Is It Worth Paying for Movers While in College?

Adulthood comes at you fast during your late teens and early twenties, ushering in expenses you never see coming. One minute you’re in college, cramming for finals, and the next you’re juggling questions like, “What am I going to do with my life?” and “Where am I going to live?” and “Can I afford movers?” 

The good news is, while I can’t help you with the first two, the answer to that final question trends more optimistic than you might think. No matter if graduation is in the rearview or still hovering in the distance, if you don’t know how you’re gonna get all your stuff to campus, there are plenty of options, including lower-cost college movers, that can be tailored to your individual budget. 

What are my realistic moving options in college?

Let’s go back to class for a moment. Moving options are actually like a spectrum.

On one end of the spectrum is a bare-bones DIY move — think a bunch of your classmates pitching in to lug boxes to a borrowed car — and on the other is a full-service move, with a team of professional movers and a truck emblazoned with a company logo. You almost definitely won’t need the last one to move into a dorm room, but in between lies a mountain of untapped potential: everything from hybrid moves, student discounts, price-shopping, and even more tricks designed to save the savvy student some serious moolah. 

The DIY Move 

Just like many do-it-yourself projects, the DIY move is for those with limited funds, but time and motivation to spare: it’s the cheapest moving option for a reason. 

What’s the best way to pull off a DIY move? 

If you want to move for cheap, you have to start earlier. A few months before your move, start by laying out a new budget — the absolute most you want to spend on the entire process without hiring anyone. To get a realistic idea, you must include easily-overlooked items like:

• Boxes and packing supplies
• A potential dolly rental for heavy stuff
• Rental vehicle (if you can’t borrow one or your parents can’t take you)
• A tank of gas
• Toilet paper
• Cost of pizza and beer (to thank your exhausted friends)

If you’ve got that stuff, you’re good to go!

But if the total cost to get all of it is over, say, $200, pause for a second to consider your options, because depending on your circumstances, there’s a good chance you can afford to hire college movers. (Particularly if you are moving locally, already have access to a vehicle, and are moving just the equivalent of a studio or one-bedroom, which most college students are.) I just plugged in my own details here and got a quote for $163 for two movers and two hours. And that’s in a high-cost city like Los Angeles.

If we’re plunging full speed ahead with a complete DIY move, though, that budget you drew up earlier is about to become your best friend. 

How do I cut corners on spending?

First, grow your budget by selling anything and everything you can on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or wherever — even if it’s for only $5 or $10 — and keep your eyes peeled for opportunities to get things for free or trade. To score free boxes, for example, check to see if your school’s bookstore or any on-campus eateries have any to spare. Once people know you’re looking, they’re likely to set some aside for you.

Also, check in with your resident advisor or someone at Student Services to get a feel for the move-in and move-out rules. Ask if it’s possible to give yourself a few extra days on campus at the end of the semester, and use that time to scour the piles of discarded items that your fellow students aren’t interested in moving. Dorm moves notoriously leave an immense amount of good quality stuff behind, so enterprising folks like yourself can either score big-ticket items, or sell them for a tidy profit.

“To score free boxes…check to see if your school’s bookstore or any on-campus eateries have any to spare.”

Finally, remember that shelling out financially isn’t your only option. Consider what skills you might have available to trade for a few hours of work to any willing friends in your proximity; in the past, I’ve exchanged everything from babysitting hours to free editing to friends who have helped me out in times of need. If there’s a class you’re particularly skilled in, you could offer to form a study group to help your friends study for the final.

The Hybrid Move

Can I afford college movers?

I can’t express enough how much the answer to this question depends on where you’re located, the amount you’re moving, and how far you’re moving it. But if you’re a college student with a budget of up to $500 on the higher-end, a hybrid move might well be your best option.

In a hybrid move, you combine the budget of a DIY move with the ease of a full-service move by renting or borrowing your own truck or U-Haul, and then hiring a few vetted local movers to take over some of the back-breaking labor. If you only need help to get your stuff out when you get to campus, that’s cheaper than hiring for both ends of the move!

The less time you need them, the cheaper; instead of paying folks to stick around all day, you can tote the manageable boxes yourself, and hire a small team of superheroes to maneuver your fancy futon down the stairs without breaking the frame or your back.

What can bring down the cost of a Hybrid Move?

Flexibility is a huge money saver. College students are usually pretty locked in as far as moving dates, but if you happen to have the luxury of choosing your date, that’s a major win. You’ll want to avoid popular (read: expensive) days by steering clear of the first and 15th of the month, as well as weekends. If you’re unimaginably open, you can even try checking rates day-of to see if there are discounted slots caused by last-minute cancellations. Although in that case, it’s more important than ever to check ratings and reviews to make sure you aren’t falling for a scam.

In fact, always read reviews carefully, because there can be as many hidden benefits as there are pitfalls. A hybrid move is technically supposed to be labor-only, with no truck, but when I was scrolling through options on HireAHelper, I noted several offers from independent movers that do in fact include transportation options in their quoting, so keep your eyes out for bonuses like that.

“If you only need help to get your stuff out when you get to campus, that’s cheaper than hiring for both ends of the move!”

If your price-shopping has narrowed your search down to some options that are just out of your range, try offering up some labor-saving details that could lower your total. Factors like an elevator in your dorm, whether you’re moving into or out of a ground-floor location, having your stuff packed ahead of time, and providing a safe area for a vehicle to linger without risking a ticket all have the potential to shave some dollars off the bottom line.

Along the same lines, always look (and ask!) for student discounts. Many companies offer incentives to young people tackling their first solo move, so be ready to take advantage. 

And of course, anytime you do hire movers, always remember to factor in the tip — 5 to 10% is pretty standard for efficient, courteous work.

The Full-Service Move

What if I have some more money? 

Moving off-campus somewhere bigger than a dorm room?

If you have a budget of $500 or more, congratulations, because you can reasonably treat yourself to a (pared-down version of a) full-service move. Sites like HireAHelper can hire the essential pieces of your move for you. That means working with a well-rated national moving company, plus all the perks that come along with it: a full-size truck driven by someone who isn’t you, as well as a team of professionals to load and unload your items for you. (And potentially even put some back together when you reach your destination.)

What if I have to move long-distance with any budget?

If you have to move across state lines or even across the country, it’s highly likely to be a four-digit expenditure… but there are ways to make it cheaper. (Make sure to compare your quote with the cost of buying new stuff at your new location!) As always, your first stop should be hireahelper.com to see what options exist in your price range, but there are some specific things for which to be on the lookout.

Booking a shipping container is an alternative to a traditional van line, and a great way for students to save money without having to white-knuckle your way across the country at the wheel of a ginormous truck. (An even more unnerving prospect if you didn’t have a car on campus and haven’t driven regularly since high school.) If your items are hardy, you can also work with a freight moving company, although it’s, um…not the gentlest way to transport breakables and valuables. 

But whether you go with one of those choices or ideas spelled out above, the biggest thing to bear in mind is that there are excellent options at every price point. 

Start with your budget first, and work from there; even if you don’t immediately think you can afford movers, you’re probably closer to that goal than you realize. And if you aren’t, don’t despair! You’re still in that sweet spot where you can ask friends for help without any consequences other than having to return the favor when it’s their turn, so go forth with my blessing.