Average Cost of Moving 500 Miles

If you’re planning an upcoming move, one of the first things you’ll likely want to know is: How much is it going to cost me? We completely understand. Before you carve out time and energy to research companies and gather quotes, it can be incredibly helpful to have a general idea of how much to budget for moving your belongings. Fortunately, we’re here to help!

The distance of your move has a massive impact on the final cost. Although a much shorter distance than a cross country move, moving 500 miles is still considered a long distance relocation. Generally speaking, the cost of moving 500 miles is ultimately determined by the weight of your shipment and any extra services you select. Though, there are often additional factors that play a role as well.

Continue reading for our complete guide on the average cost of moving 500 miles. That way, you can have a well-rounded understanding of how much a move like this will set you back and budget accordingly.

Average Cost of Moving 500 Miles

Even if you’re just moving 500 miles to a neighboring state or another city within the same state, this type of move falls under the classification of a long-distance move. Although every moving company has different specifications, a general rule of thumb is that if a move is over 400 miles, it is deemed a long-distance move. These moves may also be referred to as an interstate move, cross country move, or long-haul move, depending on the nature of the relocation and the specific distance. Interstate and cross-country moves are those that cross state lines, but not all long-distance relocations do.

These moves take a lot more planning and consideration than local moves. You must factor in the time – and energy – that it takes to get all your stuff packed, loaded, transported, and then unloaded at the destination location. The average cost of moving 500 miles based on home size, without any additional services or charges factored in, is as follows:

• One-bedroom apartment: The cost to move a one-bedroom apartment to a new home that is about 500 miles away is approximately $1,500. This price is based on a total shipment weight of roughly 3,500 pounds.
• Two-bedroom apartment or house: The average cost to move a two-bedroom apartment or house to a new home that is 500 miles away is roughly $2,000. This number is based on a total shipment weight of approximately 5,000 pounds.
• Three-bedroom apartment or house: The average cost of moving a three-bedroom apartment or house to a new home that is located about 500 miles away is $2,600. This is based on an approximated shipment weight of 7,500 pounds.

It’s important to keep in mind that these average costs should only be used as reference values, as each move is unique. Though, these numbers can still be helpful to obtain a general idea of how much to budget for your move. As always, to get the most accurate price estimation for moving 500 miles, request a free quote from a reputable moving company.

Average Moving Costs for DIY Moves

Most are quick to conclude that performing a self-move is cheaper than hiring a professional moving company. Although under certain circumstances this may be the case, it’s important to look at the bigger picture. Before you even think about DIYing your relocation, make sure that you can answer YES to the following four perquisites. This is crucial to ensuring a smooth and efficient DIY move, without losing precious time and money along the way.

1. Is your move a short distance, or in the same city or town?
2. Do you have a couple reliable friends or family members to help you on moving day?
3. Have you moved at least one other time before?
4. Do you have the confidence that you can plan and organize the entire move on your own?

When it comes to moving 500 miles, a DIY move isn’t typically ideal. However, it all depends on your individual circumstances. If you do decide to handle the move yourself, you want to take a closer look at both the obvious costs and the potential hidden costs involved:

• Average cost of rental moving truck. The cost of renting a moving truck tends to vary quite a bit based on the company you choose, the size of the truck, the distance you need to travel, the time of year, and how long you need the truck for. Traveling 500 miles will take you about eight hours on average, but you also need to factor in the time spend loading and unloading the truck and then turning it back in. A 14-foot moving truck (ideal for a two-bedroom home) typically costs between $20 and $30 on average for eight hours, plus and additional $0.70 to $1.10 a mile.Of course, the larger the truck, the more expensive the rental will be.
• Additional moving truck fees. Extra fees that may come with renting a moving truck include the truck rental insurance ($150 on average), cleaning fees, tolls, fuel surcharges, mileage fees, and more.
• Packing supplies. Fortunately, it’s very easy to find cardboard moving boxes for free or for cheap from friends who have moved recently or local businesses tossing them out. However, you’ll need to budget for quality tape, packing paper, bubble wrap, and the like.
• Moving equipment. Odds are that you’ll need to rent or purchase some equipment to ensure a safe move, including furniture pads, blankets, and a dolly.
• Hidden costs. There are a number of other costs that people don’t often consider when moving themselves. These expenses include things like food and lodging while on the road, additional moving insurance for your expensive items, road tolls, and even lost wages from time taken off of work.

Factors that Affect Cost of Move

Although distance and the size of your household are the two main factors that determine the cost of moving 500 miles, there are a number of other variables at play when budgeting for a relocation. In order to get the clearest picture, you want to consider all the possible factors and specifically how they will affect your costs:

• Distance: What is the specific distance between your current address and your new address?
• Household size: Most moving companies estimate costs based on the weight of your belongings, especially for long distance moves. For DIY moves, the amount of stuff you move will dictate the size of your rental truck and, thus, the total cost of your move.
• Moving labor: When you hire professional movers, loading and unloading is included in the final cost. However, they will charge you extra for packing and unpacking services. With DIY moves, you can choose to hire hourly help, meaning you enjoy the flexibility of only paying for the services you truly need.
• Moving date. Moving rates, whether it’s for a rental truck or for full-service movers, tend to be higher during peak season – May through September. You can often get a better price by moving in the winter, as well as in the middle of the month and on a weekday.
• Storage solutions. When moving long distance, many people end up needing a temporary storage solution for any number of reasons. This is where portable moving containers can come in handy, as with companies like PODS or PackRat. With these companies, oftentimes, the first month of storage is included in the cost. Whereas, if you hire professional movers or choose to DIY your move, you’ll need to book your storage as a separate service.

Why Average Moving Costs Matter

While average costs may not give you all the answers you need during your preparation stage of your move, they can be helpful in the following ways:

• To avoid any undesirable cost related surprises at the end of your move.
• For setting up your moving budget well in advance.
• To reduce the stress of your move by knowing that you are capable of handling your long distance move financially.

With that said, the only way to get the most accurate cost estimate for moving 500 miles is to reach out to a professional moving company. Get in touch with one of the moving experts at Three Movers today by filling out our convenient online request form or calling the number at the top of this page. Contact us today to receive your free, no-obligation moving quote and find out how you could save up to 20% when you move with Three Movers!