 miles.

Read on to learn the proven steps of finding affordable local movers to take care of the details for you. However, it’s only fair to mention that under specific conditions /listed below/, the cheapest way to move locally may be to organize a DIY move with the help of a few good friends.

How much does it cost to move short distance?

More often than not, it’s the price that will determine what type of relocation you choose for your short distance move: professionally assisted relocation (short distance moving companies) or non-professionally assisted one (friends + a rented moving truck). To help you decide between the two options before you, here’s more information about what you are expected to pay in both real life scenarios.

How much do short distance movers cost?

In order to be able to make a comparison and decide which way to go, you need to know the average cost of local movers. Yes, it’s true that each relocation case is different and therefore the overall prices will vary, but a preliminary calculation of the short distance moving costs will give you an excellent idea of where you are at the moment.

Now, the main points to remember before you hire a short distance mover are:

When moving short distance, you should expect to be charged by the hour.
The average cost of hiring reputable short distance movers is $25 per hour per mover, but that price can be lower or higher depending on your exact location and the local movers you have chosen.
Local short distance movers will often charge you a travel fee – the time period your future moving team will need to reach your home. That fee usually amounts to 1 additional hour of labor.
The average prices of short distance moves depend primarily on the size of your place, the number of household items you’re moving, and any additional services you may have requested. In order to get a rough idea of what you will need to pay the pros, let’s assume that you’re moving out from one of these homes: studio apartment (2 movers + 3 hours = $150), 2-bedroom home (3 movers + 5 hours = $375), and 3-bedroom residence (4 movers + 7 hours = $700). Use these example short distance moving costs only as reference values and keep in mind only an accurate moving cost estimate, prepared by your local moving company, can give you good calculation of how much money you will pay in the end.
Packing/unpacking are considered extra services and usually cost around $30 per hour.
How much does a self-move cost?




Calculating your short distance moving costs on your own can be a bit of a challenge.
Many home movers think that moving on their own is by far the cheapest way to move short distance, but that is not always the case. Yes, a self-move can turn out to be a surprisingly frugal option to relocate provided that some fundamental and cost-saving requirements are met:

a bunch of loyal friends,
not too many items in your home,
no special items to move safely,
previous relocation experience, including renting and loading a moving truck.
If you feel confident that you can manage it without the timely assistance of professional short distance packers and movers, then be ready for the following expenses:

Renting a moving truck. Ideally, you will be able to borrow a pick-up truck from a trusted friend. If not, truck rental prices differ greatly per company, location, and conditions. Visit the websites of the major truck rental companies in the country to learn more about their pricing policies (U-Haul, Penske, Budget, Enterprise, Ryder). Keep in mind that truck rental insurance can be about $150.
Fuel. Fuel is not included in the rental price. Note that the average fuel consumption of moving trucks is up to 10-12 mpg, and although you’re only moving locally, the exact move distance and the number of trips you make will determine how much you will pay for fuel. Important: always return the rented vehicle with its tank filled to the top to avoid additional charges.
Possible risks and dangers. What you probably don’t include in your DIY calculations is the possibility of extra expenses due to possible property damage or personal injuries. Both types of unexpected costs can come as a direct result of your move related inexperience or negligence during the chaotic Moving day. Such costs cannot be possibly planned in advance (of course not!) but one thing is sure – you won’t like the digits at the bottom line.
Remember that if you feel nervous about the upcoming short distance move, no matter how short it is, and you sense that you’re not quite ready for the challenge, then you’d better know how and where to find the best short distance moving companies.

How to find the best short distance movers

Our short distance moving guide continues with solid advice on how to find top rated short distance movers to give you a hand when you need it the most:

Do you know anyone who’s moved to a new home recently? If you do, this is your chance to get a first-hand recommendation for a professional moving company that did their job well enough to be praised. Ask around your circle of friends personally or through a Facebook post and keep your fingers crossed for any sensible answers. If you do get a recommendation, don’t forget to ask the person who’s given it why they were satisfied with the professional short distance moving services.
No matter how your call for suggestions goes, your next step is all about checking short distance movers reviews to get the whole picture, or at least try. Find the short distance movers near you and read what former customers had to say about their professionalism, reliability, moving services, and customer service as well.
You need to have a more precise idea of how much you will pay for hiring the pros, so it’s time to ask for and receive short distance moving quotes. Request in-house price estimation and risk calculation from at least a few local residential movers, then opt for written binding estimates for improved peace of mind.
While you have different moving experts at your house, use that unique opportunity to ask them the hard questions, or just about anything that may be worrying you at the moment.
Just before you select the winning short distance mover /affordable price, good services, professional attitude/, ask them for advice on how the quoted price can be further lowered through special offers, ongoing discounts, and so on.
How much to tip short distance movers?


Prepare some money for tips in case you feel like rewarding your moving crew’s efforts.
Interestingly enough, the question of whether you should tip your short distance movers or not still bothers a lot of people who have decided to use professional services. Some find this a truly puzzling dilemma but in reality it’s extremely simple – just ask yourself this question, “Am I satisfied with the work they did and the attitude they showed?” Really, this is all you need to do to solve the puzzle.




If you are mostly displeased with their move related work, then you shouldn’t even think about tipping your short distance movers – if they have messed something up, then they just know they are not going to get any bonuses. After all, tips are offered as a reward for a job well done. But if your professional helpers did a great job from start to finish, then they will most likely be hoping for tips as a sign of appreciation for their efforts. And you can be rest assured that they will appreciate that gesture too!

Pretty soon you will realize that the real question is how much to tip local movers rather than whether or not to do it at all. Sure, if you’re really happy with how they handled the move, then you can tip them more generously, but the standard practice is to offer them an average tip of $10-$20 per person for a small scale move (one that has taken around 3-4 hours to complete) or $30-$40 per person (or even more), if they had to labor for many hours and prepare and move the items of a big residence.