Moving can already be a major expense, but adding storage on top can make budgeting confusing.
If hiring a moving company with storage near me, how much should I actually expect to pay in total?
By learning a few simple mathematical calculations, you can estimate combined moving and storage charges tailored to your situation.
This guide breaks it down step-by-step so you can financially plan ahead.
Calculate Moving Costs
The first step is estimating your basic moving costs without storage. While prices vary between companies, most charge based on a few key factors:
• Distance – Local/intrastate moves under 50 miles are cheapest. Interstate moves over 50 miles incur higher rates due to extra labor and fuel costs.
• Truck size – The more cubic feet needed to fit your belongings, the pricier the truck (and moving crew) required.
• Weight – Items over a certain density incur overage fees above the base rate, charged per pound.
• Services – Packing/unpacking assistance, appliance servicing, specialty item moving all add incremental fees.
To calculate estimated basic costs:
- Determine cubic footage needed via:
Rooms x Average ceiling height x % full
- Lookup rate chart by cubic feet range and distance
- Add estimated weight overage ($35-$70 per 100 lbs is typical)
- Account for additional services like packing, piano moving, etc.
Voila! You now have a reasonable baseline moving price.
Add Storage Costs
Here is where most people underestimate overall charges. Storage involves recurring monthly facility fees scaling with unit size PLUS retrieval/delivery expenses.
Storage Unit Cost
Storage units are rented by the calendar month. Expect to pay around $1 per cubic foot monthly.
For example, an affordable 10×10 unit with 500 cubic feet rents for approx. $500/month. Monthly cost rises sharply for larger spaces.
To estimate storage unit size needed:
Total volume of items ÷ unit ceiling height x 70% full
Then lookup average rates per cubic foot in your area or specific facilities.
Storage Delivery/Access Charges
On top of monthly storage rental fees, there are charges each time you need items delivered to/from the unit:
- $100-$300 for offloading items during initial move-in
- Hourly labor + truck fees for future access (similar to original moving rates)
- Redelivery charges when moving out of storage to final destination
So your total estimated storage costs =
- Monthly unit rental fees
- Initial load + future access labor/transport fees
- Final redelivery charges
Combined Moving + Storage Formula
Now we can add everything together to calculate your all-in cost estimate when coordinating a move with storage!
Total Estimated Cost =
- Baseline Moving Cost
- Monthly Storage Unit Rental x Number of Months
- Storage Load/Unload Labor & Transportation
- Storage Redelivery to Final Destination
Let’s see an example…
Example Scenario
- 2 Bedroom Apartment (900 cubic feet total)
- Moving Locally within 50 Miles
- 600 lbs Estimated Weight Overage
- Need 3 Months Storage
- 10×10 Unit Renting for $450/month
Step 1: Baseline Moving
- 900 cu ft x $0.50 per cu ft Local Rate = $450 base cost
- Plus $0.05 per lb x 600 lbs weight overage = $30 overage fee
- Plus $300 mattress specialist handling
- Total Estimated Moving = $780
Step 2: Storage Cost
- 10×10 Unit, 500 cu ft total: $450 x 3 months = $1,350
- $250 loading charge, $150 unloading labor
- $500 total load/unload
- $300 redelivery truck+labor
- Total Storage Costs = $1,350 + $500 + $300 = $2,150
Total Combined Estimate =
$780 Moving
+ $2,150 Storage = $2,930 Total
Having this ballpark figure helps me budget and evaluate quotes for the full service package. Offers way above or below this merits closer inspection!
Room for Negotiation
Keep in mind these are rough back-of-napkin estimates. Actual quotes may vary depending on competitive bids in your region, seasonal rates, specific building requirements, and overall demand fluctuations.
Always get written binding agreements spelling out exactly what is/not included plus any conditions around rate changes for the core move pricing.
Storage-related fees can be trickier to lock down upfront since they are generally charged in arrears on an as-needed basis. But you can request policies for rate caps over time.
The onus is on you to understand precisely where your dollars are going, negotiate adjustments if certain line items seem unreasonable, and lock down final pricing wherever possible before services begin.
With a solid advancing understanding of expected expenses using these calculations, you can budget smartly and handle payment terms confidently.
