It is not uncommon to not include actual moving costs in your moving budget. You are likely to include application costs, security deposit, utility turn-on fees, and first month's rent for an apartment and closing and financing cost if it is a new home. However, the cost to move can unexpectedly eat up a portion of your budget if not properly managed.

The best way to manage your moving costs is to know all potential costs involved in a move, eliminate those that do not apply to you, and include the remaining costs in your moving budget. The first step is to have a sense of how much you have to move. You will need this information if you decide to rent a moving truck or during your initial contact with a moving company.

If you contact a moving company, ask them to give you an estimate in writing. Be sure the estimate clearly details what is and is not included in it. Make sure this includes any minimum costs and includes all labor. If the estimate indicates a fee of $50 per hour, make sure you know if this is for one or two movers. Decide if you are going to need help with packing as well or just the moving. The more you do and the less the movers do, the cheaper your cost.

If you decide to move yourself, you will need to rent a truck. Call around and get several estimates before deciding which company to rent from. Be sure you have the additional moving equipment on hand. This equipment includes packing materials, furniture pads, and dollies.

Obviously, the closer your current property is to your new home or apartment, the cheaper the moving costs. If you are moving from one state to another, you may need to include additional costs to move such as air travel or rental of an extra car. This type of long distance move has many hidden costs including the cost of food, gas, and possibly hotel accommodation.

One of the most common hidden costs related to moving is associated with storage. If you have to vacate your current place before your new home or apartment is ready for move in, you may have to rent temporary storage space for your belongings. Or you may find that your new place has less space or is configured in such a way that prohibits use of all of your belongings. In this situation, your storage costs will be more long term.

In the first scenario, since your new place is not ready yet and you no longer have access to your old place, you may have to pay for temporary housing. These costs are often unplanned and unexpected, unless you are relocating because of your job. Your temporary housing may not allow pets in which case you will have to pay to house your pet in temporary pet housing such as a kennel.

Now that you have the actual move figured out, think about other potential costs. You have probably planned for the cost to have utilities turned on at your new place. Have you considered the possible cost to have utilities turned off at your current location? There may or may not be fees associated with utility disconnections.

The most important thing to keep in mind regarding moving is to always do your homework. Know what it will cost to hire movers. Know what it will cost if you move yourself. If you decide to hire a moving company, read your contract carefully. Be aware of any fine print and potential additional charges that can add up to a big bill and big hassle. Always make sure you are insured, whether you do the move or not.