How you want your belongings moved will also affect your long-distance moving costs. The two main types of long-distance moves are consolidated moves and exclusive direct transport moves. Consolidated moves are more affordable; exclusive moves, as their name implies, are more expensive.
In a consolidated move, your belongings will be picked up and transported with the goods of other clients of that moving company. Typically, consolidated moving costs are calculated per cubic foot. Using cubic feet allows the moving companies to determine the amount of room your belongings take up in their moving trucks and charge you accordingly. When you opt for a consolidated move, your belongings will be scheduled to arrive anywhere from a few days to two weeks. In one example of consolidated long-distance moving costs, Brooklyn-based Simply Moving & Storage estimates a fee of approximately $2,000 for a consolidated move of a standard one- or two-bedroom house on the East Coast.
If you choose an exclusive direct transport move, the total cost will be higher. However, you'll have control over the arrival date, and yours will be the only belongings in the moving truck. Exclusive moves cost more because you're paying the entirety of the fuel and labor costs, instead of those costs being divided among the other clients whose belongings are on the same truck. Simply Moving & Storage, which is based on the East Coast, says that a recent exclusive move they did from New York to Florida cost $5,500, while another exclusive move they did from New York to California cost $16,000.
Choosing an exclusive move can be a good idea if you have high-value items that need special attention, or if you just need to have your items by a specific date.