Whether you are moving across your hometown or across the state, relocating can be an exhausting experience. Unfortunately, for many homeowners, one of the most stressful aspects of hiring movers in San Jose is to sift through all of their options to find a professional, affordable moving company.
Here are a few very simple tips to help you pinpoint the right local moving service for you in the San Jose, CA, area.
Average Moving Costs in San Jose, CA
The average price to relocate in the San Jose area is dependent upon a variety of factors. Understanding these factors, from packing services to the price of relocating furniture and fragile items, can help you create a budget. With this budget in mind, you can begin to contact local moving companies.
How much does it cost to move from a house in San Jose?
The cost of moving an entire house can vary wildly. For example, the cost estimates will be higher if you have a larger home filled to the brim with furniture than if you reside in a more modest home that is sparsely decorated.
For example, the price estimate for a modest three-bedroom home is anywhere between approximately $600 to $1,000. This base price does not factor in the moving cost of packing supplies, the moving date, and any storage services.
How much does it cost to move from a one-bedroom apartment?
You are finally moving from your small one-bedroom apartment in the Bay Area to another part of San Jose or California. You want to save money, and because you only have a few boxes and some furniture to relocate, you might be considering organizing a DIY move, especially if you are on a tight budget.
However, before you assume that moving yourself is more inexpensive, remember all the moving services provided by San Jose moving companies. This includes insurance coverage. If you drop your television or break a treasured family heirloom, you cannot typically recoup the cost.
Moving companies offer insurance, and often because you are using a professional moving service, rather than lugging boxes and carefully handling prized expensive objects and broken belongings, the damage will be covered by the moving company or your homeowner’s insurance.
On average, the price of a local move from your one-bedroom apartment to your new house will be around $350 to $500. The cost of moving a two-bedroom apartment is slightly higher, and a fair price for the relocation would be around $600 to $750.
Factors Affecting Your Moving Costs in San Jose Movers
When you contact movers in San Jose, you will be provided with no-cost estimates. The estimate will be based on a cost calculator that includes several factors. Here are a few of the other factors that will impact the overall cost of your San Jose local move:
Moving dates
An often unexpected factor, the date on which you relocate, can significantly impact your overall price of working with San Jose, California, moving companies. Even though the weather in the Blossom Valley is typically very temperate, there are still busy seasons for San Jose movers.
Typically, moving companies are busy in the summer and early fall and are not relocating as many families in the winter and spring, which in the moving world is considered the off-season. Scheduling your local relocation in the winter or early spring, rather than the peak season, is an easy way to save serious cash on your moving services.
Storage needs
Unfortunately, relocating is always a straightforward process; you will often require short- or long-term storage services. The San Jose cost of storage services can put a massive dent in the budget of local moves. Obtaining a month-to-month lease and choosing a self-storage unit that is closer to your new house, which can help you save on gas, are two easy ways to save on your storage needs.
Packing services
There is just simply no getting around the fact that packing is an exhausting, time-consuming, and often boredom-inducing process. At the onset, it might seem more affordable to pack up your belongings yourself.
However, when you factor in the price of packing materials, furniture blankets, a furniture dolly, and the time away from work often necessary to complete the job, you will quickly find that including packing services in your moving company contract is a great option.
Save yourself some serious grief, time, and often, money by choosing packing services from your movers in San Jose.
Type of home & accessibility
The size of your home, the number of rooms, volume of belongings, and even the number of steps in the residence will also impact your overall moving costs. For example, if you have a one-bedroom home, there are typically fewer rooms and fewer belongings the movers will need to lift and relocate to the moving truck and into your new home than if you have a sprawling, four-bedroom mini-mansion.
Additionally, San Jose moving companies typically charge more if you have stairs from the second floor to descend carefully and several hallways that the movers must maneuver through and down.
Type of belongings
Any moving company will offer you a great price if you only relocate a few boxes to your new home. You will be charged more if your belongings are large, heavy, and cumbersome. For example, the local moving job will cost more if you relocate a massive grand piano or a massive, fragile, 100-gallon fish tank.
Size of crew
Another factor that many homeowners overlook when hiring movers is the sheer number of crew members it will take to relocate their belongings from point A to point B. Local moves typically require a smaller crew.
However, if the sheer weight of your belongings and the size of your home requires additional crew members, you will be charged more for the extra help.
Don’t worry about the distance of your local relocation
Each moving company has its own definition of a “local move.” However, any move under 50 miles from city to city is typically considered “local.” For example, a relocation from San Jose to San Francisco would normally be regarded as a local relocation. Because you are moving such a short distance, your movers in Sa Jose will not charge you mileage.
Instead, you will typically be charged an hourly rate for the San Jose move.
Local Movers Cost
Now that you understand some of the additional costs of services often included in a local move, it is time to get down to the nitty-gritty of the relocation.
Hourly rate
Once again, the best movers in San Jose charge an hourly rate for your local move. If you are moving throughout the Silicon Valley area or to the greater San Jose area, here is a fair hourly rate you can expect to pay for a fantastic job:
2 movers and 1 truck – $149-$175 per hour
3 movers and a moving truck – $199-$225 per hour
4 movers and a single moving truck – $249-$275 per hour
Full service
Many local moving services are marketed as “full service.” Typically, a full-service moving contract includes packing, relocation, and in many cases, storage. Be aware that full-service movers in San Jose will charge more for a full-service package. If you want the lowest cost possible, you can forego these services or pick and choose which services work best for your needs and budget, which is an often-overlooked way to save money.
The cost of long-distance movers
If your relocation falls outside the parameters of a local relocation, or if life throws you a major curveball and you suddenly find yourself planning a cross-country move, there are some crucial differences between local and long-distance movers you should understand.
One of the biggest differences is the cost structure. The best local movers in San Jose will charge by the hour. Long-distance moving services charge by the mile, the cubic feet of your belongings, or the weight of your possessions.
If plans change and you must schedule a long-distance move, be prepared to pay these additional costs that are factored into the estimate associated with the majority of long-distance moves.
Simple Tips for Hiring Local Movers in San Jose
You are elated to begin planning your move but are not sure where to start. It can also be overwhelming to narrow down your options, especially when you realize just how many movers there are to choose from in San Jose, and you want to find the cheapest price possible.
The simplest place to begin this journey is to read reviews. An online review of a moving company will provide you with a basic idea of the overall costs associated with hiring the company, if the movers were on time and professional, and if the movers quite simply did a good job.
All of San Jose’s best local movers will have a reputable website, a physical location, and a phone number. You would be simply amazed at how many of San Jose’s disreputable, fly-by-night companies do not even have a physical address or a working phone number!
All reputable moving providers will come to your home or apartment and offer a free moving quote. If you are being charged for this quote, or the company charges you for this quote, or even gives you a quote over the phone without touring your property, take this as a serious red flag.
Finally, search for local moving providers that go far and above the job. For example, take a second look at companies that provide valuable perks, such as a provider that will offer free furniture pickup or a lower price for scheduling the move during the off-season.
Scheduling a local relocation can be overwhelming, and the last thing you really want to do when the movers arrived is to regret your choice.
Understanding the price structure of a San Jose relocation, the value of a full-service relocation and some red flags to watch for are a few simple initial steps you can take to ensure you hire the best movers for you and your budget
