Whether you’re moving across the country or across town, you’ll have to decide if you’re going to ship your furniture to your destination or buy it new once you arrive. While there’s no one right answer to the question of whether you should move furniture or buy it new, the following considerations can help you determine which option makes the most sense for your furniture, lifestyle, and moving budget.
Think About Distance
Moving costs for furniture depend on several factors, including distance. If you’re moving across town, it’s usually more affordable to hire local movers or rent a moving truck, load up your furnishings, and complete your move in a day. However, moving to another state often involves shipping, which can complicate the decision-making process.
The average price to move furniture within the U.S. ranges between $300 and $1,000. If you’re only moving a short distance, you’ll likely pay between $300 and $800 per piece of furniture, while long-distance moving costs can range from $475 to $1,600 per item. Other costs to factor in include labor, fuel, insurance for expensive or sentimental items, and packing materials to help protect your furniture when moving.
Try using a moving cost calculator to estimate the price of relocating all your furniture. Or ask a moving company to provide a moving quote with furniture as well as one without furniture—comparing the difference can help guide your decision to ship your furniture or replace it once you arrive!
| Shipping Distance | Average Cost per Item |
| Short Distances | $300 to $800 |
| Long Distances | $475 to $1,600 |
Be Strategic About Shipping Furniture
The overall cost to move furniture will also depend on the amount of items you’re moving, their size and weight, and any special handling they require—evaluate whether these expenses are worth it before deciding to ship your furniture.
While the cost to ship a couch ranges from $575 to $1,000, the average cost of a new couch is between $300 and $3,000, depending on the size and style. If your couch is on the lower end in price, it’s likely a better financial choice to buy a new one when you arrive in your new area. However, if you own a more expensive couch, shipping it would make more sense.
Similarly, the cost of shipping a desk averages from $475 to $1,000, whereas the typical cost of a nice desk ranges between $150 and $500. Unless you are in love with your current desk and it’s not available for repurchase, it’s likely a better option to forgo shipping and replace it later.
Shipping furniture costs aren’t always easy to figure out. You must first research moving companies, get bids, decide between them, and sign contracts. Plus, you have to deal with possible nicks and dings, which could cost more money to repair. Though determining whether it’s a better idea to move furniture or buy new requires some number crunching, if your priority is to save money when moving, the time spent will be well worth it.
| Furniture | Average Cost to Ship | Average Cost to Buy New |
| Couch | $575 to $1,000 | $300 to $3,000 |
| Desk | $475 to $1,000 | $150 to $500 |
| Dresser | $475 to $1,000 | $100 to $3,000 |
| Dining Set | $1,300 to $1,600 | $500 to $10,000 |
Evaluate the Practicality of Moving Furniture
In some cases, even if you’re satisfied with the initial cost to ship furniture, it might not be worth it for other reasons. For example, older furniture that has started to show wear may fall apart during the moving process or soon after, especially if it wasn’t a higher-end piece to begin with—which means you’ll likely replace it down the line. Extremely heavy furniture also requires more critical evaluation—the more an item weighs, the more it can cost to ship, meaning you could pay thousands of dollars to move something that’s only worth a few hundred.
In addition to age and weight considerations, ask yourself whether your furniture will physically fit in your new residence. If you’re downsizing, some pieces may be too large for your new space. Additionally, when moving into an apartment, you may need to use a small elevator or navigate multiple flights of stairs, which can make moving large or heavy furniture challenging. In these cases, consider investing in new, space-saving furniture instead. Similarly, don’t forget to take into account whether the furniture will fit the design of your new home. A new house often means new decorating styles, and your old furniture might not reflect what you have in mind.
Consider Sentimental Value
Cost and practicality aren’t the only factors to consider when deciding whether to ship or buy new furniture—how you feel about your items matters too. Shipping companies don’t differentiate between everyday furniture and items with sentimental or historical value. If it weighs the same and takes up the same cubic footage, then barring insurance concerns, they will have the same shipping cost. That makes it even harder to use price and convenience as a determinant.
If you have quality furniture in which you’ve invested a lot of time or money (buying, restoring, reupholstering, etc.) or items with sentimental value, then shipping is generally the best option. However, if your furniture is relatively inexpensive and you have no particular attachment to it, selling it online or donating it to Goodwill or The Salvation Army is the better choice. If you still want the same item or something similar, you can always buy it again when you arrive in your new city or state—or try thrifting quality used furniture to add a unique new piece to your collection!
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