I have moved more times than I can count. Off to college, back from college, to a new town for work, to a new state, to a new country, back from a new country, then to another new state… you get the picture.
When I was 18, I could just fill my truck bed with all “my stuff” and call it good. My only calculation was how much gas was going to cost.
If it didn’t fit in the truck, it didn’t move with me.
Eventually I became an adult and bought actual stuff, but I was adult enough to refer to them as my “belongings.” But with “belongings” comes the need for more than just gas calculations.
I needed moving calculations.
Why?
Moving calculators help you determine things like:
- How much in gas it would cost to drive yourself plus the moving truck rental fee
- How many boxes and packing supplies you actually need (without making three or four trips to a store and several last-minute Amazon purchases)
- Whether it’s cheaper to hire movers or spend every spare minute outside work packing boxes yourself
So what makes the best moving calculator?
A lot of third party apps will let you insert your moving deets but when it comes time to generate quotes, you get the marketing ploy where they say “Give us your email and phone number and someone will contact you.” Then it’s nothing but spam from a salesperson who won’t leave you alone.
Or you get the whole “contact these 4 _____ type of moving company now to schedule your move” and while it seems like you are being given options, they are all the same type of mover (like truck rentals or complete service movers). The downside here is that you can’t actually compare different types of moving options side-by-side.
So I looked into the best moving calculators that would. My tip picks?
- MoveBuddha
- U-Haul
- Moving
- HomeDepot
- This Old House
MoveBuddha
MoveBuddha is top on my list because it doesn’t tie you down to one type or mover or one program.
They have a ton of different moving and packing calculators like:
- The moving cost calculator
- Moving cost quotes by state
- International moving costs
- Moving box calculator
The moving box calculator is very simple. You put in the number of rooms you have and the number of people who are moving, then the type of packing style you have, from a light to heavy packer.
They have a quick box size guide so you know that things like large boxes are for bulky clothing and linens whereas small boxes are for books and toys and then of course the dish pack boxes for your kitchen.
With the actual moving cost calculator you select where you’re moving to and from, the size of your home, and when you are moving. You can play around with that move date if you have flexibility and from there see how much the cost difference is for moving on the weekends versus the weekday or summer versus winter.
Then, it generates a breakdown based on things like:
- Professional movers
- Container moving
- Freight moving
- Rental trucks
I’ve tried all of these options over my various moves and in certain circumstances one is better than the other so it’s really nice to see a moving calculator that lets you see when and where you can save money so that you can decide which way you want to save.
There might be one time when you have several months to move yourself, in which case you can spend that time packing and then loading a container or having all your goods taken via freight. However, there may be other situations when you simply don’t have the availability to pack your goods yourself, so finding a cheap professional moving service might be in your best interest.
What I like best:
You can calculate moving costs with 1) different types of movers like full service or PODS and 2) see quotes from different companies within each type. They also offer international quotes which other companies don’t. AND, they don’t require you give them your email to get quotes. Say goodbye to those spam sales calls!
What I like least:
This is admittedly a minor inconvenience but once you find the quote you like you are rerouted to those individual companies and you have to work with them to take it from there.
U-Haul
I really like the moving calculator you get with U-haul. This calculator not only lets you compare prices for different types of movers from where you are to where you are going, but it lets you calculate your moving material needs.
The downside is that they don’t have one single, comprehensive moving calculator. When you go to the website, you have to click on things like “moving labor” and then it will let you calculate services like loading, unloading, or both with types of moves and local providers.
So it definitely falls short compared to MoveBuddha because you have separate areas you have to search if you are comparing the cost of renting trucks versus U-Box (think PODS) containers, labor, or supplies.
What I like best:
You can calculate moving materials and packing supply needs like the number of boxes you need based on the number of rooms you have. Then you can order all those supplies immediately.
What I like least:
Your quotes are all generated based on the services that U-haul offers, not comparative companies or types of movers.
Home Depot
Turns out, Home Depot has a pretty comprehensive moving calculator. Whereas most moving calculators give you a general estimate based on the number of rooms you have, Home Depot gives you a much more specific estimate based on the types of rooms you have in addition to bedrooms and the sizes of your mattresses.
So, instead of just saying you have a three bedroom house, you would indicate that you have a three bedroom house with one king bed and two twins. Then you might indicate that you have one kitchen, one dining room, one garage, and one home office and you are also moving a 70 inch television.
The downside here is that they are not offering a moving calculator based on services but rather based on your boxing needs. So, you might still need another moving calculator to see how much it would cost for things like freight shipping or a POD, but at least this helps tally all the moving supplies you need and then add it to your cart for you automatically or let you print the list so you can go shopping.
Tip: Even if you don’t use home depot, you can use the printed shopping list to compare prices for the same moving supplies across different retailers.
What I like best:
Your calculations are not just based on the number of bedrooms but the number of:
- Bedrooms
- Sizes of mattresses
- Additional rooms
- TVs or art pieces
What I like least:
The moving calculator that they offer is for your moving supplies only, so it will generate a subtotal of all the supplies you might need but won’t tell you how much the movers or truck might cost.
This Old House
Am I the only one who still has a subscription to This Old House? I was super bummed when they canceled their magazine last year because it wasn’t cost effective anymore.
They became an invaluable resource when I moved to the East Coast. Suddenly all that waterproofing and snowload stuff they talked about made sense!
So, it turns out they not only help you remodel or improve your home, but they have a moving cost calculator.
They also give you key facts like local moves being priced at hourly rates versus long distance moves which are priced by distance and shipping weight, and some money saving strategies like DIY truck rentals and self-packing.
The tool they offer is pretty simple, putting in your moving from and to locations, how much you are moving (how many bedrooms), and the date.
Unfortunately when you use it, the only quotes you get are from large-scale companies like international van lines. In order to get the more specific quote and not just an estimate, you have to give them your email and phone number so they can contact you directly.
What I like best:
They have a lot of tips and valuable information on the same page as the moving calculator.
What I like least:
Your quotes are all for professional full service moving companies, and you have to give over your email and phone number to get a real quote, not just a ranged estimate.
Moving
Moving.com offers a basic moving calculator for different sized homes. You put in where you are moving from and to, the size of your home, the move date, and what type of packing service you want. They have options for whether you are going to pack everything yourself and you just need movers to load and transport, or you want full packing.
This is a solid option, but it’s probably my least favorite out of all the ones on this list. That’s because it embodies the one thing I absolutely hate about moving calculators: not genuinely showing you any costs or any options or companies until you consent to being contacted with marketing and sales information by providing your personal contact details.
What I like best:
The articles on the same page as the moving calculator tells you when to expect hidden or extra fees and factors that can raise or lower costs.
What I like least:
You don’t get any real quotes from professional movers until you not only give your first and last name but also your email address and phone number, all of which means you consent to being contacted with marketing and automated calls from many different movers.
Summing Up
Overall, my two favorites are MoveBuddha and U-Haul. The downside to U-Haul is that while they have a lot of specific calculators, you have to go to different pages to find each of them, and they only recommend their own services, whereas MoveBuddha gives you everything you need in one place and doesn’t require an email to generate quotes from several different types of movers. Because they aren’t tied to a specific company and they aren’t trying to promote one company over another, they give you very clear cut options for things like PODS, freight, or simple labor if you are packing everything yourself.