Recently, I made the move from Detroit to Seattle. I knew moving across the country would be expensive; the U-Haul alone took up a big part of my moving budget. As I went through the process of packing up my belongings and driving them more than 2,300 miles to my new home, I discovered that moving also comes with hidden costs.
1. Packing Supplies
I’ve made plenty of short moves in the past, but none of them prepared me for the sheer volume of packing supplies you need to move across the country. This time, I couldn’t just toss things in boxes and drive them across town in my car — a long trip in the back of a truck requires careful packing. To protect my belongings, I had to buy a considerable amount of packing supplies.
In addition to the boxes, I found myself running back to the store for bubble wrap, tape, paper packing material. Then, I had to buy special packing boxes with inserts so that I could carry my glassware collection safely. For dressers, I used stretchy wrap to keep the drawers shut and protect the finish. High-quality packing supplies are essential but expensive!
2. Transportation
I knew that I’d be driving a moving truck to Seattle, but I didn’t stop to consider how much that trip would cost. First, there was the gas for the moving truck; every time I stopped to fill up, I was shocked at the total. Those costs started to add up, especially when I stopped for gas in cities with higher fuel prices. On top of that, the entire trip took three full days of driving. That means that I had to pay for three hotel stays. Finally, there was the food. Three days of snacks, drinks, and meals in restaurants added to my moving costs.
3. Storage and Hauling
I had a week between the end of my lease in Detroit and the beginning of my contract in Seattle — while it was great not to have to pay double rent, I found myself with a few extra days in Seattle. Rather than keep the moving truck for all of those days, I chose to rent a short-term storage unit for a week to give myself some extra wiggle room. Then, when it was time to move in, I used a local moving company to move my belongings out of the unit and into my new home. That did wonders for my peace of mind, but it took another chunk out of my budget.
4. Deposits and Connection Fees
When I started planning the move from Detroit to Seattle, I knew I’d need to budget for an expensive deposit on my new apartment. What I didn’t consider was all of the money I’d need to spend setting up shop in Seattle. From the connection fee from the internet company to the new-customer deposits required by different utility companies, this process was surprisingly expensive. The deposits will be refunded eventually, but they added to the up-front cash I had to produce during the move.
5. Replacing Items
One of the highest hidden costs that I discovered after my move to Seattle was replacing items for my home. When I was packing up in Detroit, I opted not to take up space in the moving truck with things such as:
- Old bath mat
- Shower curtain
- Half-empty cleaning supplies
- Plunger
- Toiletries that were nearly gone
That meant that when I was getting set up in Seattle, I had to purchase almost all of the basics for running a house. Altogether, that added hundreds of dollars to my moving costs.
Moving from Detroit to Seattle was a long process, but well worth the effort. If I make another cross-country move down the road, I’ll be better prepared for the hidden costs of moving.
