Hidden Moving Costs You Might Not Have Thought Of

No matter whether you move yourself or hire a professional, there’s a cost involved. If you pack and move by yourself, you have to factor in both supplies and the time involved, especially if you have to take time off work. Most people opt to hire a professional moving company, but this can add up too. Aside from the primary fee (which is usually charged hourly) there are some other sneaky moving fees that may catch up to you. Make sure you budget for these:

Charge for Oversized or Delicate Items
Some moving companies will charge a fee for extra bulky or awkward items—like a piano, for example. They might also charge for items that need to be disassembled before moving and reassembled in your new home, like bed frames. Make sure you ask about hidden costs when you request a quote.

Storage Facilities
If you’re staging your home to sell, there’s a good chance you’ll have to put some of your belongings in storage. You might have to pay a monthly fee for this, and if you need your movers to make a stop at your storage locker on the way to your new home, be sure to work that into the cost too.

Utility Transfer Fees
No matter where you’re moving to, you’ll need to set up utilities, cable and things like that. Sometimes companies charge a transfer fee when you switch addresses. If you’re moving condo buildings, you might be serviced by another provider altogether, which may result in an installation or equipment setup fee.

Mail Forwarding
Despite your best attempts to change your address with all relevant providers, this can be easy to forget. For this reason, it’s a good idea to opt for mail forwarding with Canada Post. This means that any mail sent to your old address will automatically get forwarded to your new one for a certain period of time, usually for three or six months. Depending on how long you want the forwarding to be active for, the post office will charge you a fee for this.

Land Transfer Tax
In Canada, a land transfer tax is added on to the sale transaction when the property title is officially passed from one person to another. This varies from province to province and is dependent on a number of factors, including the amount of land and the price of the home. The buyer is responsible for this fee.

There’s no doubt about it—moving can be expensive. Make sure you budget for some of these unexpected moving costs and you’ll be on your way to enjoying your dream home in no time.