Recently Barbie and Ken (not their real names) moved a few thousand feet, across a courtyard. They traded up from a one-bedroom apartment to a two-bedroom apartment. They were amazed by four things: how much stuff they had in their old apartment, how much stuff they needed for their new apartment, how much stuff from their old apartment they were sorry they brought to their new apartment, and how long the process took from first piece packed to last piece put away. They were not alone in their amazement.

The Survey Says
"Based on research and surveys that weÕve been conducting since 1992, weÕve found that, on average, a homeowner spends $9,400 in the three months it takes them to move. That doesnÕt include the cost of the new home or the movers," says Jeff Lippincott, Business Development Manager of MoveCentral, Inc. (www.movecentral.com). "Renters are spending, on average, $3,700 when they move. In either case it would take most people three to five years to spend that much on home related goods if they werenÕt moving."

"Most moves are triggered by a life event such as a new job, a marriage, a baby, a divorce, or a retirement. Some of these life events come with additional income or needs. We found that 37% of households that move purchase new furniture within 12 weeks of their move, 40% buy bedding, and 12% buy a new computer within 8 weeks of their move," says Lippincott. "When you buy a new couch, an appliance, and a computer, the costs can mount up pretty quickly. If you have this information beforehand, you can plan and budget accordingly."

Here are some more of MoveCentralÕs surprising survey results:

57% of homeowners and 37% of renters bought furniture within 12 weeks of their move. Homeowners spent an average of $3,500 and renters spent an average of $1,220.

35% of homeowners and 40% of renters purchased bedding within three weeks of their move. Homeowners spent an average of $420 and renters spent an average of $240.

15% of homeowners and 12% of renters bought a computer within eight weeks of their move. Homeowners spent an average of $2,160 and renters spent an average of $1,340.

55% of households (homeowners and renters) purchased at least one appliance when they moved.

12% of all respondents with internet access went online to research moving companies.

ItÕs a Moving Experience
"Since most people are paying the movers themselves (as opposed to a corporate sponsored move), I suggest that they get three competitive quotes," Says DÕArcy Goldman, President of Humboldt Storage and Moving, in Camden, Mass. (www.humboldt.com). "Moving costs are based on the total weight of the goods youÕre moving and the miles youÕre moving them. ItÕs a very competitive industry and itÕs become a discount game. You want your mover to give you a good price and reliable referrals, so that you can rest assured that they will get the job done properly."

"ItÕs very important that you take advantage of an estimatorÕs expertise," says Goldman. "Show them everything, even if you think it might not be going. DonÕt say ÔIÕm going to have a tag sale and IÕm sure that old piano wonÕt be going with us.Õ ItÕs safer to estimate higher and end up lower. The moving company can always give you less space on moving day, but sometimes it can be hard to give you more."

There are a lot of variables that can cause the price of a move to fluctuate such as:

Packing: You will incurr the highest moving cost if you have the movers pack everything for you. To save money, you can have the movers pack just your breakables. This cost may be worthwhile because if you pack those items and they get broken along the way the mover accepts no responsibility, (unless the outside of the box shows signs of abuse). If the mover packs the breakables, they accept full responsibility.

Location: Movers charge extra if they canÕt get within 75 feet of the entrance on pick-up or delivery.

Obstacles: Stairs and elevators take time and energy for the movers to negotiate and that gets added to your bottom line cost.

Disassembling/reassembling: There is an additional cost if the movers have to take apart, or put together, unusual furniture like a pool table or an oversized entertainment unit.

Oversized belongings: Big items add to the bottom line price because they are unwieldy and take up space in the truck. That goes for your canoe, riding mower, and motorcycle.

Disconnecting appliances: Movers donÕt normally disconnect appliances. Some moving companies have disconnection experts that can help you for an extra cost, or you can hire an electrician. Failure to deal with this issue in advance can delay your move, which will cost you time and money.

When you arrive
ItÕs not hard to imagine that you might be suffering from sticker shock when you arrive at your new home. "I think what happens to people is that about halfway through the process of moving they get overwhelmed by the enormous variety of expenses," says Matt Coffin, CEO and Founder of LowerMyBills.com (www.lowermybills.com).

"LowerMyBills.com is an outgrowth of my personal experience. I moved into a new home and got married at the same time. IÕd never had a mortgage before and when I put my budget together I experienced sticker shock. I began a process of trying to lower each of my bills and found that it took an unbelievable amount of hours to make the comparisons and decisions."

"WeÕve created a data base and comparison engine that lets you see what your choices are. The types of bills that we allow you to lower are home loans, auto loans, insurance, credit cards, long distance and wireless phone, internet access, electric bills and gas bills," says Coffin. "As soon as you have the address you can use the service to comparison shop in that zip code. The site helps people get over the lethargy they feel when they think theyÕll have to go to 18 sites and make 90 calls to lower their bills. With us itÕs a one-stop service that empowers people to know they have a choice. They donÕt just have to take what theyÕre offered. They can make intelligent, informed, cost effective decisions."

Advice from your mother
Now that youÕve heard from the professionals, make sure you follow these two pieces of age-old, maternal moving wisdom. Regardless of how much you choose to unpack that first day (or night), set up your bathroom first and make up your bed second. That way you can answer natures call, take a hot shower, and your bed will be there to catch you when you fall.