UtilityRates.com Study Reveals Critical Trends Driving More DIY Moves

Study Shows Americans Face Higher Costs, Higher Stress, and Hard Choices When Moving

HOUSTON, TX, UNITED STATES, July 30, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- With nearly 22,000 moving service providers and associated franchise businesses looking for customers in the U.S. today, the moving services industry is saturated. Roughly 15.3 million Americans move each year. So to get their business, moving providers now offer a wealth of services featuring online estimates, booking and flexible moving options, real-time tracking systems, and mobile apps to improve the efficiency and transparency of a customer's move.

But, moving is not cheap. High moving costs can make it harder for consumers to set up natural gas or electricity service once they arrive in their new home. Relocating in the U.S. can range from a $500 DIY move across town all the way up to $15,000 to move across the continent.

Researchers at UtilityRates.com reviewed moving cost studies and surveys from several major moving industry associations and companies. Their goal was to show consumers how their moving choices are changing and determine which consumers may best benefit from a Do It Yourself (DIY) Move versus hiring a moving company.

UtilityRates' study results found that while moving costs have been generally increasing, the cost to hire a moving company for a full move has doubled since 2020. And though the stress of moving is unavoidable, many are finding the cost increasingly difficult. DIY moves in earlier surveys were shown by moving companies to be more difficult and stressful than hiring movers. However, more recent surveys now suggest DIY movers have more confidence, partly due to a willingness to purchase "à la carte" products and services (truck rentals, labor, moving storage containers, packing materials) offered to them by moving services companies.

Key Findings
• About 12% of all American households move each year.
• The average cost to hire a mover has doubled in five years. Cross-continent moves can run as high as $15,000.
• DIY moves have stayed about the same.
• Renters own fewer things but move more often than homeowners. Most homeowners own more things and usually hire a full service moving company.
• At least 42% of people who move cry from the stress. Stress seems higher for those who hire movers.
• The moving service market is saturated. Moving providers and associated franchise businesses total to around 22,000.
• Moving service providers now offer more convenience options to DIY movers.

Why Moving Costs Are Rising
In three separate moving studies, each showed consumers who hired moving companies bemoaned the high cost as well as the growing number of unexpected expenses. The costs also showed increases over time.

• A 2020 survey of 1,000 movers done by OnePoll for North American Van Lines found the average cost was over $1,500 and included paying an extra $211 to cover unexpected costs during the move.
• In 2023, a Home Bay and Allied Van Lines survey of 2,000 movers found more households were spending $2,000 on moves within 100 miles of their old home. Similarly, about 53% of movers had unexpected costs. And over half in the survey said the total cost of their move was higher than expected.
• In 2024, an Anytime Estimate survey of 1,000 movers showed average costs had risen due to hikes by moving companies and truck rental companies. Renters (who move more frequently) paid $1,334 on average while homeowners paid $2,907. Moreover, the number of moving households that faced unexpected costs rose to 78%.

Taken as a whole, surveys suggested more households going the DIY route due to rising full moving service costs. Roughly 30% in the 2020 survey were cited as DIY movers. That rose to 40% in the 2024 study and 65% in a 2025 moving services analysis. Regret attributed to DIY moves in these surveys also lessened over time, suggesting consumers grew more confident in their choice to do the move themselves.

The Cost of Stress
All surveys showed that it's easy to get overwhelmed during a move no matter how you do it. In addition to dealing with practical things like connecting utility services, changing banks, leases, and schools, relocating is often accompanied by feelings of loss, alienation, and fear of uncertainty. Typical reactions include irritability, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. As a result, all three surveys reported high levels of stress, including two that showed over at least 42% of people who were moving cried from the stress.

However, one key stressor not explored in these surveys was the loss of control over one's possessions when hiring a mover. But this factor does show up in one poll that measured stress while moving. It found that of the 2,000 respondents, 45% worried they would be over charged by a professional moving company, 44% feared their things would be broken, and another 36% thought their possessions would be stolen. While professional moving companies work very hard to earn and keep their customers' trust, these kinds of irrational worries and fears still play a role in moving stress.

Study Link: https://www.utilityrates.com/resources/should-you-hire-a-mover-or-diy

UtilityRates.com is operated by Electricity Ratings, LLC.
Electricity Ratings, LLC operates an energy advisor platform and a network of energy shopping websites across 11 states across 56 utilities, providing our advisory, comparison and ratings service to over 58 million residential and commercial customers. The energy advisor platform provides our customers with the power to choose the best providers through our consumer reviews platform and provide a reliable, unbiased, source of valuable consumer insight, advice, in-depth energy company service evaluations, and personalized recommendations.

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UtiltyRates.com
1502 Sawyer, Ste 130
Houston, TX 77007
(866) 303-9147 info@UtilityRates.com
https://www.UtilityRates.com

Justine Carter
UtilityRates.com
email us here

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