A move can take anywhere from 1 to 21 days. It depends on how much stuff you’re hauling, and how far you’re going. If you want a rough estimate for a long distance move, take the total miles and divide it by 400. Drivers aren’t allowed to clock more than 400 miles of interstate travel per day, so this’ll give you a bare minimum.

Aside from labor laws, your move may take a little longer thanks to bundling. This is a common practice in the industry, and it involves loading multiple moves on the same truck to cut down on wasted space (and wasted fuel). It keeps costs down, but it may take a few extra days for dropoffs and deliveries on the way.

Moving costs between $600 and $9800, but we’ve seen some that were a little cheaper or more expensive. Like the duration of your move, your price depends on how much you’re taking, and how far you’re going. Local movers charge per hour, per mover (and it takes about 2 movers per bedroom). Long distance movers charge per mile, and per pound (although some use cubic feet).

We recommend booking your residential move 2 to 3 months in advance. While we do offer last-minute moving services, it’s always a good idea to give yourself as much wiggle room as possible. 2 months is like 8 weekends. When was the last time you had 8 weekends in a row without something coming up?

If you want to save money on your move, the best strategy is to downsize. Get rid of all of your old, unwanted, and unused belongings before you shop for quotes. Since more stuff means a higher price tag, reducing your load will really reduce your price. Aside from downsizing, we also recommend scheduling smart. Summer is always the busiest season for moving, which means increased demand and increased prices.

Long distance movers typically use a big semi truck to transport your belongings. Unfortunately, these big rigs tend to take up a lot of room, so some cities don’t let them park in crowded areas. In these cases, your movers will have to park the main truck someplace on the edge of town, and use a smaller shuttle truck to transport everything to the semi.