The Cryptic Costs of Moving

Before you consider a move in life, you'll want to be prepared for all the hidden costs that may surface as you go along. There are some obvious costs that may not alarm you, but be forewarned that hidden costs can certainly accumulate- it'll all depend on your ability to look ahead and exercise your best planning skills.

Remember that if you decide to go for a package deal on packing and moving supplies, there could still end up being last minute rentals for things you just did not foresee. These costs add up. Also, if you decide to take time off work to pack your own goods, load and drive the truck, you may want to first consider whether or not it make more financial sense to hire someone. After all, missing a days work could mean missing a days wage alongside benefits like, vacation time. In many cases it's more worth your while to suck it up and hire somebody. Another cost that you might not be wise to, is a tip for your movers. It's an appreciated gesture, so you'll want to have cash on hand.

Whomever you hire or ask to help with your move, you'll want to ensure that they are careful with your items and with your house. It does happen that in transit, accidents happen and things break. If you're moving items out of a house you are selling, you'll want your team to be extra careful not to harm the house during the move. These are avoidable costs, so long as everyone on site is doing their best to be careful and respectful of the items they are moving, and the building they're moving them from.

If you're hiring a truck yourself consider the charge for truck insurance, as your auto insurance will not cover rented moving trucks. Take note that your rented truck insurance, will only cover damage that happens to the truck and will not cover the contents in the vehicle. If this is a concern to you, and you have some precious items, you may want to consider hiring a driver, that way you can have your contents covered through them.

If your stuff is traveling large distances, you'll need to factor in the cost of gas for the miles you are covering. When writing up your moving budget, make sure you over-budget for things like hotels, cell phone calls back home, and any extras you can think of. Make sure you rent from a reputable moving company and that the truck you're renting is in decent condition.

The best advice is to consider any and every possible cost and to factor these into your moving budget. With any budget it's always best to be a little over budget, rather than way under budget.

Be sure to visit Gary and his Nashville Real Estate website, use his Nashville MLS search feature to browse properties currently available in the surrounding areas.