Moving to a new home? How to save on costs whether you hire movers or do it yourself

While it's exciting to move into a new home, it can cost thousands of dollars. People remove a mattress from the back of a truck on moving day in Montreal, Monday, July 1, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes

While it’s exciting to move into a new home, it can cost thousands of dollars. From hiring a moving company to paying for temporary storage, the bills can add up.

Experts say if you’re looking to save money on your move, you’ll have to do more work yourself — and be prepared to do some serious decluttering.

“I think the first step would probably be to purge what’s not needed anymore or what has no value for you,” said Shawn Filion, a financial adviser at Desjardins.

One of the biggest costs can be hiring a moving company, if you decide to take that route. It’s significantly more expensive than renting a U-Haul, but way less work.

However, it’s not without risk: the internet has no shortage of horror stories about broken furniture, or even outright scams.

That’s why you want to be careful and explore your options before signing on the dotted line, said Janet Gray, an advice-only financial planner with Money Coaches Canada. Ask for quotes from multiple companies so you can compare, and make sure to ask them how their fees are structured — to uncover whether there could be unexpected costs on top of what they are quoting you.

Filion said it’s important to do a thorough Google search on a moving company and check reviews from previous customers. You should also look for information on the Better Business Bureau website, which pulls together business profiles, reviews, complaints, ratings and other information to help consumers figure out whether a company is trustworthy.

The decision to hire a moving company often hinges on how much you’re deciding to keep, said Gray.

“It is personal. I mean, it depends on maybe how much you’ve accumulated,” she said. It also depends on the value of certain items — financial and sentimental.

But you might reconsider some of your choices once you get a quote, she said, and be more motivated to purge some of your belongings.

That can be a big cost-saver, especially for a longer-distance move, where the costs pile up along with the miles.

It was for Daniel Torchia, who moved with his wife and four children from Ontario to Florida a year ago.

After asking friends for moving company referrals, doing his research and getting quotes from three companies, Torchia picked the mover he felt most comfortable with.

Then he got to decluttering.

The family ended up getting rid of about 40 per cent of their belongings, and was able to shrink the original moving quote by almost half.

But even then, once the move was done, Torchia realized they could have gone even further. Some of the furniture they had kept wasn’t a good fit for their new home.

“It’s a really big mistake we made to think that the good furniture we had or the extent of stuff that we brought could be plug-and-play,” he said.

Bringing all that furniture also cost more in the long run, as it took longer than anticipated for the family to find a new house in Florida — meaning they had to pay for six months of storage.

“We rationalized it by saying we want to save money and let’s just bring what we have, and why buy everything again?” said Torchia.

“But it ended up costing us a lot.”

In addition to hiring a moving company, packing is another area where you’ll have to balance cost and convenience, said Gray.

Specialty items like pianos will cost extra or perhaps require a dedicated moving service, noted Gray.

You should also prepare for the cost of a hotel if your belongings arrive late, said Gray, as well as potential temporary storage, as Torchia found.

Of course, as long as it isn’t a long-distance move, you can always rent a truck and enlist the help of friends and family, Filion added — with some pizza and beer thrown in as thanks.

If you’re moving for work, your job might have a relocation service, or might cover some of the costs, added Gray.

If you are moving for work or school, and you pay for it yourself, you can generally apply those expenses come tax time for a deduction, said Filion, so be sure to keep your receipts.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 20, 2025.

Rosa Saba, The Canadian Press