Moving your entire house, no matter how big or small it is, can be a stressful project. You have to pack everything precisely, book a moving vehicle, convince a bunch of friends and family to help you with the move, and spend a lot of time unpacking and organizing your stuff in your new place. It is very important to move your belongings without any damages or misplacing them. Hiring movers to move your precious possessions is the best way to ensure their safety. Professional movers in Ottawa will transport your items safely, without any damage, and if required, pack and unpack them for you as well.
Professional movers usually charge for moving on an hourly basis and on the size of the house. You can refer to this cost guide before hiring any movers. Understand the costs involved and ask for a custom quote from a local moving company. This cost guide is based on 6 verified Ottawa-based homeowner reviews written on HomeStars.
Moving Costs in Ottawa
| Task | Average Cost* | Lowest Reported* | Highest Reported* |
|---|---|---|---|
| House Moving | $1,050 | $1,000 | $1,100 |
| Local Moving | $450 | $450 | $450 |
| Long Distance Moving | $1,722 | $1,345 | $2,100 |
| Packing and Moving | $600 | $600 | $600 |
Costs as of January 2021*
House Moving
- Be it a townhouse, semi-detached or detached house, moving in or out of it can be a huge task. You have to pack the furniture, closets, kitchen and pantry, all the stuff from your garage and basement, outdoor furniture, appliances and paintings. Packing everything and then loading, moving and unloading, can easily take anywhere from 1-4 weeks.
- Getting at least 100 boxes, packing tape, packing peanuts and other supplies can be difficult and extremely expensive. You can hire a professional for the job who can bring all the customized packing supplies to pack heavy furniture and fragile appliances. The professionals will use a huge vehicle to load and unload your belongings.
- Based on the size of your house, professional movers can cost you up to $1,100 in Ottawa.
Local Moving
- Any residential move under 50 miles is considered a local move. A professional moving company will calculate the distance between your current location and the location where you want your belongings to be moved, they will consider the size of your house and based on that they will provide you with a cost estimate.
- Local moves usually take up to a day if you consider the time to pack, load and unload everything. A local move in Ottawa can cost you approximately $450.
Long Distance Moving
- Whether you’re moving within the province or doing a cross-country move, long-distance moving can be very stressful. You can hire a professional moving company that will provide an expedited moving service which will include, packing, moving and unloading your belongings to the location of your choice. Professional movers will provide you with an arrival estimate and GPS tracking service to track your belongings along the way. This will help you plan your travel as well.
- Based on the total distance between two locations and the size of the move, a long-distance move can cost you anywhere from $1,345 to $2,100 in Ottawa.
Packing and Moving
- Many local moving companies in Ottawa offer high-quality, customized packing services with moving. Instead of purchasing expensive packing materials like boxes and bubble wrap, risking damaging your fragile possessions due to poor packing, you can ask your movers to do the packing for you. You can pack your closet and other personal belongings yourself but other big items like furniture disassembly and appliances will be packed by the movers.
- Both packing and moving in Ottawa can cost you a minimum of $600.
Tips to Save Costs on Moving
Pack Ahead
- When you decide on a moving date, you don’t want to wait until the last minute to start packing. We recommend you start packing at least a week before your moving date, based on the size of your house. If you pack at least the majority of stuff in your house by yourself, you’ll be saving a lot of money and time when it comes to hiring professional packers. If you don’t know how to pack certain items, you can gather them together and categorize them so it will be easier and faster for the packers to do their job. For example, you can gather all your art supplies and gardening tools in one place so when the packers arrive, they don’t have to go around your house picking up everything to pack.
Declutter Before Moving
- Decluttering is a good way to save a lot of time and space when it comes to moving. A couple of weeks before your big move, start making a list of everything you will be taking with you to your new place. If there is a piece of furniture that will not fit in the new house or old clothes which you know you won’t be wearing anymore, we recommend you donate or sell them. This can be a good opportunity to earn some extra cash and also reduce the overall time spent on moving these items.
Plan Your Meals
- Decluttering your fridge and pantry can also be a means to reduce the time of loading and unloading. Plan your meals by using only those items that you have in the kitchen for at least a week before you move. Avoid buying new perishable items right before your moving day as they can go bad and you may have to throw them away.
Choose the Right Moving Day
- Many homeowners in Ottawa prefer moving during the weekend or on holiday. However, if you choose to move on a weekday, it can prove to be a pocket-friendly option for you. As packers and movers in Ottawa are not usually busy on weekdays, they might be able to offer you a discounted rate for your move. So consider packing everything over the weekend and moving on a Monday.
Packing and moving is not one person’s job. You can definitely ask for help from your friends and family to save money but they are not professionals. If you have room in your budget and want to avoid the stress that comes with moving, we recommend you hire a professional mover in Ottawa. You can check a local mover’s Star Score, verification badge and homeowner reviews before making a hiring decision.